Showdown: Homages/Rip Offs 5

Yep, looks like there are more songs that sound sort of similar to each other! This time, instead of comparing two different songs by two different bands, I'm looking at comparisons by the same artist. This is a rule I've followed whilst making all the previous Homages/Rip Offs posts but for the fifth edition, I've decided to mix it up a bit. Did bands want to pay homage to their popular material or did they run out of inspiration and unintentionally (or intentionally?) copy some of their earlier work?
There are several posts online about bands that all sound the same and it would've been easy for me to scour them and pick a bunch of tunes out. However, whilst this post does contain some well known bands that are historically adept at releasing the same album over and over, it also contains a few of my own picks that I've heard over the years. It should also be noted that this post (and all previous/future ones) are the work of opinion. Despite my language, I'm not categorically stating that a band did rip themselves or anyone else off. Right then, let's get started!

EDIT: Forgot to add a Spotify playlist containing each song (original and cover) at the bottom of this post. Feel free to listen to it as you read my write-ups!

ROUND ONE: Stevie Ray Vaughan vs. Stevie Ray Vaughan
Pride And Joy - I fucking hate this song. Generic Blues played by an incredible guitarist is still boring as fuck and no talented fretwork can save that. This song has it all: bland Blues chord progression, uninspired lyrics, forgettable solos and the rest of the band doing fuck all of merit. The final turd on this shit mountain is that the song came out in the 80s, just under thirty years after the rest of the music scene realised Blues Rock was getting a little stale. For some reason, it's a fairly well known song in the world of Rock but not many people know about the next track.
I'm Cryin' - It's the same fucking song. The exact same structure with the same bland guitar solos off the same fucking album. Don't get me wrong, there are some belters on the Texas Flood album but was SRV so unimaginative that he couldn't even write a different melody for his band to fill one more space on the setlist? Some might defend this track by mistaking it for a reprise but they need to realise that this is an entirely different song created by SRV just before the end of the album. I can understand one of these songs existing, not both.
VERDICT - The fact that both songs are more or less identical (right down to the outro) makes me think this can't be lazy songwriting. It feels to me like this is a really stupid attempt at a Homage but even if you like "Pride And Joy", why the hell would anyone want the same song twice but rehashed with new lyrics and a few tweaked solos? If you're going to copy yourself as blatantly as SRV did here, either pull a Bon Jovi and change it enough so that it is a new song ("Blaze Of Glory" is a rewritten "Wanted Dead Or Alive") or wait a couple of years to rerecord/remix it.

ROUND TWO: ZZ Top vs. ZZ Top
Got Me Under Pressure - You could probably argue that a song as average as this could be compared to lots of ZZ Top songs, since they weren't exactly the strongest bands when it came to Riff Based Rock or even technical work. They just released solid Southern/Blues Rock and whilst this isn't one of the best songs off Eliminator, it's a decent little tune with a notable little riff in the chorus. It's that riff that we're paying attention to for this next song.
Planet Of Women - Same tempo? More or less. Same sound? Yup. Same song? No. There are enough differences in the intros for both songs to justify their existence...until the verse starts and that familiar little riff comes in again. It took me a few listens when I first heard these songs to realise that ZZ Top had repackaged that melody but once you play them side by side, the similarities are undeniable.
VERDICT - Oh this is a Rip Off. As I said earlier, ZZ Top aren't the greatest songwriters and I can imagine their desire to replicate the success of Eliminator with their follow up, Afterburner, may have led to a bit of cheeky riff pinching. To say these albums were released consecutively, it's no wonder ZZ Top are relying on their greatest hits nowadays.

ROUND THREE: Disturbed vs. Disturbed
Indestructible - Disturbed are one of those bands that manage to get away with releasing the same material over and over again so really, I could've picked any two songs for this list. As a result, I've chosen one of their popular songs that contains their typical rhythm and riffing combined with stabbing vocals in sync with the percussion.
The Vengeful One - OK, so the drum intro is a bit different but as soon as that guitar comes in, you know it's a Disturbed song. I should say that whilst the comparisons are clear, these songs are still great. You can argue "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" but to me, the best songs Disturbed released are the ones that broke the mold. "Perfect Insanity" and "The Infection" still sound like Disturbed but they don't rely on the standard Disturbed rhythm, if that makes sense.
VERDICT - It's a tricky decision as I feel like both Homage and Rip Off could apply here. On the one hand, Disturbed clearly have a sound that they're trying to recreate with their singles but on the other, it's kind of lazy to listen to the same rhythm time after time after time. If I had to choose one, I'm going with Homage as I imagine it's a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rather than poor songwriting. The fact that they can still record covers like "The Sound Of Silence" shows they are willing to try new material out but they also want to make music for their fans.

