Cover to Cover

As we've already established, I'm a bit of a Gleek.  I have no issues admitting this, since it's part of who I am, and I can't really control what I like or don't like.

So while watching last night's episode, I couldn't help that I was practically drooling when Jesse showed up for a duet of Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" with Rachel.  Seriously.  My husband kept laughing at me because I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, and I was in my own little happy world of Glee-ness (which sounds dirtier than it is, I assure you).  

Of course I had to find the song on youtube this morning to indulge myself again, and found TONS of nasty comments on it.  "You have murdered this song, so let's murder Glee," one says.  Another says, "Ohh god..They Burned tortured and killed that song."  

Now hold on a minute, kids.  First, I have to tell you that I LOVE Adele and her original version of this song.  Her voice is amazing, and she rocks anything she sings in a big way.  But does that mean I'm not allowed to gush over the Glee version?

When I was a kid, I remember my dad telling me that if an artist or band did a cover of a song, they had better put their own twist on it, or else it wasn't worth doing.  Indeed, if all covers were done exactly like the original versions, there would be no point at all.  Booooooring.

And though the original version is better 99.9% of the time, remakes can be amazing, too (UB40's "Red, Red Wine" anyone?)!  The whole point of the cover is to take an already established song and breathe new life into it, or pay homage to it in some other way.  To compare an original and a remake is like comparing apples to oranges.  Sure, they're both tasty, nutritious fruits, but I love them both.  And there's nothing wrong with that.   

Are some covers crappy?  Abso-fucking-lutely.  Madonna's "American Pie" makes me want to gouge my eardrums out.  And while many have tried, there is no version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that holds a candle to Judy's (though, I do love the version by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole').  It happens.

So when someone says that Glee has "ruined" a song, I just have to wonder how they figure it has been ruined.  It's their own take on the song, and while you don't have to like it, it's just not right to say that it's terrible because it's different from the original version.