Alien Ant Farm cover of "Smooth Criminal"

[Thestral]

I think it's a real good cover, one of the relatively few that works well. It's different enough to be clearly not Michael Jackson, similar enough to be clearly not entirely their own. Fortunately it's subjective.

Also, Johnny Cash covers = win!

They did succeed with the cover given that it reached no. 1 status in the modern rock charts and over here in Australia.

Oh, there's a can of worms . For example, sure, P Diddy (or was it Puff Daddy at the time) succeeded commercially with his cover of "I'll be watching you" ("I'll be missing you"). But is that really a way to measure how successful it was as a cover and not just as a release?

I'm not a fan at all of anything P Didd/Puff Daddy/what have you does, but I quite liked this song too. Not quite sure why, since I find the Police song rather creepy.

 

[Praetor]

It's not better, but it's okay. I can see how hearing it day-in and day-out would make you hate it.

I also agree that trying to cover the King of Pop is a risky gamble, but I'd argue that it's not an insurmountable task.

 

[Nerys Myk]

When ever I "play it back in my head" its the AAF version.

 

[Akiraprise]

When ever I "play it back in my head" its the AAF version.

Me too. It's a pretty good cover. I forgot MJ did it before AAF when I first heard it. I thought MJ's was kind of lame when I listened to it again so I only listen to AAF's. Although MJ's video of Smooth Criminal is better.

 

[crouteru]

As one of my favourite MJ songs, I hate the cover. Also, after watching the video, I have to wonder what the hell those AAF guys are smoking.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

In what universe does a thread dedicated to bitching about an 8 year old cover of a 22 year old song seem like a good idea?

BTW, I don't see the problem with the song. It's simply a harder rock version with more of an edge. Hardly anything worth so much complaining.

Now, John Mayer's cover of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'"? Now that's a terrible cover.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I thought it was ok.

Funny too, because the AAF were everything but smooth.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I actually really liked the cover, much better than the original. I was born in 1986 so by the time I was old enough to be into music Michael Jackson was about the least cool you could get. I've never understood the attraction to his music and the only song I liked from him is "ABC" by the Jackson 5.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

I'm just going to take a stab here and say this thread is inspired by the Nostalgia Critic.

 

[Trekker4747]

I'm just going to take a stab here and say this thread is inspired by the Nostalgia Critic.

Partly, yeah.

 

[ambessalion]

i love this version....very funny and i love the video :-D

 

[DeafPoet]

I really dislike most of Michael Jackson's music. I love the Alien Ant Farm cover of this song.

Pretty much. I find just about everything Michael Jackson ever did to be thoroughly mediocre at best, ear-bleedingly awful at worst.

Alien Ant Farm improved on the song, although it still doesn't blow me out of the water.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

There's only a handful of Michael Jackson songs I like and this is one of them. That being said, Alien Ant Farm did a very solid cover. Probably their only notable hit, though, which is a bit sad.

 

[Capn Flukie]

I like this cover, it's exciting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDeFYDk8atg