Ever noticed how Guns N Roses can't be covered?

[ppbebe]

i don't hate it when people cover gnr. that means the tunes are loved.
a good tune is a good tune.

i think its natural that you tend to like a version by your fav singer the best.
bob dylan fans would prefer bob dylan kohd, avril fans avril one and we gnr version.

[comaboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWDAI_cmU0Y

i like this one by hoobastank

once again... he sings it in the same octave

he doesn't go MY HANDS R TIEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD


so yeah, people can take it down but that Civil War has no balls with Hoobastank.

and once again, it makes me want to take a nap

kay nobody can sing like axl, but in my opinion do a cover is about playing your favourite song and add your own style
not playing it exactly like the original, that would be a copy not a cover
singing it like axl wouldn't fit into this acoustic cover, they've done it their own way
 this one is played in a chilled, silent mood and i think they nailed it down nearly perfect

[alimari]

Also, about the Avril Lavigne thing... I'd never seen that before. But at least it was only live, and not released. I just remember some idiot on the Velvet Revolver forum being infuriated that she had covered a GN'R classic. They then provided a link to the cover of Knockin' On Heaven's Door that she released.

  classic!

She also done Jungle live once or twice. ha

It's funny how people believe that KOHD is a GN'R song...

Has AL done Jungle live??? *embarrassing* 
What about Pink? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQDo2B3y9tI

[COMAMOTIVE]

I like the Hoobastank cover, actually

[CheapJon]

D, you are trippin' don't come and tell me this isn't an awesome cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DeYSMn4Qrk

[AC]

I like Sweet Child O' Mine from the Last House on the Left trailer.

AC

[Jdog0830]

Go through all the artists, legends etc of all time and u will find cover versions that do the song justice and sometimes even surpass the originals.

I have "YET" to hear any cover version of someone doing GNR that remotely does it justice.

The only way they sound halfway decent is if they completely change the song A la Taking on Trees SCOM

but when people try to actually duplicate GNR, it never comes close to the original.

I've heard people cover Zep and sound great and even Aerosmith etc etc

but something about Axl is just impossible to duplicate.

cause its more than just hitting the proper pitch..

anyone have any ideas or agree or disagree?

Its also easyer for Axl to do that in a studeo where he has unlimited time basicly to record his exact voice.

As for playing live I think the songs need the exact same elements such as instruaments and excetera other wise live and on record it sounds like a half way version.

[One.In.A.Million]

D, you are trippin' don't come and tell me this isn't an awesome cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DeYSMn4Qrk

Ha, I love these guys.

But I have to say the ' Buckethead ' does the solo really good in my opinion. But my fav part of this, is the ending, what the hell is he saying. 

but even so, I love these guys passion. 


Lee

[D]

D, you are trippin' don't come and tell me this isn't an awesome cover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DeYSMn4Qrk

 


Is that John Lennon on drums?
Everyone knows how bad I hate "Tribute" bands.. this just takes the cake.


That Hoobastank cover of Civil War is embarrassing. That would be like Fall out Boy doing Estranged

[DebbieNgeorgia]

Yeah, I agree with helenluna. No one can imitate Axl's voice, but I do like the cover by Hoobastank. I am a fan of Pink also, but "Hey, Pink! Do ya' know who sings that song? Yeah? Well, let's leave it that way!!" 

[dreamer girl]

This is an interesting topic to contemplate - so thanks, D for posing this question.

I agree that there is no cover of Guns N' Roses that I like or enjoy. Of course, in this equation, the result directly correlates to the variable of personal taste. I am obviously and proudly biased as a fan of everything Guns N' Roses is and does.

I would listen to Axl and Guns N' Roses recite the text on the back of a cereal box and be most content.

Empirically, Axl is a genius, a brilliant singer and composer and one of history's biggest icons. In fact, I think how fortunate we are to be alive during the time of Guns N' Roses and Axl's time much in the same way audiences and fans of Mozart, Elvis, the Beatles or Zeppelin were.

After Axl and Guns N' Roses has performed a song, any singer and band has enormous shoes to step into. Especially if they are trying to imitate Axl and Guns - which is virtually unimaginable - rather than singing the song in their own style.

A large part of this is obviously due to Axl's extraordinary vocal range, phrasing, his preternatural talent, his unparalleled mindfulness and stage presence. He is one of the greatest frontmen of all time. While performing, it's quite difficult not to be drawn in by his natural magnetism.


Another part is that Guns N' Roses is iconic and visionary, so it isn't often that those who perform homage or imitate Guns will receive favorable comparisons.

It's like looking at a copy of a Van Gogh, de Kooning, Dali, Hopper, or da Vinci painting - it looks the same: same colors, same shadows, same lighting.  When you touch the canvas, the paint might even feel similar - but there's still something missing. These artists may be sincere in their efforts to mimic their idols but their copies typically are not interesting, memorable or enjoyable to me.

