Tune du Jour: “Fall On Me” – R.E.M.
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: Death Cab for Cutie vs. The Pickin’ On Players vs. Cry Cry Cry vs. Furthermore
VOTE, COMMENT, then DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF
CoverMeImpressed.blog CoverMeImpressed.blog CoverMeImpressed.blog
So many great ones to consider but this is my All-Time Favorite R.E.M. song!
The Original
R.E.M.:
Unplugged:
Huh! Michael Stipe agrees with me!!!
There’s also an a cappella version of this song. Usually I would include something like that in the post. But I don’t like it much so, considering it is my blog, I have chosen not to include it.
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
Death Cab for Cutie vs. The Pickin’ On Players vs. Cry Cry Cry vs. Furthermore
Death Cab for Cutie:
The Pickin’ On Players:
Cry Cry Cry:
Furthermore:
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 
Wow! Such a beautiful song!!!
Death Cab for Cutie does an impressive replica. Nothing creative here but, perhaps for such a gem, straying too far from the original is not the best course to take.
The bluegrass pickers deliver an eminently pleasant version but the lyrics of this song are so integral that they really cannot be eliminated while doing the song justice. (And yes, Arnie, I know that this version is ripping the heart out of you 🙂 )
Cry, Cry, Cry (Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplanski and Dar Williams on lead vocals) harmonize nicely. Good cover.
Furthermore, obviously elects to totally reinvent the song. While I commend them for trying something different, it doesn’t sit well with me. Perhaps if it was their own original I would have liked it better.
It came down to Death Cab for Cutie or Cry, Cry, Cry for me. Ben Gibbard does a very credible job of emulating Stipe’s beautiful voice but I kinda prefer the melodic harmonies of Williams, Kaplanski and Shindell, who, while not trying to exactly replicate the original remain obviously reverent.
Cry, Cry, Cry … Wins, Wins, Wins …
I voted Death Cab For Cutie. I had seen their name around for years, but didn’t know their stuff. Then in ’09 Ben Gibbard released an album with Jay Farrar (one of my favorite artists) that really blew me away. I ended up buying a couple more titles by Ben, and I love his voice.
As for The Pickin’ On Players, I always love me some acoustic string music, but the instrumental treatment was not quite enough for the vote today.
Cry, Cry, Cry was good but not particularly remarkable. I remember telling Dubbs years ago that I had three different songs in my collection titled “Cry, Cry, Cry” that were wholly unrelated except for the shared title. He replied he wasn’t surprised given the preponderance of country and country-adjacent material in question. So apparently there’s now a band bearing the same name.
Furthermore gets a point or two for changing it up with added percussion, but is ultimately a distant fourth place today.