Quite partial to a Frank Turner cover. Basically just like normal only on an acoustic guitar, and depressing. I mean, a lot of people miss that Thunder Road is a sad story- 2 kids with no future just desperately jumping and hoping it works out, and then the Promise tells you just how badly it went. But because it’s Springsteen people hear an uplifting story about getting up and making a new life.
But Frank’s version? Yeah you know it’s going to end badly. Dancing Queen becomes a crushing account of the shortness of youth. You Are My Sunshine or Build Me Up Buttercup become suicide notes. I mean, Modern Leper ffs! “Here we have a song about mental health issues by my friend who has killed himself. LET’S MAKE IT EVEN SADDER”
I do like a cover. I find the volume and variety of the musical output of us clever apes absolutely astonishing. Somehow having different people do the same things accentuates the difference in approach and styles. I guess it’s a bit like a Whip-off comp on a dirt jump, or a “best method” comp 0in snowboarding meet.
I do like a comedy take too – the Senor Coconut album TJ posted is a favourite, a bit of a chuckle as well as being very well done. I think their version of Sade’s Smooth Operator is my favourite through. ( @tjagain – if you like a left-field cover – look up Rondellus. Black Sabbath, sung in Latin, played on medieval instruments)
Surprised no-one’s mentioned Richard Cheese. Las Vegas lounge singer style. Stupid and brilliant, some utterly inappropriately jaunty covers. Sunny Side of the Moon Pink Floyd refraction image upturned in a martini glass. NSFW *at all*.
I love this. Beautiful and haunting. Faithful to the original and still a very different take.
Do live versions count?
Springsteen’s done a few, my favorite is Free Nelson Mandela which he opened his first tour of South Africa with. Great for several reasons; Steve Van Zandt was heavily involved in the anti-apartheid movement in the 1980’s, and it’s good to watch the (largely white) crowd sing along.
Nice to see The Staves posted up, saw them last week in Bristol, lacking one sister, who’s bringing up her new baby, so it must be a bit odd for the other two missing one part of their harmonies.
Not heard the J Mascis cover of Fade Into You before, it’s really rather lovely. Just downloaded it.
Landon Tewers covering Billie Eilish. Always sends shivers down my spine. Landon is a great singer. And if you are into slightly heavier stuff, his band ‘The Plot In You’ do some absolute belters.
I like it when throwaway pop songs are given new meaning. This one especially made me realise the original lyrics are much more meaningful than I realised:
