Magna Cartna/Shrapnel Records tribute albums (Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, ELP, Genesis - not forgetting the blues artists/groups tributes on their sister label), may have specialised in tribute albums. Other labels have done one off tribute albums, e.g. the odd Gentle Giant, Krimson, Caravan and yet another Genesis tributes . Then there are the tribute bands, from Mahavishnu Project to Regenesis to Obscured By Clouds to Polysofts etc.,  and then the bands that get back together, e.g. 21st Schizoid Band.  However, the one-off cover of a prog tune, appearing on an album otherwise free of prog, is more of a rarity - I think, but prepared to be told otherwise.

What started this thought off was relistening to Jeff Buckley postumously released Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk. Here is a great cover of Genesis's Back In N.Y.C.. Let me admit, when I first got this album I hadn't  checked the track listing before playing it. The unexpected sound of this tune appearing half way through side 2, really took me by surprise, enough to have me thinking: "where have I heard that before?". Strangely enough, when the tune was used briefly unannounced  in the BBC 4 documentary of Buckley's life, I had to think twice. With hindsight, a prog cover on a Jeff Buckley album shouldn't have been that surprising. Mojo Pin was probably the most innovative rock album of the 90's, while Buckley's mentor Gary Lucas is a huge fan of Anglo prog.

So along with Jeff Buckley's cover of Back In NYC, I'll suggest a couple of others to be going on with:

Endless Enigma: Mastermind with Jens Johansson (ex. Angels Of The Apocalypse)

Birds Of Fire: Kennedy (ex. Kennedy Live)

[You may gather there are some vague rules here: a one-off cover by an artist/band not formerly associated with the originators of the tune].

More please!

I'm sure you can guess what irks me... anyone singing Greg, but Greg..

- France's version of Elvis.. Johnny Halliday doing C'est la Vie..

- Keith Emerson's guitarist singing "Lucky Man" on stage....

-the worst.... Toyah Wilcox's version of "Father Christmas"

My other current worst... The Scissor Sisters version of Comfortably NUmb

I'm sure that's still better than Marilyn Manson attempting to butcher Come Together...  

I'll bet some people, somewhere, like that song, but I CAN't STAND IT!!!

Stanely Snail's (Mike Keneally and Kevin Gilbert, among others) do an awesome cover of Siberian Khatru on the Yes tribute. They throw in a little bit of Bruford's Sahara of Snow into the mix. It's one of my favs.

This is rather simplistic, but Jeffery Gaines acoustic live cover of In Your Eyes from Peter Gabriel is very powerful. Sometimes you don't have to be complex to be good.

Glass-Prison wrote: I'm sure that's still better than Marilyn Manson attempting to butcher Come Together...   I'll bet some people, somewhere, like that song, but I CAN't STAND IT!!!

How does that rate against Syd Vicious's interpretation of My Way???

Sid's version of My Way was utterly classic, IMHO!

I haven't heard many prog covers except Marillion's version of "I Know What I Like" (only available on bootleg, and it's OK, but not wonderful) and arguably "Grendel" . I wasn't keen on Genesis' cover of "I Know What I Like" on the album "Seconds Out" - but that's another story. Steve Hillage covered "Hurdy Gurdy Man" in his own inimitable style on "L" - but it wasn't a prog track until he got his hands on it. Don't talk to me about the Scissor Sisters

There have been some cracking rock covers, though - Gillan's cover of "New Orleans", Motorhead's "Louie Louie", Tygers of Pan Tang's "Love Potion #9", David Lee Roth's "Just a Gigolo" - and Marilyn Manson's "Tainted Love" to name but a few. I haven't heard Manson's version of "Come Together", but I expect I would like it - Manson's OTT Goth style has me in hysterics.

I wouldn't buy anything Manson released, however - I just like seeing the videos on Kerrang...

Vinnie Moore's cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" had me weeping hysterically - but for the wrong reasons. Dr and the Medics did a cover of "Spirit in the Sky" that was so similar to the original that I wondered why they'd bothered, and Neil (the hippy out of "The Young Ones") did faintly humourous covers of "Hole in My Shoe" and "My White Bicycle". The Young Ones' collective cover of "Living Doll" (together with the maestro Cliff himself) was much funnier.

