Your feeling towards bands. The covers and orignals discussion.

[zachoff]

i find though at a small gig you get more respect from promoters and other bands than if you were to do covers

Probably regional and depends on the style of music you play. If we play a cover, it better be some obscure song you don't really hear much anymore (Think Thin Lizzy - Emerald or something similar). Nobody wants to hear a cover of Give Me Fuel, Give Me Fire... Blah blah Metallica junk.

 

[jnuts1]

"I will never do better than Cole Porter's best songs. What's the shame in that?" there is no shame in that at all. i just took exception to this part, "No matter how good you are as a writer, you'll never do better than that." just because you aren't better than that doesn't mean everyone is.

 

[MrTAteMyBalls]

you just have to know your limits. some people can write great songs, others can't. if you can't, then you play covers or find a band with good originals. no big deal either way. it just depends on your personal goals. there's a reason there is an industry for professional songwriters...there are very few good ones out there.

if a cover band is great, then i'll watch them. On the other hand, if a cover band is very mediocre or plain bad then i'll walk out. If you are playing someone else's lick or riff....at least play it well. Oh....and get a good singer.

 

[joroched]

But again thats just my opinion. I'll let you judge for yourself if u'd like.

I agree for the most part, including the other posts, (except for you know) that was ignorant, but I have been to many shows where the band was basicly playing covers and throwing in some originals then selling recordings. I have some great albums that I would never had known about.

 

[Phalex]

I like to play. I really have no love (or aptitude) for the act of writing.

I live in a house which I did not design or build. It still keeps me warm and dry. Am I frowned upon by architects and contractors because I lack drafting skills or the ability to hammer two pieces of wood together?

Musicians play music

Composers write music

Both, or neither can be considered art depending on the product IMHO.

 

[Passinwind]

Why would anyone want to do originals?

Because I play covers, but my originals play me.

 

[bolophonic]

I played with an old-school R&B cover band last year and while the caliber of musicianship was off the charts, the band was anything but groovin. The guys calling the shots were sticklers for doing everything exactly the same as the original recording went and it really killed the feel of the band. Mostly I play in original bands, but I rarely expect anyone to come out and see us, even if we are really good.

 

[P-oddz]

I like to play. I really have no love (or aptitude) for the act of writing.

I live in a house which I did not design or build. It still keeps me warm and dry. Am I frowned upon by architects and contractors because I lack drafting skills or the ability to hammer two pieces of wood together?

Musicians play music

Composers write music

Both, or neither can be considered art depending on the product IMHO.

Agreed.

"Artist" was maybe not the most applicable title to what I was trying to say, and "composers" is a much more sufficient word.

 

[eSmith]

One thing about originals, they are never very original....

Take this for example, every one of the songs he covers were written by people who really believed thay were doing something original...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

I can respect that others do not agree with this.

Covers are measurable, they are a standard you can use to compair ones abilities against a common backdrop. For evaluation, like an audition, this is invaluable.

My thoughts on Originals is that I feel a lot of people who have not/will not put the time into really learning to play an instrument still want the perception to be that they are good players and since thay can't pull off the simplest of covers without even non musicians noticing, they play obscure things they made up at home and all of a sudden not only have they removed the perception that they can't play a simple cover (by avoiding the whole issue) they also now are alluding to a greater knowledge of music by posturing themselves as if they are "SongWriters"

Some people do write good new music, but the landscape is so full of people faking it that sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. I think this is what Marsallis is talking about when he was asked about what he has learned from his students. The whole world seems more concerned with perception than reality.

-eSmith.

 

[TheDude007]

I have done both, I see both points of view. Generally speaking, cover bands are where you go if you want to make a living playing music. You can be in an original band, and do ok, but unless you make it pretty big and get signed, chances are that you're going to live out of a van and be broke your whole life. If you're in a decent cover band, you can make an ok living. My passion has always been doing originals. Writing music is very exciting. It's so awesome when everything comes together and you make something good. Playing covers can be fun, but a LOT of the cover bands I see just don't have the soul and feeling that an original band has.

I think the long and short of it is to each their own. Either way, as long as you get your passion out, and have a good time, then more power to you.

 

[BassyBill]

I prefer playing covers because I like the audience to enjoy the songs we play.

 

[eSmith]

Both, or neither can be considered art depending on the product IMHO.

Anything, including digging dog crap off your shoe with a stick, if done with a little flair, can be called an art.

The word art is meaningless, it really can mean anything and everything, which means it really means nothing.

Get a job at the local sub shop, your a sandwitch artist!

Imagine having a spelling bee for children but allowing the kids to make up the words on the spot instead of a standard list. Every kid would claim they spelled the words they made up correctly and because they made them up, they would be correct. So how would you ever determine who was the best speller?

-eSmith.

 

[Swift713]

Covers are usually what the people want. They want something they recognize. Also, lots of players are more comfortable with paint by numbers music that requires fewer rehearsals and less thought. It's really a difference between art and craft. There are a lot of guys playing covers that are way way better than me but I'm just not interested. I kind of feel the same way about most blues that I've heard as well I saw Jimmy Vaughn a couple years ago and boy was I bored. It takes something extra special to make the blues or covers interesting IMO.

 

[73jbass]

What if your original songs suck? How much respect will you get then?

