Crash Into Me

Covers

What makes a good cover song? Should you do it exactly the way the original artist did? If not, how much should you change it? Are these questions completely subjective? These are questions I've been wondering lately. I have come across a smattering of covers recently, and many of them have been of fairly recent songs. The one I heard most recently is Ryan Adams' cover of Wonderwall (Oasis). It (of course) was used beautifully on the O.C., but in a general sense, it is a brilliant cover. I've been listening to it non-stop. Part of it is (of course) that Oasis wrote a great song. But Adams puts his own spin on it too. I think that covers need to capture the essence of the song, while having something original as well. Just doing it exactly the same is boring. My personal measuring stick is if I'd rather just go listen to the original, it must not be that great a cover. But if the covering artist can bring something unique to the table that makes me want to listen, then they've done well. The ultimate best at covers (even though he had millions of great originals) is Johnny Cash. His covers of One (U2) and Hurt (NIN) are absolutely awesome. He always stays true the original just enough, while being completely original and Johnny Cash-like. Contrast Cash and Adams with someone like Howie Day. While I do enjoy Day's originals, his covers are very lacking. He basically just gets his acoustic guitar out and plays the songs exactly like the original artist. And I'd rather just listen to the original.