h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Im not sure I just heard it in a shop and it was TERRIBLE

Ok well a quick look on bearshare is offering me versions by Aurora, Sabrina Paris, Kurt Nilsen, Saybia and a punk version by Fenix Tx.

Also available is a Gregorian Chant version, and one sung by Luciano Pavarotti.

My point remains - you cannot categorically condemn all cover versions. Some are good, the rare few even better than the original. Some are dire. But there are a lot of them about and I feel it would help me to respond to your question if you were to be more precise about which ones it is you are referring to.

Sorry if that comes across as hectoring, but what exactly were you expecting?

ok

I actually quite liked Madonna's version of American Pie and thought she looked hot in the video too.

The Beautiful South did an album of covers, 2 noteable successes being Blue Oyster Cults 'Don't fear the reaper' and ELO's 'Livin thing' both slow and cut back to the bare bones of the songs, but both quite listenable.

I also have a poor quality copy of the Sisters of Mercy doing a live version of Dolly Partons? 'Jolene' which is strangely good.

Bohemain Rhapsody Dido

MR

The Beautiful South's cover album was a work of cynical genius. Don't forget they also did S Club's 'Don't Stop Moving'.

'Star - you think Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters' is good? Suggest you seek out Apocalyptica's cover-of-a-cover.

B

If there's one song that's most often mistaken for an original than a cover version it has to be Tainted Love by Soft Cell.

never heard that

Why does that not surprise me?

B

Im not sure

I've always thought Soft Cell did the orginal. Who made the first one?

Wish people would stop stealing my letters.

whta letters

post 12

The B

Haven't heard the Sisters of Mercy version, but the White Stripes' cover of "Jolene" is fantastic.

Have got a cd of Metallica doing Queens 'Stone Cold Crazy', that is brilliant

Also on it they cover Motorheads 'Overkill' and that was naff

I'm undecided about cover versions. Some of them can add something to the original: The Ramones' version of "What a Wonderful World" is and edgy, yet the Louis Armstrong one is still excellent. And Marilyn Manson's covers of Tainted Love and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) are excellent, even though I normally dislike his stuff and I like the originals.

Madonna's version of American Pie was so-so; not exactly as good as the original, but it could have been far worse.

Whereas I entirely agree about (was it G4 or Il Divo? I forget) that version of Bohemian Rhapsody - though I intensely dislike that kind of music anyway.

Oh, and DJ Sammy's cover of Annie Lennox's "Why" - why indeed? . The original is brilliant - the cover not so good. How on earth can anyone think a dance version of that could work?

i didnt mind DJ sammy's cover of boys of summer

Philistine!

B

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