Thoughts on bands releasing Cover Songs as singles?

corplhicks wrote:

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.

Not you, the singers haha I dont mind if they're upset hahah!!!

manny wrote:

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.

Why does Hot Topic always seem to come up when speaking of youth? Kids can dress how they want. As teenagers you are influenced more by others around you. They see a trend and wanna do it.

Also K orn has some amazing tunes as well, especially their older catalog.

My whole problem with this is certain bands can get away with the same style and same lyrical content but they are never mentioned. I mean is he supposed to sing uplifting lyrics with such aggressive playing? That would sound hideous...

MetalRob331 wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

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.

Not you, the singers haha  I dont mind if they're upset hahah!!!

Oh, lol.  

The whole Hot Topic thang that I see is youth going to the mall and sportin an over priced t-shirt instead of going to the show and buyin what the band is slingin. It is more of a fashion statement than being an honest to goodness fan of the band. I'd call it downloading the image instead of making the effort to actually take part in the experience of buying tickets, driving to the venue, waiting in line, and seeing the band onstage instead of on YouTube or thier schoolyard pals Iphone.

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

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.

Why does Hot Topic always seem to come up when speaking of youth?  Kids can dress how they want.  As teenagers you are influenced more by others around you.  They see a trend and wanna do it.  

Also K orn has some amazing tunes as well, especially their older catalog.  

My whole problem with this is certain bands can get away with the same style and same lyrical content but they are never mentioned.   I mean is he supposed to sing uplifting lyrics with such aggressive playing?  That would sound hideous...

Actually I'm not getting the whole Hot Topic ordeal either. I used to shop there plenty. I still have Maiden, Slayer, VH, Ratt, Morbid Angel, and Motorhead shirts that were purchased there. Got a cool Priest chain wallet. Got my first kid a onesie that has "My Daddy listens to Slayer" stitched on it. Zeppelin posters, Pink Floyd shot glasses, even some vinyl. Had hundreds of great conversations with some kids in there about good metal music, getting them into my bands (and getting them out of the shit they were listening to). There's very little emo or pop punk or even core in there these days. It still is a metal store. Although I do hate the design with all the brick and flourish.

I also don't see how FFDP has bad music. It really is straight up metal, fast, full of power chords, palm muting, variations, screaming yet melodic vocals, you can bang your head to it, and it's pretty damn hooky. I'm not hearing a single educated complaint about their conceived weaknesses. Trendy? Maiden was trendy. Still are, in parts of the nation. Targeted to teens? That's not a legitimate complaint, but even if it were why did we love metal as kids in the first place? Too nu or core? They are neither nu or core, and lack the derivative nature of such genres. Cliched? Can't get away from that these days.

It's okay not to like them, but it's best to explain why.

James B. wrote:

The whole Hot Topic thang that I see is youth going to the mall and sportin an over priced t-shirt instead of going to the show and buyin what the band is slingin.  It is more of a fashion statement than being an honest to goodness fan of the band.  I'd call it downloading the image instead of making the effort to actually take part in the experience of buying tickets, driving to the venue, waiting in line, and seeing the band onstage instead of on YouTube or thier schoolyard pals Iphone.

I kind of get this, but it's more the crowd and inherit ignorance than Hot Topic itself. There are quite a few kids who will buy an AC/DC shirt and can't name one song from their library.

But those are mostly Target and Wal Mart kids where the shirts are marked down to 10 bucks each, at least where I'm from. The kids I met in HT ate from the musical buffet instead of checking it out from afar. A lot of them did go to the concerts or at least bought the CDs. They were honest about it. But what about kids that can't afford the tickets? Besides, concert merch nowadays is priced way higher than HT material. Along with the parking and tickets, buying a shirt can be out of the question for some (including myself). So why not support a band by buying their merch from a separate vendor? Ancillary law dictates that the band does profit off these sales, even if it is less than the overpriced concert merch.

Trust me, there are plenty of kids who line up and go to shows still and pay the extra five bucks or whatever for a two sided authentic tour shirt. The kids who buy the one sided knock off at Hot Topic are more than likely the ones who download the song of the day by the band of the week for free online. That wasn't even my point really, my point was kids are missing out on the real experience of being a fan of a band.

James B. wrote:

Trust me, there are plenty of kids who line up and go to shows still and pay the extra five bucks or whatever for a two sided authentic tour shirt.   The kids who buy the one sided  knock off at Hot Topic are more than likely the ones who download the song of the day by the band of the week for free online. That wasn't even my point really, my point was kids are missing out on the real experience of being a fan of a band.  

I'm very much in agreement with you; I was worship leader for a youth group a while back and I loved it when a kid came in wearing one of those shirts. I'd ask them what their favorite song was, and they'd either stutter or spit out the name of the hot song--let's say Number of the Beast. Then I'd say something along the lines of killer album love it what do you think of the rest of the album, and they'd just shrug and go I dunno man I just heard the one. Then I'd tear into them. It was fun times. But the thing is Hot Topic seems to be the catchall when it comes to this type of merch when really we should be looking at the department stores that parents drag their kids to and spend far less on an even less convincing shirt. Most of the kids I knew bought theirs from Target or Wal Mart.

Maybe I shouldn't derail the thread any longer. As for covers, yes, they need flair and a touch of augmented originality. Otherwise it's filler. Van Halen did this very well, even on Diver Down.

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

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.

Why does Hot Topic always seem to come up when speaking of youth?  Kids can dress how they want.  As teenagers you are influenced more by others around you.  They see a trend and wanna do it.  

Also K orn has some amazing tunes as well, especially their older catalog.  

My whole problem with this is certain bands can get away with the same style and same lyrical content but they are never mentioned.   I mean is he supposed to sing uplifting lyrics with such aggressive playing?  That would sound hideous...

The youth of today, you are 32, just because live with your mother does not make you a teenager. I actually like K orn, but I don't want to hear a half ass carbon copy of them. Hot Topic is packaged rebellion, you can buy the cool t shirt and other crap there, to show how different you are.

As far lyrics, fine write about how depressed and terrible life is, but don't resort to cliches or at least make them interesting, unlike FFDP

manny wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

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.

Why does Hot Topic always seem to come up when speaking of youth?  Kids can dress how they want.  As teenagers you are influenced more by others around you.  They see a trend and wanna do it.  

Also K orn has some amazing tunes as well, especially their older catalog.  

My whole problem with this is certain bands can get away with the same style and same lyrical content but they are never mentioned.   I mean is he supposed to sing uplifting lyrics with such aggressive playing?  That would sound hideous...

The youth of today, you are 32, just because live with your mother does not make you a teenager. I actually like K orn, but I don't want to hear a half ass carbon copy of them. Hot Topic is packaged rebellion, you can buy the cool t shirt and other crap there, to show how different you are.

As far lyrics, fine write about how depressed and terrible life is, but don't resort to cliches or at least make them interesting, unlike FFDP

But they sound nothing alike! That being said, they did land the #2 spot on the charts and Manny, I think their new release sucks hahah!!! There is a few good songs on there but ehhh....

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

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.

Why does Hot Topic always seem to come up when speaking of youth?  Kids can dress how they want.  As teenagers you are influenced more by others around you.  They see a trend and wanna do it.  

Also K orn has some amazing tunes as well, especially their older catalog.  

My whole problem with this is certain bands can get away with the same style and same lyrical content but they are never mentioned.   I mean is he supposed to sing uplifting lyrics with such aggressive playing?  That would sound hideous...

The youth of today, you are 32, just because live with your mother does not make you a teenager. I actually like K orn, but I don't want to hear a half ass carbon copy of them. Hot Topic is packaged rebellion, you can buy the cool t shirt and other crap there, to show how different you are.

As far lyrics, fine write about how depressed and terrible life is, but don't resort to cliches or at least make them interesting, unlike FFDP

But they sound nothing alike!  That being said, they did land the #2 spot on the charts and Manny, I think their new release sucks hahah!!!  There is a few good songs on there but ehhh....

Then you must be a big fan of One Direction I believe their album hit the top ten

manny wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

manny wrote:

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.

Why does Hot Topic always seem to come up when speaking of youth?  Kids can dress how they want.  As teenagers you are influenced more by others around you.  They see a trend and wanna do it.  

