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"california sun" by the rivieras is a better early beach boys song than anything by the early beach boys

"public execution" by mouse and the traps is a better dylan fuck-you song than "accidental apartment blues #49"

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 7 March 2003 15:09 (twenty-three years ago)

your turn.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 7 March 2003 15:30 (twenty-three years ago)

"The 15th" by Fischerspooner is better than the Wire version (although the rest of "#1" might as well not exist.)

― Lukas (lukas), Friday, 7 March 2003 16:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Excellent topic. Variations and ripoffs are sometimes better--maybe 'cause they get at the best stuff in the thing they're ripping from and discard the crap?

Elastica's "Connection" is better than Wire's "3 Girl Rhumba."

Stone Temple Pilots entire career blows away Pearl Jam's. (Is the same true of Earth, Wind & Fire vs. Parliament, as I once claimed? I certainly like EWF more, but maybe they weren't really doing the same thing...)

Sloan's "500 Up" sounds way better on the radio than Sonic Youth's "Teenage Riot" (not that I've ever heard "Teenage Riot" on the radio, but I bet it's true).

(Oh, and though I love the early Beach Boys to death, I think a better example than "California Sun" is "Beach Baby" by First Class.)

― s woods, Friday, 7 March 2003 16:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Husker Du's "Eight miles high" beats the Byrds although the original version is Fantastic too. it's a close one.

― rex jr., Friday, 7 March 2003 16:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Radio Birdman's "Murder City Nights" is a better ca-'70 MC5 song than anything on Back in the USA.
Funkadelic's "Super Stupid" is better than anything Jimi Hendrix did since '68.
"Last Nite" would easily be the best song on All Mod Cons.
RJD2's "Smoke & Mirrors" is better DJ Shadow than 90% of everything DJ Shadow's ever done (though I still hold fast to the Private Press > Dead Ringer stance).
Bikini Kill's "Reject All American" trumped Sleater-Kinney at being Sleater-Kinney.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Friday, 7 March 2003 16:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Elastica's "Connection" is better than Wire's "3 Girl Rhumba."

OUT! (Sorry, I am passionate on this matter for some reason. ;-))

The Ramones' "California Sun" (and "Let's Dance") would be my choices.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 March 2003 16:55 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't decide what Television's "Guiding Light" sounds like and is better than: Patti Smith, or Bruce Springsteen.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Friday, 7 March 2003 16:59 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd say Patti Smith--don't hear a lot of Springsteen in there msyelf (but then I never did listen much to side 2 of Marquee Moon).

But speaking of...The final "oh-oh-oh"s in Elvis Costello's "Oliver's Army" are better than the final "oh-oh-oh"s in "Born to Run."

― s woods, Friday, 7 March 2003 17:02 (twenty-three years ago)

"don't hear a lot of Springsteen in there msyelf"

I think it's the piano coupled with the vague late '50s-gone-'70s aesthetic.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned, you beat me to the Ramones' material.

--I'll submit; Jonny Polonsky covering Nirvana's In Bloom.

― christoff (christoff), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Bee Gees' 1st > Revolver

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

... "In My Own Time" vs. "Tax Man"

Dukes of Stratosphear to thread.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:42 (twenty-three years ago)

"touch my bum this is life" is better'n the venga boys

the strokes are better than the voidoids by a country mile and you know it, just go drink a sixpack and play "blank generation" & "this is it" back to back and see which one has you lunging for the forward button first

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:45 (twenty-three years ago)

conway twitty's "lonely blue boy" is better than "heaertbreak hotel"

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:46 (twenty-three years ago)

"if the kids were united" gets better with every cover

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:53 (twenty-three years ago)

The Jam's "Start!" trumps "Taxman," by the way.

