Back again with another video game post!
If you recall the last time I did a Showdown post about Cover Versions, it was all about WaveGroup Sound covers from the Guitar Hero & Rock Band games. I chose ten songs from different games in the franchises that were covered by WaveGroup Sound and decided whether the original track or faithful cover was superior before coming to the conclusion that on average WaveGroup Sound's covers were just as good as the originals...or are they?
Time for another round of Originals Vs. Covers!
ROUND ONE: Godzilla
Blue Oyster Cult - As far as Blue Oyster Cult riffs go, this one is probably a 6/10. Incredibly simplistic but memorable. However, the highlight of this song has to be the guitar solos and guitar licks throughout the track. Plenty for aspiring guitarists to sink their teeth into and there's also a nifty little bass solo in the middle too. I wouldn't call it the band's best track but it definitely belongs in GH.
WaveGroup Sound - Props to the guitarist for fucking nailing it on this recording! The main difference between this and the original has to be the bass solo, reduced and converted to guitar to avoid the long pause in the actual song. However, it doesn't feel out of place or forced if you're familiar with the original and it fits in perfectly if the song is new to you.
VERDICT - Right, let's think about this for a minute. On the one hand, I love Blue Oyster Cult and their original sounds a little less harsh on the ears than the cover. On the other, this is a damn good cover by WaveGroup Sound and whilst it may not improve on the original, it recreates it with care and detail. I think I'm giving the win to Blue Oyster Cult, but WaveGroup Sound deserve a shout-out for this cover in particular.
ROUND TWO: Killer Queen
Queen - I'm not a big fan of this song compared to other Queen hits. It's catchy, sure, but it's also kind of plain. It's a bit safe for a song with such a great title, plus Brian May's guitar isn't exactly exciting by any stretch. At least Freddie Mercury's vocals are as flawless as ever so this song would make a fun addition to karaoke evenings or vocal-based games, maybe not guitar ones.
WaveGroup Sound - Two things should become apparent when hearing this cover. First of all, the fuck's up with their Mock Freddie? They couldn't find anyone better than that guy? Secondly, there's a lot more guitar in this cover. Just as well really, it'd be a little embarrassing for the first game in the Guitar Hero series to have to rely on charting keys for guitar when there are so many proper Rock songs in existence. At least Mock Brian's guitar sort of sounds right during the solos.
VERDICT - Clearly the WaveGroup Sound version was more appropriate for GH due to the added guitar but I'm giving the win to Queen just for sounding better overall. Why they included the master recording of this track in Guitar Hero: Smash Hits over David Bowie or Red Hot Chili Peppers, I'm not sure.
ROUND THREE: Woman
Wolfmother - The most well known Wolfmother song with their...I'm going to say "classic" sound. A heavy gallop and a great riff. It's got some decent guitar in it although there comes a point halfway through where it kind of goes batshit with dissonant organ solos and such. A wacky but decent Hard Rock track that arrives and departs on a loud note, great for GH2.
WaveGroup Sound - Hmmmm...the vocalist is no Andrew Stockdale but the guitar and drums seem alright. I also like the added guitar solo over the organs in the middle section. It's a little wacky and out there like the rest of the song and works with the rest of the track, even if it's not as fun as the added "Ziggy Stardust" or "All The Young Dudes" solos.
VERDICT - My feelings for Wolfmother have been made loud and clear on the blog before but I'm giving this win to WaveGroup Sound. I know the vocalist doesn't stand out as much as Andrew Stockdale but I think I actually prefer him after listening a couple of times, although if you like Andrew's vocals then the original is for you.
ROUND FOUR: Metal Health (Bang Your Head)
Quiet Riot - As far as Hair Metal goes, this has to be one of the top tracks of the genre. It's an anthem for the Rock lifestyle right down to the epic riff and twin solos. It's a shame this band are arguably more well known for a shitty cover of a Slade song but at least they'll always have this track up their sleeves too.
WaveGroup Sound - I never understood why this song was chosen to be one of the first tracks on-disc when the cover version would need to be toned down. The first solo has been removed completely and the second is less intense than the one in the original outro. At least the band are suitable, even if the vocalist is a little too close to KISS for him to be truly spot on.
VERDICT - Definitely Quiet Riot for this one. The cover is like a radio edit that hasn't been bloody shortened. It's a shame Guitar Hero couldn't get the original version of this at some point but at least it's available as RB DLC.
ROUND FIVE: La Grange
ZZ Top - I love this song but I've always had one massive problem with it; it's not powerful enough. The drums are too soft and the guitars need to sound a lot heavier when the bass is introduced. At least the guitar solos are good and the boogie rhythm carries the song all the way to the end without getting boring like most Blues Rock tracks.
WaveGroup Sound - Now THIS cover gets it right! Not only in the heavier mix but the vocalist sounds better suited to the song as well. But wait, there's more! Since this was recorded specifically for Guitar Hero, you can bet your bottom dollar that the guitar solos are both faithful and fun. Final cherry on top? This cover actually ends as opposed to the original fading out. Perfect pick for GH3!
VERDICT - Again, I like ZZ Top (to some extent) but the win has been well earned by WaveGroup Sound. I'd love to hear them cover "Cheap Sunglasses", as that song suffers the same issues.
ROUND SIX: Story Of My Life
Social Distortion - I would love to take this song back in time to the 70's and play it to The Sex Pistols, telling them that this country-blend is what their pisspot of a joke genre becomes in less than 20 years. Anyway, enough Punk bashing. I do actually like this song a lot and the Rock ballad structure makes for a fun little tune that can be carried for over five minutes without making me want to blow my brains out.
