Jul 162013
 

Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

King Crimson’s debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, is iconic. The cover, a painting of a screaming creature (reportedly the only painting ever by computer programmer Barry Godber, who passed away shortly after the album’s release at the age of 24), is instantly recognizable and unforgettable. Although it was not the first prog-rock album, In the Court raised the bar and in many ways created the road map for the successes and excesses of the style. Nearly 44 years after the album’s release, it was discussed on, of all places, a New York Mets broadcast, and not because Mets fans so often have the same look on their faces.

Crimson leader Robert Fripp has described the first song on the record, “21st Century Schizoid Man,” as the first heavy metal song. That’s a claim that’s far from settled, but the crunching riff and distorted vocals and music displayed here would in fact become mandatory in the metal songs that followed in its wake. (Still, it is amusing to think of vocalist Greg Lake as a heavy metal godfather.) But the song also has a jazzy middle section, some virtuoso guitar soloing, and a free-time ending. Lyrically, the song is typical Peter Sinfield, filled with bizarre and obscure allusions and dystopian imagery which many have related to the Vietnam War. Fripp, at least once, dedicated “21st Century Schizoid Man” to Spiro Agnew.

The song has often been covered, more often than not in a metal style. As we will see, other covers pick up on the various styles included in the original. But not always.
Continue reading »

Feb 242011
 

Twice a year, the indie chicks of Girl Crisis sit down in a Brooklyn living room to perform a cover. In the summer months, they honor their gender with a song by a female songwriter. Last summer, for instance, they covered Taylor Dayn’s “Tell It to My Heart.” In the winter, they go for the guys. This winter: Ozzy Osbourne, with Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” Continue reading »

Dec 082010
 

So it begins: Listomania 2010. Like every music blog worth its proverbial salt, Cover Me will be going list-crazy this month. The difference is, our lists will specialize in – you guessed it – cover songs. Take the typical year-end list and insert the word “Cover” between “Best” and “Albums/Songs/etc” and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. First up: The Best Cover Videos of 2010.

Cover songs hit the web faster than ever these days, but well-crafted cover videos remain relatively rare. Sure, YouTube is bursting with webcam performances and DIY concert footage, but bedroom confessions soon grow tiresome. Well-crafted cover music videos (remember those?) come along far less often. A great video can be art on its own, playing with – or against – the audio recording to create a viewer/listener experience greater than the sum of its parts.

Below, we present our top ten cover videos of 2010. In some cases the song’s origins play an essential role in the music video; in others it makes no difference. Each brings new imagery, insight, or, in some cases, lolz to the song it accompanies. A Rastafarian astronaut shoots lasers. Apples float around a Twilight Zone apartment. Pig people fight mummy surgeons in the basement.

Check out our ten favs below, then tell us which you liked best. Continue reading »

Dec 032010
 

Full Albums features covers of every track off a classic album. Got an idea for a future pick? Leave a note in the comments!

black sabbath paranoid covers

From the political science of “War Pigs” to the applied pharmacology of “Fairies Wear Boots,” Black Sabbath‘s Paranoid features seven of the most iconic heavy metal songs of all time…and an instrumental ditty with the evocative title “Rat Salad.” Ozzy Osbourne‘s original wail forever eclipses his latter-day cries of “Shaaaaroooon.” Tony Iommi is the Lennon/McCartney of doom-laden riffs. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward make a mean rhythm section and an even meaner rat salad. And as the following covers demonstrate, the quartet’s hard rock mastery sounds good in any genre. Continue reading »

Nov 222010
 

Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

crazy train covers

When Ozzy Osbourne released “Crazy Train” in 1980 he sent a message to the rock music world. No longer did he need ’70s metal juggernauts Black Sabbath behind him. He could make music his own way, unencumbered by the democratic process of a group with which he had ceased to see eye-to-eye. If people thought he was foolish to leave Sabbath behind, they soon learned otherwise; “Crazy Train” quickly made itself a hit on the Billboard charts and has since become one of heavy metal’s signature songs.

It’s no surprise, then, that scads of metal singers and bar bands have paid tribute to this ’80s classic. However, at Cover Me we strive to find takes on popular songs that are a little more off-the-beaten-path. With that in mind, here are five versions of “Crazy Train” that rock’s Prince of Darkness might not have anticipated. Continue reading »

Oct 062010
 

To celebrate what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday on Saturday, Yoko Ono is going all out. From leading processions to re-lighting the Imagine Peace Tower, this woman has a busy day ahead of her. Well, get a preview of the festivities right now with a new Ono-approved cover. Because when you think “Give peace a chance,” you think Ozzy Osbourne. Well, maybe not. But perhaps you should. His new music video makes the case.

Osbourne covered “How?,” off Lennon’s 1971 Imagine album, to benefit Amnesty International. “Yoko and John Lennon were devoted to seeking a better world and used the power of their artistry to work toward that goal,” said Amnesty director Larry Cox. “Ozzy Osbourne’s gift, with Sharon Osbourne’s strong and generous support, makes the same powerful statement today: that individuals can make a difference when they join with others who share a commitment to justice and freedom.” Continue reading »