Amph [Embedded Video Heavy] ITT We Discuss Who Did The Song Better

See to me, it's a song about a river boat. They aren't exactly speed boats. I imagine the song as more laid back to fit the real feel of rolling on the river.



As for Hallelujah... Yeah both the original and Buckley are great. I too love Cohen and his version is of course iconic, and it's one of the best written songs of all time.

However, I'm inclined to go with Stephen here and say Buckley's take is somehow even better than Cohen, which is remarkable. When he sings "it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah", it sounds like it. The spare electric guitar sounds like a modern harp. It just fits the imagery so well.

 

It absolutely stands up next to the original. Like you say, they're so different, but that's what makes it feel like you don't even have to choose between the two. Sometimes a radical reinvention is exactly what elevates a cover to classic status and I think this one gets there. I heard the song before I saw the movie and I loved it instantly. I'm not going to say it's better than the original because it's so different that you just really have to have them both in your music library, but when it comes to covering the Beatles, it's rare enough to be able to even say that a cover is as good as the original, but that's what I'm saying here. They're both great, in their own ways. It's great enough actually that it kind of makes you wish Harrison was still around to hear it. I imagine he would have liked it. And me honestly thinking that George Harrison would have liked a cover of own of his own songs . . . that's the highest praise I can give it.

 

I'll stop with just 3; there's at least a dozen more contenders. Sinatra and Holliday are consummate musicians, no doubt, but I'm going to go with the Marcels cuz they're just so much fun.

 

I gotta go with Sinatra.

I've got a 'Who did it better?" of my own:



And



These are almost impossible for me to chose from. They are both incredibly good. Oftentimes which version I listen to comes down to who I'm in the mood to listen too. A lot of times, it's Phil's version, but Cyndi's is incredibly good too.

 

I definitely go with the Marcels on Blue Moon. Plus, I think it was the one used for the end credits to An American Werewolf in London and that's one of the great "final shot transition to end credits" moments in cinema history. So bleak and tragic. I love when a movie really nails that contrast of a sudden up-tempo or super-happy music choice making a moment even darker than it already was.

 

Your opinions are all wrong.

Anyway if you're doing Bowie, at least do "Sorrow"

 

cocker's version of 'with a little help...." is so different than Beatles,. almost a different song.
They won't go when i got is equally good by Wonder, but somehow Michael's is even more dramatic imo.
Lastly Elvis Presley's verison of Blue Moon would be worth the consideration

 

Tango de Roxanne is an incredible improvement and reinterpretation. Yes it's even more powerful when combined with the visuals in the film. But it is still 10x more powerful than the original without that. Luhrman is a genius.

Btw, ice dancers Virtue and Moir gave us another wonderful visual accompaniment with their free dance this season.

 

or



I'm so old, I heard the disco version on the radio before I heard the "real" version. Obviously John Williams is the winner, but MECO is always a nostalgia trip for me.

 

No, you've left out the obvious winner.

 

Speaking of weird disco . . .





Anybody remember when Scissor Sisters were like the hot new thing for about ten minutes? Well, the one sure thing they left is this insane disco-infused cover of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb.

I'm a huge fan of Floyd, of course, but I just love this cover so much. The falsetto vocals have such longing in the chorus and the strength of the song is that it translates so well to Bee Gees pastiche: "I . . . I . . . I've become comfortably numb." But the moment that truly sells it is in that second verse; the "there'll be no more . . ." is followed by a fantastic wordless disco vocal backed by a snare drum flourish that just sells it. This cover seems to be universally loathed, but I'm against the crowd on this one. When I think of this song now, it's the Scissor Sister version I think of; and it's the one I listen to more often now.

 

Does this confuse things?

 

@Todd the Jedi I had no idea "Blinded by the Light" was originally recorded by Springsteen . I'll take the more popular version in this case, hands down.

"A Nightingale sang in Berkley Square" is a standard that's been recorded by dozens of artists, but I'd say the most popular/familiar recordings come down to these three versions (Please chime in if you feel I missed one).







The Glenn Miller version features Ray Eberle on vocals and... meh. It's about as soulful as skim milk. Old Blue Eyes certainly kicks it up several notches, and his would be the definitive version if not for Mr. Nat King Cole, who delivers one of the most beautiful and romantic songs of all time *sigh* . It's my favorite song of his, and that's quite an achievement considering.

 

Love this melody!

 

I'm going with the Sweetheart of the Forces, Vera Lynn.

 

That is ******* amazing.

 

this is my favorite version of the song. krist and kurt play on this one as well.

 

Speaking as a big Boss fan, I really hate Manfred Mann's version. Springsteen wrote a silly word salad loosely autobiographical song. They turned it into to some overwrought late 70s rock ballad with a chunk of the lyrics excised and sung by a mushmouth (forever associating the song with outdated feminine hygiene). I mean, if they wanted a ballad, Springsteen had plenty and Greetings had its share of serious content. For some reason the band exclusively mined his first album. Hell, he probably would have given them a new song if they had asked.

 

I remember when I first heard that cover version, I had to get it. It's so original. So inventive.
But Rogue. The original has one of the best guitar solos known to man. If you prefer the Sisters version, you haven't played the Floyd version loud enough.