Original vs Cover

Oops, I'll choose one of the options when I can hear them, thanks for telling me. Alright, I added it.

Edited by AxolotlFan on May 13th 2023 at 7:54:52 AM

Single instrument covers often miss the intricacies of the original, and I don't think the attempts at mixing live up to the fullness added by the organ in the original. Point to the original for being more interesting.

"I Feel Love"

Donna Summer original

Kingston Wall cover

Sam Smith cover

Not an easy one… The song is a "vibe" and doesn’t have much of a structure, so it’s easy to find it overly long and repetitive. But I think the original has the best execution overall… KW’s version definitely overstays its welcome and Smith’s is a bit overbearing. Summer’s is more subdued but I think that’s what works for this kind of song. So point for Summer!

Jeju-do Pureun Bam (Blue Night of Jeju Island)

Choi Sung-Won

Lim Kim

Taeyeon

The Taeyeon version is the most upbeat one, so I'll go with that one. Now, for a contrast, here's two versions of a song that's NOT upbeat in either version:

Drive

Original by The Cars-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuZA6qiJVfU

Acoustic cover by The Scorpions-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCZBV_qSmrA

Bit of a triple header:

Fall Out Boy have updated "We Didn't Start The Fire" to cover more recent world events

....They had to have been drunk one night and skimmed YTMND. It's got a similar vibe to "We Didn't Start The Website"

Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g

Fall Out Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LkVKCWL0U4&t=212s

We Didn't Start The Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-DMIf-WZYU (NSFW lyrics)

Edited by Zarius on Jun 29th 2023 at 10:05:50 AM

You’re supposed to review the song(s) above yours before posting your own.

I'm just gonna skip that one for now.

Scorpions, being Scorpions, takes an already cheesy song and really hams it up with gospel choirs. And it kinda works better because of that sincerity and Klaus Meine's more engaged vocals. Point to Scorpions.

I've never wanted to make this easy, here's three very different versions of "The Ghost of Tom Joad".

Bruce Springsteen original

Junip cover

Rage Against the Machine cover

bump

I wanted to make mention of Disease by Matchbox 20 and its original, but apparently it doesn't exist (though I hear it almost perfectly in my head) Either I dreamed it, it's been scrubbed somehow, I heard something very close and thought it was it, or the Mandela Effect wiped it out.

So for that, I will present another one that I know that does exist.

Korn's Word Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyOcIbRRkiw&pp=ygUMd29yZCB1cCBrb3Ju Way outdoes the boring original by Cameo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYOSdI_91WM&pp=ygUHd29yZCB1cA%3D%3D

And I don't generally like Korn.

How about you read the OP before posting? This is not a discussion thread, it's a game.

"The Ghost Of Tom Joad"

I couldn't really get into any version, but maybe Rage Against The Machine for just being radically different, and sounding like something a DJ would play at a nigh club. Bruce Springsteen does the thing I find annoying where he's kinda whispering/slurring the lyrics, and the other cover follows suit.

"Suspicious Minds"

Mark James (original)

Angelina Jordan (cover)

The original definitely holds up better - both versions are pretty typical for their respective times, but James' version has a bounce to it and delivers the lyrics in a grounded, endearing way, while the cover goes for extra drama and winds up sounding like a pompous stadium ballad.

"Mr. Brownstone"

Original by Guns 'N' Roses

Cover by Steve Welsh (in the style of Oasis)

I was jamming to the original. That sounded pretty good, and I'm typically not much into Guns N Roses.

"Leaving On A Jet Plane"

John Denver (original)

Peter, Paul, and Mary (cover)

Both versions are quite good and enjoyable. The original version is more jolly, which I think fits the lyrics better, but I like the stripped-down sound of the cover just a little bit more.

Next: "Up On the Roof"

Original version by The Drifters

Cover by James Taylor

Cover by Carole King

I kinda like the tone of both covers more as their slower, more melancholy feel fits the lyrics better, but I still have to give it to the original by The Drifters, for it's more nostalgic, more iconic feel.

"I'm Gonna Be"

Original by The Proclaimers

Cover by Anne Reburn

Edited by Brandon on Oct 15th 2023 at 5:02:29 AM

The original is a road trip classic, but this acoustic version is nicely jaunty. Just feels like whoever was doing it was having a lotta fun.

“Earth Angel”:

Original by The Penguins

Cover by Tiny Tim

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Oct 15th 2023 at 11:20:11 AM

A classic, mellow doo-wop tune, the original version is very, very mellow... Tiny Tim is very good to make the mic suffer, this time goes to The Penguins, while... my favorite version is the Marvin Berry and The Starlighters that was performed live in a prom, where the guest guitarist was mean to disappear...

My favorite original vs cover - Ticket to Ride

The Beatles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyNt5zm3U_M

The Carpenters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsgj4xcxXyA

Mixed feelings on the Carpenters version. As much as I love Karen's singing, and the slower melancholy approach fits the song's lyrics more, I feel Karen doesn't 100% follow the flow of the music, and sounds off.

So, I think I'll pick the Beatles one for it's more consistency. And it's more nostalgic to me.

"Thank You For Being A Friend"

Andrew Gold original

Alyssa Bonagura cover

The cover fits the lyrics better

Poison

Original by Alice Cooper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2ktd6Ajkc

Cover by Exit Eden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ByLQSEf6c

Edited by J79 on Jan 14th 2024 at 12:31:23 PM

Aside from some updated arrangement, the instrumentals are very similar, so it's coming down to the vocals really. And Cooper's overly dramatic dripping-with-venom performance just fits the song quite a bit better, plus Exit Eden has some clear issues with pitchiness. Original wins here.

"Thunder on the Mountain"

Bob Dylan original

Wanda Jackson cover

The cover was a little too goofy-sounding and chipmunk-like to take seriously, so I'll pick Bob Dylan's.

"Ren's Pecs" (from The Ren & Stimpy Show)

Original by Billy West

Cover by Scott Strange and Spywi

Hearing this song for the first time, it was pretty funny but also had a genuine love and Narm Charm to it. Overall it’s a great ballad from the weirdest of places. I don’t mind either of the songs.

I’m gonna go with the original version though. The cover has a Broadway charm to it, and Scott Strange does a great job singing too. But the original feels like it has more weight behind it, thanks to Billy West’s wistful voice. I also wish the cover tried to do its own thing, rather than be a (still solid) repeat of the original.

"God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)":

Original by Randy Newman

Cover by Etta James

Etta James is a much better singer, but the arrangement is too overblown when the lyrics are more about quietly reflecting on religion, which is a shame, because Etta could've made a definitive version with a more understated backing. As it stands, Newman's take is better.

"Wild Is The Wind"

Johnny Mathis' original version

Nina Simone's

David Bowie's

Edited by Angry_Clown on Apr 2nd 2024 at 9:42:02 AM

Between the two covers, David Bowie has the better sound, and has a nice reverb to it, but I'd say the original by Johnny Mathis sounds the best. It's not trying to sound showy or anything, it's just a simple sounding tune and that works here.

"The Candy Man"

Original by Aubrey Woods

Cover by Sammy Davs Jr.

The cover is nice and all, but I think the original is more conducive to the themes of the song. The upbeat poppiness of Sammy Davis' version just doesn't hit as well.

"Run"

Hozier original

Wyvern Lingo cover