Alternate versions that are better than the original song

[Patrick_Nicholas]

Mostly from the top of my head:

Nine Inch Nails:
Closer To God, Closer (Thrust remix), the BYIT version, and Closer (Deviation) to the album version.
The piano version of Hurt
At least half of the songs on AATCHB, with special mention going to The Day The World Went Away
The BYIT versions of The Line Begins To Blur, Burn, The Big Come Down, and Only
Only (Richard X remix)
Zero-Sum (Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert remix) by a hair over the album version.
Find My Way (Oneohtrix Point Never remix)
Everything (Autolux remix)
The Wretched (Things Falling Apart and AATCHB versions)
Complications Of The Flesh, to both Complication and especially The New Flesh
The Day The World Went Away (Still)
Pretty much any live version of March Of The Pigs

Opeth:
The Roundhouse Tapes versions of Under The Weeping Moon, Bleak, Face Of Melinda, and Demon Of The Fall
The Royal Albert Hall versions of Forest Of October and Hope Leaves

Pink Floyd:
The following live recordings:




Plus the Pompeii versions of A Saucerful Of Secrets, One Of These Days, and Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

Porcupine Tree:
The Sky Moves Sideways (34-minute alternate version)
Shesmovedon (2004 re-recording)
Synesthesia (Up The Downstair reissue version)
Even Less (full version)

There are probably some others, but, again, those were mostly from the top of my head.

[piggy]

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Sympathetic Noose" (Alternate Version)
Pixies, "Gigantic" (single version)
Joy Division, "She's Lost Control" (12" Mix)
The The, "Perfect" (7" version)
R.E.M., "Gardening At Night" (Different Vocal Mix)
The Jesus And Mary Chain, "The Hardest Walk" (Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack version)
Medicine, "Time Baby III"

And my main pick, which for me transforms a mediocre song into an outstanding career highlight...
The Replacements, "They're Blind" (Matt Wallace Mix)

[onthewall2983]

oh, duh:

Don't we have a covers thread?

[eversonpoe]

Don't we have a covers thread?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ no idea

[Erneuert]

I’ve always preferred the Substance version of Sub-Culture by New Order to the album version on Low-Life.



I also much prefer the Turquoise & Crimson version of “Candle” by VAST as opposed to the one on Nude. It has this 20 second little piano outro that’s just stunning.



Also, Martin singing Sister Of Night live compared to Dave singing it in on the Ultra album is so much superior in every way:



And on the subject of Depeche, this remix is much better than the album version of The Sun And The Moon And The Stars:

[eversonpoe]

COIL • teenage lightning 2005 & the last amethyst deceiver (both from the ape of naples)
king crimson • inner garden (complete)

i go back and forth on which version of "ceremony" i like best, since there are several studio recordings and live versions. what's y'all's fav version?

[neorev]

for fans of The Prodigy...

Charly (Alley Cat Mix)
This is the known single/video version everyone knows and very different from its original mix

Everybody In The Place (Fairground Mix)
This is the known single/video version everyone knows and very different from its original mix

Hyperspeed (G-Force Part 2)
Featured on Experience, awesome rework/remix of G-Force (Energy Flow)

Wind It Up (Rewound)
Rework used in the video/single mix, original on Experience

Voodoo Beats
Featured on Their Law: The Singles bonus disc, The Prodigy's remix of The Chemical Brothers' remix of The Prodigy's Voodoo People that they used to perform live.

Spitfire '05 Version
Another's single/video mix/edit that's better than its album mix

Under My Wheels (Remix)
Rework featured on Their Law: The Singles bonus disc, loads better than album version

Omen (Edit) and (Extended)
Edit is the version used in the single/music video, quite different from the album version, especially the beats.

The Day Is My Enemy (Liam H Remix ft. Dope D.O.D.)
A complete hip hop reworking/remix of the original tune with Dope D.O.D. rapping over it.

[Erneuert]

COIL • teenage lightning 2005 & the last amethyst deceiver (both from the ape of naples)
king crimson • inner garden (complete)

i go back and forth on which version of "ceremony" i like best, since there are several studio recordings and live versions. what's y'all's fav version?

The Substance version of Ceremony is my favourite. I just prefer the less raw production and the vocals sound smoother and better.

[neorev]

Meat Beat Manifesto - Helter Skelter '97

[Space Suicide]

I vastly prefer the Eat the Elephant version of By and Down (The River) more than I do the original (?) mix of it from 360.

[tricil]

The Ruff mix of The Hand That Feeds. By far.

[halo eighteen]

The Cure - A Forest (Tree Mix)


And bonus points for the epic 13+ minute version from their Detroit 92 show

[Erneuert]

^ The Hedges Remix (on Join The Dots) of “Maybe Someday” is really good. Maybe not better than the album version but easily on par with it!

[jmtd]

Joy division “She’s lost control” 12” is better than the Unknown Pleasures LP version.

i go back and forth on which version of "ceremony" i like best, since there are several studio recordings and live versions. what's y'all's fav version?

First new order studio cut as a trio.

Harder is , imho, deciding which is the best “Temptation”.