Thoughts on Cover Albums? Good? Bad?

[PokrLikeItsProse]

I thought I'd just toss this out there since we've had threads on good and bad individual cover songs.

Some albums are entirely composed of cover versions. They can be a single artist covering several artists, such as Acid Eaters by the Ramones, Jackassolantern by Widespread Panic, or Strange Little Girls by Tori Amos. Others can be several acts covering songs by the same artist, such as Led Zeppelin tribute album Encomium or the soundtrack to Honeymoon in Vegas. (These are all albums that I have and like, to give you an idea of my tastes.)

From the threads, it seems like some people would cringe at the idea of an entire album full of covers. Do you have favorite or hated cover albums?

[samjjones]

Most of the time, albums full of covers are done solely to meet a recording contract requirement, and as such, are usually the band's worst offering. For example, see RATM's "Renegades" and GNR's "The Spaghetti Incident".

[Mondogarage]

Most of the well known "tribute" albums are garbage, because the big name artists on them usually have no bloody clue how to actually interpret a song by that band.

However, an entire album of covers, by one artist, if done in an interesting fashion, can be cool.

[pokerbobo]

Deadicated was OK....love Janes addiction doing Ripple....Im not a big Dead fan though

[TheDudeAbides]

I liked Deadicated a lot.
Bowie did an album of all covers that was decent.
Oh - and Dread Zeppelin is pretty good (gimmick notwithstanding).

[Peter Harris]

Luther Wright and the Wrongs - Rebuild the Wall - Bluegrass spoof of the Wall by Floyd. Excellent because it didn't slavishly follow the originals but sassed them up a bit.

E-Z Star All Stars - Dub Side of the Moon - Reggae version of DSOTM. Not quite as successful as Wrongs, but it is still interesting to hear. By the same band I much preferred Radiodredd, their reggae take on OK Computer.

[FilthyLarry]

[ QUOTE ]
E-Z Star All Stars - Dub Side of the Moon - Reggae version of DSOTM. Not quite as successful as Wrongs, but it is still interesting to hear.

[/ QUOTE ]

i enjoy this album a lot. really good stuff

[DonkeyKongSr]

I'm not a huge Beatles fan, so this may be sacrelige, but the I Am Sam soundtrack has some really good Beatles covers.

[protocol]

[ QUOTE ]
Most of the time, albums full of covers are done solely to meet a recording contract requirement, and as such, are usually the band's worst offering. For example, see RATM's "Renegades" and GNR's "The Spaghetti Incident".

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually really like Renegades. Granted, S/T and Evil Empire are clearly better, but Renegades is not a bad album.

[HugoM]

Johnny Thunders and Patti Palladin - Copycats
David Bowie - Pin-ups
Bryan Ferry - Another Time, Another Place
Bob Dylan - Good as I Been to You
Bob Dylan - World Gone Wrong
Danger Mouse - The Grey Album

nice thread