Really liked Love Buzz.
Twas my submission
Eta: I get what you’re saying about the track sounding a bit like a demo. Whole album (Bleach) has that vibe imo.
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Did this one seem like a soundtrack song to you as well?
I really like Love Buzz and I’m intrigued by the idea of a Skyfall cover (haven’t had chance to listen yet.) I always think that if you gave 100 people the title Skyfall and said make a James Bond theme, then ~56 of them would come up with roughly that song. It seems the most generic thing possible, so trying to bring a different but distinctive element would be one of music’s greatest challenges.
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No it sounds like a song I would hear on the radio and forget about.
To clarify, the anonymization (?) was done in a way that I will know who’s entry is whose after the first round is revealed, might as well get them out now so people can keep score or whatever. Will try to knock one more out before lunch.
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Totally a word btw, forgot you worried earlier that it wasn’t.
We’ve now entered the phase of “songs I might willingly listen to again”, although to be fair I didn’t actively dislike anything that was submitted this round. Next up in 8th place with 5 points:
Bill Withers - Let It Be
It pains me a bit to not put this one higher in honor of the great Bill Withers (RIP). This is a nice little ditty you can clap and sway along to and it’s absolutely distinct from the original. I listened to it a few extra times because I wasn’t sure where to place it and ultimately decided that I liked the remaining songs more. Still, a solid entry and I’m glad Mr. Withers got some representation in my walrus.
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Time for one more. I think this poster may have given himself (or herself! ok pretty sure it’s himself) away because there was a long write-up with this submission. In 7th place with 6 points
No Doubt - It’s My Life
Toughest category by far. There are plenty of good covers and interesting covers, but so few that rise to the level of “better than the original”. There are also a lot of great songs that happen to be covers and have eclipsed their originals so the cover is the one most people know. “Blinded by the Light” and “Me and Bobby McGee” are in this category. There are also plenty of obscure covers of obscure songs. Linda Ronstadt’s cover of Little Feat’s “Roll Em Easy” is exquisite. And Tool’s version of “No Quarter” is ten times better than Led Zeppelin’s milquetoast version of their own song (also it’s 11 minutes long so I wouldn’t subject everybody to that). But I feel like the spirit of this category is looking for a lesser-known cover of a more well-known song. All of the above were considered, but ultimately I went with something more mainstream. I guess this might be a case where the cover was also very successful and might be the only version people know, but the original was a big hit in the 80s when I was in high school.
Great write-up and pretty good submission as well. This is the only song submitted for this category that I distinctly remember hearing when it was released; I liked it when it came out and still enjoyed it upon re-listening. The original was probably well out of the zeitgeist when I was in college, so you could try to impress people by telling them this was a cover (I doubt it worked but worth a shot). The video is also pretty good, although not sure it qualifies for bonus points. Not sure I had bothered listening to the original before, they’re actually surprisingly similar but this sounds enough like a No Doubt version of the song that I didn’t penalize for it.
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Withers is me.
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Great writeup (from the judger and judgee) and extra points for mention of Tool’s No Quarter cover which I really enjoy.
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Zep’s live No Quarter from TSRTS >>> studio version
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At our host’s request I’ll avoid ranting about Nirvana. I won’t say that anyone who doesn’t like them should be embarrassed rather than proud. I won’t say that. At our host’s request.
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Midge Ure - The Man Who Sold The World – All-InFlynn
Postmodern Jukebox ft Puddles Pity Party – Royals – JohnnyTruant
Nirvana - Love Buzz – miliboo
Within Temptation – Skyfall – ??
Bill Withers – cassette
No Doubt - It’s My Life – ??
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Woah, this went away earlier than I was expecting. Anyway I’m still standing and in for the rest
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I’m having fun so I’ll keep going until I absolutely have to eat or get pulled away. In 6th place for 7 points we have:
Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck - People Get Ready
I had never heard this song or the original by Curtis Mayfield before this submission so I don’t know if either was a huge hit when released. I’ll start by saying that I like the original better, and if you told me you were going to exchange a soulful Curtis Mayfield for Rod Stewart (admittedly pretty soulful himself here) and add a lot of twangy guitar riffs and solos, I would expect you’d be headed for to the bottom of the rankings. And yet this was pretty good! I could’ve done without all the guitar but I don’t think it detracts from what is simply a great song. Mega bonus points for the video being unexpectedly homoerotic and just sort of bizarre overall.
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I’m like 99% sure that It’s My Life was TheDuker. OK going to lunch now, will get back to this when I can, probably in a couple of hours.
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So happy I’m on the rail.
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I’m the one who submitted Skyfall.
Disappointed that didn’t do better.
Got some hope for two of the remaining categories.
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Oh yeah No Doubt was me.
I came close to submitting this one. Linda Ronstadt’s incredible piercing voice takes this ho-hum countryish original to the next level.
I almost submitted this, which I think jiggy would have liked better, but I recently posted it in another thread, so thought that would be a little boring.
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