Yet, Andy Warhol's serigraph prints of da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and Dali's self-portrait as da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" are interesting to me. I believe it is because Warhol and Dali each had his own genius and we saw the "Mona Lisa" through each artist's eyes.

I think that it's interesting that I too have not heard any cover of a Guns N' Roses song that I like or enjoy yet Axl and Guns N' Roses can cover any song and I find that I'm hearing the song for the first time.

Much like Warhol and Dali, it's because I'm hearing it through Axl's and Guns N' Roses's - they way they hear it and see it, their visionary genius. This artistic genius does not happen often - we're lucky if we get it once in a lifetime. That's what makes Axl and Guns N' Roses so amazing.


dreamer girl

[inlikeflynn420]

Yeah, what she said!  ^ Nicely worded, dreamer girl!   

[CheapJon]

Yeah, what she said!  ^ Nicely worded, dreamer girl!   

yup, that was a great post dreamer girl

[jacdaniel]

Too early in the morning over here to get into that  heavy reading hehe!

[StardustGirl]

Generally I feel that for any cover to be successful it is not enough just to copy the original, but one has to add something new and personal. This is where so many fail. This Axl77/Gareth guy has done his thing fairly successfully and I enjoy the covers, esp. Paradise City http://www.youtube.com/user/axl77#p/c/D8FEACDCCE3955C4/5/crN-XPQH1E0. Tempo, singing style etc. is nothing like the originals but it's all done well and like it means something. I'm not saying that the covers are necessarily better than the originals, just different, yet enjoyable. Btw, I did not think Pink was all that bad,  but Hoobastank was enough to put you to sleep in just about 2 secs.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

Y'all lay off Avril. She can sing what she wants alright? Alright...


Anyway, I haven't actually heard that many bands cover GNR. I like this cover of YCBM by the band Damone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUkt1AONIBs. Sounds not bad with a female singer.

I've also heard some electronic/industrial band called Schizoid cover My World, which I actually like. (I've just discovered, it was posted on HTGTH ages ago. If you go to http://www.dtrashrecords.com/, click on 'Discography', scroll down to 2003, click on 'Schizoid - Covered In Metal', you can listen to it there. You may wish you hadn't bothered, you may be glad you did... )

From what I remember, Hole's cover of PC was fairly bad, but I think they were taking the piss a bit on that one...

[oldgunsfan]

yeah but ISE and Brownstone have LOW vocal registers


Carrie Underwood actually makes GNR songs boring....

There is a difference in hitting the note when it comes to GNR songs....... there is some intangible quality with Axl's voice that just makes the song different.. his emotion, anger etc... I don't know what u call it but its different when others try.

normally i agree w you D but I'm not feeling it on this one- yes axl has a unique voice, no it's not impossible to cover their songs

Yeah someone can cover but it just comes nowhere near the original.

For instance, Carrie Underwood and Fergie can hit the notes.. but the songs aren't the same

Sheryl Crow is a Hall of Famer.. her SCOM sucks, Carrie Underwood as I said makes GNR songs boring as shit

True VR kick ass on ISE and Brownstone BUT what happens at the end of ISE when Axl screams the Its so fucking Easy stuff?

D, FYI, sometimes Axl has trouble hitting the notes live

[Jdog0830]

yeah but ISE and Brownstone have LOW vocal registers


Carrie Underwood actually makes GNR songs boring....

There is a difference in hitting the note when it comes to GNR songs....... there is some intangible quality with Axl's voice that just makes the song different.. his emotion, anger etc... I don't know what u call it but its different when others try.

normally i agree w you D but I'm not feeling it on this one- yes axl has a unique voice, no it's not impossible to cover their songs

Yeah someone can cover but it just comes nowhere near the original.

For instance, Carrie Underwood and Fergie can hit the notes.. but the songs aren't the same

Sheryl Crow is a Hall of Famer.. her SCOM sucks, Carrie Underwood as I said makes GNR songs boring as shit

True VR kick ass on ISE and Brownstone BUT what happens at the end of ISE when Axl screams the Its so fucking Easy stuff?

D, FYI, sometimes Axl has trouble hitting the notes live

Ture but what singer is completely perfect 

[GypsySoul]

I'm as big a GNR fan as the next guy but for anyone to say that GNR can NOT be covered is just a moronic statement.  Just because we've only heard their songs covered by hacks, doesn't mean it can't or won't be done well by someone.  Off-hand I would think that Prince could not only cover Axl's range and flair, but he could also kick ass on any and all the guitar parts.

[Jdog0830]

He could but still its Prince who really likes him anymore