Cover songs are way more complicated than just picking a tune and singing along. These three examples make it clear that knowing your limitations is one part of recording a good cover song.
But so is being aware of the original version. Also, probably a good idea to leave the Speak & Spell at home.
“About a Girl” by Puddle of Mudd
Puddle of Mudd recorded an acoustic cover of Nirvana’s “About a Girl” in January 2020, and the video spread like wildfire for all the wrong reasons. I dare anyone to get more than 20 seconds into this cover song before you have to turn it off.
Instrumentally, it’s fine. But the vocals are almost indescribable. At least Wes Scantlin knows he did a bad job, later admitting to being exhausted at the time and aware of his limitations with “About a Girl”. Sometimes the show goes on, though, even when it probably shouldn’t.
“Piece of My Heart” by Faith Hill
“Piece of My Heart” was originally recorded in 1967 by soul singer Erma Franklin. It found a larger audience in 1968 when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered it, thanks to Janis Joplin’s vocals. But in 1993, up-and-coming country star Faith Hill included a cover on her debut album, Take Me As I Am.
In Hill’s defense, she’d never heard the song before. Not the original, and not the Joplin version. So her cover turned into a passive, bland, middle-American anthem. It was a quintessentially 90s country radio hit, and to its credit, it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart. So, it’s not bad if you like that sort of thing. But all the soul was completely leached from this song, turning it into the sonic equivalent of soggy white bread.
“Behind Blue Eyes” by Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit included this cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” on their fourth album, Results May Vary. It was also featured on the Gothika soundtrack, with an accompanying music video centered on the film’s general plot. Unfortunately, having Halle Berry in the music video is not enough to save this cover song.
Notably, Limp Bizkit added some new lyrics and included a Speak & Spell in the bridge. This robotic vocal breakdown is probably the most heinous part of the cover. Although it gets points for the stereotypical early 2000s edgy melodrama.
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