In which I fall in love with Guns N’ Roses, but not really.
Posted by Isabel on November 21st, 2008. Filed under: Addictions, Give-Aways.While waiting at the airport to fly to Europe a few months ago a song came over the speakers that made me stop in my tracks. It was the perfect song. It was soothing and awesome. It also had a good beat you could dance to. I stood there, in the SeaTac airport and listened to the perfect song. I wanted to remember it, should that, once we got back from our month in Europe, I could search the interweb for the song and purchase this absolutely prefect music so that I could listen to it all my days.
…where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky…
…she takes me away to the spacial place…
…I’ll probably break down and cry…
…Sweet child of mine...
Holy crap, it’s a Guns N’ Roses song. Except it’s not Guns N’ Roses. It’s more awesome then Axl. (It’s isn’t very hard to be more awesome then Axl. Heck, these days my cat is more awesome then Axl.) It seemed that this perfect song I was enjoying in the airport was a sweet cover of a long-time-gone song.
Oh how I love a good cover song.
Have I told you before how much I love cover songs? LOVE THEM. I especially love it when someone I love covers a song by someone else I love. A perfect example of this would be Rhett Miller’s cover of The Beatles’s song “Girl”. Or Ben Lee’s cover of the Old 97’s song “Question”. Or John Denver’s cover of The Beatles “Mother Nature’s Son”. Or Rufus Wainwright’s cover of The Beatles “Across the Universe”. (Which I will tell everyone is my favorite song. Ever.)
It would appear that I love me some Beatles covers.
I pretty much fell in love with the entire “Across the Universe” soundtrack, although I have yet to see the movie. Hello, a cd full of Beatles covers? Sign me up! I also love the “I Am Sam” soundtrack. Again, I have yet to see the actual movie.
There was that one time I saw Bush in concert and they covered a U2 song. (I actually don’t like U2 at all.) (Go ahead and judge me.) But I loved Bush’s cover. (I hate the U2 cover of “Helter Skelter”. Come to think of it, I hate The Beatles version too. So I can’t blame my hate of the U2 cover solely on my dislike of Bono.)
I loved it when Mates of State covered the O.C. theme song. Or when Counting Crows covered “Big Yellow Taxi”. I love both Ryan Adams and Jeff Buckley’s versions of “Hallelujah”. Even back in high school I appreciated a good cover and bought The Bryds cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man” on tape. And Nirvana’s cover of “The Man Who Sold The World” pretty much defines my college years.
Have you heard Ryan Adam’s cover of “Wonderwall”? It’s really, really good and without the hopped up self-hype of the Oasis original.
Oh right, so I was digging on this Guns N Roses cover in the airport. I was pretty thrilled when, upon coming home from our trip, The King presented me with this:
No, he didn’t buy me leather panties. Or a heart tattoo. Or a gaggle of silver bangles. Even better. He bought me a Guns N’ Roses cover CD, appropriately titled Bossa n’ Roses. And it’s freakin’ awesome. Something about hearing “Patience” the “cool wave mix” makes me smile. And get this, Bossa n’ Roses has a cover of the Guns N’ Roses cover of the Paul McCartney song “Live and Let Die”. It’s like a cover trifecta.
This album is so awesome that it makes me want to actually download real live Guns N’ Roses songs. (Although I have yet to actually download any, I have thought about it. I get points for thinking about it. Right?)
I know some people have issues with covers. In fact, I think most people hate covers. Specifically Beatles covers. But not me. Nope, I love them. Specifically Beatles covers.
So sue me.
It’s Friday again. Which means it’s time for another give-away, courtesy of my lovely reader Kate over at Kate Creates.
Kate was gracious enough to send me another box full of her handmade fused glass goodies this week!! This new box was full of gorgeous rings and key chains and hair pins and bracelets and bookmarks more fused glass pendants!! My gut tells me to keep it all for myself. But my heart tells me to share it with the interweb.
(Actually I can’t wait to share. I mean, dude, how awesome is Kate’s stuff? It doesn’t get much better then this bracelet. I’m just saying, It’s very lovely.)
To win a little something something from Kate all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite cover is. Or if you hate covers, what you think the worst cover in the history of the world is.
You have until Monday the 24th at midnight (PST) to enter. I’m not sure how the winner will be chosen this week…but I’m thinking I’m not going to choose at random. So think long and hard.
(That’s what she said, that’s what she said, that’s what she said!)
(Sorry. I couldn’t resist.)
November 21st, 2008 at 6:58 am
I love covers.
I don’t know if I have an all time favorite but if I did it might be
Letter’s to Cleo covering “I want you to want me” by Cheap Trick. Love it!
or maybe Tina Turner doing CCR’s “Proud Mary” a total classic!
or Cowboy Junkies – “Sweet Jane”
or Sinead O’Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U”
i could keep going…..
November 21st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I admit… I still love listening to the old G&R songs. I’d probably love this cover songs album too. I remember the first time I heard Sweet Child of Mine. Who I was with and where I was. And it’s also fitting that when I was 18 and my husband 19 we had just moved to Los Angeles and were driving down Hollywood Blv. to head to his school when “Welcome to the Jungle” played on the radio. We were stopped in traffic with the cops swarming all over the place while there was a suicide jumper on the ledge of a building. The cops were trying to talk them down and people in the crowd were chanting “Jump! Jump! Jump!”
