Our crazy metalhead buddy Leo Moracchioli just posted a cover of one of my favourite soft-rock songs from the 80s, “Africa” by TOTO, and… well, it leaves perhaps something to be desired:

Compare that to the original:

(That, by the way, is an example of how one makes a great pop-rock song without completely selling out one’s soul. Or sacrificing any sense of rhythm, melody, dynamics, and lyrical skill for the sake of cookie-cutter lowest common denominator pablum guaranteed to sell records.)

Leo’s version isn’t terrible, but it’s got quite a ways to go before it comes anywhere close to the original.

That isn’t always the case with his work, of course. There are certain covers that range from quite good to exceptional: