A couple days late of the 30th anniversary of his death, but with added feeling:
1. Jealous Guy – The Faces. Rockin’ Rod and crew proved their impeccable taste in solo-Beatles when they followed up their brilliant cover of “Maybe I’m Amazed” with an equally brilliant version of “Jealous Guy”:
2&3. Come Together. One of my least favorite Lennon songs has inexplicably been given the deluxe treatment by not one but three of my heroes. Of special note is the fact that in 1994 it marked Axl’s final public appearance before disappearing for six years.
A few years before in the Moonwalker movie, Michael Jackson also paid tribute in a disappointingly faithful but still pretty fun (if completely misread) version:
4. Nowhere Man – Paul Westerberg. About 100x better song (and cover) than “Come Together,” some might argue that this Paul was the real American heir to Lennon’s heart-on-sleeve vulnerability and connective genius.
5. I’m Losing You – Lennon with Cheap Trick. Not strictly a cover, but a posthumous video for the version that he recorded with them before his death. Why he didn’t release this is beyond me.
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2 responses to “5.5. Covers in Remembrance of John Lennon”
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DZ
In 1985, the Mats started playing "Nowhere Man" in live shows. It was the crowning cover of the Let It Be->Tim era. It is full-tilt rock stagger in a manner that only they can pull off, and it deeply confirms your instinct about Westerberg and the inheritance of a certain aspect of Lennon's vibe. If you have the means (and you do), I highly recommend picking one up.
-c.
Awesome! I was not aware of it. Will definitely look and see what i can find.
A couple more honorable mentions are Dillard&Clark's version of "Don't Let Me Down" and Oasis' "I Am The Walrus".