Susan - Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
|
|
30 Seconds to Mars "Bad Romance" (Lady Gaga)
30STM cover of Bad Romance proves that any song, done right, can sound better than the original. Jared Leto's voice manages to take the dance track and give it a kinda sinister twist, and I am here for it! |
Stone Sour "Wicked Game" (Chris Isaak)
Wicked Game is one of my all time fave songs, and Stone Sours version is number one on my list. Corey has the same quality as Jared, where his voice takes over the song and pulls you in. |
|
Hozier "Do I Wanna Know" (Artic Monkeys)
Another one of my fave songs that got the slowed down treatment and Hozier has this uniqueness to his tone, turning the rock anthem into a haunting ballad. |
Yonaka "You Need to Calm Down" (Taylor Swift) Its one of the few Taylor songs I will admit to liking but when Yonaka and Theresa Jarvis did this cover, it gave it that rockier edge that I needed.
|
|
Daniela Andrade "Creep" (Radiohead) This female version of Creep shouldn't work but it so does. hearing it from a female vocalist, gives it that, stalkerish vibe. I can image this in a TV show, for a female who is obsessed. But this cover has the ability to give you goosebumps.
|
Muse "Feeling Good" (Cy Grant )
Muse takes the song made famous by Nina Simone and completely flips it, giving you a raucous rock ballad, completely catfishing you at the start before hitting you when the drums kick in. |
|
The Sundays "Wild Horses" (The Rolling Stones)
This song made the list purely because it reminds me of Buffy, and that Prom scene that never fails to break my heart. |
Limp Bizkit "Behind Blue Eyes" (The Who)
I always used to think that Fred Durst's vocals were underestimated, especially when he sang on songs, like Rearranged, and this proves it. I have a tattoo of this as this is one of my fave songs, but the Limp Bizkit version. |
|
PVRIS "Are You Ten Years Ago" (Tegan and Sara)
Pvris' cover for the tenth anniversary introduced me to the pop duo, but I have to say I love this version as Lynn has this powerhouse voice even when she keeps it simple. |
Hayley Williams "Nineteen" (Tegan and Sara)
For me, Hayley Williams can do no wrong. There is a hint of vulnerability in Hayley's tone that give you goosebumps. |
|
Nothing but Thieves "Holding out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)
As you all know, I am a massive NBT fan and this cover of Holding out for a Hero frim season two trailer for Vikings is haunting, and sinister and Conor smashes it with that epic voice of his. |
Calum Scott "Dancing on my Own (Robyn)
Originally a dancefloor filler, Robyn herself did an acoustic version or twilight mix that Calum Scott covered and I loved the song so much, that when I needed a song for Ricky to perform in the Ever Chace Chronicles, this song was the only choice. |
|
Jaymes Young "What is love? (Haddaway)
Another song that was once a 90's dancefloor filler that Jaymes Young slowed down and made it into a slow ballad. |
Jessica Lange AHS "God & Monsters (Lana Del Ray)
To be fair, I only heard of this from Melanie when we were trying to find a suitable name for the final EC book and while sometimes, Melanie's musical taste is questionable, (LOL) I admit she had great taste in this one. |
|
Neoni "Carry on my Wayward Son" (Kansas)
Any SPN fan knows Carry on my Wayward Son, but this slowed down version that appeared in the series finale is beautiufl and haunting. |
Holy Wars "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell)
There have been a lot f covers of this song and while Marilyn Manson's version is a firm fave, I loved Holy Wars version which is a little more modern. |
|
Saint Phnx "Bury a Friend" (Billie Eilish)
I really like this male take on Billie Eilish's Bury a Friend, and Saint Phnx manage to put their own twist on it.
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes "Nothing Breaks like a Heart" (Miley Cyrus)
A brilliant and surprising cover from the UK rockers, I have to say that I prefer this version to the Miley one, but simply because this cover is rawer and grittier. |
Hidden Citizen "Paint it Black" (The Rolling Stones)
I cannot say how much I love this version. It feels like a completely original song. A cinematic version that would feel right at home in a movie or tv show.
