"Plugged" v. Unplugged

[NightShiftLoser]

Quick shout-out to CH David for the series idea.

The idea is pretty simple. It's not rare to see bands come out with a song, see it get huge, and then go ahead and record it acoustically. For the series (if this works), I want you to compare the original version of the song against the acoustic version by the same band.

I'll start with one from my favorite band, In This Moment, just to give you guys an idea, and see how this works. The song Lost At Sea is a fan favorite, and is probably the loudest song on the CD, but In This Moment added a video of them playing some songs acoustic at a show. I can't find the show on YouTube, so deal with them playing it at a radio station.

The Original:

The Cover:

It's tough to judge that acoustic version, but it's all I can find, and it still sounds good. Even knowing the original acoustic recording, I still have to go with the original here. It has the same emotion as the acoustic version, which is rare, and the music just makes it that much better. I like the flow of it, and I love her voice (I always do, but especially in this song).

So, what do you think? Also, if you like the idea, feel free to steal the idea, or let me know and I'll make more

[CH David]

Thanks for the shout out NSL. I enjoy a good acoustic version myself. So I fully agree. Hopefully a thread like this gets stickied, so many acoustic versions.

Great song, and both versions are awesome. For this one, I think the original version takes it. Like you said, the same emotion is there, and the sound of the of the instruments make it that much better. I can't really add much to it, so I will reiterate, the original has a very good flow, the sound is great, and it just takes the cake on this one.

[Nitafrong]

Never actually heard of In this Moment before- but I notice that I have rairly heard of the bands you mention NSL. I think I need more music education As to the song you posted- that acoustic version is pretty good, she sings well without the backup of the amped up sound. Probably still go for the origonal though.

Generally I think that most accoustic versions aren't needed especially when used by cover band. Covering a popular fast song and making acoustic is fairly redundant artistically as it has been done so many times- especially with Radio One's live lounge. Only rairly will the cover's ever achieve any of the quality of the origonal.

That being said, I do think there is a place for it as sometimes an acoustic song will come along to really shock you. My favourite is Creep by Radiohead. The origonal everyone will have heard by this point but I shall post it anyway for comparison.



And the acoustic version



I still remember the first time I ever heard this version. I was walking on a beach in France listening to the My Iron Lung EP and I was just about to lay my bike down when this came on as the final song. As the song played I literally felt choked up and I stood stock still till it ended and then played it right through again. Untill I heard the acoustic song I never appreciated Creep. It was the song I had heard before I listened to Radiohead and I didn't think much of it but I listened to it with completely new eyes (or is that ears ) following the acoustic.

So yeah its actually hard for me to pick between the two as they seem completely different animals. Creep normal is angry, frustrated, sulky and lovetorn, whereas the acoustic version seems to add an overpowering sense of loss and lonliness. The normal is the more interesting song, whereas the acoustic is more beautiful, Thom's voice in the middle especially sends chills down my spine.

So yeah, there is definatly a place for unplugging- it just has to be treated carefully to make sure the song still has meaning

[NightShiftLoser]

I'm a big fan of the original, and never knew there was an acoustic version It's good though. I like when a band can change all the instruments, but still not change the song from what it was meant to be. Radiohead also isn't every other band. They're one of the few that can pull that off properly.

As far as In This Moment...I mention them in almost every music post. The other bands I mention are all bands I've found through festival shows basically. You're not a bad poster, so just post more regularly, and you'll get an idea of my music

[Razor]

So. I'm calling it right now, I'll probably side with the acoustic version for most of these. I have a strong acoustic fetish, if you would allow me to call it such, and I simply love it when a singer can pull off the same song that is overly produced with only a guitar and himself. It makes me happy to listen to music.

Enough gushing. On to the thread.

NSL's submissions:

I'm going to be completely uncreative and go with what you and CH said. Both are exceedingly well done songs, and I can't honestly say either one is bad. Nor can I say one is really better. I'll go with the Acoustic though, because I've got a character I'm trying to build in this thread.

I vote Acoustic.

Frong Boy's (hehe) contribution:

That song, to me, has always been about sadness and depression. A good old sad day song if I've ever heard one. The original fits that just fine, but I always thought that the big guitars took away from that a bit. It's just one of those things.

However, the acoustic seems to fit it much more completely. Acoustic seems to do that. If you have a sad song, prepare for it to be completely depressing.

