Coverage

I've been trying out SiriusXM's Covers channel lately and, for the most part, I've been underwhelmed. There is the occasional classic, such as Talking Heads' "Take Me to the River" (previously Al Green's) and tracks I didn't know but found intriguing (Chris Cornell's "Billie Jean" for one) but those are exceptions on a channel that seems most committed to covers of relatively recent songs by current artists, even when the result isn't much.

This is all the more disappointing because there are so many great covers. You could spend hours just on Aretha Franklin, famous for taking others' songs and making them better (see "Respect," "Son of a Preacher Man," "Don't Play That Song") or for just interpreting them splendidly (see "96 Tears" and dozens more). There are ample covers by Bob Dylan (especially his series of Sinatra-era tunes), Joe Cocker, Judy Collins, Willie Nelson ... So much that I despair when the Covers channel yet again hits a song I've already heard there several times.

But this has all had me thinking of some of the covers I really love, to offer your listening and dancing pleasure. Start with Bonnie Raitt's "Bluebird," above, which I have a long attachment to. I was listening to the radio one morning when this came on, and the only thought in my head was "I must have this record." And I did, and more of her besides. (Come on, Sirius, give me an hour once a week to highlight a Great Covers Artist.) A few other goodies:

The whole Garth-Brooks-as-Chris-Gaines business was so .... odd, but some of the music that came from it is good, including "Lost in You." And what would make it more legit than being covered (beautifully) by Childish Gambino?

Al Green turns Kristofferson's "For the Good Times" into one of the great makeout tunes of all time.

Cactus made "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" into an epic. My friend Fred Ridder introduced me to this, and I remain grateful to this day.

Isaac Hayes puts one of his greatest raps in front of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," then sings the hell out of it. An acquired taste, but one I have had for almost 50 years.

Sinead O'Connor, Prince, perfect.

               The sheer wonderfulness of Rachel Sweet put to use with a Velvet Underground song ...

                               So beautifully aching: Elvis Costello, "My Funny Valentine."

Donny Hathaway dips into the Leon Russell catalog (and more people know Donny's version).

Big Daddy was in some ways a joke, but they had some fabulous   at times, including in this rendition of "Eye of the Tiger."

                                           Ragged glory: Johnny Cash sings Tom Petty.