Cover versions - or: Recommended Listening: Collide - These eyes before

A good cover version reinterprets a piece of music and tries to put a different light to the the work of an different artist. My prefered example is the song “Kiss”. There is a version of Prince and then there is the version made by The Art of Noise in cooperation with Tom Jones. Two pieces of music, pretty much different but both version have their own focus (I have to admit, that i prefer the Tom Jones version). Obviously there are other versions of this piece: Herman van Veen made nice instrumental for strings out of Kiss. The version of Max Raabe and his Palace Orchestra is hilarious. And when we at Max Raabe, you should listen at his version of “Oops … I did it Again” or even better the version of Children of Bodom. Other examples are the Down to the bone album made by Sylvain Chaveau reducing Depeche Mode to the max (for example this excellent live version of the reinterpreted “In your Room”), the “Rock Swings” album of Paul Anka showing that Soundgardens “Blackhole Sun” works perfectly as a piece of music, where you can imagine your grandparents dancing at the 5 o’clock dancing tea. Or “Hello” reinterpreted by “The Northern Kings” delivering a much meaner, more aggressive version of the prototypal tearjerker by Lionel Ritchie giving it a completely different mood. Sometimes the cover seems to be the original and the song gets practically the song of the covering artist. One example is Hurt. But the version of Johnny Cash is much better and even Trent Reznor admited that this cover made it Johnny song. Yesterday i found an album made the darkwave band “Collide”. While it’s not music described in the last paragraph, it’s certainly very good music. I’m a fan of this band since i found their album “Vortex”. I know it for quite a while now, but Tempted (in the Conjure One mix) or “Halo” remixed by Sensory Gate are still on my favorite music list. Collide published a album consisting just out of cover versions. In These eyes before they try to reinterpret some of the classics of music. And it works really well. Some of the tracks names raise an instant “Blasphemy imminent” alert, but even there the version works. Comfortably Numb works in this setting as well as Breathe. Even “Space Oddity” isn’t that far away from the original. Collides version of “Nights in white satin” works extremely well with the voice of kaRin. This album is definitely not everyones taste, but give it a try. I like it :)