Cover to Cover: Don't Change

Greetings readers! It’s time for another edition of Cover to Cover. If you’re new here, this is a column where I talk about a particular song that has been covered by other artists and discuss which version I like better.

For this one, I will be covering the song “Don’t Change” originally recorded by INXS.

The Original:

The original version of this song comes from Australian rock band INXS. The band started in 1977 as The Farriss Brothers, eventually changing their name to INXS at the suggested of fellow outbackers Midnight Oil. They had several hits in the 80s and early 90s. Lead singer Michael Hutchence died in November 1997, apparently from a drug-induced suicide. In my opinion the band should have ended things there because they were never the same. Again, just my own personal opinion. The band’s discography consists of 12 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, 4 live albums, 5 EPs, and a bunch of singles. Their first release was their self-titled debut, released in October 1980 by Mercury Records.

The song “Don’t Change” comes from their 1982 album Shabooh Shoobah. It was also released by Mercury and produced by Mark Opitz. That album reached #46 on the US Billboard while the track itself reached #17 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. The band released a video for the single and I remember it vividly. I’m pretty sure that this was the first song that I had ever heard from the band.

The Cover:

The first cover that I’m going to talk about is the Face to Face version. Face to Face is a punk rock band from Victorville, California. They formed in 1991 by singer/guitarist Trevor Keith, bassist Matt Riddle, and drummer Rob Kurth. They made their recording debut with the LP Don’t Turn Away which was released in 1992 by Dr. Strange Records. To date, the band has released 11 full length albums, 8 EPs, 2 splits, 1 live album, and 1 compilation album.

Their version of “Don’t Change” comes from their 4th studio album, Standards and Practices, which was a covers album. In addition their cover of “Don’t Change” it included covers of songs from artists such as The Smiths, Pixies, The Psychedelic Furs, Fugazi, and more.

The Third Cover:

The third version of the song that I’m going to cover is from The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Do I really need to explain who Bruce Springsteen is? He started his career in the late 1960s with a band called Child. He eventually started the E Street Band and recorded their debut album Greetings from Asbury Park NJ. That album was released in January 1973 by Columbia Records. He is one of the best selling music artists in history and has released 21 LPs, 8 EPs, 121 live albums, 10 box sets, 9 compilation albums, and 2 soundtracks. He has done a lot.

His version of the song comes from a live recording of a concert he performed in Sydney, Australia in February 2014.

The Fourth Cover:

Our 4th and final version comes from Buffalo, New York based rock band The Goo Goo Dolls. This band started out in 1986 as a cover band but began developing their own sound, which has evolved somewhat over the years. To date, the band has released 14 studio albums, 5 live albums, 7 compilations, and 9 EPs. Their debut was their June 1987 self-titled LP which was released by Mercenary Records. The first time I heard this band was from their 1990 album Hold Me Up. I’ve listened to this band in waves. A lot of their stuff I’ve heard and liked, some I have not liked, and many more I probably have never even listened to. Overall, they are a good band.

Their version of “Don’t Change” comes from their compilation album Volume 2 which was released by Warner Brothers Records in August 2008. I actually had not planned on talking about this cover and actually didn’t even know that they did a cover of this song. However, while I was damn near done writing this thing and about to publish, my friend Dave (Oklahoma Lefty) told me about it and after listening to their version, I had to include it.

The Verdict:

I’m not sure if this is my favorite INXS but it might be. It is definitely very high in the rankings for my favorite song of theirs.

In regards to the Face to Face version, it a solid cover. However, Trevor Keith’s voice is just, quite simply, not as pleasing to the ear as Hutchence. I’m not saying that I don’t like Keith’s voice. Quite the opposite. I am a fan of Face to Face. I just find that his voice doesn’t really fit this song.

I actually did not know until very recently that Bruce Springsteen did a version of this and this Cover to Cover was originally just going to be INXS and Face to Face but after hearing this version, I had to include it. So while Bruce kind of took the song and made it his own, with his typical New Jersey/E Street style, I’m not sure if it is better than the INXS version either. I do really like his version and even as great of a musician as he is, his version just does not seem to hold up to the original.

As for the version by the Goo Goo Dolls, keep in mind that I have never heard their version until today, I really like their version. While the other 2 cover versions do the song justice and are great versions in their own right, this one really stand out on top of them. It’s a really great version.

With all that said, are any of the cover versions as good or better than the original INXS version? I would have to say no. The version from The Goo Goo Dolls comes pretty damn close but even it does not have the same impact that the original does. The original, with those keyboards and guitars and Michael’s voice. It really is hard to beat.

The Poll:

But what do you think? Which version do YOU prefer?

So that’s it for another edition of Cover to Cover. Hope you enjoyed it. If there are any cover songs that you’d like me to include in one of them, shoot me an email at otter272@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading. Comment are encouraged and highly appreciated.