Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 03:31 PM

I found this review that talks aobut the making of the Jokerman video... Apparently it was the 2nd video made for the Infidels album...

http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/jokerman/RSvideo.html

"The first, for the lovely ballad "Sweetheart like You" had been a flat and lifeless embarrasement."????????????

Bull... and sh!t!!!!!!!!!

From another "Credits" web site...
"Backed by a band that includes Knopfler and ex-Stone Mick Taylor on guitar and the legendary reggae rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Zimmy's biting songs don't lack for solid musical support."

So it may have been Mark K. on Sweetheart... I donno... never sounded like him to me...

Searching for the video for Sweetheart, I can't even find it on eMule...

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 03:38 PM

From a Dylan Who's Who page

http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/who/o/olsoncarla.html

Olson, Carla

Carla Olson persevered with the Textones, but kept her eyes wide open
for other musical possibilities. In 1983, Bob Dylan invited her to
appear in his first ever music video, "Sweetheart Like You," from his
excellent INFIDELS album. In the video, Carla mimes a guitar part and
solo, both of which were actually recorded (in the studio sessions) by
Mick Taylor, guitarist extraordinaire, ex of John Mayall and the
Rolling Stones. Carla and Mick communicated on the telephone over long
distance about the event, thus beginning a long friendship between the
two which would eventually result in a tremendous live album...

So she didn't play it for the album, but 'played' playing it in the video...   

Aaaaah... the music biz! LOL

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Justa Picker
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 04:03 PM

My version of "Don't Think Twice"
(but I'm a little biased.)

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: alanabit
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 04:07 PM

Thanks Clinton. I have heard Mick Taylor do first rate imitations of Hank Marvin,Carlos Santana and, of course, Keef, but I didn't know there was even more in there. I always thought I could recognise his licks straight off. Seems I need to listen a little harder.
The things you learn on Mudcat!

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 27 Nov 04 - 04:22 PM

Let's hear it so we can compare JP!

:-)

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Justa Picker
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 01:03 AM

(Requires an Mp3-enabled web browser.)
Merry Christmas

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 07:33 AM

A neat version at a cracking pace. Good stuff.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 12:09 PM

Way to go, Justa Picker! I like my version of "Every Grain of Sand" the best of all Dylan covers. :-)

Infidels was a killer album. Just think how much better it could have been with "Blind Willie McTell" and one or two other songs of the time put into the mix. It would then have been every bit as legendary an album as "Blood On The Tracks" or "Blonde on Blonde".

Damn fine work for a decade in which Bob was largely discounted by a lot of his critics, including himself.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: jaze
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 02:06 PM

Excellent version,JP!

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: GUEST,snagger
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 05:45 PM

I just listened to your rendition of ` Don`t think Twice ` . It was great! Thanks Justa picker you have a Montana audience.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 05:58 PM

and how come no-one has mentioned the ultimate Dylan cover by the best artist the world has ever seen?

All along the watchtower by Hendrix?

Eh?

Or, going from the sublime to the ridiculous. Mighty Quinn by Manfred Mann. Now, what was that all about...

:D

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 06:43 PM

For one, it was mentioned in the initial post...

For two, I think that it's a LOAD... never much cared for either the song itself, or Hendrix, or his cover of it...

"best artist the world has ever seen"
Hardly

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 07:43 PM

JustaPicker -- WOW!

Clinton -- Sorry you don't dig Jimi; each to his own taste and all. My mention of his "Watchtower" in the initial post of was just a preemptive strike, to save readers the bother of submitting multiple nominations.

I've been watching the Anniversary Concert video over the weekend, and my new favorite-du-jour is the Ojays doing "Emotionally Yours." Aparently they had a top ten R&B hit with it, but I missed it completely at the time. I might try to make it *my* next Dylan cover.

Also, from the concert tape: Nanci Griffiths' "Spanish Boots" got a mention above. On stage and also in the recording made shortly beforehand, she is joined on 2d vocals by Carolyn Hester, who does a great job...

dinnertime! more later

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 08:00 PM

Apparently one of Bob's first credits (before his first Solo album) was playing Harmonica on a Carolyn Hester album. Boots of Spanish Leather was wonderful on the '92 concert Video. Unfortunately the video is out of print. The last I looked there were used VHS verions selling for almost $300 U.S.

