Tune du Jour: “Hurt” – Nine Inch Nails
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Eddie Vedder vs. Johnny Cash vs. Puddles Pity Party
VOTE, COMMENT, then DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF
CoverMeImpressed.blog CoverMeImpressed.blog CoverMeImpressed.blog
The Original
Nine Inch Nails:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Eddie Vedder vs. Johnny Cash vs. Puddles Pity Party
Eddie Vedder:
Johnny Cash:
Puddles Pity Party:
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 
Nothing wrong with Vedder and Geier’s covers but Johnny’s version is far superior to either as well as easily surpassing the original.
All top notch covers today. They all crush the original. I have found an appreciation for Eddie Vedder’s solo music that I could not cultivate for Pearl Jam. He acquits himself well here as does the very consistent Puddly One. His crown was oddly large here. But John R Cash owns this song and the brilliant video makes it a 500 foot home run. Rick Rubin rejuvenated Cash’s career and The American Recordings series is my favorite of his long musical life. This is the apex of that era. Brilliant!
Johnny Cash is a Hall of Famer, of course, and his extraordinary recording career spanned almost half a century. Having said that, for my money, the final half dozen albums, the “American Recordings” series are the cream of the crop. When I first read he was being produced by Rick Rubin, I was intrigued. But the direct, stripped down approach with just Cash and a microphone produced a sound that hit harder than anything I’d heard from The Man in Black. Late in life, Cash sang with a gravitas he couldn’t have matched as a younger man.
Cash’s cover of “Hurt” may well be the best of the lot. When I first saw the video I was floored. That’s gotta be my favorite Cash song.
I echo your sentiments, Kerry. So many of the American Recordings covers exceed the originals. My personal favorite of the series is American III: Solitary Man. I Won’t Back Down, Solitary Man, One, The Mercy Seat, all just fantastic covers. One is one of my favorite songs of all time and Johnny’s cover just might eclipse U2’s masterpiece.
I echo the sentiments above. The moment I saw that Cash’s cover was included in the three, there was almost no point in listening to the others (although I did). As for the others, <insert generic comment about Puddles great voice/stupid outfit>. I have loved Pearl Jam since Day One, and Eddie’s voice is one of my favorites in rock n roll. Pearl Jam/Eddie do a lot of covers, and they do them well. I especially like their You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away, and also Public Image. This version of Hurt by Eddie didn’t floor me. He never hit those high notes and belted it out. Meanwhile, Cash owns this cover the way Hendrix owns Watchtower. I have all of those American Recordings, and after Solitary Man, this song is my fave of his.