 

[genstormbringer]

I haven't seen a thread discussing this so I thought I'd put it up to see everyones views. If you walk into just say your local venue and there's a top quality covers band on. Doing all the songs great. Do you sometimes just feel well. Meh. If ya get me. I don't know what it is but tribute/cover bands I just don't have as much respect for as an orignals band. There's nothing wrong with doing a few covers but I mean tribute bands and total covers bands. I'll give 2 examples of it. I see an ok but not great cover band called lixx. I was just thinking the whole time I was watching them 'How does that bassist not know he's out of tune. Why are they in a covers band if they can't even play the songs right'. To be fair I know I sound harsh but literally the bass player had no idea he was out of tune and the songs weren't what I would call 'Nailed'. And another example was an excellent band I seen who did all covers. Did them perfectly. Great show. But I was thinking. These guys are great why don't they do orignals. I don't know about you guys but I've seen some great local orignals bands and covers bands. And I always seem to enjoy the originals more. And generally have more respect for them. But anyway that was some rant. Hope I explained my point well enough haha. What do younguys think of the whole Tribute/covers vs orignals band argument?

The original scene is dead where I live . Yes cover bands turn off a lot of musicians but did not a piece of music you listened to at some point in your life inspire you to play? Did you not want to play that song that inspired you to play in the first place? Well you covered the song didn't ya? It's all good music is beautiful covers or originals well not all music.... and not all covers and originals but u get the point. Just play whatever it is that blows up your skirt.
So the band u saw was bad I am sure there are original bands that suck too. I have seen many at in Philly like the A's and Berue Review & Robert Hazard and the Heroes all of them preceded The Hooters well IMHO the Hooters sucked but they made it big for a while. So really what is the point here we could talk in circles about this forever.

 

[electracoyote]

A good cover band that DOES nail it and has a healthy following is a hot commodity in most areas. You can have artistic integrity and substantial entertainment value doing covers. Countless bands started out doing covers and developed some much-needed stage presence and technical chops along the way that served them well when they actually started writing songs that would appeal to a larger audience than their mates and their mums.

Good cover bands come in all varieties, from the ultra-advanced prog rockers who can hold an audience in a trance all night by virtue of the sheer difficulty of the material, or the dance bands that know how to pack a dance floor, to the tribute bands who can pull it off, and everything in between. Many bar and club owners and patrons prefer the comfort of familiarity over the sometimes awkwardness and disorientation of originals.

The Beatles started as a cover band. They got pretty damn good playing for the tough, demanding audiences in Hamburg, wowed the locals in Liverpool, but their first three releases are peppered with covers because even they had a hard time coming up with an entire LP's worth of good originals. It was a long, slow evolution, but we all know how it eventually turned out for them.

That cover band became one of the most covered bands ever.

 

[bucephylus]

This topic kind of reminds me of the wave-particle dichotomy conversations young science students have before they get more comfortable with larger views encompassing duality.

You know, I grew up going to high school dances played by Ted Nugent, Brownsville Station, Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger etc etc and they all freely mixed their originals with covers over a 4 hour night of dancing. No DJ's in that day. In fact, if we saw records at a dance, we would turn around and walk out.

Now, things have changed.

Look, you have to decide whether to be an entertainer or an artiste; by which, I mean you have to decide whether or not you care if people like what you are doing. Covers vs originals don't have to be any part of that equation. I've always played both; but, that's me.

One thing is that the market for covers is pretty clear. The original thing is only partly about the band aspect. A big part is song writing which has only a bit to do with the band and more connected to the "hit" politics and machine. Song writing is important. Good songs are important. I would just leave it at that. I think Willie Dixon pretty much showed us the way.

Also, my 2c is spending time making negative observations about other acts is not particularly useful vs checking out the things they are doing right. Learn and move on.

IMO/E GL2A

 

[pklima]

Because I play covers, but my originals play me.

Now that's a good way of putting it, even if I've never felt that way myself.

No matter how good a bass player I become, I will never be as good as <insert name here>. Which is true. I can play, but I don't have the special combination of talent, practice/work habits, dedication to music, and time to be one of the top players in the world. Probably not even in my town.

So why play?
Why write songs?

Heh. That's a good point, and I think it's really a matter of supply and demand.

There's a shortage of bassists, because each one can only play in so many bands. There's no shortage of truly great songs, because each one can be played by thousands of bands.

Even the greatest songwriters will improve the world's list of available songs only very slightly; on the other hand, even a mediocre bassist can probably improve any of a half dozen bands in his town.

The act of playing is more important to you than the music you're playing. I'm the other way around. There's not a snowball's chance in hell I'm going to play a Bush or Incubus or Godsmack or [insert radio rock band] song ever again.

Well, not quite, what I play is important. I'm not quite as cynical and soulless as I sometimes claim to be. I want to play good music - better music than I can write, for one thing. I also have personal biases, regardless of quality. Sure I have enjoyed playing both children's music and Vivaldi, but I definitely prefer playing Shakira's songs from back when she had black hair. Nick Cave's songs are an example of something I don't like but can tolerate playing sometimes. There aren't many things I'll flat out refuse to ever play... hmmm... country songs about how modern country music isn't any good would certainly make the list.

 

[LaklandBass]

I see a cover band taking money for a gig as no different than burning a mix cd and selling it on the street corner.
Your opinion might be different and thats fine but thats what I think about cover bands.

 

[Mike M.]

I don't gig anymore because I've had my fill of doing the cover thing. Don't get me wrong because even though it was many years ago it was great fun and I've got some fantastic memories from those years. Wouldn't trade those years for anything. But doing it again? Been there, done that.

I had two offers last year from two cover bands and I said no to both. Just the thought of sitting down and having to start all over again and figure out 40 songs was something that I just could NOT get into. I can't even bring myself to go into a bar to hear a band play cover songs anymore.

What I enjoy most is writing and recording my own songs at home. I'm not saying my songs are great or any good (well, I got a few I like) but it's what gives me the most pleasure.

But hey, if playing covers is your thing then have fun and do it better than anyone else.