Cover Me!!!

So what makes a really good cover song?

It's a question that's plagued mankind througout the ages. Now I'm not talking about a song that is re-hashed by every bar band that knows a total of three chords, nor the drunk chick trying to sound like Shania or the Dixie Chicks at karaoke (believe me, I've heard more than my fair share of THAT!)

What makes a good cover song falls into several criteria... 1) respect to the song, while adding your own style to it, 2) being original, 3) "owning" the song... in other words, not trying to sound like you're singing off a karaoke machine. If you meet these exacting criteria, then you have a cover song that kicks royal ass.

So here's some great examples of cover songs... in no particular order

1) "I feel love"... orginally a disco hit by Diana Ross, re-made by the Blue Man Group... the percussion really makes it tick.

2) "Land of Confusion"... orginally done by Genesis, re-made by Disturbed... same message, different times... somewhat prophetic. Not bad!

3) "Mrs. Robinson"... a classic by Simon and Garfunkel becomes a classic alternative hit by The Lemonheads... Juliana Hatfield's driving bass and Evan Dando's vocals are a perfect fit for this re-make!

4) "I'm a Believer"... originally written and recorded by Neil Diamond but re-made TWICE... by the Monkees and Smash Mouth... hey, any song that gets covered two times earns my respect.

5) "Streets of Bakersfield"... done by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, re-did by Dwight Yoakam and Owens... had to include a country song in there... besides, the Tex-Mex twist is pretty darn cool!

What are your favorites?