Happy Music Monday! As you can expect, nobody wants to think too hard after eating six times either weight in turkey. That's why today Scott's taking a look at something almost everyone enjoys: Beatles Covers. He's picked five of his favorites and he wants you do to the same. Remember, this isn't just about copying a list from Wikipedia. This is about sharing. Why do you love this song? Why do you consider it your favorite Beatles cover? Got the picture? If not, see how it's done right now:
Sonic Youth - Within You Without You
Within You Without You is already one of the more trippy Beatles songs, but adding in Sonic Youth's machine growl gives it an extra edge. In this version, when they say "life goes on" it's not a statement of optimism, it's a flat out fact. Don't sweat it, kid, because the Universe don't care.
After the jump, four more, all with reasons. Then it'll be your turn.
As always, be sure to check out our Spotify playlist. This week's it'll be featuring a great selection from last week's Music Monday comments. The theme of the mix this time is Songs About Crime, and it's so good, it's criminal! But before you start reminiscing, check out our current Music Monday below!
The Mamas & The Papas - I Call Your Name
Cass Elliot's voice is like honey spilled on velvet in this song, and then it opens up into the bands traditional harmonies for that pretty, pretty ending. How can you go back and listen to the original when you have the option of listening to this?
The original already had plenty of 70s-style soul, of course, but nobody out-souls Al Green. To me, the most interesting this about this cover is how little had to be modified besides Al's delivery. Proof once again that The Beatles might not have been the greatest individual musicians, but together, they were probably the world's greatest band.
Let It Be was from a time when the dreams of an era were dissolving. Love was turning to hate, business problems were everywhere, relationships were falling apart, and nobody knew what was going to happen next. No wonder it's the perfect song for an old bluesman like Ray Charles. What's the basic melody of this song? It's always darkest before dawn. And that's what Ray Charles sings about best.
David Bowie - Across The Universe
Why do I like this cover so much? Partly because I'm a big Bowie fan, but mostly because I know that during this period of his life, Bowie was just about to start some of the biggest changes of his life, ending with pop music discovering an entirely new genre they could draw from. It's a pretty cover, but hearing him sing "Nothing's going to change my world" and knowing what's about to happen- well, I find that funny. Maybe it's just me.
Now it's your turn. Find your favorite Beatles cover, figure out why it's your favorite Beatles cover, and post it in the comments below. After that, run over to our Turntable.fm room for the regular Music Monday enjoyment. Also, let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use.