Sometimes the most unexpected covers turn out to be the best – like Billy Corgan singing Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” or Johnny Cash singing Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” Then again, when the artists seem to share a common thread, a cover can take on a new life as more of an homage than a transformation. That’s the case for Spoon releasing covers of two Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers songs last week. They share a grit and a delivery that makes me wonder why I never grouped the two together before.
Spoon recorded Petty’s “Breakdown” and “A Face In The Crowd” live last year at the Catacomb in Austin. Check out the performances of both songs below: