The mix project continues... today's theme was Cover Songs. Here is the tracklist and liner notes for the mix I made for Tommy:

1. Hazy Shade of Winter – The Bangles (Simon & Garfunkel): As always, I like to start these mixes off with solid guitar riffs, which this song has. Sounds great on a good stereo (or headphones), where the riff bounces between the left and right speakers.
2. Rock & Roll - Jane's Addiction (Velvet Underground): I’m not a big fan of either Jane’s Addiction or Velvet Underground, but for some reason I really like how JA sounds doing this song.
3. Wild Horses - The Sundays (Rolling Stones): Hard to believe one of my favorite Stones songs could be improved upon, especially in a version prominently used by a WB TV show, but this version is haunting… it’s more of a stalker song than a love song here.
4. The Ocean - Melissa Quade (Led Zepplin): I wish I could cut out the end, because it almost ruins the song, but I think she’s a great singer and does a terrific job stripping down this song.
5. Try Some, Buy Some - David Bowie (George Harrison): It’s sad that the best song on Bowie’s new album is a cover, but not really since this is really great.
6. Working in a Coal Mine - Devo (Lee Dorsey): Devo makes it seem like it could be a whole lotta fun to work in a coal mine.
7. Mona (I Need You Baby) - Rolling Stones (Bo Diddley): Yeah, so much of the early Stones material is covers, and those songs don’t show off the band’s skills, but out of all their early stuff I think this is there best cover.
8. The Passenger - Siouxsie & the Banshees (Iggy Pop): This song is probably the most faithful to the source material, but Siouxsie sounds great singing this.
9. Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes (Lou Johnson): As far as improving upon source material, I don’t think you can do much better than this.
10. White Lines - Duran Duran (Grandmaster Flash): DD started the encore with this song during their Webster Hall show and almost blew the roof off the place. Sure, it’s borderline laughable when Grandmaster Flash trades rhymes with Simon LeBon, but it’s a song I could crank all they way up while driving.
11. Girl U Want - Soundgarden (Devo): Simple song that Soundgarden didn’t alter too much; they simply made it their own, and it works.
12. Ben - Crispin Glover (Michael Jackson): Michael Jackson singing about a rat = creepy. Crispin Glover singing about a rat = creepier. Although Crispin Glover makes just about anything creepier.
13. Thirteen - Garbage (Big Star): I wish some girl had made these offers to me when I was thirteen. Shirley Manson’s voice is just too damn sexy. This is probably my favorite song on the mix.
14. Handbags & Gladrags - Stereophonics (Michael D'abo): Being such a huge fan of “The Office,” I tried to find the version that plays in the credits. It’s never been released, but this version is almost identical. It’s also the only Stereophonics song I can stomach.
15. Save It For Later - Harvey Danger (English Beat): “Flagpole Sitta” is such an annoying song, it’s a marvel I even gave this a chance… but I’m glad I did, because I think they did a great job with it.
16. Ball of Confusion - Love & Rockets (The Temptations): Not only a cover, but also a lyrical update.
17. Rent - Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine (Pet Shop Boys): When I was in Scotland, I had a friend who loved Pop Will Eat Itself, Carter the USM, and Pet Shop Boys’ “Rent.” Every conversation concerning music would eventually lead to one (or more) of these three topics. This song nails 2 of the 3. I don’t particularly like Carter, which is an opinion shared by most people (that is, of people who know of him, which in this country is virtually nobody), and I’m not wild about this version of the song, so more than anything I put it on here in honor of my friend, Laurie.
18. Rock & Roll All Nite - Toad the Wet Sprocket (Kiss): One of the things that most attracts me to a cover is when they alter the mood of the song. This one does that in spades. I just wish I could’ve found a version that cuts out the lame intro.
19. The Girl Is Mine – Penn-6 (Michael Jackson / Paul McCartney): If the a-capella groups at Penn were organized like the Greek system, Pennsylvania 6-5000 would be the Animal House: lots of drinking, drugs, crazy parties, date-rape, etc. At performances, they’d get so trashed they could barely sing. So it boggles the mind that they could arrange and sing songs that sound as good as this.
20. Timeless Melody - Pearl Jam (The La's): PJ has so many covers to choose from… I tried to pick one I was pretty sure you’ve never heard. The original of this is great, and it’s a shame the La’s broke up so early in their career, although I hear a reunion is in the works. This is just a great little pop song; nothing more, nothing less.