No, I'm not asking for them, I've found them. And what an interesting trip thru styles and approaches!

Those of you who know UseNet (Newsgroups) are probably aware that folks post music in various places. I browse the folk music area to try to learn more of what exists on CD..(or did exist on early LPs)

This week, someone posted his collection of over 100 versions of "Hard Times" by Stephen Foster, and since I really like the song, I started listening to some. Here's a screen capture of about half the list (some 8-10 are only instrumentals)

Mercy! What can be done with (and 'to') a simple song! I know that 'tastes differ', and that I am kinda picky & traditional, but it sure illustrates, to me at least, those versions which are about the song and the message, and which are about the singer or group. I have listened (usually one verse & chorus is enuf) to about 1/3 of them, and find (so far) 11 really nice ones, 8 'borderline', and 23 that vary from bland & silly to absolutely weird! (some take very strange liberties with the basic tune...some just ummm... 'improve' it with little vocal warbles - because they can?))

I realize that if 50 of us were to review the same list, we'd have 50 different evaluations.

I have been to workshops about "making a song your own", and it's a valuable thing to think thru. I do wonder, however if some folks even TRY to come to terms with the feel and history of "Hard Times"...or bother to research the tune and 'pace' before recording it.

So...have you ever gone thru lots of versions of a single song and had a similar reaction to them?