Also K orn has some amazing tunes as well, especially their older catalog.  

My whole problem with this is certain bands can get away with the same style and same lyrical content but they are never mentioned.   I mean is he supposed to sing uplifting lyrics with such aggressive playing?  That would sound hideous...

The youth of today, you are 32, just because live with your mother does not make you a teenager. I actually like K orn, but I don't want to hear a half ass carbon copy of them. Hot Topic is packaged rebellion, you can buy the cool t shirt and other crap there, to show how different you are.

As far lyrics, fine write about how depressed and terrible life is, but don't resort to cliches or at least make them interesting, unlike FFDP

But they sound nothing alike!  That being said, they did land the #2 spot on the charts and Manny, I think their new release sucks hahah!!!  There is a few good songs on there but ehhh....

Then you must be a big fan of One Direction I believe their album hit the top ten

Never heard of them.... Point being, they must be doing something right and making a name for themselves...

I wouldn't base the quality of a band's music by the charts these days. There's a lot of horrendous music dominating sales these days (Manny has a point, unfortunately), and as history as shown us, it has little to do with doing things right and everything to do with doing things according to convention, appeasing an audience with little regard for provocation. And it is true that FFDP is a tad generic, but the musical energy is almost thrash-like and has a punchy sound that's effective. I don't think they sound anything like \"thebandthatshallneverbementionedagain\", though. I hate \"thebandthatshallneverbementionedagain\", which means I would never invest in FFDP if they did sound like them.

I quite like the fact that some of the band logos have become honest to God iconic fashion statements in their own right (AC/DC & Motorhead spring to mind) and I'm not that bothered if the people wearing them aren't   fans. One day they might actually check out the band from their shirt and realise that the music is pretty great too.

It's always happened, how many kids in the Seventies really had the first clue what Che Guevara was all about? But they had his beardy mug all over their shirts all the same.  

corplhicks wrote:

I wouldn't base the quality of a band's music by the charts these days. There's a lot of horrendous music dominating sales these days (Manny has a point, unfortunately), and as history as shown us, it has little to do with doing things right and everything to do with doing things according to convention, appeasing an audience with little regard for provocation. And it is true that FFDP is a tad generic, but the musical energy is almost thrash-like and has a punchy sound that's effective. I don't think they sound anything like \"thebandthatshallneverbementionedagain\", though. I hate \"thebandthatshallneverbementionedagain\", which means I would never invest in FFDP if they did sound like them.

The charts mean you are making a name for yourself and you have a fan base. That's huge in music and really all you can ask for . You don't get into music to fail, do you? The whole point is to write good songs, not for the people, but to the people. It's an expression and some bands do it better than others. It doesn't mean they are better, it just means that their label may promote them better or their songs connect to a more worldwide audience.

I don't think charts mean anything other than you have made a name for yourself, and that's great regardless who the artist is.

MetalRob331 wrote:

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 well done covers, I thought originally Seether's version of Careless Whisper was released on their site as a free download when it came out. I thought that was a well done cover

I also dig The Donna's "Queens of Noise" (Runaways cover) which was released on a runaways tribute album I think covers are done for alot of reasons whether to boost sales or pay tribute to an artist who inspired them in some way or just for the fun of it. Just my 2 cents

I agree with that Addy

I don't mind a good cover tune, but releasing them as a lead-off single is dicey. It can give you a false impression of the band if you don't know them that well. And nowadays, it seems like a lazy, easy way to get airplay. Just like the movie companies cranking out familair reboots and sequels. Go with what the people know mentality.

And now the old man rant:
I like when bands covered songs that inspired them or were hidden gems that got passed over by the original artists. Allot of times, it inspired me to look for the original and discover new "old" bands or artists. George Thorogood gets slagged for all the covers he did, but I found tons of old blues stuff that way.

Bands today covering 80's pop songs in some ironic, snarky fashion doesn't interest me. I don't believe for a second that Seether found "inspiration" from Wham!'s 'Careless Whisper', nor do I care to revisit that crap song again. In This Moment covering 'Call Me'? My response? "Blow Me".