We finally inched by, and behind us heard the SMACK of a shot gun. Only it wasn’t a shot gun. It was the jumper. They jumped.
And Welcome to the Jungle played on……
November 21st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
i do love me some covers, too, but not of bob dylan songs–they never seem to do him justice. ew, especially if sheryl crow gets near them. i pretty much hate everything she touches, but come to think of it, that cover she did with kid rock was sort of entertaining.
i enjoy johnny cash doing nine inch nail’s “hurt,” and mindy smith’s “jolene” is awesome.
i have this cover my friend taped off the radio in junior high that is great–U2’s “one” sung by REM’s micheal stipe.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
There’s a version of “Blinded by the Light” which makes me cringe every time I hear it. I’m not sure who sings it because I have to switch stations every time it comes on.
Per teh internets the song was written by Bruce Springsteen and then covered by Manfred Mann, but I don’t know which version it is I like. It may a rare case of the cover being better than (not just equal to) the original.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
My favorite cover is whatever your favorite cover is. *wink wink*
November 21st, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I think my favorite cover album is Johnny Cash – American IV – The Man Comes Around. I know, it’s probably weird that I really like Johnny Cash
. Great and strange to hear him sing such different songs like “Personal Jesus”. He also has a cover of “One” (originally by U2) which I like better than theirs.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I really love Nichole Nordeman’s cover of Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes. It’s quite lovely.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Oooh, I forgot…Mike Myers cover of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5″ cracks me up.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I love me a good cover too. Also, I love that you saw Bush in concert! They were one of my favorites in high school!
Also? That you disliike U2 and Bono!! You rock!
It’s fun and it’s not Britney. 
Let’s see.. my favorite cover. I like so many it’s hard to choose. I actually kinda like the Bowling For Soup cover of Britney Spears Baby One More Time.
Also, Kate’s jewelry is awesome!!
November 21st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
So my favorite cover song is Marsheaux’s cover of “the promise” by When in Rome….so awesome!
XO
PICK ME!
November 21st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
i agree with Suzannah, i can’t stand any Bob Dylan covers. & i also think Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” is pretty awesome – it really hurts.
That said, i ADORE Rufus’ version of “Across the Universe,” i thought i was the only one. i gush much to my friends.
i kinda like Joe Strummer’s version of “Redemption Song,” Alien Ant Farm’s “Smooth Criminal” & Muse’s “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.”
& also, Kate is so talented.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I love all kinds of music, but there is one cover song that I will be singing for days everytime I hear it. It is Sammy Kershaws “Chevy Van”. It was originally sung by Sammy Johns in the early 70’s. “We made love in my Chevy Van and that’s all right with me”. Love it!
November 21st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Any cover of a Cat Stevens song is good with me. My favorite cover ever was EmmyLou Harris & Some Other Random Chick I Forgot Right Now doing a Beatles song. Crap, what song was that? I’m no good at this game. But at least you gave me a bunch of songs to look up. Thanks Isabel!
November 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
So many covers, so little time!
But I’ll have to say that one of my favorites is the Travis cover of Hit Me Baby One More Time. They make such a lovely ballad out of that song. And also Dashboard Confessional’s cover of In a Big Country. SO GOOD.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Oh I heart covers. One of my most fave is Indigo girls version of Midnight train to Georgia. “I’d rather live in his world, than live w/o him in mine………..”
I love the rings!!! Pls pick me
November 21st, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I got really into Relient K in high school, and they did a whole CD of covers. Oh, how I loved them all. But if I have to pick a favorite, it might be “That Thing You Do,” the classic song from the Oneders. Me and my sisters (and sometimes even my parents) would dance and sing to it as we drove to school or gymnastics. Great memories!
November 21st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Hi Isabel!
I’ve just recently started reading your fabuloso blog after googling our mutual king of all things, Rhett Miller and I must say I am really enjoying your postings.
Seems we have a love of covers in common as well. Here are some of my favs: Ben Folds’ cover of The Cure In Between Days; Age of Chance cover of Prince’s Kiss; Cake (I love Cake) covering I Will Survive and Strangers in the Night; Tanya Donnelly covering Tom Jones’ It’s Not Unusual; and the absolute best is Tom Jones covering Prince’s Kiss. “I think I’m gonna dance now…” The list goes on and on…
Cheers!
November 21st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
My favorite cover…. hmmmmm….
Clint Black did a fine job with “Desperado.”
I don’t like Garth Brooks’ “Dixie Chicken” or Faith Hill’s “Piece of My Heart.”
November 21st, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I LOVE Hey Jude from the Across the Universe Soundtrack. I also love the movie. I’d say that’s probably my favorite, tied with Goldfinger’s 99 Red Balloons. Because that’s just fun yo.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Oh yeah! AND Dixie Chicks cover of Landslide.That got me through a waitressing job I took during winter break from school. Longest month of my LIFE. Ok, I’m done now. Probably.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
That’s it. WE ARE SOULMATES.
