Dylan Covers

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Self explanatory. Best/favorite Dylan covers. Probably already done, but whatever.

 

I'll begin with my two favorites.

 

Mark Lanegan - Man In The Long Black Coat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0OhFBBCfOM

Flawless song choice. I like this cover better than Dylan's original. Lanegan's a fantastic singer no matter what lyrics he's working with. But MITLBC is one of my favorite Dylan songs lyrically, and Lanegan absolutely nails it. The instrumental track is simple, hazy, also perfect. Much of Lanegan's non-QOTSA material reminds me of Oh Mercy era Dylan, except better. So I was very pleased to hear this cover.

 

Jim James & Calexico - Goin' To Acapulco

Another excellent cover choice. I never thought much of this song until I heard/saw this cover in I'm Not There. It's nice, but not a favorite by any means. But this is one of Jim's finest vocal performances. The scene in the movie is powerful and Jim belts out the chorus better than Dylan ever could. Excellent work by Calexico as well.

 

Obviously there are other great ones, but those are the best I've heard.

 

Thoughts?

[PopTodd]

Maybe it's cliche to pick a Byrds song, but fukkit...

 

The Byrds - "My Back Pages"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h80l4XIPJC4

 

EDIT:

And, i assume that you mean any version BESIDES Hendrix doing "All Along the Watchtower".

[mjpuczko]

damn near any dylan song jerry garcia sang. especially when in the jerry garcia band.

[Analogman]

The Dylan Covers Database

 

I think these may be it for me:

 

Rod Stewart - Tommorrow Is A Long Time

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower

Joe Cocker - Dear Landlord

[redpillbox]

I was always partial to Jeff Buckley's version of "Mama You've Been On My Mind".

[Doug C]

There are many stellar Dylan covers but for some that are not as well known, all of Jimmy LaFave's (and there are many) rank with the best. He is a sincere fan and a reverent interpreter of Dylan's music. The double album, Trail, has 12 Dylan covers. Most of his albums have a couple on them. LaFave also is a Woody Guthrie fan and interpreter. He is working on a CD, ala the Mermaid series, in which he chose 19 lyrics from Nora Guthrie's archive. If you aren't familiar with Jimmy LaFave, he is worth checking out. His own compositions are mostly excellent and he puts on a fantastic live show.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Rod Stewart's are quite good. Both Tomorrow and Mama You've Been On My Mind.

 

And, i assume that you mean any version BESIDES Hendrix doing "All Along the Watchtower".

Well, that one is terrific. And it's the example of a Dylan cover for a reason.

 

But it isn't my favorite.

[Analogman]

I don't care for the song Mama, You've Been On My Mind.

 

I forgot one:

 

Joan Baez - Farewell, Angelina.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I bought a copy of this on vinyl a long time ago, but I haven't listened to much of it. Pretty interesting song choices though.

[mjpuczko]

ha, i have that & had no idea 'sad eyed lady' was on there. odd choice. i love 'love is four letter word'.

[W(TF)]

About a million threads on this, too.

 

For more recent-ish ones - from I'm Not There - my favorites are the John Doe covers of St.Augustine and Pressing On. Both freakin'fantabulous.

[cryptique]

Neko Case's version of "Buckets of Rain"

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

the John Doe covers of St.Augustine and Pressing On. Both freakin'fantabulous.

YES. Those are unreal. Especially Pressing On. Not a song I'd ever paid attention to by Dylan. But that cover is fantastic.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Neko Case's version of "Buckets of Rain"

 

Ooooh, I personally think that one is an abomination on par with the existence of Leave Me Like You Found Me. I was so disappointed when I heard it (SO much potential for awesome!) I think I cried.

[cryptique]

Ooooh, I personally think that one is an abomination on par with the existence of Leave Me Like You Found Me. I was so disappointed when I heard it (SO much potential for awesome!) I think I cried.

It's better live.

 

And I like "Leave You Like You Found Me."

[W(TF)]

YES. Those are unreal. Especially Pressing On. Not a song I'd ever paid attention to by Dylan. But that cover is fantastic.

 

John Doe must have more Soul in his voice than any white singer since Van Morrison.

[Guest Speed Racer]

It's better live.

 

And I like "Leave You Like You Found Me."

 

The only version I've heard is her ACL version.

 

And, well, that explains it.

 

I'm rather fond of Elliott Smith's take on "When I Paint My Masterpiece." Like it much better than Dylan's, in fact.

[Analogman]

ha, i have that & had no idea 'sad eyed lady' was on there.

 

That is really weird. I guess she threw fate to the wind.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

John Doe must have more Soul in his voice than any white singer since Van Morrison.

Those are the only songs I've heard him do. Is his own material worth checking out? He really does nail those covers on I'm Not There.

[bobfrombob]

I always liked the way Jason and the Scorchers did Absolutely Sweet Marie. I wouldn't recognize Jason or a Scorcher if I ran into one on the stree though.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Actually, the whole I'm Not There soundtrack is pretty stellar. There are a few definite classics, and pretty much everything else is well above average. One of the biggest surprises to me was Jack Johnson's rather good medley of Mama You've Been On My Mind and Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie.

 

The only song on there I can't stand is Sufjan's cover of Ring Them Bells. And the Hold Steady's Please Crawl Out Your Window. But that's more a case of not being able to deal with the vocals. Sufjan's cover was just all around awful.

[LouieB]

There are literally thousands or even tens of thousands of cover versions of Dylan songs which is why he is a wealthy man. Don't forget he was covered from day one of his career, so tracking down even a small portion of them is a monumental task. Some off beat Dylan cover albums are Hamilton Camp's Paths of Victory (maybe the first Dylan cover album) and Duluth does Dylan. Volume I is better than volume II. I like Any Day Now by Joan Baez, but I am in the minority. There is an R&B, country, and Nod to Bob albums among others. There is an entire Byrds conp of just Dylan stuff.

 

I recently found a Box Tops cover I thought was pretty cool.

 

LouieB

[IATTBYB]

I'm not going to look for the last time this thread topic was done, but I said Brian Ferry's cover of Hard Rain is a Gonna Fall in that thread and I'm sticking to it.

[Sir Stewart]

I said the Indigo Girls' Tangled Up In Blue in said thread, and I too, will be sticking to it.

[Doug C]

I said the Indigo Girls' Tangled Up In Blue in said thread, and I too, will be sticking to it.

Live on 1200 Curfews? I'm with you, sir.

 

Apparently either: a)no one has any interest in exploring Jimmy LaFave's Dylan covers b)People have heard his Dylan and don't want to tell me he sucks the proverbial donkey dicks (thanks but I can take it), c)Others also like his Dylan but couldn't be arsed to mention it, d)anything that my name is attached to is summarily ignored or e)all of the above.

 

I don't know what this icon is meant to symbolize but I like good beer