Favorite Covers/Remakes Better Than the Originals

[watelessness]

What are some of your favorite covers/remakes that in your humble opinion are better than the originals, and most importantly, WHY?

For instance, i prefer Jimi's "Watchtower" to Dylan's because it is far less boring.

And I like Cocker's "Little Help" more than the original Beatles version because it has much more feeling, much more emotion, much more power.

 

[walrus]

And Jimmy Page's guitar playing on Cocker's version didn't hurt!

One of my favorite covers is "Money (That's What I Want)" done by The Beatles. Lennon's vocals just blow me away...

 

[Prs Mods too]

That Bruce Springsteen song about a douche that some band covered.

Artillery covered Razamanaz by Nazareth, I like that cover more also.

 

[Birdsofprey]

Not better than the original but I like the Ataris cover of Boys Of Summer, Priest doing Diamonds & Rust. There’s tons more.

 

[FatFingerBlues]

Audra Mae did a cover of Bob Dylan's Forever Young that is killer

 

[WEDGE]

SRV’s version of Voodoo Chile. Hits harder.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

Every cover that Van Halen did, because VAN HALEN!!!

 

[xxxadixxx]

This is a fun one! A few of my favorites:
Format = Song (original artist) - New version: Why
Like a Prayer (Madonna) - H2O: Faster tempo and fun "punk" version of a classic everyone knows
Sunshine of Your Love (Cream) - Earth Crisis: Downtuned, straight ahead hardcore version of a killer riff
No Ordinary Love (Sade) - Deftones: Chino's vocals on this are haunting and perfect for the song
Hurt (Nine Inch Nails) - Johnny Cash: Between the video and Cash's vocals, it was like this song was written for him
Cats and Dogs (Gorilla Biscuits) - H2O: While hard to improve on the original (vegetarian/vegan classic!) the H2O version improves on the riff and has more energy.
Ghost of Tom Joad (Springsteen) - Rage Against the Machine: Great arrangement and Zach's vocals/energy put this song over the top.

 

[deathworlder]

 

[DISTORT6]

Raw, rough, and in your face. Captured the energy for sure.
Pure 100% Mesa IIC++ just raging.

 

[helmi]

1) Not better, but just as good in a different way, the Lovemongers version of Todd Rundgren’s “ love of the common man”.
2) I agree that SRV’s version of “voodoo chille” is better. ( but I still love Jimi’s)
3) Van Halen’s version of “where have all the good times gone” and “your no good”
4) Pat Benatar “just like me”
5) the Byrds “my back pages”
6) ANY cover the Stones ever did was better, (with maybe the exception of “my girl”) especially “route 66” and “around and around”.

 

[AP515]

Sound of Silence by Disturbed. Captures the feel of the words so much more than S&G.

 

[11top]

Farking kills Starship version (which I liked):

 

[László]

Not necessarily better (what's that even mean, anyway), but I really like Cowboy Junkies' version of 'Sweet Jane', the Velvet Underground song. I like the vocal delivery.

 

[Prina]

Also not necessarily better, but a cover turned up to 11:

 

[Maertl513]

PRS Artist Simon McBride's forthcoming album 'Recordings 2020-2025' consits to the most extent of covers.
All covers but one sound better than the respective originals. My justification: They all sound like as they are his compositions. I didn't read through the liner notes to learn the original authors, hereby I thought all, despite Ordinary World by Duran Duran and The Stealer by Free were his. The Stealer was - with a slightly different sound - already released on the last album 'The Fighter'. Later I discovered, that most of the tunes are covers.

McBride - in my ears - isn't capable to catch Duran Duran's athmosphere of their original performance.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

SRV’s version of Voodoo Chile. Hits harder.

I disagree because, Jimi's studio version was nowhere near as wild as his live versions. SRV's studio version was more like Jimi's live versions, but as great as SRV's studio and live versions were, they don't match Jimi's live ones. IMO YMMV Consult your physician...

 

[bodia]

Some great choices already mentioned. I'll toss out a few.....

Johnny Cash covering Hurt
Janis Joplin covering Me and Bobby McGee
Zeppelin covering I Can't Quit You Baby
Saxon covering Ride Like the Wind

 

[Moondog Wily]

Every single song that Annie Lennox did on her covers album "Medusa" in 1995! Largely because her voice just melts me every time ;~)) I will post more as I think of them, but there are certainly many more!

 

[gush]

Careless Whisper. Puddle of Mudd