I'm Not There - The Soundtrack

I raved about the film earlier this week, so how's the soundtrack, you ask? Well, I've listened to both discs about 10 times, and overall it is enjoyable. Dylan is one of the most covered songwriters of all time, so the bar is raised. Two discs, with an interesting combination of veteran performers and some of the newest indy-alternative artists around. The result? Most of it is very good, with the standout performances mixed between the old and the new. A good cover respects the original but succeeds in conveying the cover artist's style in the song. There's nothing interesting in mimicking the original. However, a cover that totally obliterates the original seems like a cop-out. On I'm Not There, there's some of the former, and very little of the latter, which overall is a good thing.

The best part of the collection is that many of the songs are Dylan's lesser known material. This may be due to Todd Hayne's influence in the musical backdrop for his complex film, or the individuality of the artists, but it works. There's no Like A Rolling Stone or Blowing In The Wind here, but instead Dark Eyes and Goin' To Acapulco, to name two examples.

The mother of all Dylan Covers is All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix. How do these compare? Here's the summary, with my one blurb review. This review is for the non-Dylan fanatics. If you're not planning on buying the 2-CD set, buy the tracks in green. You won't be disappointed.

Disc 1
All Along the Watchtower - Eddie Vedder and The Million Dollar Bashers (MDB) (the soundtrack's 'house band'.) Nothing new here. Not the best way to start the CD.
I'm Not There - Sonic Youth. Fantastic. Thurston Moore nails this beloved 'lost track' from the Basement Tapes.
Goin' To Acapulco - Jim James and Calexico. James vocal breathes new life into this overlooked track from the Basement Tapes. A haunting scene from the film too.
Tombstone Blues - Richie Havens. Not exactly revolutionary, but it's hard not to like Havens style.

Ballad of A Thin Man - Stephen Malkmus and MDB. Malkmus and the band deliver almost a copy of the 1965-66 sound, but despite the unoriginality, it really works. Malkmus seems to be relishing every nuance in the song.
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again - Cat Power. Uninspired. I didn't like the Dead's version either. Maybe only Bob can deliver this one.
Pressing On - John Doe. A killer version of a song from Bob's overlooked Christian period.
Fourth Time Around - Yo La Tengo. This one kind of lulled me to sleep.
Dark Eyes - Iron & Wine & Calexico. Has a nice percussive quality. An interesting cover.
Highway 61 Revisited - Karen O and the MDB. A pointless cover. Maybe ok if you're a bar band, but otherwise....
One More Cup of Coffee - Roger McGuinn and Calexico. Adequate. The mariachi horns of Calexico add a nice feeling, but it's not essential.
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll - Mason Jennings. A faithful, folk style rendering of the original, but not essential.
Billy 1 - Los Lobos. A great job from a great band. I wish they would have done another one on this collection. I never listen the Pat Garrett soundtrack Dylan did, so this feels fresh.
Simple Twist of Fate - Jeff Tweedy. Tweedy uses the lyrics from the New York demo version, but it's not enough. I didn't like the way Jeff sang this one. Disappointing for me.
Man In The Long Black Coat - Mark Lanegan. Very similar to Bob's own version. Good, but not essential.
Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) - Willie Nelson & Calexico. Sounds like Willie phoned this in. Of course, I'm not a big fan.

Disc 2
As I Went Out One Morning - Mira Billotte. A pleasant rendition from this folk artist, but she doesn't really bring much of her own style.
Can't Leave Her Behind - Stephen Malkmus and Lee Ranaldo. More Malkmus! He never sounded this good in Pavement.
Ring Them Bells - Sufjan Stevens. Hmmmmmm. This version is totally different from the original, but I'm not big fan of Stevens musical style. Probably the most radically different of the entire collection, so for that I'll say yes.
Just Like A Woman - Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico. A predictable version of this song by a female lead vocalist. You don't need this one.
Mama. You've Been On My Mind - Jack Johnson. Jackson throws in part of Dylan's speech 'Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie,' but Johnson's barefoot, carefree style doesn't suit this song.
I Wanna Be Your Lover - Yo La Tengo. The band sounds like the Sir Douglas Quintet, which suits the Stones parody of this song completely.
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere - Glen Hansard. I love this song, and the performance is rollicking, but it's probably not essential.

Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? - The Hold Steady. Described as blend of the Replacements and 1973 era Bruce (who was trying hard to be Dylan), this one of my favorites. Perfect song choice.



Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Ramblin' Jack Elliott. A folk version with a little bluegrass, and it's hard not to be charmed. Elliott, who's 76, was a huge influence on young Bob, and it's great to hear things come full circle.
The Wicked Messenger - The Black Keys. Oh Yeah! A blistering blues version. A lot of artists maybe be intimidated by a Dylan song and afraid to depart from the original. The Black Keys obviously are unafraid.
Cold Irons Bound - Tom Verlaine and the MDB. A tortured Verlaine goes on for 7 minutes. I liked it, but it's tough to recommend it to a non-fanatic.
The Times They Are A-Changin' - Mason Jennings. Again, a copy of Bob's original version.
Maggie's Farm - Stephen Malkmus and the MDB. Like Ballad a Thin Man, this is a 1965 era facsimile, but what the hell, Malkmus is so into it that's it's fun.
When The Ship Comes In - Marcus Carl Franklin. Franklin is the 11 year old African-American boy who plays a version of Bob in the film. Amazing.
Moonshiner - Bob Forrest. A traditional song rearranged by Dylan, so it's not really a cover. Good song, though.
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - John Doe. Also fantastic. It has a gospel feeling, and Doe's vocal performance is jaw-dropping.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Antony and the Johnsons. An aching version of this song from a relatively unknown NY band. I need to check this band out.
I'm Not There - Bob Dylan and the Band. Finally, an official release of this fanatic favorite. A legendary outtake from the Basement Tapes sessions, you've got to own this one.

Whew. That's a lot to digest. Go see the movie, and buy at least some of this wonderful soundtrack. For more the best source on the bottomless sea of Dylan covers, go here.

Epic Album Cover

A little more on Blood On The Tracks before I move on. What do you do when one of your favorite albums is covered by a relatively unknown alt-country band, which has the nerve to record the event and release it on a CD? I must admit I felt a little uneasy when I learned of Blood On The Tracks: Recorded Live at Arlene Grocery, recorded in 2001, by a band called Mary Lee’s Corvette. I learned of this CD when it came out, but hesitated, and only picked it up very recently. Although Dylan himself enjoyed the recording and streamed part of it on BobDylan.com for a while, surely no one could do this record justice, particularly live in a casual club setting. It would be a mockery, right? Or did I fear that I would like this better? After repeated listening, the verdict is mixed.

Lead singer Mary Lee Kortes has a good voice, reminiscent at times of Chrissy Hynde blended with the likes of Neko (see previous post). She does best with the slower songs like Simple of Twist of Fate and You’re A Big Girl Now, but can’t muster the energy or venom in the album’s high point, Idiot Wind. She seems to lose focus and stamina on the longer songs, and allowing an audience member to begin the marathon 15-verse Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts in a mocking Dylanesque whine nearly spoils the entire set. The arrangements are pretty similar to Dylan’s own, but the playing is more than adequate, with some especially nice guitar fills here and there. The most overlooked track on Dylan’s record is the bluesy Meet Me in the Morning, and it’s well done here too. Overall, the disk is enjoyable, but not a knockout performance. If you’re a Dylan fanatic, you probably need this record. If not, proceed with caution. However, the album has prompted me to seek out some of her own material, and it may do the same for you.

Buy It

Neko Sings Dylan

Neko Case, everyone’s new favorite alt-pop-country singer, has covered a song from my favorite Dylan album, Blood On The Tracks. Actually, this album might be my all-time favorite. It’s hard to pick only one, but most days, it would be Dylan’s 1975 masterpiece. I’ll talk about a full live cover of this album in an upcoming post, bur for now, Neko. Taken from the album Live From Austin, Texas, Neko brings her sweet, amazing voice to Buckets of Rain, the album’s closing track. The original is one on Dylan’s most plaintive love songs, and displays some of his finest acoustic playing. The song is perfectly suited to Neko’s song style. Check it out, then go out and pick up any her fine solo albums.


Buy the CD

Jack's love sick

A little more on the Dylan Covers. I found this great footage of the White Stripes doing Bob's Love Sick from his 1997 album Time Out Of Mind. The Raconteurs are opening up for Dylan on some of the dates of the upcoming fall tour. Seeing how Jack White worships Dylan, that could be really interesting. Tapers, be ready with those microphones!

Also, Dylan's new album Modern Times is released tomorrow. Expect a review by the end of the week.

Under the Covers

I’ll get to the music momentarily, but first a quick update on the Death Cab In Lakeview saga I posted last week. Monday the jury found the accused passenger guilty of second degree murder of 62 year-old cabbie Haroon Paryani. It didn’t take long. Defense attorneys argued self defense for passenger Michael Jackson, saying the cab driver went ballistic and threatened Jackson’s life after Jackson identified himself as a city employee and planned to report him for reckless driving. This was apparently not enough to excuse Jackson from running over Paryani with his own cab. The sentence could be as much as 30 years in prison.
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Secondly, check out the excellent blog Locust St. for an outstanding post on all things blue. You won't be disappointed. One of my favorite blogs.
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On to the music. Today’s topic is the cover song. What is it about an artist performing another’s work that is so intriguing? Is it an homage, an acknowledgment of influences, or laziness? Probably a little of all three. Jam bands like Phish raised the cover to an art form, sometimes filling a third of their long sets with other artist’s material. Nirvana was clearly acknowledging their muses with the numerous covers on the Unplugged in New York set. At concerts it's a sure crowd pleaser when the band takes the stage for an encore and plays some classic rock song, or some obscure cover. In certain genres like folk music the cover is seen as a way of passing down a legacy. Some of the best loved Grateful Dead songs performed live are old folk and blues songs passed down through the generations. As the Dead tribute bands carry on and play their music, the circle remains unbroken. Then there are the recorded covers, which sometimes eclipse the original artist’s version.

