Tune du Jour: “Route 66” – The King Cole Trio
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Tom Petty vs. The Replacements vs. Billy Bragg
VOTE, COMMENT, then DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF
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The Original
The King Cole Trio:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Tom Petty vs. The Replacements vs. Billy Bragg
Tom Petty:
The Replacements:
Billy Bragg:
SPACE
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On!??!
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
This one I find particularly hard to choose. I love all three renditions. Petty and The Replacements both do excellent rock versions. So much energy and they are obviously having a lot of fun. But in the end I gave my vote to Mr Bragg. His British reinvention is pitch perfect, creative, enthusiastic and a celebration of the original. And he certainly sounds like he is having a lot of fun throwing it down.
All three versions were good, but I ended up going with Petty. This really is his kind of song, and they sound like they’re having a blast. Kudos to Bragg for his boldly different rendition.
I voted Billy Bragg.
I read his liner notes years ago. He recalled hearing this song as a youngster in England, about all the fascinating and glamorous must-see travel destinations in the good ole U.S. of A.
As an adult, Bragg was able to visit the states only to discover that it was all a cruel joke. Joplin, Amarillo, Flagstaff, Gallup, and Barstow ain’t necessarily all that.
I’ve been to, and even stayed overnight in several of the locations mentioned, but only because it was en route to my real destination.
Bragg got his humorous revenge by tracing an imaginary trip through East London on out to the sea, being sure to mention the type of hot spots that’ll make one long for fricken “San Ber’dino”.
Zappa did a song about San Ber’dino, but it wasn’t an attempt to lure hapless tourists from the U.K.
Great background, Kerry!
Upon listening to The Replacements my first thought was competent but unremarkable. How very un Replacement-like. The Mats on autopilot. Kinda reminded me of The Stones albums tracks Goat’s Head/Only R&R/Black &Blue era. Not at their best. Probably never considered for inclusion. Young Billy Bragg at his most feral. I thought it took 45 seconds to gel but then he was manic. Playing guitar like a Hun and yelping like a dingo on speed. I voted Heartbreakers. This seemed seamless for them. The Chuck Berry guitars, Benmont adding the piano flourishes. Cozine and I went to see The Replacements open for Petty in ‘91. The Mats played while most were slowly being seated and ignoring them although there were pockets going crazy. We got irked and left after a few minutes of Petty. I really regret that. I’d like to see that show now.
3 fantastic versions of a great original. Flip a coin.
Hey now,
that was quite a 1-2-3-4 punch!
Truly loved em all, dont know if any of the covers could have topped that ol smoothy Mr Cole, but they came pretty durned close.
I’m an unapologetic Petty fanatic, and I never heard Billy hit a wrong note or theme, but something about that Replacement sound just can’t be replaced.
Although I couldn’t give TP the nod on this bit, I do believe he is a bit under appreciated and not give due credit for his more reflective poetic songwriting chops. His impressive list of blockbuster hits seems to define his career, and I love em all, but lost in the mix are the many more low key acoustic gems that never got the airplay… Angel Dream 2, You and Me, Room at The Top , just to name a few
But my hands down favorite is a perfectly-crafted and almost heartbreaking acoustic number, I Forgive it All, recorded with Mudcrutch around 2016, and not long before his passing. Every time i listen to it I have to wonder if he didn’t suspect his hourglass was getting a little thin on the sand. Conjures up images of Robert Duvall in Lonesome Dove, Tender Mercies.
One of those, “Goddammit, why can’t I write just one half as good as that sonuvabitch!”