Idolator

You posted this just to draw me out. I know it.

Choices choices. I'll have to wait until tonight so I can blast all these properly but I just KNOW it's not going to be the Replacements.

Regardless of the voting here, Butch Walker & The Let's-Go-Out-Tonites is the clear winner.

There are no winners here, unless you count Marc Bolan's attorneys.

I'm just glad the Replacements aren't winning. The answer as far as this sample size is Def Leppard.

.....The Replacement's is poorly mixed. Vocals are done from the back, and almost inaudible. Pretty good guitar tone, but they pretty much sounded like there were going through the motions. I cut it off and deleted it before it finished.

.....Guitar on Placebo is a little too muted, but the vocals are a LOT better. The octava-doubled thing is nice. The song builds well. I'd also like a little more activity from the drums. Sounds like a machine with only one pattern. Nice harmonic-ey thing at the end, too.

.....Best mix of the bunch, but the vocals... too much syrup on the backing stuff. The singer does have a swagger that's hard to beat, though! Best guitars, too. Note the excellent ending! But, I have to confess that I've been a huge Vivian Campbell fan since the Rainbow in the Dark days. Still, the writing for this band jumped the Shark after Hysteria. I don't buy stuff just for the guitar player, anymore.

.....The Butch Walker thing is hit and miss. It's also not exactly even a cover. In fact, they could publish this without paying any royalties. It's really only vaguely related to the T-Rex number. Interesting guitar sound. Nice guitar nuances and a good job of varying the dynamics during the song. Best bass of the bunch, but needs to be louder in the mix. I'm not much on the singer. He rates third in this contest. Backing vocals are pretty well done, though. Got a nice, if mild organ tone in the break, too. This is a nicely punched-up number. They could leave the guitar solo out, though. That's embarrassing! I don't understand how he can fill so well and tastily, and lay such an egg on the solo! Great song. I'd love to hear this live!

.....In conclusion, the Butch Walker song blew the others away, but only because it's a different, much better song. So I can't vote for it in a cover-comparison. I'd have to say the Placebo version is the best, even with not enough rude guitar. Frankly, The Replacement's awful mix never gave them a chance. They and Def Leppard pretty much gave a rocking song a blah... treatment. Def Leppard did have a professional mix, and some good individual licks, but the overall band sound was generic and unimpressive.

.....Placebo built the song as it went along, and made it interesting, despite lacking in the guitar and drum areas. Winner.

Dissing a Replacements record for being poorly mixed is kinda like complaining that your steak isn't high-fiber: technically true, but utterly missing the point.

.....I agree. But it's only my opinion, likes and dislikes. I'm not a well-qualified music critic, and if I want garage-band-level stuff, I can always listen to myself!

.....And worse, I forgot to proof-read the damned thing before I hit send. I do apologize for that!

Well, I had to go with Placebo in the end -- even though I love them I was actually hoping Def Leppard would pull it out but theirs is a little too mannered. Brian Molko has just enough leering hysteria in contrast.

And then there's Butch, who rules. But I'll judge him on his own merits!

I was wondering why all the rock snobs were giving props to Placebo and then I remembered this remake, which was incredible and might be the second best song in a Nissan commercial (first place: Modest Mouse, "Gravity Rides Everything").

The Violent Femmes covered "Children of the Revolution" on their third album, The Blind Leading the Naked...produced by Jerry Harrison.

The only band of the bunch able to kick out the glam, motherfucker, is Def Leppard. And while the Mats are probably the second or third best band of all time, this, for them, was probably more of a moment of whimsy (!?!?). Placebo and Butch, all good, sure, but neither has the chops or the staying power of the other two bands.