Belfegore's "All That I Wanted" was the great aggro post-punky/pop hook fusion Killing Joke have strained themselves to attain.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:55 (twenty-three years ago)

"come as you are" is better than "eighties" :)

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 7 March 2003 17:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Veruca Salt's Bodies
The Hard Ons' Then I Kissed Her
Richard Thompson's Oops, I Did it Again
Wedding Present's Pleasant Valley Sunday
Soft Cell's Where Did Our Love Go

― christoff (christoff), Friday, 7 March 2003 18:05 (twenty-three years ago)

the strokes are better than the voidoids by a country mile and you know it

*Anyone's* better than the Voidoids, I think. The Strokes equal them in that both bands have one good song.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 March 2003 18:08 (twenty-three years ago)

"Love You Down" by Ready for the World is better than any early Prince ballad.

Yelling Things (Sometimes Insults) At People From Cars is better than Running People Over With Cars (and Killing Them), though both are still dud.

― s woods, Friday, 7 March 2003 18:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh no! Meta! OH NO!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 March 2003 18:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Spacemen 3's _Suicide_ is better than *anything* that Suicide ever recorded.

― kate (suzy), Friday, 7 March 2003 18:52 (twenty-three years ago)

come as you are" is better than "eighties" :)

http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/images/band79-82/band80doorway2.JPG

OI! WATCH THAT, MATE!

― The Management (vassifer), Friday, 7 March 2003 19:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Good topic. Petula Clark's version of "Homeward Bound" is better than teh original (i'm not sure she even knows what 'mediocrity' means) and Teegarden and Van Winkle's "Scarborough Fair" is better as well, Pavement gave new life to "The Killing Moon", Barbara Manning's "End of the Rainbow" comes *close* to being better than Richard Thompson's, "You Ain't Goin Nowhere" is better by the Byrds than by Dylan, Fiona Apple's (actually Jon Brions but let's not split hairs) version of "Across the Universe" is a LOT better than the original (fuck you too), and Palace's "Every Mothers Son" bests the original Skynyrd version. I also second Mouse and the Traps as doing Dylan better than Dylan, but, err, to paraphrase, some things should go unsaid...

I've always really liked covers.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 7 March 2003 19:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Confetti's "Diet" trumps the Au Pairs version.
The Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" trumps Bob Dylan's version.
I like Dump's "Raspberry Beret" better than Prince's.

― mike a (mike a), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Moby's "What Love" is more punk than real punk

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 7 March 2003 21:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Joan Jett OWNZ this thread.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Gene's "Olympian" and "Sleep Well Tonight" were both better Smiths songs than The Smiths did ever manage to write themselves.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Has Richard Thompson really done Oops, I did it again? Blimey.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:12 (twenty-three years ago)

the Hendrix "Watchtower" has to be menitoned here, I suppose.

― g.cannon (gcannon), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

"public execution" by mouse and the traps is a better dylan fuck-you song than "accidental apartment blues #49"
I dunnnooooo...."Ballad in Plain D" and "Idiot Wind" were pretty damned brutal.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Friday, 7 March 2003 22:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Are we talking just covers or band ethos'?

In the latter, i'd put Blind Mr. Jones over most of Ride's material.

Most bands that have covered Suicide work out better than Suicide themselves (to my ears.)

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Friday, 7 March 2003 22:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Gene's "Olympian" and "Sleep Well Tonight" were both better Smiths songs than The Smiths did ever manage to write themselves.

You are a sick fuck. (Everything else you've said I just note idly these days.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 March 2003 23:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Jason & The Scorchers' version of "Absolutely Sweet Marie" makes Dylan sound like a fuddy duddy (not that he always needs the help), though just any song written by Jason Ringenberg is pretty weak (the other guy in the band wrote better ones).

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 7 March 2003 23:15 (twenty-three years ago)

And let's not forget all the great Elvis Costello covers Linda Ronstadt redid on Mad Love!

(kidding, kidding)

― mike a (mike a), Friday, 7 March 2003 23:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Has Richard Thompson really done Oops, I did it again? Blimey.

Yes he has, and it's oh so sweet -- It's a perfect example how delivery can so impact a song.

...and as long as i'm here; S. Malkmus does a right nice live version of Skynrd's Tuesday's Gone.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 10 March 2003 14:29 (twenty-three years ago)

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