10 Greatest Covers Of Beatles Songs
1. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Dear Prudence
Covering a venerable Beatles classic or reinventing a lesser number is one thing; it’s another to take on a fan favourite - and favourite of John Lennon himself - that was totally perfected the first time,
“Dear Prudence”, the second track on The White Album, encapsulates everything The Beatles did best; complex arrangements, exquisite musicianship, emotive lyrics that touch the heart but remain nice and weird.
Siouxsie and the Banshees keep the melody and structure as-is, but wash the song with their own pop-goth sonics. They up the tempo considerably, which has the effect of making the song, appropriately enough, more playful. By the time they reach the phaser-heavy middle eight, they seem to have passed through a multitude of genres, winding up with something as psychedelic as the Beatles at their best.
The star of the show, fittingly, is Siouxsie, who makes the smart choice of keeping her vocal take just as reserved as Lennon’s. All the wonder and beauty of the original is maintained, just given an update for another generation.