Now this is a good one, not only because I am a big fan of both bands, but because Guns N’ Roses and the Rolling Stones are universally considered to be two of the greatest bands in rock and roll history (for me top ten). The song is “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones.
First up, The Rolling Stones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfopuBaHQeI
Back again after a bit of a hiatus and one of many new things that I discovered is the genius of Neil Young. Growing up my father always called him a poor man’s Bob Dylan, but I really learned to appreciate him. On that note, I figured I would start off with a “Who Did It Better?” segment between Neil Young and another great musical act Oasis for the song “Hey Hey, My My” (which is the song Cobain quoted in his death “It is better to burn out, then to fade away”).
*Note: Neil Young also has a song is called “My My, Hey Hey” lyrically it’s almost exactly the same, musically “My My, Hey Hey” has more of folk sound to it (both are off the album Rust Never Sleeps, “My My,Hey Hey” starts the album, “Hey Hey, My My” ends it) so just to showcase and add to the debate I will start off with “My My, Hey Hey”.
First up Neil Young
“My My, Hey Hey”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDzpD_p1A8w
“Hey Hey, My My”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O1v_7T6p8U
Next Oasis
“Hey Hey, My My”
I think the Oasis version has more of a fuller sound then either of Neil Young’s versions, but I think the song requires a more subtle touch (“My My, Hey Hey” is the more subtle) that Neil Young delivers, so I give the edge to Young over Oasis, and I also prefer “My My, Hey Hey” over “Hey Hey, My My”. but I really love all three versions.
O.K. been gone for a little bit so I had time to think of a good one, the song “Green Manalishi” by Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green era) or Judas Priest.
First Fleetwood Mac:
Next Judas Priest:
I have always been drawn to the psychotic so gotta go with Peter and Fleetwood Mac on this one. While I got nothing against heavy metal, Judas Priest’s version seems, well heavy, Fleetwood Mac found the right balance I think.
Been on a bit of a Bowie and Stones kick lately, so I am really glad to do this song.
First The Rolling Stones:
Next David Bowie:
Really like Bowie’s version but I am going with the original, but I am going with the Stones version. Just a matter of taste really.
Ok this time I have a close one Iggy Pop’s “China Girl” vs. David Bowie’s version.
First Iggy Pop
Next David Bowie
Usually I am the first one to talk about David Bowie’s musical superiority over anyone, and this is no exception. Iggy’s version was raw and powerful and so was Bowie’s but he still made it his song.
Back with another song and this time I am going to put the Rolling Stones up to task against Otis Redding and Cat Power using their classic “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
First up: The Rolling Stones
Next up: Otis Redding
Lastly: Cat Power
I am sticking with the Stones hands down on this one, I dig Ottis and Cat Power but when they were in their prime, in my view The Rolling Stones was the greatest rock band of all time.
Back with another song, this time I got about as polar opposites as you can get Bob Dylan and Rage Against the Machine doing Dylan’s classic “Maggie’s Farm”
First up, Bob Dylan
Next up, Rage Against the Machine
Although I appreciate Rage Against the Machine version, I am sticking with the original, this is the first song I would say the artist took a little too much creative liberties.
Back with another edition of who did it better? and this time we are taking on th classic song “Proud Mary”
A unknown musical fact I came across today (uknown to me anyway), The Clash’s classic song “I Fought The Law” was not a orginal song from the band, it actually was an old song from a band called The Crickets from 1961, who at one time played with Buddy Holly. So for this edition, we are going to look at the original song, The Clash’s cover, and just for the sake of argument, a couple of other covers.
First up, The Crickets:
Next The Clash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsS0cvTxU-8
Here is A Green Day cover:
Lastly a Dead Kennedy’s cover:
Just going by what was on Youtube this is probably this most covered song KLYAM ever did, so there was actually some selective editing on my part. I went with a punk heavy rotation though because at its heart I think it is a punk song, and I think the Clash do it best. Although the original has some charm to it and I like the edge of the Dead Kennedy’s version (I wasn’t feeling Green Day, I haven’t been feeling them since American Idiot to be honest with you).
This time I got an interesting mix up, Nine Inch Nails ‘Hurt’ as covered by Johnny Cash.
Both are pretty haunting to me, but I have always been a NIN fan so I am going with that, but it was a very close choice.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 