i'll cover youuu

hey there.

i've been browsing music lately, some undeservingly obscure artists i like,some runners up of our (at least previously) always awaited show American Idol.

as they progress through the show, they can't sing their own compositions every time, so they do covers. i listened back to these old covers, listened to the originals, and savoured it. some were a welcome deviation. some were like soundalike tributes. some total reinventions. any of which could be delicious ear candy or horrible earsplitters.

yes ladies and gentlemen, COVERS!

for those who might not know, covers are songs sung by artists that are not of their own composition or property. the most popular cover artist that i know of now being New Found Glory (unfortunately they don't seem to have an official site), famous for rocked out renditions of oldies such as I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing, Kiss Me, and others from their cover albums From the Screen to Your Stereo I and II.

but enough background, back to my reactions.

i was listening to these former Idol contestants, and some of my well-loved artists singing covers. they were fantastic. either reinvented or classically done, there's a certain little tinge of themselves they stamp on it to distinguish it from the original. i mean, if it was exactly like the first, why would anyone want to listen to it right?

try r&b to jazz in Corinne Bailey Rae's version of Sexyback , or more popular is David Cook's Billie Jean (it took me quite a while to recognize it as a michael jackson piece) or even Brooke White's You're So Vain

there's bunches more but sometimes it takes just a little bit of research and patience to find them.


but, ladies and gentlemen, nothing is ever all good. as much as i enjoyed having such music as accompaniment to my daily routines, there are some covers i just can't stand.

one example is Princess. when i first heard her rendition of Single Ladies, i was horrified. i mean, Single Ladies is clearly bannered a dance song, a beat song, something Beyonce shook her booty to in her advancing choreographies. then this girl, Princess, rips it out of that Single Ladies is a dun dance song. removing the beat and the fun, it was just plain boring. or at least that's my opinion.

of course, ripping a song from its original label can be good, like David Cook's Billie Jean, but risky. THere are only two ways it can go, lauded as an awesome inspired idea or stoned as a blasphemous noise on the original. or maybe in words not so violent :D


well anyway, it's all to one's tast, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

but there's my stand on covers. it's always fun to see what an artist will do with a tried and tested song. the result will not always be pleasing, but it WILL always be interesting.


got any cool cover songs you'd like to share? post them and any opinions - agreements or violent reactions in the comments. we're sure to reply.

i