Thoughts on bands releasing Cover Songs as singles?

I've noticed this a lot, especially within the modern rock community. Do you find it's a good way to promote an album or maybe a quick money maker?

Some that come to mind are..

Disturbed - Land of Confusion
Seether - Careless Whisper
Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons
In This Moment - Call Me

Don't get me wrong they all are killer covers but what's it say about the album when the cover song is the one promoted the most? Idk maybe just something I over analyze HAHA!!

I love covers!....It's an addiction of mine; However, It really doesn't tell you jack about someone's album.

waste of time, for me..

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

waste of time, for me..

I am with Orion on this one, unless its for a soundtrack, or outstanding, its pretty pointless to me

Releasing cover songs as singles goes back to the 50s. It was common in the late 60s, look at Deep Purple releasing multiple covers from Joe South, Neil Diamond, The Beatles, etc. Yes recorded covers of The Beatles and The Byrds. Many other examples...

Let's not forget Quiet Riot scoring their only real hits of the 1980s from a couple Slade covers.

S.D. wrote:

Releasing cover songs as singles goes back to the 50s.  It was common in the late 60s, look at Deep Purple releasing multiple covers from Joe South, Neil Diamond, The Beatles, etc.  Yes recorded covers of The Beatles and The Byrds.  Many other examples...

Let's not forget Quiet Riot scoring their only real hits of the 1980s from a couple Slade covers.

Those are almost exception to the rule, and other then Quiet Riot, none of those bands did a cover that was almost xerox copy of the original, they would add their own twist and personality to the cover. Quiet Riot kept their version pretty close to the Slade version, but somehow made it their own anyway.

I hate tribute albums ( at least most of them) and what is the point in covering a tune if you are just going to do a carbon copy of the original?

I'm in complete agreement, the correct way to do a cover is to make it sound like you wrote it in the first place. A note-for-note carbon copy is a waste of time.

Yea im about the exception to the rule...

Look at FFDP and the song Bad Company.. That's one of the better tunes on the album haha... I even enjoyed that album..

MetalRob331 wrote:

Yea im about the exception to the rule...

Look at FFDP and the song Bad Company.. That's one of the better tunes on the album haha... I even enjoyed that album..

Are you kidding me, that version and that band are a steaming pile of dog turds

Then you have Nevermore doing Sound of Silence and you don't realize it's a cover until the third listen when you actually pay attention to the lyrics.

corplhicks wrote:

Then you have Nevermore doing Sound of Silence and you don't realize it's a cover until the third listen when you actually pay attention to the lyrics.

Which reminds me, Sanctuary got word of mouth going for them because they covered "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane.

Covers should be bonus tracks, not singles cut from an album.

manny wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

Yea im about the exception to the rule...

Look at FFDP and the song Bad Company.. That's one of the better tunes on the album haha... I even enjoyed that album..

Are you kidding me, that version and that band are a steaming pile of dog turds

LOVE IT!! Ivan Moody is one of my fav frontmen in music.. Love his voice.. Sometimes I like to just sit back and hear straight forward metal.. FFDP has some killer tunes I can do that to...

manny wrote:

Are you kidding me, that version and that band are a steaming pile of dog turds

FFDP = Five Flavors of Dog Poop

I don't mind FFDP, I just don't like that arrogant douchebag I'M A BADASS motherf*cker ANGER ANGER ANGER being spat out in such an obvious and juvenile manner. Even Pantera was more poetic when it came to hatred.

corplhicks wrote:

I don't mind FFDP, I just don't like that arrogant douchebag I'M A BADASS motherf*cker ANGER ANGER ANGER being spat out in such an obvious and juvenile manner. Even Pantera was more poetic when it came to hatred.

Do you take me for a fool?
How's it feel to be a tool?
Talk your shi* behind my back
See to me your just a cancer
The time has come to get you some
Mother****** war is the answer

Pantera did it the right way but their style was more groove than anything. I don't mind if you're upset but again, lyrics rly mean nothing to me in music, unless the song grabs my heart.. You could say F you 100 times and if it has a hook, ill listen ahah!!!

MetalRob331 wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

I don't mind FFDP, I just don't like that arrogant douchebag I'M A BADASS motherf*cker ANGER ANGER ANGER being spat out in such an obvious and juvenile manner. Even Pantera was more poetic when it came to hatred.

Do you take me for a fool?
How's it feel to be a tool?
Talk your shi* behind my back
See to me your just a cancer
The time has come to get you some
Mother****** war is the answer

Pantera did it the right way but their style was more groove than anything.  I don't mind if you're upset but again, lyrics rly mean nothing to me in music, unless the song grabs my heart..  You could say F you 100 times and if it has a hook, ill listen ahah!!!

No no, it doesn't upset me. It's just obnoxious. Music is enjoyable, though.

One of the crappiest cover versions as a single was Iron Maiden 'Women in Uniform'

Why? They had any number of better original songs to choose from, the song isn't good and it wasn't even well known! A complete waste of time.

One song that I've always felt would make a great metal cover for some band is this one.



I mean, it's even called Eve of Destruction!! How metal is that!  

Seemed to work for Van Halen.

Boris2008 wrote:

One song that I've always felt would make a great metal cover for some band is this one.



I mean, it's even called Eve of Destruction!! How metal is that!  

Lemmy beat you to it already.  Here he is performing the song with the Royal Philharmonic.

I like cover albums by certain bands. Which brings me to ask.....does anybody beside me think that a tribute album is different than a covers album ?

Well, it is different.

A tribute album features several bands playing songs from a single band they pay tribute to.

A cover album features one band playing songs originally recorded by different bands.

Lari wrote:

Well, it is different.

A tribute album features several bands playing songs from a single band they pay tribute to.

A cover album features one band playing songs originally recorded by different bands.

The reason I asked is cause one would expect a band to cover a tune on a tribute album pretty much straight across the board within that particular bands style ? Or not

James B. wrote:

The reason I asked is cause one would expect a band to cover a tune on a tribute album pretty much straight across the board within that particular bands style ?  Or not

Not unless they have a really gutless producer. A good tribute album should feature a cross-section of artists from a variety of styles who were all influenced in some way or another by the artist they are paying tribute to.

The goal should be "here is how the artist influenced our style" instead of "look how closely we can mimic the original version".

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

Yea im about the exception to the rule...

Look at FFDP and the song Bad Company.. That's one of the better tunes on the album haha... I even enjoyed that album..

Are you kidding me, that version and that band are a steaming pile of dog turds

LOVE IT!!  Ivan Moody is one of my fav frontmen in music.. Love his voice.. Sometimes I like to just sit back and hear straight forward metal.. FFDP has some killer tunes I can do that to...

Considering the best tune on the album was written by Paul Rodgers, even that they couldn't get it right !!! Their paint by numbers, I wish I was in K orn metal, is metal for people who's balls have not dropped and feel the height of rebellion is shopping at Hot Topic.