The Bob Dylan Effect

[ThisHill2DieOn]

It didn't start with Bob Dylan and it won't end with Bob Dylan, but he is probably the most prominent example of this phenomenon: a bad singer and mediocre musician who writes great songs whose written works are much better executed in more capable hands. Willie Nelson had a handful of these when he wrote for Sun Records, penning such songs as Patsy Cline's "Crazy." Infamously, Wilson auditioned for Sun and was told they would not record him, but wanted to hire him as a songwriter. In the more modern era, I can't think of anyone that better encapsulates this better than Bob Dylan: a terrible singer with mediocre musicianship that is a fantastic songwriter. Even midling to good singers and musicians get a boost in more capable hands.

The recent meltdown of Tim Pool made me think of the cover-album by Seth Avett and Lea Mayfield of Elliott Smith songs. Some are worse or the same, but three standouts have been

"Somebody That I Used To Know"

Spoiler

Original

Cover

"Twilight"

Spoiler

Original

Cover

"Memory Lane"

Spoiler

Original

Cover

Another example is the excellent classic metal song from Iron Maiden, "Hallowed Be Thy Name," redone by Cradle of Filth.

Spoiler

Original

Cover

What songs do you think fall into the Bob Dylan Effect of being better done by someone other than the song's originator?

 

[Kiwi Yuga]

Another example is the excellent classic metal song from Iron Maiden, "Hallowed Be Thy Name," redone by Cradle of Filth.

You're a faggot if you think the cradle of filth version is better.

As for the topic of the thread, I am and always will be a Tom Waits fan, but his voice on his later records is an acquired taste, and many of his songs have been covered by bigger names and turned into hits. Ol' 55 covered by The Eagles, I Don't Wanna Grow Up covered by The Ramones, Downtown Train covered by Rod Stewart, and many others. Personally, I think Waits did it better every time, but I understand why mainstream audiences prefer the more palatable versions by pop singers.

 

[Migraine Box]

Most obvious answer, one repeated ad infinitum, the reigning king of "covers better than the original" discussions: Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

You're a faggot if you think the cradle of filth version is better.

As for the topic of the thread, I am and always will be a Tom Waits fan, but his voice on his later records is an acquired taste, and many of his songs have been covered by bigger names and turned into hits. Ol' 55 covered by The Eagles, I Don't Wanna Grow Up covered by The Ramones, Downtown Train covered by Rod Stewart, and many others. Personally, I think Waits did it better every time, but I understand why mainstream audiences prefer the more palatable versions by pop singers.

You could add to the list "He ain't me babe" covered by Johnny Cash and the Turtles.

 

[Miriam Margoyles]

The obvious one for me, up there with Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt', is Amy Winehouse's version of 'Valerie' by The Zutons, which is such a bop nobody even remembers the shitty Zutons version nowadays.

 

[TheArtilleryman]

Zeppelin's versions of whatever old black ass blues songs people claim they stole from now.



As if early 1900s blues musicians didn't all sound the same and the instrumentals weren't simple power chord sequences that you hear everywhere in rock music since Chuck Berry.

 

[Shig O'nella]

Bruce Springstein.

It's not that he's got a bad voice at all, but the covers tend to be better.

Example:

 

[i440BX]

Another example is the excellent classic metal song from Iron Maiden, "Hallowed Be Thy Name," redone by Cradle of Filth.

I like Iron Maiden version a lot more.

Bruce Springstein.

It's not that he's got a bad voice at all, but the covers tend to be better.

Example:

I always found Bruce Springsteen to be mediocre. The only song I liked a lot was "Dancing in the dark".
Though Manfred Mann's Earth Band version is fucking funny, how he says douche instead of deuce.

 

[McMitch]

Alan Parsons basically ripped off Steely Dan created an entire group based around the fact he’s not much as a a singer or musician (not as bad as Dylan but still not amazing).

 

[Londo]

All Along the Watchtower is my example. The Hendrix version is the only version associated in common culture, and Dylan even admitted that Hendrix did the song better.

A lesser known band/song would be this, 'Freaks me Out':

Original:

Cover:

The original has 2k views, compared to the 60k of the cover/remix, and I think most people would agree that the remix as far more in sync with the vocal style of the vocalist.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Alan Parsons basically ripped off Steely Dan created an entire group based around the fact he’s not much as a a singer or musician (not as bad as Dylan but still not amazing).

Isn't the Alan Parsons Project more of a Pink Floyd ripoff, given that he was their sound engineer?

Steely Dan is the GOAT and any nigger who samples them gains IQ points.

 

[oldTireWater]

OP is describing song writers. Sometimes they are good performers but they will always be known for their song writing first. Think Townes Van Zandt.

Bob Dylan isn't exactly Paul Simon but he isn't a bad singer either. He's got a weird voice. There aren't many Dylan covers that I think are better than the original. Dylan will always be known for his versions of the songs not the covers.

A shit voice does not necessarily make a shit singer. See late Tom Waites or John Prine.

 

[McMitch]

Isn't the Alan Parsons Project more of a Pink Floyd ripoff, given that he was their sound engineer?

Steely Dan is the GOAT and any nigger who samples them gains IQ points.

Steely Dan ripped off Brian Wilson by pioneered hiring session musicians to fill out an album, which Alan Parsons further aped. They went well above and beyond what every other musician did by having different session musicians play the same stuff and picking the parts they like.
Rote sampling will always be nigger-tier, if you can’t play the instrument yourself can it really be called music?

 

[Hassou Tobi]

Does Leonard Cohen count for this?

 

[Runescape Sperg]

I will use this post to shamelessly validate my feelings towards Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" being ass. The music video carries that song which otherwise has nothing on the original version

 

[AllieKat]

Willie Nelson had a handful of these

Willie Nelson also has a handful of gold fucking records and iconic songs.

Keep ol Shotgun Willie's name out your mouth OP.

 

[LowlyPheasent]

While I still like the original I think Pearl Jam did a better cover of Love Reign O're Me than The Who did, not sure I'd say it's as much a Bob Dylan effect though.

 

[Jean ValJean]

Fast Car by Luke Combs is much better than the original.

 

[Dysnomia]

Zeppelin's versions of whatever old black ass blues songs people claim they stole from now.

View attachment 6556553

As if early 1900s blues musicians didn't all sound the same and the instrumentals weren't simple power chord sequences that you hear everywhere in rock music since Chuck Berry.

I was listening to the radio on Tuesday night and for the anniversary of Led Zeppelin II they played a few of those songs along with the old blues versions. The issue was that the original artists were not credited. Until the lawsuit this wasn't rectified. Willie Dixon was credited in later releases of Whole Lotta Love.

Robert Plant had this to say:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Lotta_Love#Similarities_to_"You_Need_Love"

Page's riff was Page's riff. It was there before anything else. I just thought, 'well, what am I going to sing?' That was it, a nick. Now happily paid for. At the time, there was a lot of conversation about what to do. It was decided that it was so far away in time and influence that ... well, you only get caught when you're successful. That's the game.

And they were probably high as fuck too. I think it's forgivable since they owned up to it and made things right. But the average kid buying a Zeppelin record in the 60s likely had no idea unless dad had some old blues records laying around. Zeppelin wasn't even the first band to do it. They were just the first to get caught.

 

[AllieKat]

While I still like the original I think Pearl Jam did a better cover of Love Reign O're Me than The Who did, not sure I'd say it's as much a Bob Dylan effect though.

It's funny how the only time Eddie Vedders mush mouth vocals can be heard as actual words is on covers.