THE MAN HIMSELF MIGHT THINK ‘You’ve Got A Lot of Nerve‘ BUT THERE IS NO CRUD ON THESE TRACKS…………….
MY BACK PAGES – The Byrds: Lasting testament to Roger McGuinn’s extraordinary ability as an arranger. This chiming wonder from the sublime 1967 ‘Younger Than Yesterday‘ album just shades ‘Mr. Tambourine Man‘ as the perfect blend of Dylan and The Beatles that flies off as The Byrds.
MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE – Rebecca Ferguson: First heard, believe it or not, during a heat of the ‘X-Factor‘, the divine Miss F produces the definitive version of his most covered song in the past twenty five years. Moving, nuanced, someone should direct her toward ‘Shooting Star‘ from ‘Oh Mercy.’
She would triumph with that as well.
SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE – Bryan Ferry: The stand out track from his ‘Dylanesque’ album, Ferry takes this slow-building ‘Blood On The Tracks‘ epic and gives it a Springsteen make-over that still matches the original for emotion.
HEART OF MINE – Maria Muldaur: From her own album of Dylan covers, this lovingly played, beautifully delivered song of frustrated love is perfectly re-worked by Muldaur, whose sassy vocal is instantly engaging.
TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME – Rod Stewart: Masterful ‘Every Picture Tells A Story‘ cut from arguably the Grand Master of Dylan coverists. Ron Wood excels on acoustic guitar as Rod delivers a joyous vocal.
KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVENS DOOR – Warren Zevon: Recorded for his final album ‘The Wind‘ in 2003 and released only days before his death, a creaking vocal only adds to the poignancy of a man who knew his time left on earth was short.
WHEN I PAINT MY MASTERPIECE – The Band: From the plaintive original in which Dylan reflects on a mid-60s tour of Europe, The Band produce a tour-de-force of ringing mandolins and swirling accordions.
Only Dylan could rhyme ‘gondola‘ and ‘Coca Cola‘ – and only The Band could do this song justice.
ITS ALL OVER NOW BABY BLUE – Them: Had the Rolling Stones covered this in 1966 they could not have bettered the sharp, atmospheric treatment managed by Van Morrison and his cohorts.
ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER – Jimi Hendrix: Okay, its an obvious pick but its fluidity not to mention sheer majesty resonates to this day.
Besides, fifty-odd years of air guitarists will appreciate the selection even if most play it with the wrong hand (Hendrix was left-handed).
THE MIGHTY QUINN – Manfred Mann: Like many other great songs filched from ‘The Basement Tapes‘ cut by Dylan and The Band, Manfred Mann sound like they can hardly believe such a gem has come their way.
Sung with less abandon than the original, its late-60s pop leanings made it an obvious – and deserved – hit.
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of MONTY’S DOUBLE – an acclaimed thriller now available as an Amazon Kindle Book.
I am possibly one of a very few people who have never claimed to be a Bob Dylan fan or worse still will publicly pronounce that I’m not interested in him. I have also never bought or wore a Ramones Tee shirt.
I do have a Nirvana Tee shirt but can claim the right to wear that as I had tickets to see them in Manchester but Kurt went and shot himself a week before the gig was due to be played. At the time, I thought that very selfish of him. However, having reflected on that particular thought over the subsequent years; I still think it was selfish of him. I and my son, and many others were looking forward to that Gig!
However, getting back to Mr Dylan; until reading your item; ‘Ten Outstanding Cover Versions of Bob Dylan songs’, I never knew he (‘Dylan’ as true wannabe fans would refer to him) wrote ‘The Mighty Quinn’.
It was on the strength of that Manfred Mann single that; in 1968 I acquired the Manfred Mann LP entitled ‘The Mighty Garvey’. And a very enjoyable LP it was as well.
In fact, as well as being completely uninterested in Bob Dylan and his music I must confess to having been slightly puzzled by the euphoria that seemed to accompany his every utterance, be it musical or just spoken.
I was, and still am attracted to much more sophisticated lyrics like; ‘She Loves You Yeh, Yeh Yeh’ or ‘We sang shang –a-lang as we ran with the gang Doin’ doo wop be dooby do ay.’ Which in their own right are two examples of absolutely pure urbane modern classics!
That is; until a few years ago when my favourite radio station – BBC Radio 4 broadcasted a programme entitled ‘Famous Lives’. On this particular occasion the guest speaker chose to talk about Bob Dylan.
Ordinarily on hearing that, I would have been inclined to switch the radio off and listen to a Guns ‘N’ Roses C.D instead. But, at the particular time I didn’t have one ready to hand and as I had nowhere I could go because I was sitting in my car, in a traffic jam, on the M6 (for any American Readers the M6 is a British equivalent to your Interstate Highways – But shorter).
So, as the speaker waxed lyrical about Dylan’s life, he went on to explain that much of his writing is actually based on Biblical Text and frequently is a direct lift from the readings of the Bible, the psalms in particular. Now that caught my attention. So, I took the trouble to consider a few of his lyrics and, low and behold. So it was!!!
Now, having just a little more time for Mr D than I previously did, I wonder has the Christian Church missed a trick or two here.
Clearly by the fact that many Dylan aficionados are actually rejoicing in the words of the Bible, I wonder just how many of them actually realise that.
Now if the Church were to commission Mr Dylan to put the Bible, in its entirety, to the music of Bob Dylan, you know the kind of thing, a bit like ‘Josephs Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat’, how many more people would take up the Bible and its message of hope and good will?
It would be a bit of subliminal advertising that could actually do the world some good.
Maybe the Churches need a good Advertising and Creative Agency, you know like Saachi & Saachi. After all, if they and their likes can get the world to eat Big Macs, then surely they could get us reading the Bible.
Dave D.
(Not to be confused with Dave Dee, as in Dozey, Beaky Mick and Titch – Okay!)