ROUND FOUR: The Kinks vs. The Kinks
All Day And All Of The Night - I prefer this song to "You Really Got Me". Better riff and better solo, even if the other song's a bit heavier. It's a standard riff that carries the entire song but thankfully the band were great enough to add some strong vocals into the mix too. As far as 60s Garage Rock goes, it's pretty damn good. Problem is The Kinks are one of those bands that were strongest in their youth and by the time the 80s rolled around, the pool of ideas was a little shallow.
Destroyer - This song starts off alright but it doesn't take long until the riff from "All Day And All Of The Night" creeps in. Not only that but the vocal melody from the former song's chorus is copied almost identically in the bridge before the chorus (albeit with different lyrics). If you haven't heard "Destroyer" but like "All Day And All Of The Night", I'd recommend giving it a listen as it's still a good tune.
VERDICT - The Kinks have acknowledged that "Destroyer" is a Homage to their previous work, especially since the song contains lyrics about Lola. It's a shame that the riff pretty much had to carry this song but there are worse songs The Kinks could've turned to for inspiration, like "Waterloo Sunset".

ROUND FIVE: Ramones vs. Ramones
Blitzkrieg Bop - Another band that released one incredible track and fucking coasted on it for the majority of their career. Punchy rhythm, monotone vocals and lots of chords; all staples of a good Ramones song. Ramones might be one of Punk's greatest icons but when you compare their material to what Punk stood for, it all sounds a bit tame. It's also quite telling that this song is used in adverts for a company that sells kitchen supplies now, further proof that Punk is and always will be a joke genre.
Rockaway Beach - Whilst all the standard Punk tropes are there, I think I prefer this song to "Blitzkrieg Bop". The verse and chorus may be mediocre but there's a little bridge that contains an awesome riff, one that a better band would've turned into a backing melody underneath a guitar solo.
VERDICT - Once again, I could've picked any song by the Ramones to compare to "Blitzkrieg Bop"...except some of their stuff from the late 80s that nobody really cared about, but all their hits stem from one popular song so I reckon that's a good cause for the Rip Off label. At least Ramones had some positive influence on the world, as they were a big inspiration to Lemmy. Speaking of Lemmy...

ROUND SIX: Motorhead vs. Motorhead
Ace Of Spades - Motorhead's most famous song and, as always, not one of their best. However, it is generally the song that everyone compares the band's other material to. Fast tempo, furious bass, grumbling vocals and relatively forgettable guitar solos. It's a good song that acts as a test for whether or not Motorhead are the band for you but it's important to note there are other songs in the band's discography that are even better with all the same beats.
Iron Fist - Such as this one! I think I've talked about this track on the blog before when discussing rerecordings (as the 2008 version used for Guitar Hero: World Tour DLC has much better guitar AND it doesn't fade out!) but if I'm comparing it to "Ace Of Spades", I will say that the solos are probably stronger in this track. The guitar melody might be a little bit better in "Ace Of Spades" but I love the chorus for this song. If I really took each song apart, I'd probably come to the conclusion that I love both songs equally but until that day, "Iron Fist" is my favourite.
VERDICT - Unlike Ramones and Disturbed, Motorhead were never about releasing hits. Lemmy just wanted to play Rock & Roll and each album reflects that. Granted most albums are pretty fucking similar, almost to an AC/DC level, but I reckon Homage best describes this comparison. Lemmy wrote music that he wanted to play for people who wanted to listen to it, hence the band's typical sound.

ROUND SEVEN: Cheap Trick vs. Cheap Trick
I Want You To Want Me - Another song I discussed in a previous post (live versions)! You don't need to hear me talk about it again; blah blah bubblegum Rock blah blah At Budokan is better. What we're listening to here is the bouncy rhythm and the song's title. I'd tell you to commit them to memory but since you're reading the text in front of you, your hippocampus can sit this one out.
How Are You? - Once the soft piano intro has passed, the bouncy rhythm kicks in. To me, this in itself doesn't warrant a valid comparison but about two thirds of the way through, Robin Zander sings "I want you, need you, love you, want you to want me", even throwing in "remember?" before the next line. Cheap Trick knew that this song had similarities to one of their biggest hits and not only carried on regardless but went ahead and shined a light on it. A ballsy move but does it pay off?
VERDICT - To me, yes. "How Are You?" is a much better song that feels like the band's second studio attempt at "I Want You To Want Me" before they rerecorded the whole of In Color anyway. However, there are still many, many differences between both songs so I don't think it's a simple Homage. I think the band added the aforementioned lyrical reference after the song was written as a way of lampshading their Rip Off. Still a great song, though.

