Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Top 5 Tuesday

Just listening to my MP3 player, I have found endless hours of inspiration. From my pathetic daydreams of rocking that Gibson Les Paul or playing a screamin' solo on a Fender Strat, music is something I must have around me constantly.

On my way home last night, one station that bills itself as "alternative" was having listeners call in with their favorite remakes. The caller I heard pulled out a great song and hence, the inspiration for this post.

Top 5 Remakes Of Great Songs

5. "Just Like Heaven" - Goldfinger : Powerful little punk remake of one of my all-time favorite songs. Short, fast, loud with a great, crunchy guitar solo. Definitely one that I play air guitar with.

4. "Sexual Healing" - Ben Harper and the Innocents : Soulful acoustic remake that is as smooth as Tupelo honey (If you know that reference, you absolutely rock in my book; if you're female, fly to Atlanta and I'll get the marriage license ready!!). Check this version out though; you and your significant other will thank me as the music has you two slithering all over one another like cheap suits.

3. "Bizarre Love Triangle" - Frente! : Who in the world would've thought that a remake of another of my all-time faves could be slowed down and sound so sweet? Angie Hart's vocals will melt you and leave me feeling sentimental for things I don't even know about. Such a sweet, sweet song.

2. "Long Black Veil" - Dave Matthews Band : There are a few songs that give me goose bumps ever single time I hear them. This is one of them. Johnny Cash was definitely an American poet. This song is so damn tragic, it breaks your heart. Rat on the wife of your best friend in order to save your neck or die leaving her relationship in tact. How very Sydney Carton of the song's main protagonist.

1. "Cum On Feel The Noize" - Quiet Riot : This will probably be the only time in history that I can foresee Quiet Riot grabbing the number 1 spot in a Top 5 list of any sort. Wait, I guess if there is a Top 5 bands touring county fairs, they might make it. But hell, I'll let them bask in the light of my Top 5 Tuesday. But admit it ... you love this song. Especially in the CareerBuilder.com commercials with the monkeys in the boardroom jamming to this, you love it even more!!

Per my usual post, there are those songs that didn't quite make it but came so close, they're honorable mentions: "Hurt" - Johnny Cash; "All Along The Watchtower" - DMB; "Oh Pretty Woman" - Van Halen; "Gates of Steel" - Skankin' Pickle; "Simmer Down" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; "Volver, Volver" - Los Lobos; "Sexual Healing" - Soul Asylum. As usual, please post your own .....

14 comments:

5 Hail Marys said...

Good choice on the Ben Harper cover. You should search for his cover of Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. I heard it when I saw him in concert. Simply amazing.

Scarlet Hip said...

I love Frente!

Andi said...

Would that be a Van Morrison reference by chance? re: Tupelo Honey

You rock my socks. I adore Long Black Veil. The DMB/Emmylou Harris live version is especially amazing. All Along the Watchtower and Hurt are favorites of mine as well.

Anonymous said...

The best covers are the ones that somehow become new and familiar all at once. While there are a ton of bootleg covers that are great, these are five of my favorite that were released on an official recording:
cover/original
5. "3 is a Magic Number" Blind Melon/Schoolhouse Rock (really helps to have the video for effect)
4. "Little Wing" Stevie Ray Vaughan/Jimi Hendrix
3. "Such Great Heights" Iron and Wine/Postal Service
2. "Hurt" Johnny Cash/ NIN
1. "Living Life" Eels/ Daniel Johnston

Joel said...

"Killing Me Softly" - the Fugees

Lindsay said...

finally posted mine...god i am lazy

jennifer said...

prince's cover of "the best of you" at the superbowl. loved it!

Cincysundevil said...

5HM-
Great call on the cover. I downloaded it to the MP3 player.

Cincysundevil said...

Brooke-
And I love you!!

Cincysundevil said...

Andi-
No babe, you rock my socks!! You love Dave, you knew my Tupelo Honey reference, and you love gratuitous sex ... perfection personified!

Cincysundevil said...

Deeesguy-
You know I can always count on you to come up with some great tunes for me to check out

Cincysundevil said...

Joel-
What about their cover of "Staying Alive"?

Cincysundevil said...

Lindsay-
Not at all; you just took your time is all!

Cincysundevil said...

Jen-
Was that during the phallic curtain show?