General Music Chat

Think if Led Zepplin, The Stones, or The Who were content on playing covers and never tried originals.

Im not sure that there is anyone out there that is content with playing covers and "never" trying originals.
Led Zepplin played lots of covers. As did the rolling stones, and the Beatles.
I think most people play cover songs because they were fans of music first in life, and usicians later.

Stone Temple Pilots was a cover band, and would say that they 'made it'.

I took the fuse outta my car so I COULDN'T hear the radio...it does affect my muse.

I hear music in my head all the time, but it's usually not worthy of repeating to anyone. (I think it's the next best thing to hearing voices!) But occasionally I get a melody, or an interesting chord progression, that sends me to my guitar or keyboard to work on it further.

The only thing is...one song will be blues, the very next will be bluegrass, or new age or art rock or something.

I've been told I'm "too all over the place" (hence my other thread on that very subject), that I need to settle into a single genre.

To that I say harrumph!!

I DO think it's true that a modern-day Paul Simon or Beatles or James Taylor would have a very difficult time "making it" in today's market. The music world seems all too eager to pidgeonhole you into a particular brand of music, & if you don't fit into it consistently, then you're going to have a harder time selling your wares.

I sent a few recordings off to a producer in Nashville. What I got in return surprized me. He said that he only produces "Delta Blues" (his caps). Not blues in general, mind you, only that one form.

I see it in all the stuff that's out there today. There seems to be an audience for one thing, & only one thing, in the minds of the music industry. If the artist tries to spread his wings, the powers that be stop it, presumably because the audience is too slow to be able to catch onto the fact that the artist may be multi-faceted.

This is why I think the best and most eclectic stuff is coming from indie labels these days, cuz the major record companies are yoo narrow-minded to let ALL the music out there from any particular artist.

I've played many a night with nothing but my songs, & it was most rewarding. I also know a whole buncha covers, & play them when I'm in the mood. I've gotten to be well known in my small area for coming up with good stuff, but it took a long time to get that rep.

The covers I play are as mixed up in musical types as my originals, so when I slip my stuff in I often hear ppl ask me who wrote it & where they can buy a particular song.

Makes me feel goodly, it does.

We've got sooo many freakin' gigs lined up and go through personell changes soo much in between that we can't even try to get any originals done at the moment!

This is just the view of a chick who likes music and playing a little bit of her own.

Everyone loves what they are already used to.
No matter how big a band may get... fans will usually still love to hear their take on an already great song made by someone else.

Take a fairly a huge band today in the metal scene, Children of Bodom.
They have at least 4 or 5 very well known, to those who listen, full length albums.
They could do an entire 2 hour set and hold every kids attention every moment along the way. And the kids will be going nuts the entire time.
But every once and awhile, they will throw in a Slayer song near the end of the set.
Even though the kids love nearly every single original song this band does, when that first Slayer guitar riff gets out... I don't know what else to say, but f**k man! The place, that was already pretty damn nuts since the beginning, EXPLODES with even more intensity.

You know it takes an unimaginable amount of effort to get people to like music they just don't already know. And when a band or musician can pull off having a few fans because of their original stuff, that has got to be a great feeling.
Many people, I can totally understand, just do not want to play cover songs. They are out there playing their instrument/music the way that they want it to sound. To be able to say "This is my stuff. I wrote it, I play it, it is all mine." There just is not much else that makes someone feel so good about the things they do.

I can see cover/tribute bands being a really good idea for locations that are more isolated from the big concert scenes. You know, towns that will never get the chance to have their favourite bands come to play.

As far as bands that want to get known for their own music, it is just really tough to stand out. If they want to be taken as serious musicians and more importantly writers, playing covers will be something they really have to consider.

It is a really tough balance I bet, for most bands to decide what to do about it. I think it is perfectly cool for a band to throw a couple covers into the set. But a line has to be made. If 50% of the material is not originals, they may just want to consider becoming a full on cover/tribute band.

There is a lot of truth to that. Every great band I can think of either does now, or at one time, played a few covers of others' material as part of their show. But you know, they aren't just reproducing it. They make it their own in a way, part of their expression. They do it in their way which makes it shine all over again. and as a supplement to their original voice.

That is the big difference between them and a simple cover band. From my experience, a cover band has no true, powerful voice of their own. They are an accomplished (to varying degrees) sketch pad upon which they draw the masterpieces of others.

If Y'all want to hear one of the best covers that I ever heard on this forum, check ot Lucy Atkins on the Brit board. At fist I though she was cheatin' playin the Pretenders version!