Clash of the Cover Songs: Seether vs. Barry Manilow

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I am 48 years old, a Manilow fan, and think the 70s was music's best decade (that's no surprise-I was a teenager then). I hate 90s music inspired by Pearl Jam and Nirvana and this Seether effort is firmly in that mold. As such, I would on all levels be expected to like Manilow's version and hate Seether's version, but I was just the opposite. I never really liked "Careless Whisper," I was already too old in 1982. I never understood all the fuss, it doesn't seem like that great of a song.

I liked Seether's version a lot, and did not like Manilow's version at all. I give it to Seether 100 to nothing. Even though I liked Seether's better, I would never buy his record. His version carries the same tired 90s sound that I hate.

Manilow fails to create a mood, whereas Seether creates a thick mood from the opening notes. Seether chooses to revoice the iconic sax solo using a distorted guitar. It works and this gets him points for originality. The Foo Fighters tried exactly this same revoice with the sax solo from Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street," but theirs fell flat.

I like Seether's compressed vocal. It contributes to the mood and allows him to scream and growl while keeping an even volume level. It lends an otherworldly "different" sound. Of course this compressed sound is nothing new, Paul McCartney used it long ago on "Uncle Albert" and Electric Light Orchestra and "The Alan Parsons Project" also used this effect.

Seether's version seems cut to a 90s formula. All that 90s music sounds so much the same. Slow tempo, heavy deliberate bass and snare drum beat, buzzing guitars, grungy/angry vocal, even the freeze pauses Seether does here seem 90s formula. Seether's angry vocal is moody and different than the original, but just like all the rest of that 90s music. The buzzing guitars - so trite by now. I hated 'em in 1991 and I still hate 'em.

Seether's is more intricate and multi-leveled than Manilow's with the call and response between the vocal and guitars, also the guitars paint in a great (and new) counterpoint melody under the vocal during the final minute. Seether's high note is more convincing than Manilow's and also more dramatic when it's punctuated by those freeze pauses. Seether's runs through more musical ideas.

So Seether, for me, hits a home run here. He uses a 90s sound to reach a person that's way too old and hates the 90s sound with a mediocre song. I think that's a big accomplishment. I like his look but I could do without the trite orange hair and I can't bring myself to look at someone that has mutilated themselves with a lip piercing.

seether is definately the better one here. its good when bands do covers and make something different about but keeping the same meaning and feeling about it

Screw the voting, Lets see which version makes it to the radio and gets ratings... ohhhh it looks like SEETHER!!! OCTANE-20

Is this giving anybody else an 80's flashback? I think being a teen in the 80's gave me ptsd. What a completely random choice of a tune to cover, Seether! Awesome job, however. I am only slightly embarrased to like this song now.

Yell? This is emotion, Shaun has been known to scream when its needed - and usually from emotion - not just for the sake of screaming. In this cover, he doesn't even come close to yelling/screaming. If you want an elevator version vote for BM, but if you want a cover to be what a cover should be - a great song with an artist own perception on it - Vote SEETHER!!!!!!!!!

I've been a long time fan of Barry Manilow, but his cover songs make me want to scream, rip my hair out, and jump off a bridge into a poisoned lake. What ever happened to the POWER BALLAD?

Seether gets my votes, hands down.

Obviously people don't take the time to listen to Barry's music. They like to rush to judgement. Have you people ever been to one of Barry's concerts? You wouldn't say these things if you have.