Surprising Covers! What makes a great cover record?

[Sherwood]

Recently, whilst building up a playlist of my favourite music covers, I got to thinking about what makes a good cover record. For me, it certainly does not include a slavish replication of the original artist's work. There has to be something new, which if it does not surpass the musical performance of the original artist, at least distinguishes itself as something of merit in its own right. This might entail a superior vocal or instrumental performance. Very occasionally, it might be a superior technical recording of an otherwise good performance.


In most cases, however, I find that I am drawn to covers that reveal a new insight into the lyrics, or which achieve a new level of emotional engagement. What repeatedly surprises me is how often I find myself liking a song that I was previously unimpressed with or even actively disliked.


I would be interested to hear other members thoughts on the subject, and any suggestions for my Surprising Covers Playlist.