Highlights for me included The Band, Sophie B. Hawkins, Booker T., Johnny Winter (getting the band to catch up to his pace), Eric Clapton, Carolyn Hester, Ronnie Wood, George Harrison. However, when Bob (I don't know how sober he was) finally took the stage and did Girl From The North Country and It's Allright Ma were the most magical moments. Bob, his guitar and dead, irreverant silence from what had been a very boisterous Madison Square Garden audience.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 08:23 PM

I really don't like Johnny Winter's version of "Highway 61 Revisted", but it's just a matter of taste. It's his musical style I don't like. He performs it well enough.

Hendrix did "All Along the Watchtower" quite well, but I've heard Dylan do it even better in live concerts, and with more perception. It's a very interesting song, being an apocalyptic vision from an album that was almost entirely composed of spiritual allegories of a very symbolic and introspective sort. It's a classic song. It ought to be in Revelations.

Kristofferson doing "I'll be Your Baby Tonight" was so predictable that it was downright funny. That song, after all, is Kristofferson's entire raison d'etre in a nutshell! :-)

Willie Nelson was cool on "What Was it you Wanted". Figures. He's always cool. What he can't do with character can't be done.

Johnny Cash and June Carter kind of massacred some other song, didn't they? Can't recall what it was.

I liked John Mellencamp's "Like a Rolling Stone" okay. It suited him.

I wish to hell Sinead O'Connor had sung "I Believe in You" like she was scheduled to. That would almost certainly have been the standout of the evening.

Bob doing "It's Allright Ma" is always a standout. I've seen him do it a lot better than he did it that night, though.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 08:55 PM

"Sorry you don't dig Jimi"

Don't be sorry... all the more for you eh! :-)

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 09:00 PM

Our copy of the 30th Anniv concert was privately taped, supposedly from the pay-per-view event. I now suspect that it may have been taped from the edited broadcast that aired later, because at least one performance two folks have mentioned here is *not* included on our tape -- "I Want You" done by Sophie B. Hawkins. Everything else that's been mentioned is on our tape, thankfully -- it's not all *that* incomplete.

Think I could sell copies on Ebay?

Thanks to Steve for picking up right where I left off when I abandoned the PC to eat dinner. I was just about to explain about Bob having played on Carolyn Hester's record, etc. We're told by the emcee that Bob had also just played harp on Nanci's recent CD, the album with "Spanish Boots" featuring Carolyn'a harmonies.

Little Hawk: Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Cash sang a very uptempo Tennesee-Three-style "It Ain't Me Babe." Not a highlight at all, just as you recall; a different selection would probably have worked better for them.

Bob's solo bit at the end includes "Gates of Eden" as well as "It's Alright Ma." I can't think of anyone who's successfully covered either onewo, and can't imagine that anyone would try or even want to. Some Dylan songs may best be left to Bob.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 09:28 PM

Yup. And those two are on that list. But...I've heard Arlo Guthrie do a rather good live rendition of "Gates of Eden", come to think of it.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 10:13 PM

For a few days, as this discussion has developed, I've been thinking about the Bob songs *I* cover, and have noted some of you-all have had the same kind of thoughts.

I decided to start another thread on "Dylan Songs YOU Cover," but then "thought twice" about it after checkingd in here and seeing how JustaPicker beat me to the punch by linking us straight to one of her covers directly from this thread.

But then I went ahead and started the new thread anyway:

Dylan Songs YOU Cover

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Auggie
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 10:23 PM

Up until now, my favorite would have been an amazing live, acoustic rendition of Mr. Tamborine done by a very pissed off David Crosby after some idiot in the audience kept yelling at him to play Byrds music at a Crosby/Nash concert back about 1972. When he was done, Nash said something like "Eat your heart out Roger McGuinn."

Now it's gotta be Justa Picker, no contest. Eat your heart out David.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 10:35 PM

I have found that the video and the CD are different. I tried taping it from PBS when it was first broadcast, but I had no idea how long it was. I have bits and pieces spread across three or four tapes. I would love to have the official tape.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 01:53 AM

How could I ever have forgot, Remember the 80's band Falco? (Rock Me Amadaeus) They did a killer good cover of "It's All Over Now Baby Blue"

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 03:21 AM

Wish I'd seen this earlier............

I think that the most fascinating subject is Bob covering Bob and his motivations behind the changes. To many Bob fans this equates to saying, upon hearing his latest rendition of one of their favorite songs, "What the fuck was he possibly thinking about?" Last time I heard him do Desolation Row I felt like I was listening to some old calypso record...................