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I don't mind a good cover tune, but releasing them as a lead-off single is dicey. It can give you a false impression of the band if you don't know them that well. And nowadays, it seems like a lazy, easy way to get airplay. Just like the movie companies cranking out familair reboots and sequels. Go with what the people know mentality.

And now the old man rant:
I like when bands covered songs that inspired them or were hidden gems that got passed over by the original artists. Allot of times, it inspired me to look for the original and discover new "old" bands or artists. George Thorogood gets slagged for all the covers he did, but I found tons of old blues stuff that way.

Bands today covering 80's pop songs in some ironic, snarky fashion doesn't interest me. I don't believe for a second that Seether found "inspiration" from Wham!'s 'Careless Whisper', nor do I care to revisit that crap song again. In This Moment covering 'Call Me'? My response? "Blow Me".

  These bands dont need to put out cover songs. Especially making videos for them..

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I don't mind a good cover tune, but releasing them as a lead-off single is dicey. It can give you a false impression of the band if you don't know them that well. And nowadays, it seems like a lazy, easy way to get airplay. Just like the movie companies cranking out familair reboots and sequels. Go with what the people know mentality.

And now the old man rant:
I like when bands covered songs that inspired them or were hidden gems that got passed over by the original artists. Allot of times, it inspired me to look for the original and discover new "old" bands or artists. George Thorogood gets slagged for all the covers he did, but I found tons of old blues stuff that way.

Bands today covering 80's pop songs in some ironic, snarky fashion doesn't interest me. I don't believe for a second that Seether found "inspiration" from Wham!'s 'Careless Whisper', nor do I care to revisit that crap song again. In This Moment covering 'Call Me'? My response? "Blow Me".

 
I kid of have a love/hate relationship with the whole covering crappy pop songs. On one hand, I like it when a band can put a little bite into a song I once hated. On the other hand, when that tune gets stuck in my head and I'm humming it....people around me are like "oh, I didn't know you liked _____!"   

Quote :

These bands dont need to put out cover songs. Especially making videos for them..

That's what I mean by "lazy".

I get that the bands like to record cover tunes for their own enjoyment and slap them on the record. But when they are promoted as a single with a video and everything, it just seems like an easy way for the record companies to garner airplay.

I don't follow any of the bands you mentioned in the original post nor much radio/modern rock in general, so it's no skin off my a$$ if they want to do it. But you asked what I thought if the practice.

bgsully wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I don't mind a good cover tune, but releasing them as a lead-off single is dicey. It can give you a false impression of the band if you don't know them that well. And nowadays, it seems like a lazy, easy way to get airplay. Just like the movie companies cranking out familair reboots and sequels. Go with what the people know mentality.

And now the old man rant:
I like when bands covered songs that inspired them or were hidden gems that got passed over by the original artists. Allot of times, it inspired me to look for the original and discover new "old" bands or artists. George Thorogood gets slagged for all the covers he did, but I found tons of old blues stuff that way.

Bands today covering 80's pop songs in some ironic, snarky fashion doesn't interest me. I don't believe for a second that Seether found "inspiration" from Wham!'s 'Careless Whisper', nor do I care to revisit that crap song again. In This Moment covering 'Call Me'? My response? "Blow Me".

 
I kid of have a love/hate relationship with the whole covering crappy pop songs. On one hand, I like it when a band can put a little bite into a song I once hated. On the other hand, when that tune gets stuck in my head and I'm humming it....people around me are like "oh, I didn't know you liked _____!"   

Yea, that's the rub. I didn't like those songs in their orignal form. A new band covering them isn't going to change that. There might be an exception to the rule in there somewhere, but I can't think of any off the top of my head just yet.

At least now I usually recognize songs as covers (i.e. the one's listed in the first post) because I grew up listening to the originals. When I was a kid, I thought a lot of those cover songs were originals by the covering band. I even thought "Ring Of Fire" was a Wall Of Voodoo song, LOL.

I have no problem with cover songs. If it's good, then that's all that matters to me. I quite enjoy when I hear a cover and have a "sounds vaguely familiar" feeling, only to find out it was a cover. A big "duh" moment.