Who does it best?

[Steve DeRosa]

I can't think of even a single Beatles cover that I didn't like better than the original - and a whole lot of other early British bands jumpstarted their careers the same way...

[architype]

Patsy Cline's version of "Crazy" is the definitive version of that song.
Willie might have written it, but Patsy owns it.

[agfsteve]

Crossroads!

I love old blues, but Cream's cover is the best.

[MikeBmusic]

No one's mentioned Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower

Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes (Bowie wrote it)

Heart (Nancy Wilson really) version of Elton John's Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters is fantastic, as well as their version of Led Zep's Battle of Evermore.

[seeker]

Bonnie Raitt's version of "Angel From Montgomery" is outstanding, though I also like John Prine's original very much.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

No one's mentioned Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower

.

Well except for post Haasome #5, but it is worth multiple mentions

[Rodger Knox]

Originally Posted by architype

Patsy Cline's version of "Crazy" is the definitive version of that song.
Willie might have written it, but Patsy owns it.

I agree with that, but Willie owns Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain, written by Fred Rose.

[aknow]

Anything that Stevie Ray Vaughan covered was an upgrade on the original, except perhaps Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix.
Alison Krause is like that too.

[BrunoBlack]

I always liked Lives In The Balance by Jackson Brown. Then I heard Richie Havens play it live and I was moved to another level.

[Dirk Hofman]

Scarlet Begonias by Sublime:



I prefer it to the Dead's original. Actually didn't know it was a Dead song until a decade after 40oz to Freedome came out and someone told me...

[Nyghthawk]

Lyle Lovett covering The Grateful Dead's Friend of the Devil live at Red Rocks.

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by brad2001

As some songs go, written and performed by one, or written for another, it seems that sometimes another party comes along and just "owns" the song. What comes to my mind is Dave Masons' "Feelin Alright", I've had it on disk forever, even saw him perform it, but Joe Cocker, (saw him in a 1200 seat venue,what a show) well, it seems to be his song, may he rest in peace.

This has been Joe Cocker's song ever since he sang this:

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by Earwitness

“I Will Always Love You”—Dolly Parton’s song or Whitney Houston’s?

I must have heard Whitney's version a thousand times before I heard Dolly's. I thought Whitney had an amazing set of pipes but it was just a sappy song. I had already known that Dolly wrote it but once I heard her sing it, I realized it's a great song. I love Dolly's version.

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by Earwitness

“LA Freeway”—Guy Clark or Jerry Jeff Walker

At the time I guess it mattered how much Jerry Jeff at to drink that night, but I don't think most of us would have ever heard of Guy Clark if it wasn't for Jerry Jeff. And Guy Clark's versions on his songs are great!

[lowrider]

''Arlo Guthrie - City of New Orleans, Steve Goodman wrote it and I've seen him perform it on YouTube, but Guthrie's version is the best.''
__________________


I like Steve Goodman's better and saw him sing it live a few times. Arlo's had too much production, Steve's is just fun. But I'll bet Steve loved Arlo's song and probably got a bigger payday from it than anything else in his life.

Back then I was one a few hundred lucky people who got to see Arlo and Steve do a duet on ''City of New Orleans'' at a farm benefit out in western Massachusetts.