I vote Acoustic.

And now,

My Contribution:

I thought I would go about picking someone else. However, fuck that. This is my first post of the thread, so I'm going completely unimaginative and picking someone you guys probably already placed bets on me picking.

Original: Coheed and Cambria's The Velorium Camper I: Faint of Hearts

Acoustic:

Both are perhaps my favorite song of the entire band. No, I take that back. Mother Superior is my favorite song by Coheed. But still. This is a damn fine song. The lyrics are hellaciously odd, but it's fucking Coheed and Cambria. They are the epitome of Progressive Rock. That, and the source material they use for their concept albums are The Amory Wars graphic novels, so there ya go.

I'll go with the Acoustic again, simply because it's easier to appreciate Claudio's voice on that track. Plus, it's easier to understand what he's saying. When you get a grasp for what he's saying, you get a grasp for the entire song.

I vote Acoustic.

[CH David]

Alright. I'd like to continue on with this thread, as it is a pretty good one as stated.

Some Bullet For My Valentine for your pleasure. Now I used the video apparently only released in the UK, because they disabled the embedding of the one released in the US. Oh well, same song, just different scenes in the video.



The recorded acoustic version:



And a taped acoustic version:



This is a difficult choice for me. I love both the acoustic and the regular sounds. The way Matt sings in the acoustic is fantastic, but the emotion of the original is great as well. I think I'll have to go with the acoustic version, but only by the slimmest of margins. It sort of puts me into a different emotion when I hear it. When I hear the original, I get kind of angry, but when I hear the acoustic, I feel a little sadder, hearing the words sang that way, just adds a new dimension to the song for me.

[CH David]

Daaaamn. People apparently don't like acoustic versions outside of myself, NSL, Razor, and Nitafrong. Well here is another, and I admit I just found this one.

You're Going Down by Sick Puppies. I have been on a binge with this song, and should stop before I get too sick of it. But right now I just love this song. Can't help it. Now the embedding on the actual video has been disabled, so we get another without being disabled.



Acoustic:



Now like I said, right now I am on a binge with the song itself. I love the plugged version, and now listening to the acoustic version it is good as well. Can hear Emma's voice a little bit, which is awesome and she is gorgeous. But from a personal listening preference, this song is meant to fire people up. And I think if I am ever going to get into a fight, this song will be in my head or playing on a stereo or something. I have to go with the plugged version.

[NightShiftLoser]

Originally Posted by CH David

But from a personal listening preference, this song is meant to fire people up.

My thoughts exactly. The acoustic version is good, but it's not the best song for them to tone down. It's meant to get you fired up and ready to go to war, not to take a nap. It was done great the first time, and they shouldn't have unplugged the song.

Emma is sheer beauty though...At least to me...So it's nice to hear her sing a little also.

[Hacksaw Highway]

I think it tottaly depends on the song. SOme songs it works very well (Vermillion Pt 2 by Slipknot is pretty awesome) and sometimes not. One that I like is Futre Breed Machine by Meshuggah. The original is the band's signature song, a furious 6 minute blast of Swedish progressive-death-metal-fury. Here's the link for the song (Sorry, dont know how to embed) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOd-T58qHLA

Then, on the EP The True Human Design, they included a new version called Futile Bread Machine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QQls3ctMJ8). It's basically a folk music version, like something you would play camping. The vocals are intentionally over the top and ridiculous, and it's the polar opposite of the original. The two songs sound nothing alike. As for which version is better, the original hands down. Meshuggah is a very extreme, abrasive band, and the original version is a great example of this. The remake is sort of a self parody, it's a fun goofy song but overall can't compare the the authentic version.

[CH David]

Aaaand once again, I am back with another acoustic song. This time from The Offspring. Yeah, who knew right? Now this song is in my top 5 or top 10, depending on the day, of my favorite Offspring songs. The Kids Aren't Alright. I couldn't get the original video, bastards have to turn off the embedding code. Only reason being is because the video portrays the lyrics very well, adding to the meaning.





Now as you can see, both versions are good. Dexter is usually kind of spotty when he has to sing and play guitar, but he did a good job in the acoustic version, and you can actually hear Noodles singing as well. However, again I must go with the plugged version. Just something about the meaning of the song to me, the plugged version just works and flows better through my ears.