Cover Me Impressed: 'Last Night I Dreamt...'

Each January, as the dust settles on all of the top albums lists for the year just completed, I inevitably discover a record or two I completely missed. Of course, that's the beauty of all these lists. The top candidate this time around is 'Epic' from singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. It's a bare-bones seven-song affair that, although short, packs quite a punch. I have to thank Greg Kot from Sound Opinions for this one. I heard Van Etten's song "Save Yourself" on his mix tape of the year's best songs, and it really grabbed me.

Van Etten has covered "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me," the last single from the Smiths. The original can be found on the 1987 album 'Strangeways, Here We Come.' If you have heard the song before, you may have the same feeling I do. Boy, it takes a lot of guts to tackle this one. Surprisingly, quite a few have attempted this number, and a couple have succeeded. The Thrills, Eurythmics and Low are among the bands that have done a respectable job with this song, but I put Van Etten's version at the top of the list. She stays true to the Smiths' version, thankfully, and the pedal-steel guitar is a really nice touch.

Sharon Van Etten - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (mp3)

More Cover Me Impressed:
"They Don't Know"
"Everybody's Talkin'"
"What Goes On"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
Halloween Edition
"Porpoise Song"
"Prairie Rose"
"Come On Eileen"
"Walking On Thin Ice"
Jason Falkner Edition
"True Love Will Find You In The End"
"This Will Be Our Year"
"You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
"Nightime/Thirteen"
"The End Of The World"
"(Don't Go Back To)Rockville"
"God Only Knows"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"So Sad About Us"
"Everywhere"
"Walking The Cow"