I’m a big believer in the notion that it’s the performance and the arrangement that makes the song. This is to say, I can take a song and present it to you in one way and it will fall dead and then I can present it in another fashion and you will clasp it to your bosom. All this ironically supports two diametrically opposed conclusions. First, it means that the singer is more important, since it is the performance that connects with you. Second, it means that the song is more important since its value can be revealed by the right performance.
Anyway, here’s a quick meaningless example. Austin-based Dynamite Hack were a one-hit wonder of the Novelty Cover variety, thanks to their version of Eazy E’s “Boyz-N-The-Hood “. Their album Superfast has two versions of the song “Anyway.” The first is a two-and-a-half minute rock version; not particularly memorable to me. Then there is a hidden track with guitarist and vocalist Mark Morris playing piano instead, backing up his sister, Emily Kate. The song becomes a lovely ballad.
Dynamite Hack – Anyway — BUY
Dynamite Hack – Anyway (alternate version) — BUY