ROUND EIGHT: Rise Against vs. Rise Against
Prayer Of The Refugee - I have no idea why this band are so fucking popular. It's angsty teen Rock that sounds heavier/better than angsty teen Rock but worse than actual Rock. Anyway, Rise Against are another band that the Internet reckoned were guilty of releasing structurally identical songs between albums and after listening to a few choice tunes, I'm inclined to agree. This song starts off slow but kicks it up a notch during the chorus with heavier guitar, screaming vocals and a faster tempo (not to mention a shit guitar solo).
Savior - Slow intro, increased tempo with heavier guitars, screeching/"more passionate" vocals as the song progresses and generally dull guitar throughout. I guess this music is closer to what Punk should be rather than the Ramones but it still feels a little too "stadium" to me. The structure is too well composed to represent the voice of a rebellious generation; it sounds like music written to sell shirts and arena tickets to teenagers, defeating the entire purpose of Punk. But enough ranting, let's look at the verdict.
VERDICT - Basing my decision off the same reasons as previous entries, I feel like Rise Against deserve the label Homage here. I may not care for their music but this is a clear case of the band that's found its perfect style and is running with it, not one that's musically uninspired.

ROUND NINE: Ozzy Osbourne vs. Ozzy Osbourne
Crazy Train - I'll admit that this comparison is probably just me but I'm interested to see if anyone else agrees. "Crazy Train" is easily Ozzy's most popular song and whilst I'm not a fan of it personally due to Randy Rhoads' crappy solo/Ozzy's rubbish vocal melody in the chorus, I fucking love the main riff and can appreciate why people adore this song. However, the style of guitar playing in the verse might sound familiar to people who've listened to Ozzy's later work. Lots of strumming punctuated by the odd chord.
Bark At The Moon - I chose this track to compare but honestly, there are a bunch I could've picked. "I Don't Know", "Miracle Man", "Over The Mountain", "Let Me Hear You Scream"; all released across a variety of albums but all containing that similar guitar rhythm. This is probably one of the reasons why I feel Ozzy's a little bit overrated as a Metal artist; some of his stuff's great but it also feels like he's trying to recreate "Crazy Train" over and over.
VERDICT - It might just be that Ozzy likes songs with that particular rhythm or it might be that there's only so much creativity the Prince Of Darkness has. Either way, I'm going with Rip Off on this one as each track stands far enough apart from each other to rule out the possibility of Homages. That's my theory and I know it's probably an unpopular one...so I'll end this post with one that the Internet has unanimously agreed on.

ROUND TEN: Nickelback vs. Nickelback
How You Remind Me - I don't completely subscribe to the herd mentality that Nickelback are the worst band in the world but I will admit to fucking despising this song. It's as bland, safe and generic as you can get in the world of Rock with no redeeming features. A strong statement but I'm not the only one who thinks so; there was a story a while ago about a man who realised that "How You Remind Me" and the next song contain the exact same structure and sound, putting his findings on the Internet to the delight of millions of anti-fans.
Someday - Listening to this song on its own is dull enough but when you compare it to the former track, the comparisons just keep on coming. Same beats, same sound, same performance from every member of the band. Both tracks even end with a solitary guitar outro too, which is usually the final piece of evidence I require. Nickelback have commented on the similarities, claiming that their music will sound the same because they write all their songs with the same goal in mind or some horseshit, but I don't think they could've said anything to save themselves from the online mockery.
VERDICT - Nickelback have released plenty of songs that hail from the same dull cosmos of Rock/Wood but sound different so it's a little suspicious that these two songs have the same structure as well as the same sound. I'm going with Rip Off here but not because I don't like Nickelback (you can judge me all you want but "Burn It To The Ground" fucking rocks).


I might write another post of Homages/Rip Offs by the same artists in the months to come so if you have any recommendations, let me know. The only thing I will say is that I'm not looking for similar songs by different bands with at least one member that's the same, e.g. Richie Blackmore in Deep Purple and Rainbow with guitar solos in "Stormbringer" and "Stargazer".
Anyway, here's the Spotify playlist if you fancy hearing each song as you read/reread this post!