"Qué Sera, Sera" by Pink Martini from the album Sympathique. 1997.
There was a time where I'd dismiss any song that was a cover of an old classic (or the one most widely considered so, such as the ever-popular Kingsmen version of Richard Berry and the Pharaohs' "Louie Louie"). I'd like to blame it on childhood ignorance, as that unforgiving attitude set me away from some amazing rewrites. Nowadays thankfully, that stubbornness has evolved into caution. In live concerts especially, covers of other artists' songs can enliven by providing familiarity with a twist. Studio recordings still catch my weary side, however. In most cases, an original song gets released in the style the artist intended it to be in, and any band mirroring that exact sound just shouldn't try to beat the original at its own hand. A copy is still a copy, regardless of a better vocalist or instrumentalist or whatever. In an exaggerated example, you wouldn't take "Anarchy in the U.K." and have Michael Bolton belt out the lyrics because, besides the deadly head-on genre-collision, making the lead singer stronger takes away the grit and appeal of the tune. ..Although, Bolton leading the Sex Pistols would make for quite a show....
