This won't become a series, though it could easily. But it's prompted by hearing No Doubt's cover of It's My Life on the radio one day last week. I mean ... just, why? I've got nothing against Gwen and co but unless you're going to radically reimagine the song somehow, why bother trying to cover such a peerless, timeless classic? It's like playing chess against Garry Kasparov - you're not going to win.
You can go and search for the cover if you like, but I prefer to give Talk Talk's source material another airing:
How about you? What cover version makes you holler at the radio, "Just play the original!"? Or is it just me that does that?
Frank Turner's "Thunder Road" Linda Ronstad's "Alison " so many sad attempts ...
ReplyDeletethe only cover that has worked is Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt " and he not only covered it, he made it his own , same can be said for Talking Heads cover of "Take Me To The River" another rare exception to the rule
Making it their own is key, I think, rather than slavishly reproducing the original.
DeleteBow Wow Wow covering The Smiths, "Stop Me.." is a good change up.
ReplyDeleteDon't think I've heard that...
DeleteFYC -Ever Fallen in Love With
ReplyDeleteTruly awful.You should never mess with perfection.
Exactly, it's the Kasparov chess analogy again - FYC just can't win.
DeleteAgree with you about No Doubt's cover - I checked it out and was also struck by the totally different approach in the video as I love Talk Talk's imagery of nature in theirs which seems to give the lyrics a more profound meaning (?) Also with CC on Ever Fallen In Love. I'm sure there are plenty of other pointless covers I know which I can't bring to mind right now but also the ones I hate are when the song is changed beyond recognition in a bad way, i.e. if the approach is completely at odds with the original mood. Cue those terrible weedily plaintive piano/female voice versions of more robust songs often used in TV ads.... ugh ugh ughhh!
ReplyDeleteIT does make you wonder whether some acts think, "Oh, we'll take their famous and well-loved song, and do a sappy, ballady, piano-led rehash of it, perhaps John Lewis will come knocking for their Christmas ad..."
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