Original v. Cover: Boys of Summer

[Mr. TM]

As I look outside, I see clouds. Summer seems to be coming to an end soon enough around here, so I thought to make it feel nice out, this will be our song to debate. Don Henley made the original hit, after his band was broken up, and it was a decent song. His harping voice sold millions of solo albums and with The Eagles. But for this one song, I am tempted to say that The Ataris did it better. And the Ataris are shit.

The Ataris
[youtube]db6xHWEPTzo[/youtube]

Don Henley
[youtube]OZFPvpjwko4[/youtube]

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

I'm kind of on the fence on this one.

I definitely prefer The Ataris version much more than Don Henley's original rendition. However, I heard the Ataris version first. So, I'm not sure if I would like it better had I heard Henley's version first. Regardless, I like the edgier sound that the Ataris brings song more than the chillaxy mood set forth by Henley's version.

 

[X]

I don't really see how The Ataris version "destroys" Henley's. I'm not a big fan of Henley's solo work, but Boys of Summer is simply a classic song, one that can make you feel sad one moment and make you feel joyous the next. I'm a sucker for that song, really am.

The Ataris version...it's not bad. But it's not particularly great either. It's your standard pop-punk reworking of a classic song. Just take a song, make it a bit faster, there ya go. The Ataris have some really great song (and some really, REALLY shit ones) but I've never thought this cover was one of them. Nothing special in my opinion.

Henley gets the nod from me here. TM, you should start incorporating polls so we can vote on the matter.

 

[Slyfox696]

I'm kind of with Ricky on this one...I prefer the Ataris version much more, but I wonder if it is because I heard it first or if it is because it is better. I will say that I remember when the Ataris played the song at the All-Star game a few years back, and it did not sound very good at all. The studio version was much better than the live. I dare say that is not a problem Henley's version would have.

 

[rony31]

The Ataris did a good job covering it, but like X said, the original by Henley's too much of a classic to lose this one. A lot of emotion to it in the way he says certain lines and you can empathize with his reach for long lost youth.

PS: For some reason I thought the DJ Sammy version would be in this.

[youtube]YhgSqqY65gQ[/youtube]

I'm kind of glad it wasn't.

 

[NSL]

I think I have to agree with Sly. While I prefer listening to The Ataris' version, it suffers a bit live. For a song to be "great", it needs to carry over, and theirs simply doesn't. Henley was never a musical guru (except in his own head), but this is one of his better songs sans Joe Walsh. As X said earlier, it changes your feelings every time you hear it, and you never know where they'll go. Great song by both artists, but Henley gets the vote.