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The Best Coversongs


Farin

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NPR did a great interview with Leonard Cohen where he explained that he had to go on the road again because he needed the money. He also contradicted what just about every songwriter says: that great songs come very quickly. Cohen will spend years writing a song.

Today, I learned that what I thought was a Pretenders song is actually a Kinks song:

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He also contradicted what just about every songwriter says: that great songs come very quickly. Cohen will spend years writing a song.

I think (and correct me if I'm wrong) that most songwriters think of a 'great song' one which is a great 'pop song'. That isn't generally a bad thing, but for a great pop song things like a catchy riff or melody are much more important than deep lyrics.

And when someone like Cohen writes a song the textual content is much more important than the musical part. I don't know how many verses 'Hallelujah' originally had, but it were *much* more than what most covers of it used, right?

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Yea, it's got around 6 or 7 verses. It is, in my opinion, one of the most beautifully written songs, both musically and lyrically.

Agreed. My personal favourite though has got to be kd lang's version, partly because of her lovely, rich voice and partly because I think it works so well as a piano-based song. She drops a few verses like most of the covers, but as long as they keep the "baby I've been here before..." and the "maybe there's a God above" ones I don't mind so much.

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Has anyone mentioned "Little Wing?

A few artists have covered this song.

Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan both had

hits with "Little Wing" I had heard Clapton's

cover before I ever heard the original by

Jimi Hendrix. It's a pretty little song from

Hendrix but Clapton and Vaughan put lots of

guitar work in it and broadened the sound.

"Little Wing" started as a 2 minute song that

Stevie Ray Vaughan plays for 8 minutes.

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For some reason I had always though this song

was a cover by Stevie Wonder. If I had thought

of the timeline I would have figured it out.

"Higher Ground"-Stevie Wonder He recorded it

in 1973.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers covered it in 1989.

Both were big hits. I supppose because I

listened to the Chili Peppers more than

Stevie Wonder I didn't realize it was his song

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