Cover #110: Elisapie covers "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones

 I've never been a big fan of this song, probably because I've never really cared for any Stones ballads.  This version, however, is really compelling.  The arrangement and instrumentation is starkly simple (I won't say "haunting" because that is a very overused adjective) and a bit melancholic.  I love that she sings most of the song in her native language, with the just the song title sung in English.  When a cover improves my attitude about the original, that is a clear success.  I really like this.  ✅✅✅✅

Cover #109: Almyth cover "Sailin' On" by Bad Brains

 This cover by the Latvian band Almyth (who play self-described "stoner jazz") is quite interesting.  It begins with a competent dub version of the song, which fits the song well though that style (dub) is somewhat predictable for a Bad Brains cover.  Partway through the song, however, they change course considerably into a very faithful hardcore version-  good enough that you could fool several punk poseurs into thinking it was the real thing.   ✅✅✅✅

Cover #108: Nazareth covers "Love Hurts" by The Everly Brothers

 For most people younger than the Boomer generation, this is probably the most famous version of this song (followed by Roy Orbison's version then the Everly Brothers original).  This cover is popular for good reason- it is perfectly executed.  Phaser-tinged guitar provides a great backdrop along with drums that are hard and heavy in just the right moments.  The guitar solo is mournful and does not try to upstage the song.  It takes guts to take on a song made famous by Roy Orbison, but Dan McCafferty's plaintive vocals provide a great alternate version of this fantastic song.    ✅✅✅✅✅

Cover #107: The Newlydeads cover "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors

 More Goth covers from the folks at Cleopatra, this one from the Goth tribute to The Doors.  This take sounds like an uptempo early-Ministry type of Goth song if you squint and imagine a little bit; otherwise, it sounds more like something like Linkin Park.  The performance is decent.  This particular song lends itself to this kind of approach more than other Doors songs.

✅✅

Cover #106: Corpus Delicti covers "Suffragette City" by David Bowie

 I've listened to a couple more songs from the new all-Goth tribute album put out by Cleopatra Records, and this version isn't too bad.  The vocals sound kind of like Devo trying to be a Goth band, but I do like the drums on this cover.  It's not a very unique cover, but it's not half bad.  

✅✅✅

Cover #105: Christian Death covers "Panic In Detroit" by David Bowie

 This comes from an all-Goth Bowie tribute album put out by the titans of mostly mediocre tribute albums, Cleopatra Records.  I went straight for this song, so I haven't checked out the other covers yet, but I sure hope they are better than this.  Christian Death turn in a train wreck of a cover.  It is out of sync, like a badly assembled toy on Christmas morning.  What a turd.

💩

Cover #104: The Cardigans cover "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath

 I remember reading about this cover before I heard it.  I assumed that with a band like The Cardigans taking on this song that it must be a novelty song, at least partly.  Thankfully, it is not.  The cute little indie band from Sweden makes this song sound like it was only ever an indie band song.  This version is original all the way- just a few references to remind you of the original, but otherwise everything is as fresh as springtime in Stockholm.  

✅✅✅✅✅

Cover #103: Ed Palermo Big Band covers "Village Of The Sun" by Frank Zappa

 Ed Palermo has done a lot of Zappa covers-  a handful of all-Zappa tribute CDs and a few more with Zappa tunes mixed in with others.  Obviously, there is a lot of material to cover over time on this here blog.  

Any Ed Palermo cover of Zappa falls somewhere between very good and excellent, depending on the arrangement, energy, and unique attributes that Palermo's highly talented band brings to each cover.  This cover is pretty basic as far as Ed Palermo Zappa covers go, but the unique quality by far are the female vocals.  Female singing is pretty uncommon in the original Zappa repertoire, so it is always interesting to hear a change in vocal styles.  

✅✅✅✅

Cover #102: Nosferatu covers "People Are Strange" by The Doors

    I have to hand it to the Cleopatra label-  they are single-handedly keeping the tribute compilation industry afloat.  A survey of just some of the more recent offerings reveals compilations that are usually a mix of some older recognizable artists and ones you probably have not heard of, but there are a few that seem to be in-the-studio only bands.  Of course, what really matters is just one thing:  are the covers any good?  

   There are some stylistic (Heaven forbid I say "genre") approaches to The Doors that probably wouldn't work, especially for a whole album, but this Goth approach is interesting.  If you need a reference, think very early Ministry.  

  Alright, so what about this particular cover?  I admit that I've only listened through the album once so far, but this jumps out as the best of the bunch.  The electronic based sounds more like "L.A. Woman" than "People Are Strange."  Only the vocals reassure you that you are in fact listening to the correct song.  I could listen to the basic bass and guitar riffs all day.  This is a really good cover.

✅✅✅✅

Cover #101: Boise Cover Band covers "Chain Gang" by The Pretenders

 According to the Bandcamp site for the album (Unoriginal Artists, by Boise Cover Band), this is essentially a Built To Spill album, since the main dude in that band is behind this album.  The album itself has a handful of very obscure covers, plus this one and a really cool David Bowie cover.

  As for this one, it is definitely different.  It sounds like a mix of a modern surf band and the kind of organ music that you used to hear at hockey games.  It is a semi-instrumental version, with just some "ahh, ahhh!" chorus vocals mixed in.  Give this one points for creativity.  

✅✅✅✅