college has thrown me a curve ball

[wellREDman]

     I have a module this term called Sessioning, aimed at preparation for working in a covers band or as a session musician. we basically have to play what were told, with who we are told and to perform them as close to the originals as possible.
    I have been assigned the genre Classic Rock. we have to perform 25 minutes of music which has to include 3 from the following list.
white Room, black dog, You shook me all night long, Crosstown traffic, Pinball Wizard, Barracuda, Cherry bomb, Purple Rain, The Chain, Piece of my heart, Born to be Wild, My Sharona, she sells sanctuary and More than a Feeling.
   I love these songs but the thought of playing slavish copies breaks my heart.

I am all about the cover version, the music I listen to most these days is loungecore and stuff like Hellsongs and Nouvelle vague, dread zeppelin and Beatallica.

I was really looking forward to some radical reworkings, but i have been told specifically that as someone who was responsible for a Glam Rock version of Spice up your Life and a punk version of Backstreet's Back in previous modules that the tutors are looking for me to absolutely not stamp any part of myself into these versions

I completely understand the rationale behind the module, and how doing it will be immensely good for me as a bass player, but it really sucks donkeys.

so i guess the question is... which of these will be most fun to play considering I'm not allowed off piste at all?

[Rob]

When I started playing in the mid 60's  :-[that was what every gig required.

I still try to take licks directly from tunes just to keep my ears tuned.
I guess it comes down to doing what's required and letting your skill set run free when you have the chance.
I would try them all and then pick the one that lets you feel like you're moving the song along.

[FrankieTbird]

White Room, Black Dog, & Born to be Wild.  Those would be my choices.

[Dave W]

I'd choose White Room, Piece of My Heart and Born to Be Wild.

[Highlander]

Pinball Wizard, White Room, Barracuda...

[godofthunder]

   Oh man I could do this in my sleep.  Nothing like this when I was in college.

[Pilgrim]

I like the choices mentioned above.  Pick any three you like best and feel that you can play well.  Some are more difficult than others.  A bit of challenge is good, but keep it within your grasp at your current skill level.

Perspective: if this is the biggest curve college throws you, you should expect to earn all As.

[wellREDman]

   Oh man I could do this in my sleep.  Nothing like this when I was in college.

yeah i still cant quite believe I'm getting the equivalent of a couple of A levels by playing bass!

having said that a lot of the music theory stuff is eye-wateringly mathematical 

[D.M.N.]

I'd probably go Black Dog, Pinball Wizard, and Crosstown Traffic, with runner-up being White Room. If it was Tales of Brave Ulysses, absolutely...

[wellREDman]

I like the choices mentioned above.  Pick any three you like best and feel that you can play well.  Some are more difficult than others.  A bit of challenge is good, but keep it within your grasp at your current skill level.

Perspective: if this is the biggest curve college throws you, you should expect to earn all As.

The curve ball i was referring to is that it I should find myself disappointed at getting Classic Rock, I think i was looking forward to the challenge of reggae or funk or something that would push me out of my comfort zone.

I totally understand that I was given this assignment because the tutors feel that i can most improve myself as a musician at this point by reigning things in a bit and I'm mature enough to take that and work with it, 

[Lightyear]

I will just chime in here and say that you sometimes learn the most by being pushed well outside of your comfort zone, or, no pain - no gain 

I reluctantly took a big promotion a little over a year ago and I have to say my superiors seem to live by this creed.  While the stress level at times has been nightmarish I will be the first to admit that all of the pain has certainly bought much gain.

[Highlander]

... having said that a lot of the music theory stuff is eye-wateringly mathematical ...

Its a language of 7 letters and 5 half letters... everything else is speed and elevation...

[66Atlas]

It's really cool that you're doing it. 

I would fail this class with flying colors!