Hayley Williams "Teardrop" (Massive Attack)
Another Hayley Williams cover, this time a cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop. Recorded during lockdown, it's just Hayley in her towel at home belting out another haunting song that showcases why she is one of the best vocalists in the world. |
|
YungBlud "Time in a Bottle" (Jim Croce)
I absolutely adore YungBlud. His personality is infectious and his music even more so. I am also a big fan of all the Fast movies and this was an epic cover to add to the soundtrack. |
Dermot Kennedy "Heartless" (Kanye West)
Honestly, I did not know this was a Kanye song until I did a little research. Dermot Kennedy is a fresh Irish talent and listening to this, you can tell because he took a hip hop track and made it so much better. |
|
|
|
|
Dermot Kennedy "Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
One of the newer covers on the list, and I'll probably be slated when I say that I prefer this version to the original. I adore Dermot's voice and can attest to the fact it sounds just as good live as it does on this cover. |
The Used "Burning Down the House"(Talking Heads)
Another song that once given the rocker treatment works and makes it feel like it a brand new song. one of those soundtrack finds from a movie that you might not have found otherwise. |
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Wicked!
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
|
At Melanie's Muses, we love a good cover song! So much so that the Musers had their own Music List!
Today Dave is adding his picks to the list and you can check out Susan's picks next week! |
Dave - Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now is a member of the VIPers Spotlight Lounge team for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features -check out his "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Cover songs can have a negative effect as well as a positive effect. For instance, the first song I heard from Ugly Kid Joe was their cover of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf". I hated it! Didn't like the way it came out. Didn't like the vocals. Didn't like anything about it. Then their hit song "Everything About You" from the same CD was released. I loved that but still won't listen to their cover of "Sweet Leaf". Another hit of theirs was a cover of "Cats in the Cradle". I liked that too but wasn't really familiar with the original. You are more attached if its a cover of a song you already love. Some managed to get it right though. So here are some covers, for better or for worse, that I think got it right even if it took a different turn than the original.
|
Alice Cooper "Born This Way" (Lady Gaga)
Alice took a new approach when performing this song live. He crafted some new lyrics to go with it. |
The Agonist "Take Me to Church" (Hozier)
The song that got me to like The Agonist. Might have heard something from them before but with more "screamy" vocals. Vicky has such a great voice when she uses the clean vocals. Some of their songs have a mixture, which I prefer to some of their other songs. |
|
Paramore "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon)
They were always good to throw a cover in here and there to give you something new to listen to.
Def Leppard "Ziggy Stardust" (David Bowie)
Def Leppard is band that does things until they get it right. If you listen to some demo versions of their songs, you can tell how much they rework it until they are satisfied. I'm guessing they do the same with the songs they cover. |
Sick N' Beautiful "The Show Must Go On" (Queen)
I know. I know. Its almost a disgrace to put a cover of a Queen on a list but they did a fantastic job on it.
Nirvana "Oh Me" (Meat Puppets)
Is this really a cover since a couple members of the original band joined them? I guess so since Kurt is the one singing it. One thing I loved about when Nirvana did Unplugged, they played 6 cover songs that they didn't have anywhere else. So you didn't just get acoustic versions of songs you knew. It was like you also got 6 new Nirvana songs. |
|
|
|
|
Robyn Adele Anderson "Bawitdaba" (Kid Rock) Robyn takes modern songs and puts a completely different spin on them. Like this song, she made revisions as a 1940's tune. She also redid a couple Eminem songs.