Metallica did some incredible covers, particularly of Diamond Head and Budgie (I wasn't keen on their Queen or Motorhead covers tho'); Their rendition of "Am I Evil" (DH) and "Breadfan" (Budgie) have to be heard by any Prog Metal fan. I thought Dream Theater's cover of "Sanitarium" was lame, OTOH.

Did I ever mention that I used to be in a band that did Metallica covers back in the late 1980's....

I listed the worst.. but forgot my favorites..

I guess one would be Yes' cover of "America".  I also liked the Bangles version of "Hazy Shade of Winter"...  I love Carl Palmer's new version of "Toccata" and "Tank" from his Working Live cd...

Certif1ed,

How many times do i have to tell you, "Grendel" is not a cover of "Supper's ready"!

I'm racking my brains for covers of prog track, but I can't get beyond that awful Scissors Sisters butchering of "Comfortably numb".

Others covers are:

• The Orchestral Tubular Bells,
• Uriah Heep - Hold your head up (Argent)
• Sky - Vivaldi (Curved Air)
• I have a tribute to Pink Floyd album by Rosebud/Discoballs, and yes it is as bad as it sounds
• Then there's the Yes and ELP remix albums, they're covers really, there's not much of the original music there!

I like Voivod's cover versions of the Pink Floyd traxxx 'Astronomy Domine' and 'The Nile Song'.

Their version of KC's 'Schizoid Man' was less impressive IMHO.

I'm totally with Threefates on Yes' cover of "America". Brilliant, although I thought we were looking for prog tunes covered by nonprog bands, not vice versa.

May I proffer "Have a Cigar", The Foo Fighters (with Brian May)?

Travis do a rather impressive version of Queen's "Killer Queen", but I realise Queen are a bone of contention re prog status.

I'll try and think of some more later......

"I haven't heard many prog covers except Marillion's version of "I Know What I Like" (only available on bootleg, and it's OK, but not wonderful) and arguably "Grendel" ." 

Chokecoughsplutter.....Steady on Certif1ed old boy........

I thought Marillion WAS a Genesis cover band.............. hehehehehehe

Just kidding!

One of the best things about prog is that it generally resists being covered...but I did get a laugh from the ska version of PF's "Eclipse".

What is the difference between good covers, just-for-fun covers and annoying covers?

The usual cover theory is that if you do a song that has already been popular, you're that much closer to popularity yourself (due to the 'audience recognition' factor). That's a pretty nasty concession for anyone claiming to have something original to offer, and I tend to judge covers very harshly because of that. MM's "Sweet Dreams" did grow on me after a while, though...

Marillion started off as a prog cover band - Fish got the gig because he could sing like Ian Anderson (apparently)!

I had a copy of the IKWIL bootleg (featuring Hacket) and also on the tape (from another gig) was Gabriel singing the Four Tops 'Reach Out (I'll Be There) - again, off topic because it's a non-prog song done by a progster.)

Gabriel was much better before he had the sex-change and started wearing an eye-patch...

Donna Summer's version of Jon and Vangelis' "State of Independence" was quite good actually, emphasizaing the tropical-exotic ambience in order to make it sound a bit sexier, yet keeping the original song's spiritual enthusiasm. Anyway, Summer is a damn good singer.  

Try an album called "The River of Constant Changes", an outstanding Genesis Tribute by mostly unknown Italian bands, simply the best cover album I ever listened.

Despite Threefates opinion about ELP covers (Which are terrible in most of the cases as she says) I consider Encores, Legends and Paradox a very good album.