As far as the 30th thing went, we've had numerous conversations here over the past 6 years and there are a number of threads about it. My main likes and dislikes were:

*Loved Clapton turning "Don't Think Twice" into a pretty powerful blues.
*The Band was great.
*Good to see Caroln Hester even in a back-up role.
*Johnny and June should have stayed home in Hendersonville.
*Shithead O'Connor was booed down, beautifully demonstrating exactly what an SDS meeting in the 60's was really like. She and her supporters forgot that true freedom is often accompanied by complete anarchy.
*Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers doing "License to Kill" was a solid cover but Tom ain't a lot different than Bob.
*In a vote taken shortly after the show, judges were unable to determine if Neil Young was playing that Les Paul or fucking the thing.
*Johnny Winter is not only the skinniest and whitest white guy in existence, his inability to remember the words or read a teleprompter as Lou Reed did should disqualify him from any contest.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 09:36 AM

Hah! Great observations, 'spaw; I can't help but agree with every point -- especially about Tom Petty, Neil Young, and the SDS.

The (reconstructed) Band was pretty good, but not the same as when Richard (dead by then) and Robbie (absent by choice) were still members. The "twin-lead" vocals by Levon and Rick define the heart of that sound, though -- like Duane and Eric on guitars -- so most of what we know and love as The Band is still there.

If that woman's cover of "I Want You" is known to you-all by the CD and not the video, then the tape I have probably *IS* from the orignal pay-per-view telecast, as we were told by the friend who made it. Peggy and I are seriously considering borrowing a second VCR to dupe some bootlegs and and sell 'em on Ebay. We'll let you know if and when.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 10:24 AM

Sinead might better have just kept her cool and waited them out calmly...then sung the song. Bob used to do that with hostile audiences, and it worked every time. Eventually the assholes run out of their own hot air and start wondering what might happen next onstage. That's when you steal a march on them and start singing.

Never has any artist's career been so totally destroyed by one careless act than Sinead O'Connor's was by tearing up a picture of the Pope. Really quite extraordinary. Poor girl. She should've torn up a picture of an American president instead. (Any president would have done...)

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: jaze
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:38 PM

Justa Picker, who is that great singer on your version?

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Justa Picker
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:40 PM

She's a good friend of mine.
Her name is Joanne Shaw.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:54 PM

Albums (LPs):
"Dylan's Gospel" by The Brothers and Sisters (latter includes Merry Clayton & Clydie King)
"Odetta Sings Dylan"

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 09:15 PM

"Sinead might better have just kept her cool and waited them out"

She was on stage too long as it was...

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 11:57 PM

I'd rather look at her than you, Clinton...

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 12:25 AM

I watched the video all weekend, and the wife and I disagree about Sinead. I agree with Little Hawk -- if she was able to chant her own little personal rant, she could just as well have sung the scheduled song. The crowd was ready, too -- the booing died down, and TWICE there was a window of about 4-5 seconds when she could and should have begun.

Booker T is playing the intro and just when it's time for the vocal to begin, the crowd noise dies down as if on cue. Nothing from Sinead.

So Booker, visibly frustrated, plays the little intro riff again, the space is there again, she hesitates, and then she gives the cut-off sign (hand across neck) so that she can start telling us how Everything Is War.

Peggy says no, none of it is Sinead's fault, the crowd wouldn't allow her to sing. I don't buy it; they let her do her *own* bit -- they quickly sat back in stunned silence, pretty much -- and I think they would have been even *more* willing to let her sing a Bob song.

Since the concert was in NYC, I figure that her controversial TV appearance must have *just* occurred, explaining the vociferous reponse. It makes sense that the only reason she was in New York to be available for Saturday Night Live was to appear at the Dylan show. This not something I'm sure of, not something I actually remember; just figured it's probably the case.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 12:31 AM

She lost emotional control at the crucial moment. She got angry. Unfortunate. She would have done a fine job on the Dylan song.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Steve-o
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 12:02 PM

Thank God Catspaw's alive. Neil can fuck a Les Paul better'n'you, though! LH- I felt so cheated when.....uh...what's her name?...got boooooed down. Right- pooor thing.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 03:44 PM

Neil Young is famous for his bizarre deviations from what is generally considered "normal" behaviour. Fortunately, he has also recorded some great material along the way.