Bob Dylan has covered dozens, maybe hundreds of songs in his career, and he has had his own material covered extensively. Back in the day, bands like the Byrds covered his songs at nearly the same time as Dylan’s own recordings, and had huge commercial success. Some might say their versions of Mr. Tambourine Man, My Back Pages and All I Really Want To Do are more well known than Dylan’s own versions. And the mother of all covers, Hendrix’s version of All Along the Watchtower, is even preferred by Dylan himself.

I’ve got a collection of Dylan covers that I’ll dig into as time goes on. I’ll be focusing on the more obscure tracks, hopefully stuff you’ve never heard before. Bob’s songs are ingrained in my mind; when I hear a cover version, it opens my mind to hearing a song I’ve heard hundreds of times in a different way. And, it has introduced me to some great artists, too.

Dylan Cover #1 – Pink Nasty – It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

Pink Nasty, aka Sara Beck, is an Austin based singer in the vein of Neko Case and Lucinda Williams; folk/country with a sweet-sexy drawl to her voice. She seems to be a favorite of the local Austin music scene, but I'm not sure she's well known outside the southwest. That lurid name could be a problem.... Check out therealpinknasty for other free downloads. Bob's original version is a slow acoustic blues on his 1965 Highway 61 Revisited album. A more rollicking electric version can be found on The Bootleg Series Vols 1-3.

Dylan Cover #2 - The White Stripes - One More Cup of Coffee(Valley Below)

The White Stripes of course need no introduction. This cover has been often featured in their sets, and suits Jack White's guitar style and plaintive vocals nicely. The lyrics, about a dark and mysterious lover, also fit right in the Stripes oeuvre. Bob's original is on the excellent 1975 Desire album, the follow-up to Blood On The Tracks and somewhat overlooked by the mainstream, except for the famous song about Hurricane Carter.

Buy the White Stripes

Springsteen 1975

Not much time to post these days. I have a track I've wanted to share for a while. From my source this is a recording of Dylan's I Want You recorded by Bruce on February 2, 1975. Springsteen was playing this song in live performances quite a bit in early '75, but the fan sites don't have Bruce playing on February 2nd. Could be that this recording is from February 5 at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA. This show was broadcast on FM and has been widely circulated amongst collectors.

Either way, it's an important recording. Hearing Bruce sing Dylan's poetry reminds us of his inspiration for his own lyrics on his early albums. Dylan's lyrics of course are loaded with symbolism, whereas Bruce always tried to keep things more grounded, but the arrangement here is reminiscent of songs like Sandy and Meeting Across The River.

The photo is from October 23, 1975 at Gerde's Folk City, in NYC, where Bruce and Dylan met face to face for the first time. That's Bruce's then girlfriend Karen Darvin by his side. The dude digging the whole scene is John Prine.

Bruce Springsteen - I Want You - February 1975

Vintage Van

Here's a real gem posted on the DylanPool site recently. One of Dylan's greatest songs peformed by the greatest living singer. Seriously, who's got a better voice than Van Morrison? On September 5, 1971 Van performed before a small crowd at Pacific High Studios in California. The show was broadcast on FM, and eventually made it into bootleg circulation, where it can thrive today on-line. Here's what John Grissim Jr. had to say in Rolling Stone, June 1972:

"Still there are times when Van enjoys performing, when everything--the band, the sound, the audience, his mood--comes together. Those moments are likely to occur when he has a small audience, like the one last {September} at Pacific High Recorders in San Francisco, broadcast live over KSAN.

Before a studio audience of 200, Van opened with "Into the Mystic," then went into "I've Been Working," a cooker with Van extending the break while the horns did jazz riffs off a flawless rhythm section. After singing a shorter, looser version of "Ballerina," he caught everyone off guard with "Que Sera Sera"--the first three lines anyway, complete with a tinkly four-octave piano flourish--up through "Here's what she said to me"...when he broke into a stomping honky tonk rendition of "Hound Dog" that set the tone for what turned out to be a rare two-hour set.

Van never really established eye contact with his audience, and he never said much except 'thank yous', but he was in great form. He would hold a long high note at the top of a crescendo, raising his right arm up, then shout "Hit it!" as he pulled a fist down to cue the band. "Just Like A Woman" was just like Van Morrison, taking a few extemporaneous liberties with the lyrics:

Your long time curse hurts, but what's worse is this queer in here, ain't it clear...

I believe I believe I believe I believe it's time for us to ...(pumping his arm down) ...quit....

Please don't let on that you knew me when I was weird, (half-talking now) and you were weird,too....

For those few moments the song was his."

Enjoy: Just Like A Woman

Buy: Van the Man