Tune du Jour: “Better Things” – The Kinks
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Marky Ramone and The Intruders vs. Dar Williams vs. Pearl Jam vs. Fountains of Wayne
VOTE, COMMENT, then DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF
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Probably my favorite song by The Kinks. So simple yet so perfect.
The Original
The Kinks:
Truly Great Version
Ray Davies and Bruce Springsteen:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Some really nice covers of what I would consider a somewhat obscure gem of The Kinks. Not easy whittling it down to four.
Marky Ramone and The Intruders vs. Dar Williams vs. Pearl Jam vs. Fountains of Wayne
Marky Ramone and The Intruders:
Dar Williams:
Pearl Jam:
Fountains of Wayne:
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 
Well, it’s no secret that The Kinks are my favorite band. Although, I have to admit, with sadness and some reluctance, that their material hasn’t aged as well as some other artists from that era. Their theatrical stuff, which I liked well enough back in the day when I was obsessed with them, is difficult to connect with now. Preservation Act 1 and (especially) 2, are a tough listen these days. Their earlier stuff, though (from Something Else through Lola vs. Powerman) are as brilliant as they come. But anyway…
This song is a nice song, from an okay album. Not a huge fave of mine, but you certainly gotta love the sentiment. I think the quality of the covers increases as you go down the list. Marky Ramone’s version is meh. Dar Williams’s version is really sweet and earnest; she has a great voice. I had no idea Pearl Jam did this song, and I like their version, but I actually think it’s too rocking. Fountains of Wayne hit the sweet spot. They got my vote this time.
Cannot fully describe just how much I love this beautiful song. Perfect in every way!!!
All are fine covers, but Fountains of Wayne’s version falls only a few notches below the brilliance of the original.
For those of you who are not familiar the Fountains of Wayne album by the odd title, “Welcome Interstate Managers”, do yourself a favor and rush to get it. Just a wonderfully fun album. And after being blown away by it, check out the great Robbie Fulks’ song of honor, “Fountains of Wayne Hotline”.
Sadly, I caught the Fountains of Wayne train late and never had the chance to see them. They toured with Soul Asylum and Evan Dando in 2013 and how I would have loved to have caught one of those shows. Such an underappreciated band.
Still immensely saddened that we lost Adam Schlesinger to Covid. Quite the creative talent …
Great song and all contestants brought game. I was very impressed with Marky Ramone & The Intruders. They deserved consideration. I haven’t heard long time folkie Dar Williams play such a punchy song before. Well done. Pearl Jam put forth a sincere and muscular version. I think this is the best track I’ve heard from Fountains Of Wayne. It was a favorite since I first heard this Kinks tribute album. Everyone was very good but FOW was almost perfect.