JJ Ramone's Top 10 Fave Cover Songs

After reading Kent Rock's list of his favourite cover albums, I got thinking about some of my favourite cover tunes. Cover bands and cover songs sometimes get derided, but there is definitely room for an artist/band to reinterpret a song. The Beatles and Rolling Stones started out as cover bands; R.E.M. covered everyone from Aerosmith to The Velvet Underground to Television to Syd Barrett; U2 began by covering Ramones songs... Well, you get the idea. Some of the greatest artists have had no qualms about paying tribute to some of their heroes. Johnny Cash's 90's comeback largely consisted of him taking others' songs and making them truly his own.

So without further ado, here are 10 cover tunes that make me smile.

10. Bruce Springsteen - "Jersey Girl" (Tom Waits)

Tom Waits is the living embodiment of the "cult artist" so his dalliances with the mainstream are largely due to other artists covering his tunes. Some are atrocious (Rod Stewart), some are interesting just for the curiosity factor (Scarlett Johansson), and some truly do justice to the original. The Boss' live rendition of this classic Waits tune is transcendent. In fact, it almost seems like Waits wrote this song specifically for Springsteen.

And no... this song is NOT about Snooki. Although, Wait's original line "Don't want no whores on 8th Avenue" could be interpreted as such.

9. The Beatles - "Money" (Barrett Strong)

While John Lennon and Paul McCartney were honing their songwriting chops, they did killer versions of Motown, Blues and girl-group songs. In the process, they made the songs their own. This version of Motown songwriter Barrett Strong's song is arguably one of the first proto-punk songs ever released.

8. Iggy Pop - "Louie Louie" (The Kingsmen)

Iggy takes this classic 60's garage rock party anthem and makes it into a social commentary on the end of the Cold War, AIDs and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. He probably figured that since there were really no real words to the original tune that he had to sing about something. But the main thing is that you can still shake your butt to it.

7. Tegan and Sara - "Dancing in the Dark" (Bruce Springsteen)

These two Canadian sisters take The Boss' biggest pop hit and strip it down, giving it a sense of yearning and soul that Springsteen only hinted at. On paper, this cover shouldn't work but I may actually prefer it to the original.

6. R.E.M. - "Pale Blue Eyes" (The Velvet Underground)

The "little band that could" from Athens, GA takes this sad, frail Lou Reed song and turns it into a sad, midtempo country song. The harmonies between Michael Stipe and Mike Mills really elevate this cover.

5. Johnny Cash - "Rusty Cage" (Soundgarden)

During his Rick Rubin assisted comeback, Cash covered many (then) contemporary artists like Beck, Nine Inch Nails and Danzing. However, my personal fave is his take on this Soundgarden tune. With Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as his backing band, Cash completely reinvents this song and OWNS it. Chris Cornell has even said that it's no longer their song anymore.

4. Ramones - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" (Tom Waits)

The Ramones and Tom Waits seem to have nothing in common on the surface, but there was definitely a mutual respect between them. Joey and Johnny and the boys got their first major MTV airplay with this Waits cover from their final studio album. In turn, Waits covered two of their songs a few years later. I'm not sure if I like this version better than the original, but the Ramones definitely put their classic stamp on it. This is one of those songs that instantly puts me in a great mood when I've had a bad day. The world might suck that day, but I suddenly become okay with that. :-)

3. The White Stripes - "Stop Breaking Down" (Robert Johnson)

The Rolling Stones do a fantastic job of this Robert Johnson tune on Exile on Mainstreet. However, this version absolutely pummels Mick and Keef into the dirt. Jack White sounds like a man possessed on this track from The White Stripes' debut album. Reason #759 why Jack and Meg will be missed.

2. Joey Ramone - "What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong)

Joey Ramone recorded his first and only solo album while dying of cancer. I think it's pretty incredible that while he was facing mortality right in the face he decided to cover the most hopeful and uplifting song ever recorded. Joey definitely went out with a bang. RIP Joey.

