As my family was making its annual trip down the coast of Texas to favorite Girls Gone Wild destination South Padre Island last summer, my parents called me (we were in two cars) to ask who on earth was singing the fantastic cover of the Beach Boys’ song “Kokomo” they were listening to. (The track–which was by Adam Green and Ben Kweller–happened to be on one of the many peculiar mix CDs that my friends perpetually store on my car’s floor.) Sure, anything involving the Moldy Peaches’ Green is always going to have at least a slight twinge of shit-eating irony, but Kweller’s interminably sincere presence adds gravity to the track, and the instrumentation (a definite Green strength) is beautiful. Long story short: it’s a knockout cover. But is it better than the original?
First of all, let’s leave all Beach Boys songs besides “Kokomo” out of this. I have enough respect for the band’s body of work to not put Adam Green and Ben Kweller anywhere near the Boys’ league. But “Kokomo” is a prime example of the crappy-production plague that struck so many once-great artists in the ’80s (Jimmy Buffett, I am looking you square in the face). The band’s harmonies are still dead-on, but the rest is a bit like watermelon Bubblicious: sweet, but somehow depressing. Maybe it’s John Stamos on the drums, or the absence of Brian Wilson, or the complete lack of bass guitar (I see it in the video but I don’t hear it).
Whatever it is, the Beach Boys’ original version lacks heft. And if there’s one thing that Green can add to a song it’s luxurious production. Of course Green also sings incredibly vulgar nonsense in an affected lounge-singer style, so a solo cover probably wouldn’t have come off quite as charming as a collaboration with sweet, goofy Ben Kweller. Their combined talents and sensibilities surpass the Beach Boys’ pastel original.
Is anyone with me on this? Or am I justing continuing my alienation streak? Furthermore, how often, if ever is a cover superior to the original?
“Kokomo” Adam Green and Ben Kweller [The Hype Machine]
original “Kokomo”: Great song, meh production, overcriticized, especially wrt some other Mike Love atrocities like “Student Demonstration Time”
Haven’t heard the cover.
Really, the key ingredient is Carl Wilson’s singing at the end of the chorus.
You didn’t really ask this question, but a cover can so surpass the original that the new artist takes “ownership” of the song, even if the original was itself outstanding. A number of Elvis “covers” fit in this category. Also, for me, Derek & The Dominos’ cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”.
Oh, I’m with you. For me, the primo example of this is Leonard Cohen. Brilliant writer, distinctive pipes, but his later records all sound cheesy and dated: clangy programming, hokey synth patches, intrusive chorus of woo-woo girls. Almost any Leonard Cohen cover is guaranteed to sound better than the original, even if it is missing The Voice.
But then, I prefer Siouxsie’s version of “Gun” to John Cale’s, so my taste is clearly suspect in these matters.
Imo -Type O, Summer Breeze: better than the S&C original
On the Hendrix reference- his cover of Dylan’s Watchtower. Both fantastic songs, but Hendrix totally owned his version.
@MickFNS: the isley’s version trumps all. also, otis redding fucking owns “(i can’t get no) satisfaction.”
@Hamster-Style: Same goes for Hendrix’s cover of “Hey Joe.”
@iantenna: Let’s flip it and say that Aretha Franklin fucking owns “Respect.”
Apologies to Otis.
@Charlie Kerfelds Jetsons Tee: touche. but have you heard the saints do “save me”? whee! we could play this game forever.
@DHMBIB:
“Hurt” (original: Nine Inch Nails, cover: Johnny Cash)
And maybe “Mad World” (original: Tears for Fears, cover: Gary Jules)
Johnny Cash certainly owns “Hurt.”
The cover needs more Stamos.
Sorry guys. Everyone knows the original is always the best to include Lake of Fire, All Along the Watchtower, Hurt, and even Kokomo.
The only exception to said aforementioned rule is Nothing Compares to You. That song rules. K’ay?
Kate, you’re awesome. I have actually pondered this question myself — I love the Green/Kweller cover of “Kokomo” dearly and do believe that it is indeed, 1 billion times better than the original, which I heard it one too many times at like, 9 billion beach-themed bar mitzvah pool parties. This fact alone clearly qualifies me to pass judgement here.
I’m no Britney hater, but I greatly prefer Fountains of Wayne’s cover of “…Baby, One More Time.” It conveys the song’s melancholy undercurrent (compulsive infatuation with an abusive lover) in a way Britney never could. As for the “Kokomo” cover, it’s an interesting experiment but it’s still a bad song—I’ve got no desire to hear it again. Both Kweller and Green have written better stuff on their own. Also, did Kate imply that Jimmy Buffett was once great? When was this?
Any other New Yorkers remember the radio station that used to play this at lunch, followed immediately by Eric Carmen’s “Make Me Lose Control,” every single day for an entire summer?
@Charles A. Hohman: goddamn we do not need to start this discussion again. kate, can you please stop bringing up buffett so we can stop trying to defend the dude? go listen to white sport coat, living and dying in 3/4 time, a1a, or havana daydreamin’ without and preconceived notions of parrotheads and yippie dipshit singalongs and tell me they aren’t great countryfied pop records. and his appearance in the film rancho deluxe is awesome. and thomas mcguane is his brother-in-law. and he wrote a song with jerry jeff walker. and i’m done now.