I wrote a review for another Web Page a few months ago but I'll add it here (because the album is not in ProgArchives) in case is useful for anybody:

Encores, Legends & Paradox  A Tribute to ELP I don’t have a definitive opinion about the so-called tribute albums because most of them are only  an excuse for old or unknown artists to get some bucks without having to create music. Some of the tribute albums are only a copy of the original songs without any contribution from the copyist (can’t say artist in some cases),  and others are so changed that sound as a failed experiment, but there are a few in which the new musicians add interesting things to the already good music without changing the spirit of the song, and because of this they release an album worth to buy. Encores, Legends & Paradox is one of the last kind of Tribute albums, very good interpretations of ELP classics with interesting changes and a  band is full excellent artists that really make an effort to release a different version of the original song respecting the author’s creation. This is my opinion about some songs in the album:   Karn Evil 9 (Robert Berry/Simon Phillips/Jordan Rudess/Mark Wood): Apparently sounds very similar to the original version, but the arrangement is totally different, even though is clearly progressive, the music has a classical Rock orientation. Emerson’s keyboard interpretation are mostly inspired in the firm sound of early modern composers (mainly Russians), but in this album Jordan Rudess seems more baroque, almost like  Rick Wakeman. The mixture is very good.   Toccata (Trent Gardner/Pat Mastelotto/Peter Banks/Matt Guillory/Wayne Gardner): This song is absolutely different to the original version, probably faster (if this is possible) with a touch of Jazz Fusion. Mastelotto's drums are not as strong as Palmer’s but perfect to the Fusion atmosphere.   Knife Edge (Robert Berry/ Simon Phillips/ Marc Bonilla/ Erik Norlander/ Glenn Hughes): The only song with Glenn Hughes as a vocalist, and of course has a Metal orientation. Hughes voice is not as powerful as Lake's, and IMO is not the correct election for this song, Listen to the short guitar solo by Marc Bonilla, it’s very good. different to Greg's style but outstanding   Hoedown ( Robert Berry / Simon Phillips / Jerry Goodman / Jordan Rudees / Marc Bonilla): Great version, with a mixture of folk and Jazz, Jerry Goodman’s violin plays a basic role in the song  specially in the first part, when  bass and guitar are added, the song gets  that classic fusion sound, somehow similar to Mahavishnu.   The Sheriff (Trent Gardner / Mike Portnoy / John Wetton / Peter Banks / Mark Robertson / Wayne Gardner): Except for a few chords in the beginning of the song and Wetton’s voice (very similar to Lake’s), The Sheriff sounds as a different song, probably one of the weakest in the album because of Wetton’s poppy singing in some parts of the track, as if he tried to sound like  Greg Lake singing Invisible Touch instead of an ELP song, weak but still not totally bad.   The Barbarian (Robert Berry / Simon Phillips / Igor Koroshev): In this song, Igor Koroshev’s contribution is very important, even though he respects the cold and firm style of Keith Emerson, he adds extra speed, some baroque chords and a little bit of life to the dark mood of the original version.   I really enjoy this album, and believe it’s one of the few tribute’s worth to buy.

Iván

Ed Macan (author of one the best if flawed theses on prog rock Rocking The Classics) as leader of Hermetic Sciences, has released a couple of albums, with ELP and Rush covers. Workman like - although his version of Tarkus transmoogified for solo grande piano, is worth a good listen  (recorded live, - it even has cicadas chirrupping in the background).

We got round to a Frank Sinatra cover - however, on a slightly more serious note check out Robert Wyatt's 1 minute mini-masterpiece based on Strangers In The Night on Morgan Fisher's Miniatures album'

BTW thanks for all the recommendations now sorely tempted to put a 80min burn together, trying to keep things as varied as possible and know that the following might be included:

La Villa Striangiata - Steve Morse/Billy Sheehan

Red: Wood

Dedicated To You But You weren't Listening: Caveman Hughscore

Endless Enigma: Mastermind

Astromony Domine: Gary Lucas

Guerillas In The Midst (aka King Kong): Gary Lucas

Siberian Khatru: Stanley Snail

Jeff Buckley: Back In NYC

Niacin: Blue Wind

One final thought before I shuttup, what prog tune would you like another band to cover and why?

