Take Two

Many, if not all, of you know that I am a fan of remixes, covers and parodies in general. I love it when people take something, put their own spin on it and create something fun, provocative or interesting. While I was driving home from football the other day and listening to an old mix CD that I had the song Feels Like Making Love by Bad Company came on. I realized that I much prefer both the Hayseed Dixie and Ned Groblowski (South Park) versions much better, but only the Hayseed Dixie version is "better". As a result I started thinking about covers, remixes, parodies and even TV/movie remakes that were better than the original. This isn't a list of the best covers, remixes and parodies but it's a list of covers and parodies that are better than the original.

10: Killing Me Softly -The Fugees

This might be blasphemy to some of you, but I am convinced that Lauryn Hill performed the song better than Aretha or anyone else. The Jackson 5 version is particularly bad.

9: In the Ghetto- Three 6 Mafia (feat. Elvis Presley)

This updated version of the classic combines my favorite performance by Elvis with a modern hip-hop beat. It's throwback hip hop – back to the days when the 4 elements mattered and hip hop was political.

8. Yoda – Weird Al Yankovic

Ok, so I could probably fill up this whole list with Weird Al songs if it was just a list of my favorites, but the do over has to be BETTER than the original. This one qualifies.

7. Tangled Up in Blue – Indigo Girls

In much the same way that I could do a whole list of Weird Al parodies, I could also do a list of Bob Dylan Covers. My wife would 100% the idea that anyone else singing Dylan is better than Dylan singing Dylan. There are a lot of Dylan covers out there, but this one stands out in my mind.

6. Rosa Parks Remix- Outkast feat. Snoop Dogg and Tupac

Thanks Chief! This is a great song commemorating a great event that caused some controversy because Ms. Parks wasn't a fan. The remix isn't quite as danceable, but is a classic featuring two of the greatest rappers of all time.

5. Mmmm…Bop: The James Brown arrangement – PHISH

Hanson represents the worst kind of bubblegum pop ever created, PHISH is a classic jam band and the heir to the Grateful Dead and James Brown is the Godfather of Soul. Mix the three together and you get a funny and catchy tune that's never performed exactly the same way twice.

4. Respect –Aretha Franklin

Aretha gets one back here. This is the only version of this that I've ever heard, but it was recorded earlier by Otis Redding. It's also one of my favorite karaoke songs/drunken sing alongs.

[edit: It's been pointed out that if I've never heard the original, how do I know this remake is better? Well, two things 1. I can't imagine Redding singing this close to as well as Aretha. 2. Onstage at the 1967 Monterrey Pop Festival, Redding called it "A song that a girl took away from me. A good friend of mine, this girl, she just took this song." That's right, Redding said her version was better. ]

3. Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers

I admit that I've never been a big Stevie Wonder fan, so I may be biased in this case, but this version has always been one of my favorite RHCP songs.

2. You Shook Me All Night Long – Hayseed Dixie

Bluegrass version of the hard rock classic. This is my favorite Hayseed Dixie song, but they're all great. This one is from their AC/DC tribute album and they also do a KISS album and an album of 80s covers.

1. Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin

Sometimes a song becomes so iconic and associated with a particular performer that we forget that someone else wrote it and performed it first. Me and Bobby McGee was actually a Kris Kristopherson song before Janis took it and made it a classic.