What cover of a song is actually better than the original?

[icehog3]

If this thread was a baseball player, he would be batting about .150 .....

 

[BrendanM]

If this thread was a baseball player, he would be batting about .150 .....

Been so long since I was into baseball, I actually had to DuckDuckGo "is batting 150 good or bad?" or wait...is that a decimal point? Ouch!

 

[jj16361]

Can't believe no one mentioned Atlantic City by The Band. My jaw dropped when I learned that was written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen.
Mama Tried is another one, I like the grateful dead version better than the original by Merle Haggard

 

[Mikenice81]

 

[beadhead]

I also submit this live rendition:

 

[Gravelface]

Cinnamon Girl by Type O Negative 10x better than. Crazy Horse and Neil Young

 

[Gravelface]

Johnny Cash’s version of Nine Inch Nails Hurt.

 

[Bazillions]

Best Toots cover:

 

[heavyd]

AIC

 

[Gravelface]

Disturbed rendition of Sound Of Silence originally by Simon and Garfunkel


And even the live version is equally impressive, maybe even more so.

 

[Gravelface]

And I hear Ron Jeremy broke into his musical career with a cover of Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball

 

[heavyd]

 

[icehog3]

 

[highsierrasmokin']

So your saying the Zepp version is better.
Of course silly!!!

 

[heavyd]

matt, you know which one is the cover, right? please say yes.

 

[highsierrasmokin']

matt, you know which one is the cover, right? please say yes.

Of course silly!!!

 

[Capn_Jackson]

I’m a Bob Dylan fan, but Hendrix’s cover of All Along the Watchtower has to be an obvious choice here, right?

 

[highsierrasmokin']

I’m a Bob Dylan fan, but Hendrix’s cover of All Along the Watchtower has to be an obvious choice here, right?

Agreed! Of course U2's live version on Rattle and Hum is damn good imho.

 

[Rupe]

I’m a Bob Dylan fan, but Hendrix’s cover of All Along the Watchtower has to be an obvious choice here, right?

I remember reading somewhere that even Dylan thought Hendrix' version was better and actually changed the way he played it in concert to be more like Jimi's version.

 

[Capn_Jackson]

I remember reading somewhere that even Dylan thought Hendrix' version was better and actually changed the way he played it in concert to be more like Jimi's version.

I saw Dylan in 2005 or 2006, at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July event in Ft Worth. Dylan played Watchtower and yeah, it did sound a lot more like Hendrix’s version.