It's Wednesday, Here Comes The List.

Like the ambassador in the Ferrero Rocher advert, tonight I am really spoiling you with two posts for the price of one.

Buoyed by the endorsement from the other side of the Atlantic I have decided to treat you to a Top 5 in addition to my earlier post. I did consider holding this over for another evening but hey what the hell, you kids deserve it.

As record companies become more and more conservative with their output, concentrating on interchangable boy & girl groups with little talent other than a perfect smile so they are forced to recycle those tunes from the past that you and I previously loved. These new versions are normally bland and insipid compared to the originals. If you are not going to improve on the original then why bother? Recently the worst offender has undoubtedly been Madonna's horrific interpretation of American Pie. It becomes a much more worthwhile excercise if the artist deconstucts the version we are all familiar with and gives it a new twist.

For this reason I am pleased to bring you my

Top 5 Cover Versions

1. Heart Of Glass - The Associates. The old Blondie number given a Eurodance feel
2. Just Like Heaven - Dinosaur Jr. I'm sure the Cure did not forsee their song sounding like this.
3. Straight To Hell - Josh Rouse. The Clash classic stripped to the bone and given a haunting vocal
4. Straight Outta Compton - Nina Gordon. I can't even begin to describe this one to you other than to say take the NWA version and think about how far removed you could get. Then double your estimate and you'll still be quite a bit out.
5. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Saint Etienne. Neil Young updated for a new generation

If you get a chance check them out and let me know your thoughts.

Staying with tradition here is tonight's joke

Why is making music with a drummer like making love with a condom on?

You know you should but it just doesn't feel right.

Bye.