Cover versions

[mrs-leroy-brown.livejournal.com]

Query for Poptimists!

Sometimes - quite often, in fact, I think - cover versions are miles better than the original. I put forth PSB's 'Where the Streets Have No Name'. I like this MUCH better than the U2 version!

Which cover versions do you think surpass the original flavour?

Comments

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I could list at least a thousand! I was going to try to think what the last great example I heard was, but since the last thing I played was a PSB live bootleg, that example would also be yours. I was listening to Otis the other day, and I think Aretha's version of 'Respect' not only beats Otis's, but changes the gender of the song almost irreversibly (this is partly the tone of the times, too), and I can't think of any other case of this happening.