Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got til it's gone.

ORIGINAL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp2iGyl8Sek
COVERED:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVD6_BGV8mM


The song that I chose to further discuss is "big Yellow Taxi," originally done by Joni Mitchell and covered by Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton. Although the songs are essentially the same, they are numerous differences; to start lets discuss the melody.
Listening to the Joni Mitchell song, you are quickly introduced to the sound of an acoustic guitar which gives you the feeling of the song being very relaxed, almost giving the sense of it being either spring or summer. It's also extremely light because of the lack of instrumentation (guitar, triangle, and a little bit of drum). If I had to classify this song under a specific genre, I would have to say that the original is close to Folk, where as the covered version sounds more like Pop. Counting Crows also had a relaxed feeling, bit gave this impression in a much different way than Joni Mitchell's version, in a sense that it's something that you could listen on your way to class, regardless of season, and be in a good mood. Although very similar, the covered version gives you something that the original doesn't which is it coming off as being more personal. It makes the listener feel as if he is actually have a conversation with you or singing to you about how his love was taken away from him (or her in Mitchell's case).
From melody, lets move onto the difference in musical quality, starting off with the difference in pitch. In Mitchell's version the pitch goes to an extreme high during the second chorus, where she beltches out and unforgettable "PLEASE.." where as in the covered version there is barely a pitch change throughout the entire song. I imagine this is from the contrast in singing styles from the artists. The speed in the original version can be considered as
Ultimately, I'd have to say that my favorite is the covered version. Solely because Joni Mitchell's version is not only out of date, but as we learned from Jeff Redefer, the way the song was produced in the original. Although it sounds like her version was more meaningful, but the covered just sounds more personal.

p.s- did you notice the SLIGHT lyric change from the original to covered?