Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Dude, you just can't cover...
- Thread starter Bochafish
- Start date
I'd have been way less humble if I'd have said I was brilliant on "Run Like Hell." Unfortunately, I sang the easy lines and our lead singer (a gal who played keyboards and guitar) took the hard ones. "Comfortably Numb" really isn't that hard to sing.All that talent, plus humility too!
Of course you can cover Beatles, but usually it requires good harmony singing.most bar bands have the vocal chops to do Lynyrd Skynyrd, but not much more.
I've always wanted to cover Zeppelin songs, but finding the right vocalist to nail his vibrato and banshee wail with authority is tough! I guess no one wants to shred their vocal chords anymore :/
I don't think any band or song is off limits, however, it's all about knowing your band, your limits as a group and knowing who you're playing to. Your cover is only as good as your weakest link. Just because you can do Beatles songs well, doesn't mean you should do "She's Leaving Home" at your local biker bar.
I don't think any band or song is off limits, however, it's all about knowing your band, your limits as a group and knowing who you're playing to. Your cover is only as good as your weakest link. Just because you can do Beatles songs well, doesn't mean you should do "She's Leaving Home" at your local biker bar.
Some people think of music like a math problem, it's either right or isn't. Songs by all those great bands should be fair game because people love them. Music should be fun and creative, not a competition. If you make it meaningful and the emotion comes across, I don't care if you aren't "dead on." I will enjoy your rockabilly-deathcore-shoegaze-rap-polka-post-dubstep-bluegrass version of "Blackbird."
I would never try to cover something like Stairway to Heaven or Dawn Over A New World (DragonForce)
But it's because I think that there would be no way to do it well, not because it's sacred. I don't even like live versions of Stairway.
But it's because I think that there would be no way to do it well, not because it's sacred. I don't even like live versions of Stairway.
Johnny Cash did a great cover of a Soundgarden song : "Rusty Cage." It rocked !
Conversely, some friends were in a punk band and they played three or four Johnny Cash tunes that were pretty cool.
Some material you just can't mess with. You either do it right or leave it at home. No quicker way to loose an audience than butchering a classic rock anthem.
We are fortunate that we can pull off a really good cover of Pink Floyds Young Lust. It's one of those songs where the scrutiny starts at the first lick. When we finish it people just stare for a second and then erupt into applause. It's an awesome experience.
We are fortunate that we can pull off a really good cover of Pink Floyds Young Lust. It's one of those songs where the scrutiny starts at the first lick. When we finish it people just stare for a second and then erupt into applause. It's an awesome experience.
Volbeit covered Folsom Prison Blues, Sad Man's Tongue. They changed the song to their style and it sounds awesome. Just an example, I agree with one of the above. If you can't nail it, you better make it yours.
Unless you're me! I love to sing; but unfortunately, I'm just not very good at it.
I'm okay when I'm not playing bass, but when playing, I pretty much have to stick with fairly simple backing vocals. I respect anybody who can sing lead while playing bass...
I agree it's all fair game, but I have to say it's a little awkward when a band covers Nirvana in Seattle. Part of that is that in most of the clubs I've played in the audience expects originals, so if you're going to do a cover it's typically either something relatively obscure, or something 'ironic', like doing a Lady Gaga or Britney cover. Last and only time I saw anyone cover Nirvana here the awkwardness was palpable in the audience. But Seattle is one uptight place.
Anything is fair game if the band has got the chops for it.
My band does some Floyd - Breath - a couple of our songs - and the Breath reprise.
We also do Beatles - we have been doing the whole golden slumbers medley - Golden Slumbers -> Carry That Weight -> The End. That took a lot of work, and is still very tough to do. We play with a few different drummers, and they all seem to struggle with it.
It's tough, but practice, and hard work, and you can do whatever - if you have the ambition and have the chops.
My band does some Floyd - Breath - a couple of our songs - and the Breath reprise.
We also do Beatles - we have been doing the whole golden slumbers medley - Golden Slumbers -> Carry That Weight -> The End. That took a lot of work, and is still very tough to do. We play with a few different drummers, and they all seem to struggle with it.
It's tough, but practice, and hard work, and you can do whatever - if you have the ambition and have the chops.
I don't like covering Zeppelin tunes based on the original recording. The guitarist is never gonna nail the Page stuff, the drummer can't nail the Bonham sound, I'm not gonna nail the JPJ stuff and you gotta have the vocals and often keys. We once played after a Zeppelin tribute band that couldn't nail any of it. It was a painful hour of disturbing, middle-aged men in Halloween costumes, basically.
The problem is that drunk bar crowds tend to respond well to Zeppelin played loudly, regardless of accuracy. Especially all the beat-to-death songs like Rock and Roll, Heartbreaker/Maid, etc...
But as others have said, making it your own can be really cool. Maybe a Banjo-French Horn-Washboard version of Communication Breakdown?
The problem is that drunk bar crowds tend to respond well to Zeppelin played loudly, regardless of accuracy. Especially all the beat-to-death songs like Rock and Roll, Heartbreaker/Maid, etc...
But as others have said, making it your own can be really cool. Maybe a Banjo-French Horn-Washboard version of Communication Breakdown?
Agree that certain bands are off limits unless you can nail it or do a different take on it.
I used to be in a band that did a reggae version of Come Together. Kept the signature bass line but did the rest of the rhythm reggae. Always went over well.
I'm in a country band and Folsom Rhythm Blues always goes over well. Of course, we play it at the end of the night when everyone's smashed which might have something to do with it.
I used to be in a band that did a reggae version of Come Together. Kept the signature bass line but did the rest of the rhythm reggae. Always went over well.
I'm in a country band and Folsom Rhythm Blues always goes over well. Of course, we play it at the end of the night when everyone's smashed which might have something to do with it.
The band that can pull off Phil Collins' "Sussudio" in a live setting would be impressive to me.
I can just imagine how that song would get hacked up......
I can just imagine how that song would get hacked up......
Beatles? Led zepplin?
Beatles are way easy to cover. Led zepplin a little harder i guess. If you have the right singer you can cover anything.
Something that is uncoverable..
QUEEN - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. I don't even think Queen played the whole song live, but i have seen on youtube a guy playing it with an acoustic guitar and singing and he was brilliant!
Sometimes you just have to get creative with covers if its impossible to play them as is. Make the covers your own instead of copying the original
Beatles are way easy to cover. Led zepplin a little harder i guess. If you have the right singer you can cover anything.
Something that is uncoverable..
QUEEN - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. I don't even think Queen played the whole song live, but i have seen on youtube a guy playing it with an acoustic guitar and singing and he was brilliant!
Sometimes you just have to get creative with covers if its impossible to play them as is. Make the covers your own instead of copying the original
