Covers – Weird, Wonderful and Downright Odd

Just like tribute albums, covers are a very special topic – some bands do nothing but copy the original note-for-note, while others are capable of transforming somebody else’s song into their own original number. Here’s a list of curious covers and artists who decided to do their take on songs that we least expected to hear from them:
Entombed covered two songs of interest at once on their 2002 double-CD covers compilation “Satan On Satan Praise The Lord”. Disc 1 includes a cover of “Something I Learned Today” (Husker Du), while disc 2 includes a cover of Unsane’s “Vandal X”. Other bands that got Entombed treatment include Repulsion, SOD, Dwarves, Bob Dylan, MC5, Kiss and Motorhead, among other.
Husker Du did plenty of covers throughout their career and one of the highlights is 60’s classic “Eight Miles High” (Byrds), recreated in a hardcore fashion, with the song featuring almost wordless lyrics sung/screamed by Mould.
Industrial/metal band Strapping Young Lad covered Cop Shoot Cop song “Room 429” on their album “City”, which originally came out in 1997 and was reissued in 2007.
Isis did a cover of Godflesh classic “Streetcleaner”, which originally appeared on their 1999 Sawblade EP (which also featured their cover of Black Sabbath’s “Hand Of Doom”) and then on 2000 7″ split with Pig Destroyer. It was also included on their tenth-anniversary vinyl box-set “Shades Of The Swarm”, which came out on Conspiracy Records in 2008.
Fudge Tunnel did plenty of covers, including a sludgy version of Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” which originally appeared on their 1991 full-legnth “Hate Songs In E Minor” and later on 1992 EP “Teeth”. “Hate Songs In E Minor” also included their cover of Ted Nugent hit “Cat Scratch Fever”. Other bands that they covered include Black Sabbath (Changes) and AC/DC (Problem Child).
Another remarkable cover of Husker Du’s “Something I Learned Today” opens up a 1993 tribute “Du Huskers: Twin Cities Replay Zen Arcade” – its a rather noisy cover from Minneapolis/Fargo, ND trio Hammerhead. Other bands on compilation included Vertigo, Walt Mink, Flour and Arcwelder.
Texas band Pain Teens did a live cover of “Drinking & Driving” (Black Flag) / “I Got A Right” (Stooges) in 1991.  Their version of “I Got A Right” also appears on 1987 cassette-only release “Manmade Disasters” and cassette-only 1990 album “Obliviated”.

Pain Teens – Drinking & Driving / I Got A Right

Husker Du – Eight Miles High (Live, 1987)