Sympathy For The Devil - Stones Vs GN'R

[mikeman5150]

I prefer GNR, but as amazing as I think Axl’s vocals are, it sounds to me like his voice changed since UYI and the TSI. At the end when he’s really screaming and swinging for the fences, something just sounds weaker to me. Similar to how he sounds at the end of sweet child 99’. Still powerful, but somewhat weaker. Hard to pinpoint what I mean, but it just sounds to me like that was less about “the sound of the band breaking up” and more about the beginning of all the different Axl’s voice threads we’ve had over the years

[Nice Boy]

I really don’t like the GnR version. Not just the whole sound of band breaking up / end of era thing, but just sonically it doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t think Axl sounds good on it, compared to Stones.

Ironic really because I think he absolutely shits on Jagger in the Salt of the Earth performance !

[jamillos]

8 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

 

They played it a couple times in 2006, once with Izzy and once acoustic.

Are there any vocals? Gonna have to look it up. 

[jimisbatman]

Stones version by ffffaaaaaarrrrrr. Sonically, just sounds better

[RussTCB]

6 hours ago, jimisbatman said:

Stones version by ffffaaaaaarrrrrr. Sonically, just sounds better

We talked a little about the sonici quality on the episode. The GNR version has several decades of recording improvement to benefit from. 

[Bitchisback]

The guns version is a little too straightforward so it's a little boring to me, so I roll with the original but the GnR version is very good.  The fact that it can even be brought up for debate shows how good it really is.

 

Sometimes I forget they even covered this one truthfully lol

[Free Bird]

You have to give credit to The Stones for writing such a masterpeace.

[thunderram]

On 5/23/2022 at 8:41 AM, Rovim said:

And it just comes off as a misinterpretation of a classic. 

You’re drastically over analyzing things.

There’s no “interpretation” going on, whatsoever. It isn’t some Edgar Allan Poe poem.

Its just a group of guys performing a song they like by another group that inspired most if not all of them. And then performing the song in their own unique style and sound.

It’s as simple as that.

As a fan, you can take it or leave it. Sounds like you’re part of the leave it crowd. There are greater tragedies in the world.

 

[Rovim]

21 minutes ago, thunderram said:

You’re drastically over analyzing things.

There’s no “interpretation” going on, whatsoever. It isn’t some Edgar Allan Poe poem.

Its just a group of guys performing a song they like by another group that inspired most if not all of them. And then performing the song in their own unique style and sound.

It’s as simple as that.

As a fan, you can take it or leave it. Sounds like you’re part of the leave it crowd. There are greater tragedies in the world.

 

every cover song is an interpretation though, music is the product of an artistic process as well. I don't feel like I over analyzed it in my post but this is a Gn'R forum and SFTD is also a Gn'R cover so seems appropriate to share thoughts about it no? the existence of this cover is a good thing imo, cause a lot of fans still enjoy listening to it.

greater tragedies in the world are not relevant to this discussion. "there are more important issues in the world" is not a reason to change my behavior when it comes to shit like music discussion.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Rovim

[axl666]

I prefer the gnr version but it's a bit like living on the edge by Aerosmith for me. Both are great songs until a huge minutes long outro solo. I intellectually admire the outro solos but also find them a bit boring tbh. 

I've said it before but it would have been great to have captured an album with axls voice from around this and the oh my god period. The very powerful distortion in his voice was beginning to fade, but his voice itself was very powerful.

Edited May 26, 2022 by axl666

[sackxl]

On 5/23/2022 at 7:04 AM, BangoSkank said:

I've never been a huge Stones fan (blasphemy, I know), but I think the Guns version is just objectively better. While the Stones one does sound more sinister, the Guns version has everyone sounding in top form - the build on Axl's voice to where he's unleashing at the end, Slash's ripping it at the same time - just awesome. I think the song works really well for Axl's baritone too.

As an aside, it's always had a tinge of sad irony to it because they were initially heralded as "The next Rolling Stones" and for this to be one of the last things they did as a band just has a sting to it.

Hell yeah Slash goes total caveman in the solo section!

[jamillos]

I consider it their best cover...

[fabrph5]

Subjectively speaking, I truly believe the GnR version is way better, along with their version of hair of the dog and KOHD.  The songs have way more energy

Edited May 28, 2022 by fabrph5

[RussTCB]

6 hours ago, jamillos said:

I consider it their best cover...

I never thought about it but I probably agree with you. 

[Powderfinger]

 

 

If you compare GnRs version to the Stones Studio version, stones win, if you compare GnRs version to the live Stones version on YaYas, The Stones win by a landslide. Richards & Taylor’s solos are killer. 

[Free Bird]

9 hours ago, fabrph5 said:

Objectively speaking, I truly believe the GnR version is way better, along with their version of hair of the dog and KOHD.  The songs have way more energy

There ain't such things like objectivity when we're talking about art and taste. It's always subjective.

[fabrph5]

14 hours ago, Free Bird said:

There ain't such things like objectivity when we're talking about art and taste. It's always subjective.

thats what happens when you are working on 1 screen and reading about GnR on another.  you are correct, I changed it

[jimisbatman]

On 5/26/2022 at 5:50 AM, RussTCB said:

We talked a little about the sonici quality on the episode. The GNR version has several decades of recording improvement to benefit from. 

Ok, but I was of the opinion the stones version is better and GNR's version is to sterile, and generally a bad song for them to cover, in my opinion. Another good one would be to see what people think of Live and Let Die and see if they prefer original or cover.

[RussTCB]

6 hours ago, jimisbatman said:

Ok, but I was of the opinion the stones version is better and GNR's version is to sterile, and generally a bad song for them to cover, in my opinion. Another good one would be to see what people think of Live and Let Die and see if they prefer original or cover.

Live And Let Die is on the list for us to do an episode about eventually. We've got a long list of artists and songs we're going to cover for that series. 

[Free Bird]

9 hours ago, jimisbatman said:

Ok, but I was of the opinion the stones version is better and GNR's version is to sterile, and generally a bad song for them to cover, in my opinion. Another good one would be to see what people think of Live and Let Die and see if they prefer original or cover.

LALD is one of my least favorite songs on the Illusions and I never felt the need to discover the original track.

[TheGeneral]

What I really, really love about the GNR version is how the song really picks up from the "I watched with glee ..." line onwards. It's something that should be in all versions of the song as it just makes it better IMO.

And I have to say, I'm usually somebody that doesn't care that much about this stuff, but I really like the newer production sound much more on this song. Ozzy's and GNR's versions just sound more complete because it's newer.

 

(By the way, anybody else love the guitar in the Ozzy version, especially during the chorus?)

[Powderfinger]

Funny thing is the Stones now play a version closer to the GnR version. The chorus hits hard live.