Kolrus Strikes Back

[Kol]

   

Welcome all to Kolrus Strikes Back

Let's have a look at the categories and the players

Spot the difference - A cover that is different from the original

First time - One of the first songs you can remember that got you interested in music

MTV - A song with a great promo video

Not Top of the Pops - A song that should have been No. 1 but wasn't (in the UK charts)

Surprise Surprise - A song you like from an act you generally don't like

Going solo - A song from a solo artist who was originally in a group

80s Gems - Hidden gems from the 80s


@ari101
@Butty Brennan
@Declan A Walsh
@Irish Aris
@Jluv
@jp liz v1
@Necro
@Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick
@Sawduck
@Sephiroth_Dude
@ShaneU
@Wichita Lineman

Best of luck to everyone

https://forumofgames.com/showthread.php?tid=353

[Kol]

Some songs which would have done well in this round.

The Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way



Heart - If Looks Could Kill



Pentatonix - Can You Feel the Love Tonight

[Sephiroth_Dude]

Looking forward to this!

[Kol]

Starting shortly

[Kol]

[ShaneU]

Paul's Thumb
Paul's guitar tuners
George's Ear
George's finger
George's guitar knobs
John's guitar knobs
Ringo's drumstick
Ringo ring
Third Drum leg
white thing the hi hat sits on missing

Did I miss any?

[Kol]

In 10th place with 3 points is

@Sephiroth_Dude  - Faith No More - Easy

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

I do like FNM and I did like this song back in the day but I don’t think it has aged well. I kind of prefer the original now. I mean this cover is really just a bit funkier but the arrangement isn’t too different to the original. FMN are much better than this, not one of my favourite covers as you can tell.

[Sephiroth_Dude]

In 10th place with 3 points is

@Sephiroth_Dude  - Faith No More - Easy

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

I do like FNM and I did like this song back in the day but I don’t think it has aged well. I kind of prefer the original now. I mean this cover is really just a bit funkier but the arrangement isn’t too different to the original. FMN are much better than this, not one of my favourite covers as you can tell.

I picked it knowing you were an FNM fan, thought it would bag e maximum points, not to be 

[Kol]

In 9th place with 4 points is

@Butty Brennan  - Touché Amoré + Vein.Fm + Pup + Bloodbather + God's Hate - Where is My Mind

Heard the song: No

Comments

Ah a Pixies cover, don’t know much about them. The song sounds familiar but I can’t say I know it. I did listen to the original and I have to say I prefer this cover, but that's not saying much really. The song for me is inconsistent, some parts I like and some I don’t. The woooo harmonies I like, I’m getting a wrestling entrance theme vibe from it. I do kind of like the song but it is all over the place.

[ShaneU]

I’m getting a wrestling entrance theme vibe from it

There's a wrestler at the start of the video

[Kol]

In 8th place with 5 points is

@Necro  - Avril Lavigne - How You Remind Me

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Love the Avril, love this song but together it is not great. I think it is a song that needs Chad Kruger’s voice. It is quite different though so really fits the category. I suppose also the over familiarity of the song doesn’t help either. I have yet to hear a cover of this that is better than the original. Unfortunately, these 5 words in my head say ‘you could have picked better’

[Kol]

In 7th place with 6 points is

@Sawduck  - Violet Orlandi - Radioactive

Heard the song: No

Comments

Not familiar with Imagine Dragon, have heard of them but that's about it. Didn’t know this song until now so had to go back and listen to the original. I actually prefer this cover version. The original seems a little over produced. Like the beat in this cover and the singer’s voice. I think here I like the version more than the actual song. Nice to hear something different and new. 

[ari101]

Scratching my head to remember what I entered 😅

[Kol]

In 6th place with 7 points is

@ari101 - Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Here’s the thing, I’m a big fan of Robyn’s version and I never really liked this one. I will admit it has grown on me after many listens. I still don’t like his voice though. If it wasn’t for the song here this pick would be much lower. Great song, an okay cover.