The WSSBA has decided to dedicate a small plaque to him for providing some inspiration. It's in the "alien artifacts" wing of the Great Hall, along with a tissue he blew his nose in back in 1972.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: davidmeredith
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 06:29 AM

Percy's Song-Fairport Convention
Boots Of Spanish Leather-Martin Simpson
With God On Our Side-The Neville Brothers
Down In The Flood-Fairport Convention
Highway 61 Revisited-Johnny Winter

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 01:02 PM

David, thanks for remembering Aaron Neville's great rendition of "With God On Our Side," which was really a big (and pleaant) surprise to us Orleanian Nevilles fans when it came out.

I've thought to mention it several times since strting this thread, but always when I was away from a computer. Always forgot about it when I hada chance to post.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: alanabit
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 01:20 PM

The Neville Brothers did a wonderful version of "Hollis Brown" too.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 01:23 PM

Don't forget Fairport's version of "I'll Keep It With Mine"...

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: GUEST,Whistle Stop
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 01:52 PM

I'm with Big Tim and others; I think Dylan does them best, although he has definitely had some off moments in his 40-plus year career.

I do them second-best.

In the third-best category, I'd offer Percy's Song by Fairport Convention; Love Minus Zero/No Limit by Eliza Gilkyson; Every Grain Of Sand by Emmylou Harris; It Ain't Me, Babe by (what's her name; on A Nod To Bob); and any of the covers by The Byrds (they did them all the same, so they're sort of interchangeable).

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Justa Picker
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 02:57 PM

Too commercial for you Clinton? :-)

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Arkie
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 07:24 PM

I Shall Be Released by Peter, Paul, & Mary and any version of "I Ain't Going Nowhere". While I like Dylan most of the time and prefer his versions of his songs most of the time I can't stand his version of the later song and don't care all that much for his version of the former. Tom Russell does a pretty good version of Lily, Rosemary, and The Jack of Hearts, but I prefer Dylan's.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 12:57 AM

Oddly enough, I don't know of anyone who has covered either "Wiggle, Wiggle" or "Woogie Boogie"... :-)

I think Madonna would be perfect for the former, James Last for the latter.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 12:09 AM

The definitive version of It Ain't Me Babe was definitely the one by the Turtles.
I always liked the Flying Burritos doing If You Got to Go, one of Dylan's more humorous efforts.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: GUEST,Whistle Stop
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 09:34 AM

The Turtles? Yuck! Almost as bad as the Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash version. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

The nicest version of It Ain't Me Babe that I've heard was Lucy Kaplansky's, on A Nod To Bob (I knew I'd remember the name eventually!).

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 12:05 PM

Whistle Stop, I guess I should have appended an emoticon indicating irony on my Turtles comment. Actually, I liked the Turtles, but that kind of pop wasn't the best format for Bobby D.

I did like the Byrds doing My Back Pages, and evidently so did Dylan, since McGuinn led off the finale at the 30th Anniversary concert that featured Bob, Bruce, Eric, Tom et al, with his trademark Rickenbacker lick. The other Byrds version of a Dylan tune that I thought definitive was You Ain't Goin Nowhere from Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 02:19 PM

Neil Young does the Best version of All Along The Watch Tower that I have ever heard, bar none. Arlo Guthrie does a great version of gates of Eden and Joan Baez's Love is just a four letter word.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 03:00 PM

Neil's "Watchtower" is pretty great, but for my money, it's a cover of *Jimi's* "Watchtower," not Bob's. That's why I feel that that one particular Hendrix cover is in a category by itself...

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Alonzo M. Zilch (inactive)
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 10:10 PM

Tom Russell's version of Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts, done as a trio with Joe Ely and Eliza Gilkyson is my favorite Dylan cover of the last few years. Another is Bill Camplin's version of Desolation Row.

Going back a few years, there's Dave Van Ronk's version of Song To Woody and Ramblin' Jack Eliott's version of Don't Think Twice, It's All Right.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 06:25 AM

In My Not So Humble Opinion MOST of Dlyans songs sound better done by
ANYBODY but Dylan , One exception for me is Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll , which really NEEDS the 'rough' delivery of Mr D.

Subject: RE: Favorite Versions of Dylan Songs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 06:26 AM

Incidentaly I seem to have caught this silly thing about Hundredth post to a thread from Ted !!