I love:
U2’s cover of Sweet Caroline
Jane’s Addiction’s cover of No Rain
Dave Matthews Band’s cover of All Along the Watchtower.
And, the list could go on, but I have work to do
November 21st, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I have a half-formed list in my itunes of all my favorite covers! I think one of my most favorite is the Flaming Lips doing The Who’s Baba O’Reilly. Oh yes. So good. A close second is George Harrison’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “If Not For You.” My favorite Beatle doing my favorite songwriter-whose-songs-I-usually-like-better-as-sung-by-someone-else. Can it get any better?! Oh, and the Black Keys singing Have Love, Will Travel.
November 21st, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I love covers, too! I could name about twenty or more that I dig, but I think my absolute, all-time favorite cover song is Allison Crowe’s rendition of the The Beatles’ “Let it Be.”
Her voice is just so soulful and perfect for this song, that’s it’s almost like the song is hers, and not theirs. (Dare I say she even does a better job than the fab 4?)
November 21st, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I was gonna mention Ryan Adams’ cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”. I never really cared much for Oasis’ style or that song, but when I heard Ryan Adams’ version, man, I was hooked.
I also like the Izzy Kamakawiwo’ole version of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. Or Jimmy Buffett’s “Southern Cross”.
Actually, now that you’ve got me started, the whole album called Enjoy Every Sandwich is songs written and already released by Warren Zevon, except they are covered by different singers on this album as a tribute to Warren. I especially love Adam Sandler’s cover of “Werewolves of London”, the song “Reconsider Me” by Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly, and “Splendid Isolation” by Pete Yorn. This entire album is probably one of my top 10 favs.
Also really like the Cowboy Junkie’s cover of Blue Moon.
There’s just so much good music out there!
November 21st, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I love the ATU version of Girl. Too bad there is only one minute of it. I love Jim Sturgess’s voice in it (and mind you, he’s also pretty hot).
I am not sure if this is really my all-time favorite cover but it’s definitely up there, and the album has been very important for me. No Name Face by Lifehouse
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:21 am
I wanted to recommend a cover artist named Richard Cheese. He does cover versions of a range of popular songs, but his versions are with a big band. My husband (whose cover version downloading addiction will bankrupt us someday) just adores him. That said, I just remembered that some of his covers are maybe not kid-tested.
As for me, my favorite cover is Kirsty MacColl’s version of “A New England” (originally by Billy Bragg). Or Bauhaus’s version of “Ziggy Stardust.” Or just about any cover of a Leonard Cohen song.
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:45 am
Patti Smith’s cover of “Because the Night,” although I don’t know if Springsteen recorded it first, ‘tho he did write it and sing it in concert all the time. So that’s the favorite.
Worst cover of all time? Um, Alvin and the Chipmunks’ Livin’ on a Prayer, which my demon spawn youngest listens to all the time.
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:14 am
My favorite cover of ALL TIME is The Afghan Whigs’ cover of TLC’s “Creep”. Greg Dulli is my most favorite ever and I already dug “Creep”… the mix of the two is sublime.
I have to say, I really hate covers for cover sake. … for instance, I was shopping one day in the Boston Store and I heard this song sung by a woman… I said HEY, this sounds familiar! Then I was all “wait a minute! This is a Third Eye Blind song! How dare they?” Some woman was singing this song called “I want you” and it was not the same. WAY not the same.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:44 am
I personally love Foo Fighters “Darling Nicky” cover but then again, I love anything Dave.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
My favorite cover actually has to be Garth Brooks singing “Shameless” it’s really good to sing really really loudly in the car.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I love Limp Bizkit covering “Behind Blue Eyes” by The Who. Took me a while to get the fact that it was a cover though!!!
I hope I’ll be more lucky than last week (random.com picked 46 and I had 47)!
November 24th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Hi Isabel,
Thanks for the mention in your 10/21 post. (I’m just getting caught up with your blog.) Glad we had a chance to meet at the great, super, secret Old97s show!
Thought I’d use this opportunity to say hi and enter your fun contest as well. I, of course, like you, love Rhett’s cover of “Girl.” I also love the Beatles! I wanted to add Bob Dylan’s song “Don’t Think Twice,” covered by Mike Ness, to the list, it’s a favorite of mine.
Hope Rhett does a solo show here soon to promote his upcoming album!
Sarah
P.S. Found out we’re having a boy. Would it be too much if we named him Rhett? My unborn son has been to three Old 97s shows….
November 24th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I also love covers. One of my favorite CDs of all time is the Fleetwood Mac tribute album, which is all covers of their songs. Duncan Sheik does one of the songs!
One exception: I hate Johnny Cash’s cover of NIN’s “Hurt”. I’m not exactly into Nine Inch Nails, but I do like that song and I get all defensive whenever Joel plays the CD where Johnny butchers it.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
I love cover songs! Often I prefer the cover to the original, which I know is some kind of musical blasphemy. Although, I have to say, I think I’m the only person who DOESN’T care for Ryan Adams’ cover of “Wonderwall.” I much prefer the original.