just leave it alone.

There are certain things in life that you just shouldn't mess with -- the original is so well done that any attempt to alter, remix or imitate is just blasphemous.

For example, Dr. Pepper. It is a perfect blend of 23 flavors. Leave it be. Don't go adding vanilla or cherry or both, and for darn sure don't be trying to make some diet version. Come on people. It's caffeinated soda. If you were that concerned about your health or weight you wouldn't be drinking the stuff in the first place. Don't go pretending you're all health conscious and drink diet. If you're going to drink it, drink it right or don't drink it all.

Another case in point: today I heard a new song on the radio. It was John Mayer doing a remake of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'." Now I don't totally dislike John Mayer, in fact I actually own one of his CDs, but listening to John slaughter a classic American rock song with his sensitive, breathy crooning, was just torturous. It's like Beej said, if listening to the remake just makes you wish you were listening to the original -- it never should have been remade!

John Mayer's not the only offender. 311's hack job of The Cure's "Love Song" and Jessica Simpson's destruction of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walking" are just a couple of other examples.

I am a fan of remakes when they're well done or different enough from the original that both can be enjoyed in their own right. For example I love all three versions of "I Will Survive" performed by Gloria Gaynor, Cake and The Puppini Sisters. Although they were contemporaries, both Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline made "Crazy" their own. And Johnny Cash's rendition of "Hurt" is repentant and phenomenally better than the creepy original performed by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

By the way, no one should ever do a remake of a Johnny Cash song.