WaveGroup Sound - This was my first experience with the song so I'll try not to let that bias cloud my judgement. The guitar melody sounds a lot clearer in this cover although some of you might find a few guitar riffs distracting. You know the ones that I mean, the ones that sound like overdrive guitar on a MIDI track.
VERDICT - Gun to head, I'm going to say WaveGroup Sound gets this one for the clearer mix and better build up throughout the song that you only really notice if you listen to the track outside of playing it on GH3.
ROUND SEVEN: I Know A Little
Lynyrd Skynyrd - You can't help but tap your foot to this one! It sounds like it's been plucked straight out of a 50's Diner but with a Southern Rock twist in the form of a slide guitar AND piano solo. It may not be as popular among the casual fans as "Simple Man" or "Sweet Home Alabama" but this song definitely deserves more recognition...then again, you could say that about a lot of pre-plane crash Skynyrd songs.
WaveGroup Sound - I have to say, the vocalist does a cracking job here. Sure the rest of the band get it right too but it's a lot harder to impersonate a vocalist (especially one like Ronnie Van Zant) than a bassist. It's an incredibly faithful cover, right down to the piano solo.
VERDICT - Last time, I gave Lynyrd Skynyrd the win for "Free Bird". This time, I think the win should go to WaveGroup Sound for a superb cover rounding off GH: On Tour. The only sadness is that this track never got a chance on console GH/RB titles, but there's still a thread of hope. A few years ago, I would've confidently told you that this song isn't available for GH/RB due to complications with Skynyrd master recordings but now that there are tracks from Street Survivors in Rock Band, I don't know what to believe.
ROUND EIGHT: Tom Sawyer
Rush - I fucking love everything about this song, from the multitude of awesome riffs/fills/solos played on each instrument to the badass lyrics that I wish I fully knew (there are times when I try as hard as I can to understand Geddy Lee but ultimately fail). I'm glad Rock Band got the original version of this track as DLC (Guitar Hero too, albeit over a year late) as you can't beat playing along to the one and only on plastic guitar, although I imagine the members of Rush would disagree since they couldn't even beat the song when they played it on RB years ago.
WaveGroup Sound - It's a noble attempt but let's not fool around here, this cover is a silver medal at best. It just sounds too clean without the little things like the echo or Geddy's screeching vocals (again, it's almost like the guy who does the KISS covers got the wrong memo). Granted there are many things the song gets right such as the space-age synth effects but you can't beat the original. Also, fuck off with that Big Rock Ending outro.
VERDICT - WaveGroup Sound win...of course not! Seriously, what did you expect? It's Rush all the way.
ROUND NINE: The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden - Gee, I wonder who'll win this one. No no, let's do this fairly. This is probably Iron Maiden's biggest song next to "Run To The Hills" but this is definitely the superior track of the two. Awesome riff, great bass to match the guitars, dynamite vocals and some superb drumming too. It's an all-round top notch track and I'm so fucking glad GH3 got the master recording of this, otherwise I probably wouldn't love this band as much as I do now.
WaveGroup Sound - Credit where due, this is a pretty sweet cover. The vocalist does a stellar job of matching Bruce Dickinson and dare I say screams better during the intro than Bruce has ever done live. The bassist has also done a good job of emulating Steve Harris although I'm not overly keen on the mix of this track. The drums sound a little too prominent, although that might just be the version I'm listening to.
VERDICT - It's actually quite a tough call (no, really) but I'm going with Iron Maiden. The WaveGroup Sound version sounds like the band members are flagging a little bit towards the end, especially in the vocal and guitar department. Whilst WaveGroup Sound may have had their work cut out for them topping Iron Maiden for this piece of Rock Band DLC, they certainly put up one hell of a fight.
ROUND TEN: Green Grass And High Tides
The Outlaws - Another Showdown, another Southern Rock epic! This ~10 minute boss of a song follows the same formula as "Free Bird", "Highway Song" and "Fall Of The Peacemakers" where the first half is relatively slow and relaxing and the second rips the knob off with furious guitar duelling solos. However, what separates this from those tracks is that unlike Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws have filled the relaxing half with cool soloing as well. It may be well over nine minutes long but it definitely has more packed into it than any other Southern Rock epic I can think of.
WaveGroup Sound - The grand finale of Rock Band and a strong cover too. The bass in this mix is a little stronger than the original (which sounds awesome during the faster parts) and the guitar solos are lovingly recreated almost to the exact detail. Each band member gives it their all and if they were playing Rock Band, they'd be looking at gold stars all round!
VERDICT - For what I believe to be the better mix and for completing the impossible task of recording a note perfect rendition of this 9:45 epic, which I imagine must've been so fucking stressful in the studio, WaveGroup Sound get the win here. Again, it's a shame neither GH or RB got the master recording of this great track but at least we got something as good as this cover.
...well, this is a little awkward.
WaveGroup Sound walk away with five wins yet again. I can assure you, this wasn't deliberately planned. However, it's pretty cool that on two separate occasions, I've come to the conclusion that WaveGroup Sound are as strong as the bands they're covering when it comes to rerecording in a studio.
As I said last time, there might be a possibility of me returning to a Showdown post with GH/RB covers but it won't be for a while. Either way, let me know if you agree/disagree with my opinions and if you have any WaveGroup Sound covers that you reckon deserve a shout out for being better than the originals.
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