The perfect version of ....

Tannin

Sometimes, someone plays a song so well that there simply isn't any way to improve it. It's not just the best that that particular song can be, it's somewhere in the ballpark of being the best that any song can be.

Once in a while I happen to hear, for example, Bob Segar's Nightmoves. How could you improve on that song? Change the words? Change the chord sequence? Change Segar's voice? Rearrange it? Change the delivery? No, no, no, no, and hell no! It is that very rare thing in music, a perfect moment. Let's make a list:

* Bob Segar, Nightmoves,
* Simon and Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence (or any of about eight other Paul Simon songs!)
* Jetthro Tull Aqualung
* The Beatles: Paperback Writer. (An odd choice? Maybe. But you could choose any of 15 or 20.)
* The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations.
* ....... and more.

drofluf

Fairport’s “Who knows where the tome goes?”, Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah”, Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street “. 

blobb

Happens a lot with folk interpretations. Amazes me sometimes that some versions ever see the light of day. Vin Garbutt's Lovers Ghost stands out (as a how to do it) and pretty much all of the early Clannad stuff.

Winny_Pooh

Long thread, would include most famous songs by the most famous musicians....

IE take the Rolling Stones or AC/DC best of, could you imagine these songs being done better by anyone else? 

Kilgore

drofluf said:

Fairport’s “Who knows where the tome goes?”, 

A stunning song but for me the definitive version is the acoustic one Denny did for the Peel Sessions.

 IMO, it has a stripped back, haunting melancholy, particularly  Denny's vocal, that surpasses the Fairport version. 

Litterick

Yet these songs are covered, often badly. Good Vibrations has been covered by Todd Rundgren, the Flaming Lips, the Cowsills, the King's Singers, Hugo Montenegro and many others. Night Moves was covered by the Drifters and several others who remain obscure.

This evening on the radio I heard the opening bars someone's version of Sunshine of your Love, one of 140 covers of Cream's song. I turned the radio off.

Fortunately, nobody has ever recorded a version of Dolly Mixture's How Come You're  Such a Hit with the Boys, Jane. It remains unsullied by a cappella, loungecore or metal interpretations.

drofluf

Kilgore said:

drofluf said:

Fairport’s “Who knows where the tome goes?”, 

A stunning song but for me the definitive version is the acoustic one Denny did for the Peel Sessions.

 IMO, it has a stripped back, haunting melancholy, particularly  Denny's vocal, that surpasses the Fairport version. 

Thanks, I’ll have to check that version out. 

DuploLicks

Winny_Pooh said:

IE take the Rolling Stones or AC/DC best of, could you imagine these songs being done better by anyone else? 

I’d take the Sundays cover of Wild Horses any day

thecolourbox

I'd like to offer the following for consideration:

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights

Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang

Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge over troubled water

I had going to suggest Black Hole Sun but I can already think of three versions I love (original, a Cornell solo performance, and also a Norah Jones cover just after he died) so I can't include that really

Kilgore

Elvis - That's Alright Mama. 

DrCornelius

I can’t imagine anyone but The Doors covering ‘Riders on the storm’ with any great authenticity .

Jim Morrison may have behaved like a bit of an arse but he was such a great fit for the band

axisus

Seems like a strange observation to me. I'd probably put 99.9% of original songs in that category. I rarely hear a song and think ..... hmmmmn .... I like that but it would have been better if they had done [insert thing here]. 

axisus

DrCornelius said:

I can’t imagine anyone but The Doors covering ‘Riders on the storm’ with any great authenticity .

Jim Morrison may have behaved like a bit of an arse but he was such a great fit for the band

So you haven't heard Annabel Lamb's definitive version? [tongue firmly in cheek]

Kilgore

Most songs can be improved by a William Shatner version. 

Rocker

Ride On, written by Jimmy MacCarthy but IMHO the best recorded version is by Christy Moore. 

Rosalie, recorded by Bob Seger but I don’t think there is a better take on the song than that of Thin Lizzie. 

Hard to imagine a better version of The Air That I Breathe than the original by The Hollies. 

And I doubt that anyone can better the original version of Baker Street....

SRich

Sir Paul’s Maybe I’m Amazed ticks all the boxes in the most part, but The Faces live version maintains the emotion and adds a very respectful solo

richardhomer

Tough call. I think ‘Golden Slumbers’ by The Beatles probably fits the bill.

stufisher

Eva Cassidy's version of Fields of Gold is the best I've heard.

Interesting to note that Sting stated that it blew his original version out of the water!

mudslide73

I know he's been cancelled but Ryan Adams's version of Wonderwall is incredible imo. Even Noel's live version had elements of it for a while.. it's back to being like the Oasis version again.

Tannin

axisus said:

Seems like a strange observation to me. I'd probably put 99.9% of original songs in that category. 

If it was the observation you think it was it would indeed by a bit strange. If, on the other hand, you had actually read the post, you would not say such a silly thing.

Lebarque

Johnny Cash: Folsom Prison Blues