|
30 Seconds to Mars "Message in a Bottle"
(The Police) Stripping songs down to acoustic guitars can show just how great it is. No overproduction, no burying tracks under multiple layers or sound effects. Just a guitar and a voice. |
|
Twiggy Ramirez and Twiggy Lawson "I Only Want to be With You" (Dusty Springfield)
From the soundtrack to "Dead Man on Campus". Such an odd combination. This song took me by surprise at how well it works. |
And now for something completely different:
Daniel Radcliffe "Alphabet Aerobics" (Blackalicious) This video was trending after he did it and its not my type of music but I was just amazed at the result. |
|
Skid Row "I Remember You Two" (Skid Row)
Yes, you read that right. They covered their own song. New singer but a completely different sound. They made this tender ballad into a rock song. I was skeptical at first. As much as I loved Sebastain's vocals, I wasn't sure about them getting a new singer and especially not remaking this great ballad into a rock song. |
Within Temptation "Skyfall" (Adele)
Sharon's vocal's are so powerful on this unexpected cover of the James Bond theme song. |
|
Vicky Psarakis (singer from The Agonist) "Teardrops" (Bring Me the Horizon)
Vicky has been using the pandemic to record cover songs to keep herself busy and giving fans something new to listen to. There's been Halloween themed ones like "Vampira", "Sally's Song" and even "Ghostbusters" but this is one of my faves. |
Disturbed "Land of Confusion" (Genesis)
One of the most artistic, classic videos of the early MTV age but it got redone with just a little hmmph to put the pep into its step. |
|
|
|
|
The Animal in Me "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles" (The Proclaimers)
This band has always put up covers to keep fans entertained. There are over 50 of them from rock, pop, alternative, rap, etc. |
Dee Snider "Cabaret" (from the Broadway show)
Did you know that Dee Snider from Twisted Sister did a CD of Broadway cover songs? Definitely a different take on these songs. |
|
Halestorm "Bad Romance" (Lady Gaga)
A pop song turned into a rocker is always a strange journey but usually a good one. |
My Chemical Romance "Desolation Row" (Bob Dylan)
MCR did quite a take on this track. The song is epically long so they cut a lot of it out to trim it down. |
|
|
|
|
Soul Asylum with Lulu "To Sir With Love" (Lulu) Taken from Soul Asylum Unplugged on MTV, they wanted to perform the song and made a call to see if Lulu would come on with them. Playing it as an acoustic rock song puts a different spin on it. Plus Dave's duet with Lulu adds another element as well.
|
Eve's Plum "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)
90's alternative rock band covering a disco song. All you need to know. |
BONUS: Metallica and Lady Gaga "Moth Into Flame" (Metallica) OK, so its still Metallica but with Lady Gaga so its different than what is on the CD so its kinda like she is covering it. The actual show was a mess since the mics were working for half the song but luckily this dress rehearsal was captured.
|
|
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Covers!
Part Two coming next week from Susan
( If she can narrow down her list!)
|
Welcome to our Thursday Music Feature!
This week Susan is talking about Mercury Act 1 by Imagine Dragons Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments! |
Susan -
Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman. Mercury Act 1 is the bands 5th studio release following on from albums, Night Visions (2012), Smoke + Mirrors (2015), Evolve (2017), and Origins (2018) and have established themselves as one of the best pop rock bands to come out of America.
|
|
I've been a fan of Imagine Dragons ever since I first heard that first big drum hit on the opening of Radioactive. Night Visions is one of my fave debut albums. But they have always been a little hit and miss for me, with some of their songs becoming too commercial or pop centrectic to fully enjoy an album. Imagine Dragons are similar to Maroon 5, who came out the block with an edgier album ( Songs about Jane) and then went a little too far in the pop direction for my tastes...but I know some people love the new directions.
Lead singer Dan Reynolds has described Mercury Act 1 as two different sides: one organic and looking inward, the other more aggressive and looking outward. The album touches on themes of loss, loneliness, and grief, while celebrating life and has a lot of lyrics that are relatable and self reflective.
Dan also said:
The point of art is to share our darkest moments as well as the light ones.
I believe that by singing about my own struggle with it, it hopefully will bring someone else some sort of peace or resolve. This record deals with a lot of searching and loneliness, struggling with the finite state of reality.
Mercury Act 1 tries too hard to be an album that will appeal to everyone and not even Dan's voice can save it. I was disappointed because I had high hopes after hearing songs like Wrecked and Cutthroat that they might have gone back to Night Visions roots especially since most of the pandemic released albums have been reflected of the period. At times, it's like the lyrics and the melody are out of sync with one another and on the single, Dull Knives, it actually sounded like Dan was in pain in his throat rather than anything else. I read somewhere that this was their attempt at a MCR Welcome to the black parade, but hell no, this can't even compare to that masterpiece.
|
Track Listing:
|
|
Standout tracks:
My Life, Lonely, Wrecked, Follow You &Cutthroat.
( The pickings were slim to be fair.)
My Life, Lonely, Wrecked, Follow You &Cutthroat.
( The pickings were slim to be fair.)
|
|
|
Melanie Here - The Code Word For This Article Is Dragons
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!
You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE
All Links To Buy / Subscribe to Amazon Programs On Amazon in this article are Amazon Affiliate Links(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do!)
Archives
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
RSS Feed