1. Social Distortion - "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash)

It takes quite the feat to take perhaps the definitive song by the Man in Black and make it your own definitive song. But with "Ring of Fire" Mike Ness and company have done just that. Ness would likely get lynched if he ever decided not to include this tune in a Social D setlist. I love how they take the classic melody and slightly off-kilter time signature and put their own spin on it. It is still true enough to the original, yet it sounds like it could be penned by Ness. This is hands down my favourite cover song ever. Enjoy.

Cheers!

Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes

A week after its release date of January 18, 2011 I received my vinyl and cd copy of the Social Distortion record ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’. I have never been this antsy to get my hands on a record. After twenty five plus years in the music business putting out records, Mike Ness and crew still know how to make a great rock’n’roll record. They may not be the punk band that exploded into hardcore in ‘83 anymore but now a classic-roots/folk punkabilly band. It’s been a sound Mike has been crafting for years. This record should not come as a surprise to anyone that’s followed the last couple records by Social Distortion as well as Mike Ness’ solo career. This date in 1983 the radio was ruled by Men At Work’s ‘Down Under’. Mike Ness didn’t really follow the rules then and he still doesn’t now.

It’s been almost 7 years since 2004’s ‘Sex Love and Rock’n’Roll’ and as different as it is from the previous record and really all are their own records, ‘Sex Love and Rock’n’Roll’ was Mike’s way of dealing with the death of long time friend Dennis Danell. Danell who passed away of a brain aneurysm in ’01 was the last original Social D member. ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’ is more storyteller kind of record that still manages to keep the around the block honesty of the other records.

‘Road Zombie’ is an instrumental that opens the record with signature licks and solos start the record on a rocking note. ‘California (Hustle and Flow)’ is a southern rockified almost Springsteen-esque song with gospel singers that really bring the song in. ‘Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown’ is a goodtime head bobber. While ‘Diamond In The Rough’ almost has a ‘Sometimes I Do’ steady lament quality about it. Even if it’s a little cheesy lyrically, ‘Machine Gun Blues’ is a fun instant sing-a-long that proves it in the chorus. One of my favorites is a song I have been waiting to hear since I heard the boys play it in August of ’09 called ‘Bakersfield’. ‘Bakersfield’ is loaded with tasty licks and warm grooves. It’s a chill out kind of a song. Continuing on are songs ‘Far Side of Nowhere’ and ‘Writing on the Wall’ that are solidly crafted songs leaning on the more relaxed side of things. A country cover should not be a surprise at this point in the bands career when the band shows up and delivers Hank Sr’s ‘Alone and Forsaken’. It’s an excellent interpretation in the same way that ‘Ring of Fire’ was years earlier. Nearing the end of the record is a foot tapping number that is reminiscent of 90’s era Social D ‘Can’t Take It With You’. ‘Still Alive’ closes the record with a summer type song that keeps your attention with the buzzing guitars. Worth downloading are bonus tracks ‘Take Care of Yourself’, ‘I Won’t Run No More’ and a rootsy acoustic version of ’96’s of White Light, White Heat, White Trash’s ‘Down Here With The Rest Of Us’.

Mike Ness has etched his place in troubadour coolness while still able to rock out. Mike Ness is still the real deal. He’s not the modern punk he was in ’83 but really who really is the person they were in ’83. Even approaching 49 he’s still cool as !@#$. He's still the honest songwriter with longevity and grit to back up the roads he’s been down and lived to tell us all about.

‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’ forty seven minutes running time before bonus tracks time seems to rip by. It’s not ‘Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell’ to me and it’s a far cry from my favourite Social D record ‘White Light, White Heat, White Trash’ … hell it’s not held even as high as ‘Sex Love and Rock’n’Roll’ in my eyes but that being said it’s still a four star fantastic record that’s going to be getting a lot of play from this guy. ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’ is another great addition to a test of time catalogue.

Highlights: 'California (Hustle and Flow)', 'Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown' and 'Bakersfield'

Cheers Rockers,