Quintet 5: Original vs. Covers

Quintet is a bi-monthly music review of any five songs I happen to come across/stumble upon, or were recommended, any how, any time. Suggestions from readers are most welcome because music deserves to be shared. Let me be your convert or critic.


Music covers are to originals as film adaptations are to books. Some are better than the original but more often than not, the originals and the book are better. It is rare to see movie adaptations better than books. One rare example is the film adaptation of A Good Year which is so much better than the book by Peter Mayle.

The same thing applies to/happens in music. Originals are still better. But today I will post one rare example wherein the covers are better than the original, the case of We Found Love.


Original
The Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris original is good, fun and lively--the way Rihanna songs usually go. Nothing special.

vs.

Covers
I picked the best among the covers I've heard (and seen) and ranked them according to my preference. You may or may not disagree.

#4 Lea Michele and Naya Rivera (and the Glee cast as background vocals) One of the few things I love about Glee is the vocal capacity of its cast. I'm no singer or no music expert (hell, I cannot even pinpoint a dead note from a live one) but I notice that the Glee cast (at least, some of them) really have voice. What makes this cover unique (although it sounds as lively as Rihanna's version) and fun to listen to (and watch) is the video. When I saw the New Directions team up with McKinley's synchronized swimming varsity team and have fun while helping Mr. Schue make Ms. Pilsbury say 'yes' to his proposal made me want to say yes as well--as if it was I who's being asked. Listening to this song makes me want to dance, even if I am not good at all. Ha ha ha.


#3 Anj Sulit I stumbled upon this YouTube wonder when a friend posted on Facebook a link to YouTube of her cover of Up Dharma Down's Tadhana. I listened to all her covers, and her covers of Tadhana and We Found Love stood out. Her version of  We Found Love stands out from the other artists' covers because: a) I'm partial to women guitar-strumming singers; b) she has wonderful voice; c) it is different from Rihanna's upbeat version; and d) listening to her sing is like listening to your friend (be it a boy or a girl) sing to you about finding love in a hopeless place.


#2 Coldplay I like this cover because it's completely different from Rihanna's. Chris Martin's voice is a stark, refreshing contrast to Rihanna's. The guitars is also fantastic. And, hello, it's Coldplay, need I say more?


#1 Boyce Avenue For me, this is the best cover because it's really different from Rihanna's, which I am not fond of. I loved the focus on the piano and vocals. I don't know if Boyce Avenue does nothing but covers but judging by the 148 videos (all covers) on their YouTube page, I guess they're really pros when it comes to covers.


The Verdict: Covers win


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You may want to read:


Quintet 1: Music to my ears
Quintet 2: Holy Week Playlist
Quintet 3: GLEE-king Out
Quintet 4: Radio