Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: Landslide

Just my second cover comparison, but what a fun series! Go back and check out my "Wonderwall" discussion if interested.

So, the original:



And the Smashing Pumpkins cover:




I am not a Stevie Nicks fan. I guess full disclosure on that is pretty important. I also happen to be a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan. I can't say for sure that my first introduction to this song wasn't the Smashing Pumpkin's version, but I can definitely say that their version is what I love. The Fleetwood Mac version just sounds a little too without feeling for me. The guitar playing is quite nice, of course, but it's her voice that totally turns me off. And I know a lot of people say the same thing about Billy Corgan's voice, but man, I love it. I feel SO much more feeling in the Smashing Pumpkin's version and I like that it's a little bit more messy- the guitar playing doesn't sound perfect and it's not always balanced, but it works. Oh, how it works.

I love the cover WAY more....what about you???

XO,
SVR

Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: Wonderwall

I can't explain why a cover of a song is so special, but so often I end up loving another artist's rendition of the same words and music more than the original. I guess sometimes it's because I've heard the original so much that a new fresh take on it makes it fresh again. And other times, another artist is able to show a different side of the lyrics and music. That's definitely the case with Ryan Adam's cover of "Wonderwall" by Oasis.

First, listen to the original:



Now, check out Ryan Adam's haunting cover:




So, what do you think? I have to admit that Ryan Adam's version has been on heavy rotation in my world since I rediscovered it a few years ago. I think the biggest difference is that the Oasis version has both Liam Gallagher's distinct voice and a much more produced sound than Ryan Adam's version. Supposedly, when the song first came out, Noel Gallagher (the writer of the song) said it was about his then girlfriend, but after they broke up he said it was "about an imaginary friend who's gonna come and save you from yourself." To me, Ryan Adam's version has way more emotion in it and it just oozes with feeling. It's just a fact in my world that an acoustic, slowed down version is almost always going to resonate more with me. In this battle, I would definitely pick Ryan Adam's "Wonderwall" as the superior.

That said, I have to include Oasis' cover of their own song (Noel singing now!), which apparently was inspired by Ryan Adam's cover! Love this...check it out, it's quite good:



So, which do you prefer??

XO,
SVR