Top Five: David Bowie Covers

1. M. Ward – “Let’s Dance”
From the opening four-part harmonies that tweak classic rock & roll, to the bassline funk (that was Nile Rodgers of Chic fame behind the boards), and a young Stevie Ray Vaughan unleashing Texas-sized torrents of bluesy guitar on the solo, “Let’s Dance” was an exercise in ‘80s maximalism, and thoroughly Bowie. What makes guitar folkie M. Ward’s cover so satisfying is the way he pulls off a complete dynamic shift while maintaining utter reverence for the original. Ward smooths the sharp edges into major key melodies and sprinkles in ghostly tinkles of piano, while his solo guitar and whispered vocal takes the song by the hand for a languid slow dance.
[caption id="attachment_89149" align="alignleft" width="640"] M. Ward[/caption]
2. The Cure – “Young Americans”
The title track off Bowie’s excursion into lush, blue-eyed Philly soul was a joyous (if heroin-fueled) jaunt. And when you think of blue-eyed Philly soul, who doesn’t think of…The Cure? Uncharacteristic selection aside, this homage by the goth-rock kings retains Bowie’s fantastic groove, while the synths and drum loops lend a moodier feel. And true to form, Robert Smith reasserts his vocal prowess of imbuing even the cheeriest melody with tinges of desperation.
[caption id="attachment_89148" align="alignleft" width="640"] The Cure[/caption]
3. Seu Jorge – “Rebel Rebel”
As he began a chameleonic transition to funk and soul on Diamond Dogs, Bowie’s sloppy farewell kiss to glam rock birthed another iconic single. The swaggering, punky “Rebel Rebel” featured a Stones-baiting guitar riff reportedly written by Bowie to "piss Mick Jagger off.” It’s a testament to Bowie’s songwriting talent, then, that “Rebel Rebel” not only survives the metamorphosis to Portuguese samba in Seu Jorge’s hands, but flourishes in rich nuance. The Brazilian singer and guitarist first came to prominence by scoring Wes Anderson’s 2004 film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, with a hearty serving of his spare, gorgeous Bowie covers. He went on to record a proper album of those covers for the Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (2005) and the Thin White Duke himself became a fan, praising the new versions: "I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with."

Seu Jorge
4. Nirvana – “The Man Who Sold the World”
Creepy, sci-fi lyrics probing the duality of man and a brassy if indelible guitar lick: “The Man Who Sold the World” was a surprising choice for Nirvana to cover during their legendary 1993 MTV Unplugged in New York sessions. After all, the Seattle trio trafficked in abrasive yet poppy grunge—an especially far cry from the arty psychedelic folk of Bowie’s early material. But just as the MTV session at large revealed a dazzling new facet of Nirvana, Cobain’s reading of the song is faithful yet tortured, and pitch-perfectly nails the foreboding notes of the original.
[caption id="attachment_89147" align="alignleft" width="640"] Kurt Cobain of Nirvana[/caption]
5. Morrissey – “Drive-In Saturday”
The doo-wop-driven “Drive-In Saturday” was an outlier on the otherwise hard rocking glam of Aladdin Sane. That didn’t stop it from being a fantastic listen: a delicate wistfulness swelling into a wild, saxophonic rave-up. Morrissey’s cover, recorded live at the Orpheum Theater in 2007, excises the horns but keeps all the dramatic ruckus of the original. Also, Moz sings the hell out of it.
[caption id="attachment_89150" align="alignleft" width="640"] Morrissey[/caption]