Mixtape Madness: The Real Cover Mix

My esteemed editor’s “Mixtape Madness” article focusing on cover songs got me to thinking, “would I really want to go on a road trip if Mack brought that mixtape?” I mean sure, there are plenty of good covers on his tape, and really, when you’re putting together a list of alternation versions, it’s hard to go wrong. Wainright’s rendition of “Across the Universe” is no doubt a great tune, and there’s no denying the beauty of Jeff Buckley’s voice. But Cake singing “I will Survive”? To be honest, when I first heard the song I immediately thought, “that’s the worst cover I have ever heard.” Couple this with the fact that I actually love Limp Bizkit’s version of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” (Mack calls it traumatizing), and it’s easy to see that cover songs can also be extremely divisive.

After sleeping on it, I’ve decided I would indeed go on a road trip with Mack. There’s just one stipulation -- I get to bring my own mixtape. We’d listen to Mack’s first, and then throw it out the window and cruise to mine for the rest of the trip. And do you know why? Because mine is chalk-full of badass covers:

1) “Behind Blue Eyes” by Limp Bizkit: Okay so we’ll start off with the controversial choice. I don’t hear anything traumatizing about Durst’s take on The Who’s classic, in fact I love it. Every second of it. So take that Mack Rawden, and stick it up your YEAH!

2) “The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Rage Against the Machine: I love Bruce Springsteen, I really do. But Rage Against the Machine takes “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and infuses it with so much raw power and energy that it absolutely blows The Boss’s harmonica driven version out of the water. And I love the original, so that’s really saying something.

3) “Hard Sun” by Eddie Vedder: The most recent song on this list but no less deserving than anything else. It’s also a tune most people don’t even realize is a cover, probably because the original comes from an obscure Canadian band called Indio. The track doubles as theme song for Sean Penn’s Into the Wild, and I highly recommend both the film and the disc (Vedder did the whole soundtrack).

4) “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Marilyn Manson: This is another case where I do like the original, but the cover again outshines its source. I like your song Annie Lennox, but I like it better when Marilyn Manson makes it his bitch.

5) “Blue Monday” by Orgy: I literally have no idea if Orgy even has other songs, but I do know their version of New Order’s hit tune kicks some serious ass. It even kicked Mack’s meager mixtape right in the balls and shoved it out the door at the last rest stop.

6) “American Woman by “Lenny Kravitz”: Now here’s a case where I’ll admit the cover isn’t as good as the original, but Lenny’s electric version of The Guess Who’s best track comes pretty damn close. It’s a fine song in its own right, and more than worthy enough for my mixtape.

7) “Big Yellow Taxi” by Counting Crows w/ Vanessa Carlton: Mack, go check your messages, I think you’ll find a rant from me about you leaving this Joni Mitchell cover off your tape. Seriously, how can you call yourself a Counting Crows fan and not include their masterful cover? For shame.

8) “Whiskey in the Jar” by Metallica: I’ve never heard the original version of this traditional Irish drinking song or the Thin Lizzy rendition that popularized it, but if you were to ask me what my favorite cover song is, this would be my answer.

9) “Land of Confusion” by Disturbed: This one is a tie. On any given day I might favor Genesis’s original, but the very next I’d be raving about Disturbed’s cover. They’re both great tracks, and if for no other reason, Disturbed gets the nod for meeting such high standards.

10) “Smooth Criminal” by Alien Ant Farm: Alien Ant Farm. What a band name. The cover could be absolute crap, and I’d still probably have them on here just for the name. But their take isn’t crap; it’s a chart-topping masterpiece, and the band’s multiple throwbacks to Michael Jackson in their video somehow make it that much better.

11) “Mad World” by Gary Jules: This one is almost a tie, but the haunting nature of Jules’s version, and the fact it was made for the film Donnie Darko, give it a slight edge. The stripped down and piano driven cover just sticks with you longer, and this might sound ridiculous, but it simultaneously makes me happy and sad -- a very curious sensation to say the least.

12) “Last Kiss” by Pearl Jam: The first (or second, depending on how you look at it) Pearl Jam cover on my tape, but definitely not the last. I’m pretty sure I have a man crush on Eddie Vedder, or at least his voice. Seriously, I get goose bumps every time I listen to “Last Kiss”, which is one-hundred times better than Wayne Cochran’s original. Wayne who?

13) “Black” by Aaron Lewis: Another tune I’d describe as haunting. I also have a man crush on Aaron Lewis’s voice, and dare I say, his cover is almost better than Pearl Jam’s ridiculously good original.

14) “Love Reign O’er Me” by Pearl Jam: I suppose you could call this the moment of truth. I started with a Who cover that Mack doesn’t like, but I’m trying to bring things full circle by offering him a second choice. Well Mack, what do you think? Actually screw that, I don’t care what you think. Pearl Jam checks in with yet another masterful cover, and that about does it for my mixtape. I hope you liked it better than Mack’s!

Which Is Your Favorite Cover?

• Behind Blue Eyes
• The Ghost Of Tom Joad
• Hard Sun
• Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
• Blue Monday
• American Woman
• Big Yellow Taxi
• Whiskey In A Jar
• Land Of Confusion
• Smooth Criminal
• Mad World
• Last Kiss
• Black
• Love Reign O'er Me

  Results