grateful dead – Page 5

Editor’s Note: For a brief period back in 2004 I had a little Facebook group where we would ask each other for our Top Five…whatevers. I got the idea from the film High Fidelity, and we had a lot of fun with it. I regularly posted my answers to the question on my blog.

1. “Box of Rain” by the Grateful Dead from the album American Beauty.

Phil Lesh wrote all of the music, and even scatted the vocal lines before giving it to Robert Hunter to write the lyrics. He wanted a song to sing to his dying father. Hunter is quoted as saying the lyrics nearly wrote themselve coming as fast as the pen could hit the page. It is a beautiful song and opens waht is arguably the best Grateful Dead album ever made.

2. “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 from the album The Joshua Tree

The opening track to my all time favorite U2 album. The slow, ethereal feel of the organs drifting is like sitting in a cathedral. Then the quick rhthym of the Edge’s guitar fades followed the thump thump of Adam Clayton’s bass. My head begings to nod, my feet begin to tap and then ‘BAM’ Bono’s vocal “I wanna run. I want to hide” it’s like the lift off of a rocket. Pure joy is followed for the next 4 minutes.

3. “So What” by Miles Davis from the album Kind of Blue

The jazz album for people who don’t own any jazz. This is a Miles Davis album in name only, with a line up like John Coltrane, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums this is an allstar jazz group. And it is this opening tonal song that brings the world to a new kind of jazz. Even the opening notes are some of the finest music to be played on any album.

4. “A Hard Days Night” by the Beatles from the album Hard Days Night.

From the opening chord of George’s guitar you know this is gonna be something exciting. From that startling moment John launches into one of the all time great rock and roll dities. Just one of many lennon/mccartney tunes that sound like they’re having so much fun and you just can’t help but sing a long at the top of your lungs.

5. “Radio Free Europe” by REM from the album Murmur.

A muddy, murky tune that you can’t understand a word to ushers to the world the sound that would be REM (at least for the next decade or so). Alternative college rock had been brewing behind the scenes for awhile and this, to me at least, is one of the defining songs of the whole scene. To this day I have no idea what Michael Stipe is singing about, and I just don’t care.

Editors Note: Once again I originally wrote this post many years ago. I don’t know that I would pick these same songs were I to pick my favorite cover songs now. But these are all good choices. I haven’t thought about some of these songs in years, so this was a fun stroll down memory lane.

Top 10 Cover Songs

A few rules. To be a cover song the song could not have been written specifically for that artist. Therefore the Monkees “I’m a Believer” will not work because Neil Diamond wrote it for their TV show. Likewise, Neil Diamond’s version of that song doesn’t count even though many think of it as a cover, because well, he wrote it. To count for my list the cover has to be of an already generally known song. So Jimmy Hendrix’s version of “Hey Joe” doesn’t count. Because there’s a dispute over who actually wrote the song and whoever heard the versions by any of those guys?

1. Satisfaction by Otis Redding.
Original by the Rolling Stones

Many people consider the Devo version to be a much better cover, and I totally dig it too, but Otis just blows it away. He’s got that killer Otis soul, jumping rhythm and even horns! Keith Richards has been quoted as saying the Otis version is how he meant the song to sound.

2. All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix.
Original by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan himself changed his way of playing this song after he heard Hendrix

3. I Will by Alison Krauss.
Original by the Beatles

We played this song at our wedding. It’s a beautiful McCartney number slowed down, and sung even more beautifully by Ms. Krauss.

4. Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies.
Original by the Velvet Underground

I actually prefer Lou Reed’s solo live versions of this song more than the original Velvet Underground’s studio recording. But the Junkies make what is a rowdy, dirty rock and roller into a softer, peaceful lullaby.

5. Not Fade Away by the Grateful Dead.
Original by Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly’s sweet rockabilly tune is turned on its head by the masters of jam. Often the Dead would churn this tune into a grinding 15-minute spectacle.

6. RESPECT by Aretha Franklin
Original by Otis Redding

Aretha gets back at Otis here. Otis does some amazing vocals on his version, but Aretha takes it a step further and nails it on its head.

7. Cold, Cold Heart by Norah Jones
Original by Hank Williams

Norah turns this forlorn country song into a sultry, sexy croon.

8. Stardust by Willie Nelson.
Original by Hoagy Carmichael

Transforming a huge big band tune into its most simplistic melody Willie Nelson makes this song his own.

09. Bizarre Love Triangle by Frente
Original by New Order

The orignal was a big dance hit, but Frente break it down into a beautiful acoustic number.

10. Hurt by Johnny Cash
Original by Nine Inch Nails

The heartbreaking video adds a lot of texture to this version but in the end, it’s Johnny Cash’s voice that brings out more meaning into this song than ever meant by Trent Reznor.

There are certainly many more great covers out there that I thought of and didn’t think of that could have been included. I tried to pick songs that followed my mentioned rules and that broke away from the original. For instance, I think the harmonies on CSN’s version of “Blackbird” elevate it far above the Beatles version, however, they didn’t make it a different song and thus it wasn’t included. Got covers, not on my list? Comment them!