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Prog Rock Cover Songs You Like
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Squonk19 View Drop Down
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    Posted: August 27 2018 at 13:06
Do you have a favourite prog rock cover song? Has another prog band (without any members or connection with the prog band being covered) come up with a strong version of a song by them? It need not necessarily eclipse the original (although it might) but it might take it in a different and interesting direction. No purely tribute bands or former members doing their own thing? I know some members think the current line ups of classic bands are more tribute bands themselves, but that's for any thread perhaps?

There have been many 'tribute' albums over the years and many bonus tracks on albums (often live) by more modern prog bands celebrating their influences. Any views? I'm not sure myself. Always liked Peter Gabriel's version of Strawberry Fields Forever, and Annie Haslam's more uptempo version of Ripples. Dream Theater seem to specialise with live tributes to classic rock or prog-related bands as well - although do they add anything to the originals?

Edited by Squonk19 - August 27 2018 at 13:07
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The only one I know off hand is Areknames version of 'Snails' by Gnidrolog.. a contemporary Italian heavy prog doing a very tidy job of a tricky classic..

I'm sure that ive got a Finisterre lp that is very very good except for the 2 covers, 1 Genesis and 1 VDGG (with out digging the lp out I cant remember which tracks) both pretty awful if I remember right..

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Originally posted by Squonk19 Squonk19 wrote:

It need not necessarily eclipse the original (although it might) but it might take it in a different and interesting direction.

They've got several nice Robert Wyatt-covers as well (and Nick Drake)

...then there's Wyatt himself covering Anja Garbarek...beautifully 
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og and Morte Macabre covering Fabio Frizzi. Stunning - just like their whole album
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Snakefinger did two covers that are among my favourite Snakefinger tracks:

1: The Garden of Earthly Delights (original by The United States Of America)

2: Magic and Ecstasy (original by Ennio Morricone)

 


 
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I really like the version(s) of Spectral Mornings done a few years ago in aid of Parkinsons. It included members of Magenta although Steve Hackett was also involved so it may not strictly count.

I also like Ars Nova's version of Tarkus although a bit of a stretch to say its on the same level of the original.

On the same tribute album (Keyboards Triangle), Gerard did a stonking (not a misspelling lol) version of Catherine Parr. It's on a parr (oh dear) with the original version imo. 
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I also like the Spectral Mornings EP. Putting vocals on the music definitely gave it a different approach to what is one of my favourite Hackett songs - and great poignancy to the charity. Credit to David Longdon of Big Big Train and Christina Booth of Magenta for their vocal performances.

I've been revisiting the covers Neal Morse normally includes as bonus tracks on live Spock's Beard or Transatlantic albums etc. Some are actually quite good in their approach and not merely carbon copies - including a great Genesis medley.

The Transatlantic debut - SMPTe - has a great cover of In Held ('Twas) in I by Procol Harum.
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Susanna andd the Magical Orchestra's cover of Rush Subdivisions is one of my absolute favorite cover versions ever 
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Squonk19 View Drop Down
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^ Some really interesting covers you've been highlighting. Many thanks.
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Used to buy these prog tribute albums back in the day and almost always sold them back after a few listens, but not this one..excellent from start to end
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Big Train cover of Master of Time is pretty strong too.
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Originally posted by Squonk19 Squonk19 wrote:

I also like the Spectral Mornings EP. Putting vocals on the music definitely gave it a different approach to what is one of my favourite Hackett songs - and great poignancy to the charity. Credit to David Longdon of Big Big Train and Christina Booth of Magenta for their vocal performances.

I've been revisiting the covers Neal Morse normally includes as bonus tracks on live Spock's Beard or Transatlantic albums etc. Some are actually quite good in their approach and not merely carbon copies - including a great Genesis medley.

The Transatlantic debut - SMPTe - has a great cover of In Held ('Twas) in I by Procol Harum.





I had a difficult time thinking of prog covers I really like. I have just about all of the Dream Theater ones, and even though I enjoy them, they have always been too safe while doing their covers, and don't really add anything to them, so that I usually end up wishing I was listening to the originals (specially since LaBrie may technically be able to sing just about any song, but usually ends up lacking in the character singers like Freddy Mercury, Robert Plant, Jon Anderson, Dio, etc, have). However, I do love that In Held cover by Transatlantic... though I have barely heard the original once or twice in YouTube, I actually liked the Transatlantic version better. However, in general, Transatlantic covers suffer the same flaw of DT ones... too safe (and with an even worse singer). For DT in particular, I wish they would turn up the metal aspect of the classic prog songs... or from the classic hard rock songs, and in the case of metal songs, I would want them to prog up the solos.
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^ I love the second half of A Change Of Seasons which features covers of Carry On Wayward Sun and Achilles Last Stand. Probably my favourite DT album actually , the title piece is massively underated imo.
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and I also really like Dream Theater's cover of Xanadu on the recent expanded release of A Farewell To Kings. They do covers incredibly well.
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Squonk19 View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Barbu Barbu wrote:

Big Train cover of Master of Time is pretty strong too.

Yes - forgot to mention that one. Big Big Train turned a thoughtful, acoustic-driven song by Ant into something bigger and even more memorable. Covers seem to work best when lesser known songs are reinvented.

I agree that many covers by established bands covering their peers tend to be quite safe - it's the old argument, I suppose - if you are going to cover a classic track, do something different with it, otherwise why are you really bothering. I understand tribute/covers bands trying to recreate them as precisely as possible when played live - but popular prog bands in their own right should try more - as the examples above show. Otherwise, stick to creating your own music - which must be artistically more interesting and challenging.
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I think Spock's Beard actually improved on George Harrison's "Beware of Darnkess."

I like the whole Rush "Feedback" album.  Even though I'm a big Rush fan, I thought going in that the band wasn't suited for those songs, and they would be horrible butcher jobs.  I was pleasantly surprised and that's one of the things that even impressed me more about the band; that they had the range do to that playlist.  
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Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:

Originally posted by Squonk19 Squonk19 wrote:

It need not necessarily eclipse the original (although it might) but it might take it in a different and interesting direction.


They've got several nice Robert Wyatt-covers as well (and Nick Drake)

...then there's Wyatt himself covering Anja Garbarek...beautifully 



When I saw this topic, I came in to mention the Unthanks/ Rachel Unthank & the Winterset and Robert Wyatt. Love their versions of Sea Song and Nick Drake's River Man.



Here's an instrumental "cover" version of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song by Mop Meuchiine (off the album Mop Meuchiine Plays Robert Wyatt).



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I'm not that big on ELP, but I do really like this cover of "Trilogy" by Jad&Den Quintet.
Duos for fave acts
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Squonk19 View Drop Down
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I got around to hearing Unitopia's Genesis Medley. It works well because they bring a different pace to the sections. However, it was their take of The Silent Sun at the start which I liked the most - not least because it is the least known.

The Greg Lake covers on Moonchild by Annie Barbazza & Max Repetti work well on the quieter and slower tracks where their chamber music approach gives the songs a haunting quality. Less successful on the louder and faster group tracks though.
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