It's back! By popular demand the return of the interactive compare and contrast Covers series. This time round and again by popular demand (you know who you are!) the featured artist is Bruce Springsteen.
Like Dylan, the Boss has fans and those who can't stand him in equal measure so this could be fun. First to five or maybe even first to ten we'll see how we go.
Let's start with a fairly obvious one with Tougher than the Rest the biggest hit from Bruce's Tunnel of Love album from 1987.It's New Jersey versus Hull as the challengers are Everything But the Girl with their version from their 1992 Covers E.P.
Tunnel of Love for me is not one of his better albums and it is not one that I listen to all that often. For me the EBTG version is the superior one.
As before others may choose to differ
Bruce Springsteen - Tougher Than the Rest
Everything But The Girl - Tougher Than the Rest
I love this song. Got to be Springsteen here but Camera Obscura do an excellent miserable cover of this https://app.box.com/s/zuqg69mq6e2eslexvbbzdy9z0ypokter.
ReplyDeleteThe Mendoza Line also do a passable version but the one by the Wave Pictures was really disappointing.
I don't like Bruce Springsteen.
ReplyDeleteProbably better to avoid this place for the next few Saturday's then Adam!
DeleteI'm looking forward to this series. I hope it's a "first to ten" one. And I will be listening to both tracks each week. This week my vote is going to Everything But The Girl, the production of the Springsteen version seems too over the top compared with EBTG. I could, though listen to the original more than once, it's not too bad.
ReplyDeleteMy only issue with Springsteen's original is the late 1980's aural sheen that coats it. Bruce's actual performance is perfectly pitched though, whereas I find EBTG's interpretation pleasant, but a little drab. 1-0 to Bruce from the Swede jury.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Springsteen either. Curious to know, though, if I might like any of the covers even less - it could happen! However, definitely not in this case. EBTG for me.
ReplyDeleteI love Tracey Thorns voice but don't like EBTG. I recommend her recent book as well. But I'm still going to vote for Bruce here. Swc.
ReplyDelete1 in the win column for EBTG here. Sometimes you hear a cover of a song and the fact that it's a cover escapes your thoughts because the cover can stand so well on its own. We have that with Tougher Than The Rest. The arrangement and Tracey's performance hark back to a Guthrie/Seeger sound with elements of Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline for these ears.
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ReplyDeleteEBTG for me. Tracey is a cover queen.
ReplyDeleteCan I vote for a no-score draw?
ReplyDeletePS Not wanting to get ahead of ourselves, but I have an ever so slightly bonkers version of 'Hungry Heart' by Swamp Dogg if you need it.
ReplyDeleteI might take you up on that Ernie
DeleteOn its way...
DeleteGood man
DeleteOh good - another compare and contract covers series - Thoroly (I'm catching up) enjoyed the last one and led me to listen to a lot more Bob than I had in years. Not a massive Bruce fan at all so it will be interesting to see how the cover versions pan out - Will Bruce trump any of them for me.
ReplyDeleteThis week it has to be EBTG as I absolutely love Tracey Thorn's voice but look forward to the series.
Late to the party, but no contest for me. Tunnel is one of my top 3 Springsteen albums, made all the more special because it was the first I bought on the day it came out. The production does date it, in a way that can't be said for any of his earlier albums, but considering the sins of the late 80s, there are far worse production jobs out there. Lyrically though, it's possibly his most personal collection of songs and that shows in his performance, as The Swede so ably puts it (in far less words than me).
ReplyDeleteI suspect my vote will be the same on this one every week, but I stand to be proven wrong.
What Swiss Adam said.......
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