Niacin doing Collegium Musicum's You Are Impossible Prt 1. Yes I know the band and tune are obscure (but rewarding to hear - so go find), but CM were an organ lead trio, similarities to Nice and clearly conservatoise-trained musicians. The tune has a fantastic bass solo (amazingly advanced considered it was recorded early 1973) and thus provides an opportunity for Billy Sheehan to open up. BTW Niacin's John Novello has heard the piece..............

But then I probably have more chance of Gary Lucas recording Hope For Happiness.

I'd like to hear Marillion cover a Genesis track, and Fish cover a Gabriel track - doesn't matter which 

What I'd really like is to hear prog bands cover themselves - ie original band members get back together and actually re-record some of the classic albums with modern production techniques and the ideas they've picked up through their many years of experience.

Imagine what "Selling England..." or "Court..." might sound like

However, I reckon Muse would make a fair job of Discipline, and an interesting interpretation of Tarkus, and Radiohead could cover Gone To Earth (BJH). Porcupine Tree could also cover any Barclay James Harvest album...

Last thought; Spock's Beard covering Octopus

"What I'd really like is to hear prog bands cover themselves - ie original band members get back together and actually re-record some of the classic albums with modern production techniques and the ideas they've picked up through their many years of experience."

For example, IQ did that in 'Seven Stories into 98', which is nothing but a 1998 re-recording of their pre-Tales material (pre-1983). Not only did they take advantage of modern technology, but they incorporated some new arrangements at places in order to convey their now mature prog perspective into their old material (writtwn, arranged and performed in a time when they were yet to find their own musical direction).

There's plans of re-recording their debut album 'Tales from the Lush Attic', too.

Cesar Inca wrote: "What I'd really like is to hear prog bands cover themselves - ie original band members get back together and actually re-record some of the classic albums with modern production techniques and the ideas they've picked up through their many years of experience."

I know a lot of ELP fans did not appreciate the re-recording of Pictures that was added as a bonus on the ITHS cd... but actually I really like it.  Greg's voice sounds much better on this, than it does on that re-recording of The Sage that he does on the Manticore box set.

I know that Greg has re-recorded many of his hits using new technology, but for some reason is taking forever to release it... but I think I wouldn't mind hearing an acoustic set from him, sort of like what Jon Anderson did on his recent solo-minitour...

Dick Heath wrote: Tucked away on one of those Musea Records recordings of the SF Prog Fest, is  Genesis covers band called Giraffe - somebody tells me they in part evolved into Spocks Beard - true or not?

Giraffe was a band featuring Kevin Gilbert who engineered some of Spock's Beards early albums. Nick D'Viglio worked with Kevin on THUD and other projects, as well as performing the SHAMING OF THE TRUE after Kevin's death. My guess is those are the only Spock's Beard connections.

http://www.kevingilbert.com/7a/beveridge.html - http://www.kevingilbert.com/7a/beveridge.html

Another great cover, IMO, is OSI's cover of "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun."

Hey Dick, How were Eartworks versions of Bruford's One of a Kind tracks?

danbo wrote: Yes, yes, yes.... I posted something in the Announcements section regarding both. Neverwasneverwillbe will be released in 2005! The Holdsworth Remasters should be coming out next year as well.

No No No (as they say on the Vicar Of Dibbley)  found I picked this up at Fusenet, with Chris Hoard of Alternity Records doing publicity for the AH remasters

Dick Heath wrote: danbo wrote: Yes, yes, yes.... I posted something in the Announcements section regarding both. Neverwasneverwillbe will be released in 2005! The Holdsworth Remasters should be coming out next year as well. No No No (as they say on the Vicar Of Dibbley)  found I picked this up at Fusenet, with Chris Hoard of Alternity Records doing publicity for the AH remasters

Chris posted the same thing at Allan's wesite.... I thought I posted something here.... ? Either way, it should be exciting.

Vibrationbaby wrote: I saw the Mahavishnu Project in NYC. Simply amazing even McLaughlin approves of these guys.  Very envious, but they are in London and Glasgow in November - however,  both bloody difficult places to get to and back in a night from here. April Wine does a half decent version of 21st Century Schizoid Man on the album Harder Faster and I`ve also seen them play it live.

