To help me understand the term Cover, I looked it up. According to Musicianswage.com it is defined as follows: The term cover song originated in the early part of the recording era, when a record label’s distribution was often limited regionally. When a song grew in popularity in one region, competing labels in other regions would record and distribute the same song to cover their region. See more at: http://www.musicianwages.com/recording-releasing-performing-cover-songs/#sthash.7VgIoXX8.dpuf
I also know in the Fifties when record labels heard black artists had success, and you have to keep in mind there was still segregation then, the record labels would find white artists to cover black artists’ songs so the white people could listen to them on their radio stations. An example would be Pat Boone covering Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti, or in the Sixties it became more common for bands/artists to do cover songs to get popular. The idea being the song was already a known commodity and having a new artist or group do a remake, would be a quick path to success. A great example are the Isley Brothers’, Twist And Shout, made hugely popular by The Beatles in 1963.
I’m not going to go down the road of listing cover songs for every decade, but I wanted to give you a feel about the idea of a cover song and the purpose of it. Once the Seventies hit, a cover song was more to pay homage to a band’s or artist’s influence. But still practiced today is the notion a band/artist needs to do a cover song to get popular, either early on their career or later to help rejuvenate it. The best example I can think of is Quiet Riot, where I believe it to be true. The band had been around since 1977. I didn’t know of them until, you guessed it, Metal Health came out. It was because they did a Slade song, called Cum On Feel The Noise (a song the band did not want to record, by the way, as the label made them and the band tried to sabotage. Go figure, right?) and it put the band on the map. The band also recorded another song by Slade on their follow up album, Condition Critical. That song was called, Momma We’re All Crazy now. They felt it would keep the momentum going for the band. In fairness, because of Quiet Riot’s success, Slade released a new album, The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome, and the hit Run, Run, Runaway. Okay, history lesson over.
In recent years, the cover song has turned into cover albums and tributes, etc. I am not a fan of a band/artist doing a complete covers album or a complete tribute album to one artist. I have nothing against them doing a song (but not one on every album, type of thing). Understand that I love cover songs, I truly do. Who can hate Van Halen’s version of The Kink’s song, You Really Got Me, Rod Stewart’s version of I’m Losing You from the Temptations, Aerosmith’s Train Kept A Rollin’, made popular by the Yardbirds who covered Tiny Bradshaw. I even like Grand Funk Railroad’s version of Locomotion by Little Eva. That being said, as I pointed out, so many artists/bands are making cover albums and I hate it. Yes, strong words I know, but I don’t want a whole covers album by any band/artist I like. Again, I stress that I have no issue with them doing a cover song or doing a track on a tribute album, but a complete album of covers? No, not in a million years would I think that is a good thing.
There are many such albums and I think the fans have proven my point as almost every group or artist that released one has tanked in sales and in tours that followed it. But let me give you a few albums to ponder: Aerosmith’s Honkin’ On Bobo, with one original track, The Grind; Ozzy’s Under Cover; Def Leppard’s Yeah; Metallica’s Garage Inc., although their version of Bob Seger’s Turn The Page was a hit, that aside it’s a terrible album; even Rod Stewart doing the American Songbook. Really, if I go and see him, I don’t want to see him doing that as much as seeing Maggie May, or Tonight’s The Night. I can go on and on here. Now I understand some reasons why a band may do this, as a friend of mine pointed out to me.
He made the case that some bands and artists may be trying to get out of a record contract and are trying to fill an album quota and move on. Many of them have mentioned that in interviews, but I still don’t buy it. They can release a greatest hits package, a live record or something on those lines.
Hell, many of them are even re-recording their hits and releasing those because they think the technology is sonically better than it was when they recorded it the first time. I’m not sure I agree with that either. But that’s a discussion for another time. My real opinion is that it’s lazy. You’re a band or an artist, you make original music, case closed. You want to pay homage, go ahead and do a song, that’s it. My friend also said he thinks it’s great that they do cover albums because you get their interpretation of the song. I get that, but one song every now and then is fine. Not an album worth. Again I make the point of seeing a band live. If you are a fan, would you rather they do a cover song or a deep cut instead, or yet, just one of their own songs. I know I would, as pointed out earlier with the exception of a cover song being what the band was known for.
Others I have spoken with, think it would be a great way to get bands exposure that don’t usually get it because they are not mainstream. Fine, do one on every album and make that your thing. I don’t want buy Van Halen Diver Down to see that half the album is covers. Maybe I’m the minority, but I think not.
I cringe at the thought that Alice Cooper, Ace Frehley, Stone Sour, Anthrax and, yes, even Bob Dylan are coming out with complete cover albums instead of original material. I know if I go see one of them, (well I did see Dylan and he was terrible) I would be upset if they did a majority of cover songs in their set.
As stated, when I see the band live, with the exception of a song or two that made a difference in the band’s catalog, as in the aforementioned Van Halen version of You Really Got Me, it would be a must see live. It would be very sad if you didn’t see it in their set. But I wouldn’t want to see the band/artist play a full set of covers. I wouldn’t want to pay good money to see a glorified cover band at that point. Much different than going to see a cover band in a club, totally different premise and reason to see them, etc. Maybe, it’s just me, maybe many of you like it. In the meantime, I’ll run for cover as I wait to see your thoughts.
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