New Order – “Love Vigilantes” from Low-Life [1985]
Iron & Wine – “Love Vigilantes” from Around the Well [2009]
Submitted for your approval: two versions of the same song. The original, by New Order, and the cover, by Iron & Wine. Both have their merits, but this is a fight to the finish (is there any other kind of fight?). Which version of the song is better? This is completely subjective. I like both versions of the song for different reasons. I appreciate New Order for coming up with the song and writing such great lyrics, but I feel the Iron & Wine version is more evocative and truly does justice to the lyrics. But now, instead of bloviating, I am going to make my voice heard in the poll, and so should you. It takes two clicks.
Posted by Adam
2 Comments
September 4, 2009 at 9:26 am
I’d say I like the New Order better because I just really dig their production and the heavy stomp-esque beat they always have. Although I don’t really like the song–I can’t tell what part of the lyrics are supposed to be ironic or sincerely nationalist or they’re just about a guy who happens to be sincerely nationalist. I don’t know. New order has the better music for it though, IMO.
September 4, 2009 at 9:29 am
I have to go with the original. I’m not sure I would even rank the Iron and Wine version ahead of the other cover released earlier this year by Laura Cantrell. The gender swap in her version doesn’t work as well as it did for her cover of John Prine’s “Sam Stone”, but it at least added something new to the mix.