Comments on: Fourteen Awesome Covers from 2008 (Pt. 1)

By: Derek

Derek — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:40:29 +0000

Ha, that’s right! Certainly would’ve been worth noting in that Bjork discussion there.

By: ckit

ckit — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 05:18:35 +0000

“It’s Oh So Quiet” isn’t a Björk original.

The original was entitled “Blow a Fuse” and was performed by the late Betty Hutton.

By: j

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:08:23 +0000

banjo or freakout cover is awesome! thanks for posting it…

By: Derek

Derek — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:13:17 +0000

I could probably argue why I think these are really successful, but for Enjoyed Stereogum had each artist write up something on their cover… check those out, might provide some insight into their visions. Or maybe you just don’t like them. A number of people that commented on the Dirty Projector’s cover on the Stereogum page didn’t get it at all:

“Is this a country version or something? Boy, you must really hate Bjork… and if she ever listens to this, the feeling will be mutual.”

Wow.

By: Ilan S.

Ilan S. — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:46:22 +0000

Fair enough. There are many different ways to do a cover and have it be successful and it all depends on the nature of the song, I think. In some cases it’s awesome when a cover strays enough from the original to become it’s own entity (much like the Fiery Furnaces cover of Norwegian Wood on the Rubber Soul tribute album). It’s also nice when a cover remains faithful to the original composition but displays it in a new light (This is usually done through tone or instrumentation).

A Bjork cover is a really tricky thing because her tone and the inflections in her voice are so important to the overall composition that it’s difficult to reinterpret without recreating. I liked the Decemberists take on Human Behaviour on the “Read” compilation because they simply recreated it with more traditional instruments and simplified it to its core. This also goes for M. Ward’s cover of “Sadie” by Joanna Newsom. I don’t know, perhaps I just need to give them some more listens. Out of all of them I think High Places cover of “Modern Things” was the most successful.

By: Derek

Derek — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:56:32 +0000

Well, yeah of course you are partial to Bjork’s versions! I don’t think anyone could top her on her own song. That being said, I don’t really see covers as an attempt to best the original version of a song (especially on a tribute album), but rather to cast it in a new light or realize it in a new context. I mean, you’ll definitely get some that are better, or at least that you prefer more, but I think that’s beside the point. I’d say that more than half of the covers on my full list aren’t “as good” as the originals… but they’re still really cool.

By: Ilan S.

Ilan S. — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:08:03 +0000

Nice list. I’ve been really enjoying that Why? cover this whole year and the other picks are good as well. Looking forward to part II.

(still partial to Bjork’s original versions though)