[Kol]

In 5th place with 8 points is

@Irish Aris  - Sandra - Everlasting Love

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

I’m not familiar with the original, I’m sure I’ve heard it before though I had to go back and listen to it. It’s not great, this cover is much better. Great 80s sound again, are you all doing this on purpose? I will admit though that Sandra doesn’t have a great voice but who needed a great voice in the 80s to be successful! A decent pick.

[ari101]

In 6th place with 7 points is

@ari101 - Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Here’s the thing, I’m a big fan of Robyn’s version and I never really liked this one. I will admit it has grown on me after many listens. I still don’t like his voice though. If it wasn’t for the song here this pick would be much lower. Great song, an okay cover.

Ah yes probably a bit predictable but I love both versions.

[Kol]

In 4th place with 9 points is

@ShaneU  - Adele - Easy On Me (Louis La Roche '1988' Remix)

Heard the song: No

Comments

Not sure if this really should qualify as a cover though it is a great song so I’m allowing it. Shane was getting all 80s on me for brownie points and it worked. Yeah I do like the 80s ballad sound here. Still not sure if I prefer the original or this one, not much in it. This might have been great also in the surprise surprise round as I’m not really an Adele fan but she has a few good songs. Interesting and good pick.

[Kol]

In 3rd place with 10 points is

@Wichita Lineman  - Loah - Dancing in the Moonlight

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Not a big fan of Thin Lizzy in that I haven’t listened to much of them. This is one of their more famous tracks and I do like it. This rendition is beautiful, works really well slowed down and with a female voice. I do find it interesting to hear songs sung by a different gender to the original and there have been a few nominated in this round. Good sound, great version.

[Kol]

And then there were 4, worst 2 and best 2.

[Kol]

In 11th place with 2 points is

@Declan A Walsh  - Elton John - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

Heard the song: No

Comments

A Beatles cover, well I walked into this one I guess. Let me get this out of the way first, I don’t like the Beatles so chances are I won’t like covers of their songs either. Psychedelic rock doesn’t do it for me. What is this song about? It goes on forever with the same silly corus. Nah man, not for me.

[Kol]

In 2nd place with 11 points is

@Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick  - Halocene - Driver's Licence

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

I'm a big fan of the original song here, I’m sure I nominated it in one of the 3 day walruses. When I first heard this version, I thought it wasn’t much different and was waiting for something. It did happen, the corus sounded great in this music style. Great song, great voice, great rendition. Going to check out some more from this band.

[Kol]

In 12th place with 1 points is

@Jluv  - The Dead South - House of The Rising Sun

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

An overrated song covered by a rubbish band, this was never going to work for me. Hate the music style, hate the guy's voice and the song is just okay. Unfortunate pick here.

[Kol]

In 1st place with 12 points is

@jp liz v1  - Stephanie Rainey - Simply the Best

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Quite a lot of songs can be covered as ballads and for some it just doesn’t work. Not familiar with this singer, I think she is Irish but what a beautiful voice and sung with such passion. I do like Tina's version and this one is as good if not better. I suppose it is difficult to compare though. When I first heard it I got shivers and I knew it would take something special to top it, fortunately for Liz, nothing did. Fabulous pick.

[Kol]

And the 3 bonus points for this round go to @ShaneU

Well done.

[Kol]

That completes the round one reveal, congrats to @jp liz v1 and @ShaneU who are joint top at this early stage.

Thanks everyone, see you next time for round 2.

Player	R1	BP	Total
Liz	12		12
Shane	9	3	12
Rsoapy	11		11
Wichi	10		10
Aris	8		8
Ari	7		7
sawduck	6		6
Necro	5		5
Butty	4		4
Seph	3		3
Declan	2		2
Jluv	1		1

[ShaneU]

Ooh a Brucey bonus!

