Post your favorite Bob Dylan remakes

Rhythm N. Bliss · March 24, 2009, 03:18:02 AM

Quote from: uwe on March 23, 2009, 02:13:22 PM
The first version of a Dylan song I heard? This here, and I still like it. She had the credibilty to sing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-UjWFHhWRM&feature=related

She's so coooool

My ex is Dutch/German & would sing along with Marlene. Classy lady.
...my ex was pretty damn classy too!!

That performance of Hendrix~Like A Rolling Stone is brilliant. Always loved that.
This is becoming a great thread!

gweimer · March 24, 2009, 06:32:50 AM

Well, I've never been much of a Dylan fan, but I do like me some Leon Russell.

Barklessdog · March 24, 2009, 07:45:52 AM

I have never liked Bob Dylan, but somehow his music becomes so much more when other artists perform his music.

gweimer · March 24, 2009, 09:01:42 AM

Quote from: Barklessdog on March 24, 2009, 07:45:52 AM
I have never liked Bob Dylan, but somehow his music becomes so much more when other artists perform his music.

Bingo! I've heard it said that Dylan prefers the Hendrix version of "All Along The Watchtower" to his own, and has somewhat adopted Jimi's version when he does it live.

Manfred Mann is one of those artists who can really bring out the best in a song. I remember an interview where he basically said that too many songwriters are too close to the songs to realize the true potential.

Dave W · March 24, 2009, 10:49:48 AM

Quote from: Barklessdog on March 24, 2009, 07:45:52 AM
I have never liked Bob Dylan, but somehow his music becomes so much more when other artists perform his music.

The first Dylan song I ever heard was Don't Think Twice, It's Alright, done by the New World Singers. They were a NYC folk group fronted by Gil Turner, and Happy Traum was also a member. They actually recorded the song (and Blowin' In The Wind) before Dylan did. He was an unknown who hung out with them, they were established on the NYC scene.

I loved the song. Then I heard Dylan's own recording of it. I thought his version was pitiful by comparison.

That's how I feel about most of his songs. I've just never cared for his singing. Other artists bring out the best in his work.

uwe · March 24, 2009, 12:42:42 PM

My favorite self-sung Dylan number is Hurricane. Stunning rendition, off-the-wall subject, great melody and drive, I'm not aware that anybody ever dared to cover it. Of course, the subject of the song has become moot after Herr Carter was finally released. Must also be the longest non-repeating lyric of any pop song ever, Don McLean's American Pie maybe excepted. Do not misconstrue this posting as an invitation to discuss here whether Hurricane Carter was guilty or not. Nobody here knows. Dylan believed he was innocent and wrote a great anthemic song about it, that's the sole point me thinks.

lowend1 · March 24, 2009, 01:28:28 PM

Quote from: uwe on March 24, 2009, 12:42:42 PM
Do not misconstrue this posting as an invitation to discuss here whether Hurricane Carter was guilty or not. Nobody here knows. Dylan believed he was innocent and wrote a great anthemic song about it, that's the sole point me thinks.

A friend of mine went to see Dylan live back around '87 - there was a guy in the audience who kept yelling for him to play "Hurricane". After numerous "requests" from this guy, Mr Zimmerman said, (in true Dylan style):
"I ain't playin' no Hurricane - he was guil-tee!"

Rhythm N. Bliss · March 24, 2009, 01:47:35 PM

Quote from: lowend1 on March 24, 2009, 01:28:28 PM
A friend of mine went to see Dylan live back around '87 - there was a guy in the audience who kept yelling for him to play "Hurricane". After numerous "requests" from this guy, Mr Zimmerman said, (in true Dylan style):
"I ain't playin' no Hurricane - he was guil-tee!"

Damn that's funny! Ha haa haaa

lowend1 · March 24, 2009, 01:48:33 PM

Dylan covers?
Everything else pales in comparison to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8siLZ4zNbY&feature=related

and the 1976 version (audio only):

lowend1 · March 24, 2009, 01:52:10 PM

...oh, and this:

Highlander · March 24, 2009, 03:35:30 PM

That's "kerb-crawling" and living down to your name, dragging down an ICON from my childhood

My gawd, didn't the original ST cast "come-out" with some terrifying stuff - what was that newest Shatner CD - "Hasbeen" - at least he understands the comedy of his situation...

Curiously, Uwe, that is the only Dylan recording I ever bought new... and the songbook... that was second-hand though, not that strange... well, maybe just a bit...

I am trying to remember what Neil Young said about BD - I know that he is one of the only songwriters he looks up to - both are poor singers but exceptionally gifted songwiters...

uwe · March 24, 2009, 06:49:50 PM

Young a poor singer? Compared to Bobby Zimmermann he's Caruso. Young can be a sloppy maniacal guitarist, but his singing tends to be spot on intonation wise (and I only saw him last year live). You might not like his high voice (which is still youthfully flexible), but the man can sing. Dylan could never really sing and never pretended he could. What he does is inimitable though.

gweimer · March 24, 2009, 07:22:03 PM

This from the guy that said that Glenn Hughes was a screaming banshee over the lush baritone of David Coverdale? Will wonders never cease?

However, I will agree with the basic premise - Young can sing. Piercing, but pretty much in tune. Except for that one line in "Out of the Blue" -- this is the story of (squeak) Johnny Rotten...

Highlander · March 24, 2009, 07:37:31 PM

Not like Mr Young, au contraire... err, wrong language... Probably my favorite musician, Uwe, and then some, I have a ridiculous collection of his musiclegit and collectors stuff, but nowhere near what it could be - his voice has that fractured quality that makes it so good, so honest - I only wish he would get on with his "archives" and can only live in hope that he relents and releases "Time Fades Away" - wore out a copy learning to play with my Grenn EB2 to this record - especially "Last Dance", and used to love to experiment on "The Bridge" - I keep meaning to do a transfer from my pristine Japanese copy - no means of playing at present, though...
I saw him last year too - classic Young, growing old with more grace than many musicians I can think of... He filmed the night I saw him at the Hammersmith (Odeon) Apollo, but no sign of that, probably "archived"...
If I had to choses a favorite of his that I will never hear played live by anybody, it would probably be "Expecting To Fly" played VERY LOUD PLEASE, just for the outro... and my other favorite of his is the other dark days lp, "Tonight's the Night", and then there is... you get the picture...

Gary, that squeak was probably caused by those guys from Akron...

Uwe...? Okay, he had his rather odd moments during touring with DP, but I have to stand-up in defence of Mr Hughes, pointing out how exceptional his voice was on CTTB (saw that line-up) and the utterly stunning "Hughes Thrall" album, and not forgetting the early Trapeze albums - admittedly the "Mars-bar" kid has faux-pas'd more than once or twice, but I love those recordings... no idea what he does these days...

gweimer · March 24, 2009, 08:35:20 PM

For more recent Glenn Hughes (and they aren't all THAT new...), I'd recommend Soul Mover and Feel. He still has a penchant for overly dramatic vocal intros, but he's still good.