Recommended by Eternal Rage

Simple Man

Original - Lynyrd Skynyrd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFl0nlHaWa4

Cover - Shinedown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgFQ6WmxdMs

I used to have this on the Shinedown Live from the Inside DVD, and they teach the boys from Skyntrd how this song should be played. They rock it, they play it with fierce emotion and in the end, they own it.

My issue with the cover is that the singer overpowers the music. The skynyrd version is the perfect blend. Lynyrd Skynyrd for me.

I love Skynyrd, but, as the Guru stated, Shinedown made this their song. I generally don't like remakes of LS songs, but this is a shining example of how to do it right.(no pun intended)

In fact, their latest album in the only album, outside of metal, I can listen too, all the way through, in one sitting.

Shinedown grabbed me in a way that Skynyrd didn't.

That's pretty much my own thought. Lynyrd Skynyrd is more than a singer, but is a package. And even though the singer for Shinedown (a band that is awesome in my opnion) is powerful, and is really on point, Lynyrd Skynyrd's total presentation on Simple Man is just better, in my humble opinion. I don't really think Shinedown showed Lynyrd Skynyrd how this song should be done, but did show them a single voice that does a great job with the song. But I think Shinedown, as a band, could have done this much better. But stripping it down to basically a single voice doesn't make the best version here. Two great versions, yes, but Lynyrd Skynyrd did it right.

I prefer the original by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I think Im going with Lynyrd Skynyrd here, though it was a close match for me.

Shinedown for me.

Well, I appreciated the fact that Shinedown clearly understood that they were working with a very special piece of music - something that they obviously respected and valued. And they didn't fall into the trap that many of these cover artists do of trying to be more "Skynyrd" than Skynyrd. Still, I find the same fault with at least this mix of the song in that the vocal just tramples all over the harmony and melody - something Skynyrd never did no matter how loud they got.

the Original gets my vote.

I'm sticking with the original and the Ronnie Van Zandt for this.

It's a close one for me but ... play some Skynyrd!

I'm thinking it's not really very close at all. Skynyrd with the original. I generally don't like a lot of Skynyrd, but Simple Man, to me is their very best song, and one of my favorite songs ever. As others have stated, Shinedown might own their version of the song, but it really is nothing like the original, nowhere near as enjoyable, and reminded me of some American Idol wannabe. Sorry Shinedown fans, but yuck. Not this song. RVZ and Skynyrd FTW...

Well, I see and hear the good points of the cover, but still...

The Original -- Lynyrd Skynyrd, please!