[RSOAPS]

In 2nd place with 11 points is

@Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick  - Halocene - Driver's Licence

Sweet, wasn't sure how this would fare... I actually heard this version before I had heard the original, so always preferred it, even though I do listen to Olivia Rodrigo's songs quite frequently these days...

In 3rd place with 10 points is

@Wichita Lineman  - Loah - Dancing in the Moonlight

Went to Loah's gig last week there in the Workman's Club in Dublin, her original stuff is well worth checking out...

In 1st place with 12 points is

@jp liz v1  - Stephanie Rainey - Simply the Best

Stephanie Rainey played this live at her gig in Whelan's back in April, great atmosphere in the room for this one...

[Irish Aris]

Some good choices in this round.
I have never realised that Heart's If Looks Could Kill was a cover.

[jp liz v1]

I am glad I changed to Stephanie's version, love her songs and glad you liked @Kol

[Kol]

Some good choices in this round.
I have never realised that Heart's If Looks Could Kill was a cover.

They recorded a few covers during their glam rock mid 80s era. What about love and Alone probably the most well known ones.

[Declan A Walsh]

In 11th place with 2 points is

@Declan A Walsh  - Elton John - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

Heard the song: No

Comments

A Beatles cover, well I walked into this one I guess. Let me get this out of the way first, I don’t like the Beatles so chances are I won’t like covers of their songs either. Psychedelic rock doesn’t do it for me. What is this song about? It goes on forever with the same silly corus. Nah man, not for me.

Okay, I can take the hit! I'm just surprised that you never heard the original at some stage, even if you are not a fan of The Beatles. Maybe I am getting old! 

[Declan A Walsh]

@Kol It's been a month now. When is the next round?

[Kol]

@Declan A Walsh Have the next round scored, just need to do some write ups. Might get it out by the weekend.

[Kol]

Next round reveal tonight

[Kol]

[Kol]

In 10th place with 3 points is

@ari101 - Savage Garden - I Want You

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Don’t know many Savage Garden songs but I do know this one and it seems a big departure from their other stuff in terms of sound and structure. I don’t really like the verse if I’m being honest, the corus is fine though. If you had picked Moon and back there is a good chance you would have won the round or at least made the podium. This one is just okay.

[Kol]

In 9th place with 4 points is

@Irish Aris - Alison Moyet - Weak In The Presence of Beauty

Heard the song: No

Comments

Not familiar with this song, it does have that distinctive 80s sound. I think the verse sounds good but the corus never reaches the highs I was expecting, it just sounds very bland. This is not a song that would stand out to me (if I heard it before) when thinking of 80s music. Alison does have a great voice though.

[Kol]

In 8th place with 5 points is

@ShaneU  - 2 UNLIMITED - No Limit

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

Iconic song and maybe the pioneer of Eurodance. Again one of those songs that belong to a certain era and don’t age overly well. They do bring you back when you hear them, nostalgia over timeless. I think they got the title wrong though, there is a limit (to how much I can listen to this 3 decades later)

[Kol]

In 7th place with 6 points is

@Sephiroth_Dude - RATM - Fistful of Steel

Heard the song: No

Comments

The thing with RATM is that a lot of their songs sound similar. I mean they have a great sound but I find little variety in them. I do like this and would listen to it again. There is some kind of siren sound during the 2nd half of the verse that I like. Are these songs consistent enough, I’m not sure. Some parts I like more than others. I can see how this might be a first for someone, one of my mates was very big into them back in the day, though he was also big into UltraSonic.

[Kol]

In 6th place with 7 points is

@jp liz v1 - Kris Kross - Jump

Heard the song: Yes

Comments

This is one of those songs that was just everywhere back in the day. It is also one of those songs that belongs to a certain era. They don’t age very well 30 years later though they do bring you back to a simpler time when you hear them. Great singing by the guys who must have been quite young when they recorded it. I remember the kids in my neighbourhood wearing their clothes back to front copying these guys. Again, good song but doesn’t sound the same 30 years on.