Ranking Lana Del Rey’s covers
NOT the live performances (stage or radio etc.). This is also my opinion, and all subjective.
Cry Me A River
This doesn’t feel like a Lana song - usually Lana cleverly makes covers her own, whereas this takes the instrumental straight from the source and slaps Lana’s voice on top. She is wonderful, of course, but it feels nothing more than a personal experiment.
You’ll Never Walk Alone
Lana pulls this song off well but it just doesn’t feel like her song. It tends to drag and I think it could have benefitted from some extra instrumental. It feels very much like a bare bones cover rather than a passion project (for music, I know she donated to charity with this song) and I rarely listen to it.
Happy Birthday, Mr President
Lana encapsulates Marilyn Monroe beautifully and honours her with a tribute to one of her most memorable moments, but as it was tacked on to National Anthem it loses its power. If it had been a separate release in some way I think it could have shone more.
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
I’m not fond of this cover personally but Lana reshapes the track to fit with her voice and Honeymoon, and she does a good job of it.
For Free
It’s a lovely cover, and the other vocalists are wonderful. However, I always skip this song, uninterested by it (a subjective reason rather than objective). Lana does pick a good song for Chemtrails Over the Country Club, and the mixture of voices/female talent is feel-good.
The Good Life
A somewhat dreary yet heartstring-tugging song, The Good Life doesn’t feel complete or particularly strong compared to a lot of her other covers but it’s a decent job and gets me in the feels.
Chelsea Hotel No.2
It’s a slow track, with Lana’s drawling and rich vocals warm to listen to. I don’t tend to listen to this song much more out of personal taste. However, Lana owns this song beautifully and perfectly suits her Ultraviolence era - the moodiness, the seductiveness, the sadness.
Summertime The Gershwin Version
There’s a definite summer feel to this song, an uneasy instrumental with a light touch. It’s gentle and meandering, perfect to imagine a summer’s day to, and it would be great to hear more offbeat (in terms of vibe, not sound) songs like this from Lana.
Once Upon A Dream
This Gothic rendition of the classic Disney song certainly fits the darkened Princess story perfectly. Lana delves into villainous territory, her voice steady and almost warning as she uneasily vocalises and hums. However, I have to want to listen to this song and find the right mood to fit it.
Blue Velvet
Long, drawling and sprawling. Lana reminds of the film of the same name (which the song is heard in) and has the perfect Gothic-retro feel to make this vintage song timeless. I prefer to listen to other songs on The Paradise Edition, but Lana underlines her ability to go to different genres, eras and sounds whilst bringing her own personal touch to make it fresh.
Season of the Witch
This is perfect for Autumn: plucky, strange and bringing to mind a black-gowned witch causing havoc in her sixties neighbourhood. Lana gets the little vocal whispers and retro-feel perfect, and she emulates the right kind of personality for it.
Summer Wine
Lana is innocent, feminine and seductive in this tale of deceit and crime, and she uses all of her country-touched charms to bring the Western thief of the story to life. She matches Barrie James O’Neill’s deep twang perfectly, and they complement each other’s voices naturally. The music is also wonderful, as are her light-hearted vocalisations and her personality bled into it.
You Must Love Me
Lana is tender, raw and honest in this wide-eyed interpretation. There is a hopefulness to Lana’s voice, a gentle desire and a simplicity that lets Lana’s interpretation just enough from the original to bring something different. Lana isn’t the brash, glamorous lush she often acts as in her music (particularly her first few albums), but instead gold-hearted and soft.
Some Things Last a Long Time
This could be a Lana song. It suits her Ultraviolence era prettily, a barren, cold and dead-eyed gloom-song. Lana is subtle, heartbroken, yet strong and clear in her words. It’s a beautiful version, and deserves multiple listens to appreciate this often forgotten pearl.
The Other Woman
Lana takes the perspective of the quietly simmering and sad wife and flips it, pouring melodramatic grief into the character of the other woman who never has the man two women love. It is perfect for Ultraviolence, and the added record-playing effect to the sound sends you to another era entirely. It’s wailing, it’s pained and it’s bitter, easy to bring tears to the eyes.
Doin’ Time
This song sat happily on the charts and it’s easy to see why. It’s easy-going, breezy and certainly Lana’s own in this version. It’s a little bit different to her other music - one of her more bop-ish tracks, with hints of seductiveness, danger and eye-rolling insults. However, the dance-friendly music and the dollop of sunshine that radiates from this summer track is hypnotic.
12 notes
·
View notes