Bad Copy

This is something new that I decided to try out with Radio Unfriendly and see how it goes. I am going to write about songs that have been covered and talk a little bit about them. This will be a work in progress and I’m not sure exactly how it will go and what all I will have to say about the songs. I have been thinking about this for a while but just never bothered to pull the trigger.

Let me know what you think in the comments. What works? What doesn’t work?

For this first try I’m going to talk about the song “Like a Prayer.” Why did I pick this one? I have no idea. I just heard the cover version recently and thought I’d go ahead and start this thing off. So here goes…

The Original:

Performed by Madonna Released in March 1989. It was the lead single for Madonna’s album of the same name which was released on March 21st by Sire Records. The music was composed by Patrick Leonard with Madonna herself supplying the lyrics.

The Cover:

Performed by The Rondelles. The Rondelles were an indie rock band from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The song is from their April 2001 compilation album Shined Nickels and Loose Change.

The Verdict:

It’s hard to beat the original. The arrangement is spectacular. The mix of genres was compelling. And Madonna’s voice is a little haunting in it. But in a good way. The cover is a somewhat more stripped down version but still really good in its own right. It has a great ’90s infused indie rock feel to it. So if you’re not a fan of Madonna in general and are wanting a good indie rock version, I’d say go with The Rondelles but honestly I have to go with the original personally. Which one do you prefer?

So there you go. I have some ideas for some others that I want to feature but I’d like to get some feedback on this one before I do that. I want to know what works and what doesn’t. Any suggestions for improvement would be much appreciated.

See you next time!