Smokin' In The Boy's Room

Original - Brownsville Station
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9zWw0Ru28w

Cover - Motley Crue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3H7oanysGg

Not even close. The original is a rock classic. The cover is a nice homage to the original, but still just an homage at best.


Brownsville Station

This just about says it for me. My issue is that I think the cover is perhaps a bit too much of an homage. The trick to a good cover is doing something that makes the piece your own. The trick to a *great* cover is interpreting the source material in a way that the original artist could not have envisioned him- or herself - either due to different vocal abilities, evolving musical trends, or intangibles like personality (Johnny Cash's "Hurt" and Tom Jones/Art of Noise's "Kiss" are prime examples of this). Brownsville Station for me.

I was going to vote for Motley Crue without listening to Brownsville Station. But I'm glad I didn't. Motley didn't really improve on anything. When I saw song post it was more of a homage, I had to give the original a listen. Now, I'm going to have to give some more Brownsville a shot.

Brownsville Station.

This

and this

and this too

Brownsville Station for me as well

I wonder if anyone covered Martian Boogie. And the Station covered the awesomeness of Barefootin' - The only clip I could find for Barefootin' was as a live version with Smoking In the Boys Room playing first.

Eh, Ill throw in the lone vote for Motley Crue here.

What a surprise!

All that Motley Crue did was turn up the volume.

Brownsville Station.

My vote's for the classic Brownsville Station. When I want Motley Crue I'll turn to Wild Side instead.

Brownsville Station for me, too.

Well, I could vote easily for the original here, but in honor of my nephew who's the drummer for Theatre of Pain, the very fine Motley Crue tribute band...

The Cover -- Motley Crue, please!

I suppose I'll vote Brownsville Station for reasons pretty much already stated.

Brownsville Station-Smokin in the Boy's Room.

Never loved this song, but always reminds me of the chemistry teacher from Trezevant High in Memphis in the 10th grade. He would join us "Smokin in the Boy's Room", and never turned anyone in. I'm pretty sure in addition to smokin, he was also drinkin a bit in the chemistry lab, right across the hall, and a mile from the teacher's lounge. Probably figured if he turned anyone in, that part would backfire badly. Or maybe he was just a bad role model. At least we had enough sense to do our drinking in the nearby woods between classes. Yes, I used to be a bad seed, way back in the good old days. Now I'm always the designated driver, because I rarely ever touch anything "liberating". Never can tell how things will turn out!!!

Motley Crue in a hopeless cause...