@iantenna: Sorry, I know. But don’t worry, I’m with you till the end. Yesterday I listened to A1A and Living and Dying in 3/4 time back to back.
We could all agree on Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah”, right?
I would also throw out Jose Gonzalez’s “Heartbeats” as trumping The Knife’s version.
@jmb112485:
I’ll take Me First’s version any day over Sinéad O’Connor or Prince..
@Jack Fear: I can’t imagine anyone doing Leonard Cohen’s first albums better than him, but sweet Christ the over-produced, chintzy ’80s stuff is hard to get through. All I can think of when I hear it is chest hair, (incongruously) the first Lethal Weapon, and mounds and mounds of coke. That’s the same guy who did Sisters of Mercy?
I’d take a bullet for Ray Davies; but Hugo Largo’s version of “Fancy” is wonderful; better than Yo La Tengo’s stab at it.
I’m all for people reassessing records with hardened critical opinions — as a fan of a lot of cheesy pop, I do it all the time — but I must say I never thought it would happen with “Kokomo.” This is where my being in my mid-30s gives me a handicap; I don’t, like, despise the record, but all I see in my mind’s eye when it plays is that stupid Tom Cruise movie and former “Papa” John Phillips earning an absurd paycheck.
I guess you could adapt the old Woody Allen rule: great music is travesty plus time.
@kaate: throw in a large joint and some whiskey and that sounds about like my yesterday.
I love Kate Bush, but damn if the Futureheads don’t knock “Hounds Of Love” straight into the sublime.
Nope, the original version of “Kokomo” is better. I, however, have recorded http://www.thecontrarianmedia.com=“” the_contrarian=”" 2006=”" 12=”" hold_on_dear_br.html”=”">a version of The Beach Boys’ lesser-known number “Hold on Dear Brother” from Carl & the Passions: “So Tough” that I think may come close to the original.
@iantenna:
NO.
Nina Simone wrecks the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody.”
Then again, she makes nearly every cover she does sound better than the original, so maybe she deserves a category of her own.
Crap! I almost forgot John Coltrane’s version of “My Favorite Things.”
@slowburn: that versions is crazy good indeed. but given your name you should dig the roberta flack version, she puts the serious slow burn on that jam. and while we’re on the topic of bee gees covers, swamp dogg absolutely destroys “got to get a message to you” on rat on which may very well be the dopest album cover of all time. it should be noted though, that while we may dig versions of bee gees jams, they must be pretty fucking stellar songs to begin with to bring about so many good covers.
@kaate: let’s hang out and jam to this: [concerts.wolfgangsvault.com]
@iantenna: Oooh, I haven’t heard Roberta Flack’s version of that song, I will have to look it up. Thank you for the suggestion.
After I wrote this I went home thinking about Roberta Flack, actually, and how her cover of “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” always makes me forget that Leonard Cohen exists. I get chills just thinking about the way she sang that song.
@iantenna: I think we could definitely be friends.
check out carl’s “long promised road’ on surfs up .
@Marth:
I don’t know, I like both takes on “Heartbeats”, but something about the original production by the Knife seems more interesting to me. Gonzales’ cover is exquisite, to be sure, but turning a song acoustic and soothing seems a little trod to me now.
this thread could go on forever, there are hundreds of covers better than the original. I’ll add Al Green’s “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” (Bee Gees) to the list, and as much as I love Stevie Wonder, I can’t remember how his “Golden Lady” goes after hearing Jose Feliciano’s version.
@slowburn: That Nina Simone version of that song is unstoppable. You are very correct.
It took several years (I’m a stoner, I forget Google exists, etc.) to find out the Buzzcocks are the progenitors of ‘Why Can’t I Touch It’, and I think it’s amazing in it’s own right, but the Lambchop cover (done to close shows a couple years back; haven’t heard it in some time) is stunning. Oh, and I love Dump (see below), but their cover of ‘It’s Not Alright’ is absolutely better.
And I don’t know if this post should just be a compendium of Yo La Tengo moments. Gates of Steel, Speeding Motorcycle, Oklahoma, USA, Nuclear War (and though I don’t know it is strictly speaking a cover, when they do Dreaming with members of Sun Ra, but it’s even better), and that’s just the obvious stuff.
my father still breaks out the cocktail soundtrack anytime company comes over in the summer. still. as in, he didn’t stop in 1989 and then revisit it 20 years later. it’s been constant. since it came out. this cd has don’t worry be happy on it, for christ’s sake.
i just had to say that.
@iantenna: Oh my god, you made my evening. Amazing. Thank you. I love how Jimmy calls Coors Light “Colorado Kool-Aid.”
If you live in NYC email me for sure. kate at idolator dot com.
@kaate: west coast dude. check out johnny paycheck’s “colorado kool-aid”, awesome tune about race relations and beer drinking.