Favorite Tribute Albums?

How often does a cover truly equal an original performance, let alone surpass it?  Not that often, to my ears.

I can respect that point of view, @stuartk , and to some extent, although I find covers of songs I am familiar with to be interesting, I share it.  For me the notable exceptions include The Cowboy Junkies cover of Sweet Jane (and possibly Mr. State Trooper) and also Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson’s cover of Pancho And Lefty (you already mentioned Emmylou, and she also did a cover of that also that is simply beautiful).  I’d probably add Lucinda’s cover of Return Of The Grievous Angel.  I have read that many, including Bob Dylan himself, prefer the Jimmi Hendrix cover of All  Along The Watchtower, but I don’t feel that way about that one.  On a quick edit, I think that I might prefer Sinead O'Connor's cover of All Apologies to the original.  

As far as Linda Ronstadt, I bought the Simple Dreams 8-track shortly after I had graduated high school, and since radio stations were severely limited where I grew up, I grew up actually thinking that she was the original artist on most of those songs.  But now that my musical horizons have been expanded, I think that I still prefer her interpretations on many of the tracks.  Poor Poor Pitiful Me and Carmelita and Blue Bayou come to my mind immediately.  

@densely 

It’s often enjoyable to hear a different approach to a song without judging whether it surpasses another performance in some way.

Sure. But afterwards, for better or for worse, it’s my nature to compare and contrast. 

@immatthewj 

I’d agree there are instances where a cover version becomes the definitive interpretation. Poor Poor Pitiful Me and Blue Bayou are good examples.  

If memory serves, Willie Nelson did an album of Kris Kristofferson covers that was pretty good.  Have you heard Aretha Franklin’s cover of Eleanor Rigby?  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8NQ8YJj8N8

OK. the more I think about it, the more examples of individual tracks are coming to mind.

Bonnie Raitt;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpuzE6t7_Js

Taj Mahal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp0lTFsolcQ

Ry Cooder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Mx9npkNlI&list=OLAK5uy_l7BVY9DP7fNU0KhCbuSY-GDTNURidBUX8

Whether these are definitive is open to interpretation. They're ones that I happen to like. 

@stuartk If you like that game, try these:

I Say A Little Prayer: Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin

Fire: Robert Gordon, The Pointer Sisters

Teardrops Will Fall: Dicky Doo and the Don'ts, Wilson Pickett, Ry Cooder

I have three tribute records, to 

- Karen Dalton, on vinyl

- Gram Parsons, on CD

- Laura Nyro, on CD

I find it odd that Bette Midler does not appear on the Laura Nyro CD. Bette was good friends with Laura and got verklempt when she introduced Laura at Laura’s posthumous induction into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Same goes for Tod Rundgren, who sorta famously said that when he first heard her music that he “stopped writing songs like the Who and started writing songs like Laura”.

@stuartk 

”How often does a cover truly equal an original performance, let alone surpass it?  Not that often, to my ears.”

Well, Sting would disagree with you. He claims that Eva Cassidy’s “Fields of Gold” is far superior to his. 

Same with Dylan, who claims that Bruce Springsteen’s version of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is by far the best he has heard. 

I would give Eva Cassidy the nod for “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” which has made me completely forget the original by Judy Garland.