Of course - thanks for reminding me of the only April Wine album I  have and haven't played in almost a decade (being on vinyl doesn't help) - the last album Tommy Vance inspired me to get.......................

danbo wrote: OSI (Office of Strategic Influence) is a group consisting of Kevin Moore (Dream Theater / Chroma Key) /Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater / Tranatlantic & others)  /Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Sean Malone (Gordian Knot / Cynic & more). Call it a Supergroup.... Anyway, they put out one album and "Set the Controls...." is a bonus on the Expanded version. I liked Moore's use of effects and Portnoy's drumming is inventive, to say the least.

I lost track of those DT spin off bands and also decided I preferred to hear instrumental music from groups who called themselves upfront, jazzrockfusionists. BTW I got myself Conrad Schrenk's Extravaganza Save The Robots during that time and after that record all 90's instrumental albums are inferior. So after some time of not going out of my way tracking down those sort of progressive fusion supergroups (remember the two BLS albums), I got hold of Chris Poland's Ohm  and that was enjoyable. However, I'm a bit of nut for good covers so tempted to seek out OSI.

April Wine does a half decent version of 21st Century Schizoid Man on the album Harder Faster and I`ve also seen them play it live.

Wow! I didn't know April Wine covered that! As I remember they were a pretty decent American Hard rock band (like so many!), although I only heard a coupla tracks by them - Ladies' Man was one, I think.

You've reminded me of another, though - a band called RIOT, who did a blistering cover of "Born To Be Wild" - made Steppenwolf look pedestrian. RIOT were verging on the prog metal - I've only got their Narita album, but they've released a huge stack of albums! Anyone else know anything about RIOT?

Then there was the Raven+Udo Dirkschneider (Accept) cover of BTBW...

To change track completely, I liked Andrew Lloyd Webber's cover of Rachmaninov's cover of Paganini's Caprice in A minor... (I wonder where Paganini covered it from...)

Certif1ed wrote: [QUOTE]   To change track completely, I liked Andrew Lloyd Webber's cover of Rachmaninov's cover of Paganini's Caprice in A minor... (I wonder where Paganini covered it from...)

Andrew or Julian?

Cesar Inca wrote:   Donna Summer's version of Jon and Vangelis' "State of Independence" was quite good actually, emphasizaing the tropical-exotic ambience in order to make it sound a bit sexier, yet keeping the original song's spiritual enthusiasm. Anyway, Summer is a damn good singer.

Good call, man. I'd forgotten that one.

Certif1ed wrote: Andrew - Julian only played a part of the Variations that Sir Andrew "wrote".

Think I might have lost track here: are we are talking the former theme music to the South Bank Show? If so, remind me wasn't Julian L-W backed by some of Colosseum 2 on the album, plus Jon Hiseman's wife, jazz saxophonist  Barbra Thompson?

Yes, we are talking the former theme music to "SBS" but Andrew "wrote" it - although, of course, for and to showcase Julian, which it does well. I think it's an oft overlooked prog classic in every sense of the word prog - there's everything from smooth jazz, through classical (of course!) and pure hard rock with wierd time signatures.

Julian played on some of the variations, but not all. Other musicians include, as you say, Gary Moore, Don Airey and Jon Hiseman (Colosseum II), and Barbra Thompson, but also Herbie Flowers, Rod Argent, John Mole, David Caddick, Bill le Sage, Mary Hopkin (Visconti) and Phil Collins.

Certif1ed wrote:  Other musicians include, as you say, Gary Moore, Don Airey and Jon Hiseman (Colosseum II), and Barbra Thompson, but also Herbie Flowers, Rod Argent, John Mole, David Caddick, Bill le Sage, Mary Hopkin (Visconti) and Phil Collins.

Those were the days.....................

I have an underplayed LP of  Rod Argent & Barbra Thompson, with Jon Hiseman inevitably on drums - btw did you ever hear Jon Hiseman's CD of drums solos recorded live as part of BT's Paraphenalia?????????????????

Zep's "Dancin' Days", as done by Stone Temple Pilots, is beautifull!