Cover Songs

Cover songs are a big part of Rock n’ Roll and sometimes they are very popular or the most popular of the bands/artists work. The whole point of a cover song is to reinvent a song from its original composition or genre into something new. Bands also do this because they are big fans of the songs and they want to reintroduce a song as it has become less and less popular. That one aspect of cover songs that I find intriguing is that a lot of the songs you would have never heard before if the artist didn’t remake it.
Some of my favorite cover songs would have to be Last Kiss by Pearl Jam originally performed by Wayne Cochran and was unsuccessful it was then covered by a few other artists until the epic band Grunge band Pearl Jam covered the song in 1998. Since then it has been hugely popular and remains one of my favorite cover songs. The way they change up the guitar riff tone and sound and how the lead singer Eddie Vedder sings with incredible expression and emotion is absolutely exceptional. Another favorite of mine would have to Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Sunbeam by the revolutionary 90’s grunge band Nirvana. The song was originally performed by a band called The Vaselines who were not very popular but were one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite bands. They performed the song in many a show with electric guitar which is interesting to listen to because the song is originally performed acoustically but the most iconic rendition of the song was played in their MTV unplugged session. Its melodic relaxed guitar chords combined with Krist Novoselic’s (bassist) awesome accordion playing is the epitome of relaxing folk rock. Another song from the MTV unplugged in New York album to check out is The Man Who Sold The World originally performed by David Bowie. Kurt Cobain puts a grunge twist on the song while staying true to the original composition.
Cover songs to me are always interesting though somewhat controversial when an artist’s doesn’t properly perform the song. Although most of the time I feel like the covers are usually better than the originals. I would advise to do the opposite of what seems to make sense when listening to cover songs. This is to listen to the cover first then listen to the original version. For an artist to be able to create a new and different rendition of a song is a real honor. I would like to see am well respected band do a cover of an early Beatles song like Ticket to Ride, I’m Looking through You or I should Have Known Better. With these songs it would be extremely interesting and basically fun to make them into a punk/grunge styled song with heavy power chords and more forceful expressional singing including more crooning. What are your favorite cover songs? And what songs would you like to see remade and how?

Rock n' Roll on life support?

I feel it's time to discuss my favorite bands and dislikes of other bands, genres and artists. It's sort of obvious that my favorite band of all time is hands down The Beatles. I love everything about the music and their personalities. I also grew up listening to queen and whatever else my dad liked or felt like listening to like Warren Zevon, Paul Simon, Neil young,Harry Chapin, Bobby Darrin and dean Martin among many other artists and so I can thank my father for influencing me by playing that music.

It really disgusts me when I see all these teenagers and young people obsessed with this just awful rap and crap pop music. Most of the stuff isn't real music and you can tell the "artists" take like absolutely no time with the whole album because they come out with a new album like every few months. All the songs sound the same with the same fake terribly annoying drum beat and senseless, vulgar and terrible lyrics.

When did good, real music stop being made? It almost seems like no one knows or wants to compose decent rock and roll music no matter what the kind. Now I'm sure there are some good rock bands out there, they just aren't in the mainstream which is a whole other problem real rock and roll bands seem to be facing nowadays. In the famous Neil Young song the learned man simply states in a beautifully melodic singing voice " Rock and Roll will never die" many believe this to be undoubtedly true though with the lack of current bands focusing on actual rock and roll music and experimenting with new techniques and genres it seems old genres seem to be fading away, values, techniques and plain old tradition is quickly becoming unidentifiable in today's music. So with that I hate to say it as I've always agreed with Neil Young but rock and roll is on life support. Maybe I am being overdramatic or extreme but if there's is not something done about todays music and the industry or I fear the worst a world without Rock n' Roll.