The other day, I caught this great clip of Koe Wetzel and Fox N’Vead performing “Bound for the Floor” by Local H, and it got me thinking about grunge covers.
I’m a sucker for a good cover song, and I love when artists cover something from outside their respective genre. It creates a transformative rendition of that tune, and I’m all about that eclectic inventiveness.
Now, let me be clear: I am not saying that the following cover songs are BETTER than the originals. Just that they transform the track in a way that sounds fresh and makes you appreciate the original more. Scroll down to see the list!
High Priest’s “Rain When I Die” By Alice in Chains
Covering an old Alice in Chains song is no easy feat. The late Layne Staley’s voice was so rich and distinctive that just anyone can’t go belting out songs he wrote.
Enter: High Priest.
The Chicago stoner doom band recorded a cover of “Rain When I Die” for Magnetic Records’ Dirt Redux, an Alice in Chains tribute album. It’s one of my favorite cover songs ever, and maybe because of how it transforms the tune.
The original version is like Black Sabbath-influenced grunge. High Priest pulls out the stops and goes super-doomy with it, digging into a deeper tone, while singer Justin Valentino just f**kin’ slays the vocal delivery. It’s a killer cover that fully matches the energy of its forebearer.
Stephen Wilson Jr.’s “Something in the Way” by Nirvana
I believe that Stephen Wilson Jr. is one of the most important musicians of this era. His songwriting sensibilities are profound and candid, and his unique voice pairs so well with his southern-style musicianship.
This brings me to his incredibly transformative cover of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way”. The original track is very haunting and atmospheric. What’s fascinating about Wilson Jr.’s is that it does the same thing, but in a more Southern Gothic way.
Just him and an acoustic-electric guitar, Wilson injects a dissonance and fury that contrast with Nirvana’s original tune in such a compelling and captivating manner.
Pat Wright & Total Experience Gospel Choir’s “Jesus Christ Pose” by Soundgarden
If you like your grunge a little funkier, consider this cover of Soundgarden’s “Jesus Christ Pose” by Pat Wright & Total Experience Gospel Choir.
The gospel music group covered the tune for the 2009 Kearney Barton compilation, with founder Pastor Pat Wright retooling the lyrics to comment on hypocrisy in the modern-day church.
It’s interesting because in the original song, late frontman Chris Cornell was singing about hypocrisy and arrogance in the rock/metal music industry. Talk about a transformation.
Sinéad O’Connor’s “All Apologies” by Nirvana
I didn’t intend to include two Nirvana songs on this list, but I simply could not leave off Sinéad O’Connor.
The late, iconic Irish singer once released a cover of “All Apologies” that is so beautifully transformative. A more subdued version of the grunge track, O’Connor softly sings the song as an acoustic plays gently behind her.
Frankly, I think hearing this version made me understand the song better. The heartbreaking and hopeful poetry of it all shines through here and reveals just how powerful Kurt Cobain was as a lyricist.
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