It’s true - Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan

Irked, perhaps, by The Dylan Daily’s recent focus on the forthcoming Bryan Ferry covers album, an anonymous reader sent me a CDR of a variety of covers of Dylan songs, mainly taped at live shows.

Many thanks for the disc, dear reader, whoever you are!

Digging on dylantree, I established that the CDR is volume 3 of Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan (track list below). And that it’s part of a massive series, now reaching 17 volumes.

Will I be collecting them?

Not likely. The project underlines, yet again, the sheer majesty of the Dylan Songbook, and the respect in which he’s held by many musicians. It also illustrates the diligence and energy of Dylan collectors, who’ve tracked down and assembled this enormous library.

But the bottom line is: CBS’s 1970s marketing slogan - Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan – was absolutely spot on. Dylan sings his songbook beautifully; most Dylan covers are bloody awful.

About one third of the assembled tracks in the 17 disc series look mildly interesting. The other 65% look like an endless succession of dull, grizzled guitar-strumming navel-gazers. As for the male singers...

If I listen to this kind of mediocre, but oh-so-precious, sub-Americana for half an hour, I lose the will to live.

You might think differently, so I'd give the link, but dylantree seems to have closed down:


Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 3: Lost Forgotten Years (1968-1976)

01. Sign Language - Eric Clapton (11-11-76, The Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL)
02. Tough Mama - Jerry Garcia/Legion of Mary (4-19-75, Oriental Theater, Milwaukee, WI)
03. I want You - Bruce Springsteen (2-5-75, The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA)
04. Just Like a Woman - Van Morrison (9-05-71, Pacific High Studios, San Francisco, CA)
05. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - Emmylou Harris (WBAI, NYC, 1970)
06. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry - David Bromberg (Summer 1970, The Jabberwocky, Syracuse, NY)
07. Man on the Street - Dave Van Ronk (February 1969, The Jabberwocky, Syracuse, N.Y.)
08. Tears of Rage - The Band (7-17-76, Carter Baron Ampitheatre, Washington, D.C.)
09. Open the Door, Richard - Fairport Convention (4-21-70, BBC Studios)
10. The Wicked Messenger - The Faces (11-19-70, Paris Theatre, London, England)
11. One More Cup of Coffee - Eric Burden (4-21-76, Rockpalast, WDR Studio L, Germany)
12. Girl From the North Country - Leon Russell (11-21-70, Fillmore East, New York City)
13. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - The Byrds (1-4-70, Fillmore West, San Francisco)
14. Like a Rolling Stone - Jimi Hendrix, BB King and Paul Butterfield Blues Band (4-15-68, Generation Club, New York City)
15. Blowin' in the Wind/ She Belongs to Me/ Mr. Tamborine Man (Instrumental Medley) - Elton John (12-18-73, BBC Studios, London)
16. I Threw It All Away - George Harrison (1-9-69, Twickenham Studios, London)
17. Mama You Been On My Mind - George Harrison (1-9-69, Twickenham Studios, London)



Gerry Smith

Dylanesque - even more TV coverage

Thanks to Martin Cowan:

“Just in case there's not enough Bryan Ferry for you, also on Saturday 3 March, he's on BBC2's the Culture Show at 7.25pm (repeated at 1.20 on Sunday morning) - "He joins Lauren Laverne to talk about his album Dylanesque and to perform live."

Another (different) TV gig of Bryan Ferry promoting Dylanesque

If you missed Friday’s delightful Bryan Ferry Dylan covers gig on BBC TV, there’s a second chance to see the material performed - in a different gig recorded for competing TV station Channel 4.

It airs at 1210-0115 next Saturday night, 3 March, ie two days before the keenly awaited album goes on sale here.

Gerry Smith



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

My review of Friday’s TV gig:

Bryan Ferry excels in Dylan covers gig: review/setlist/video link

The 45 minutes of Bryan Ferry’s Dylanesque promo gig, which has just finished on BBC1 TV, saw England’s rags-to-riches rocker delivering an inspired set. Ferry was backed by a lively band – a rock quartet, filled out by piano, keyboards/viola, horn(s), and a pair of tumultuous gospel-tinged backing vocalists.

The broadcast component of Ferry’s set, recorded at the lovely ex-church, LSO St Luke’s, London, was a rich mix of Ferry/Roxy favourites, interleaved with Dylan covers:

SETLIST:
1. The In Crowd (Ferry – Another Time, Another Place)
2. All Along The Watchtower (Dylan – JWH)
3. Slave To Love (Ferry - Boys And Girls)
4. Make You Feel My Love (Dylan – TOOM)
5. Let’s Stick Together (Ferry – Let’s Stick Together)
6. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Dylan – H61R)
7. Don’t Stop The Dance (Ferry – Boys And Girls)
8. Gates Of Eden (Dylan – BIABH)
9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Ferry - Another Time, Another Place)
10. I Put A Spell On You (Ferry – Taxi)
11. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall (Dylan – TFBD)
12. Jealous Guy (Roxy – single)

Ferry’s treatment of the five Dylan covers was both soulful and reverential. He worked the nuances of each tune. His occasionally melodramatic delivery served to highlight the majesty of both the Dylan and the other songs in the set. He delivered some well-felt, lively harp on songs 6 and 8, too: bonus!

It was instructive (if predictable) to hear how well the Dylan material sat alongside the old Jerome Kern standard, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.

The only slight weakness of a delightful gig was the choice of final tune – a weak song by an over-rated writer, with an appropriately weakly whistled outro.

Overall, this was a lovely show – the best rockpop gig I’ve seen for some time. Now, is it too late to I book for Ferry’s forthcoming UK tour… ?

You can see a splendid 15 min video, with clips of the gig, plus a Ferry interview discussing the Dylanesque release (due 5 March – yummy!), as well as an album review, and related Roxy Music stuff:

www.bbc.co.uk/music



Gerry Smith

Bryan Ferry excels in Dylan covers gig: review/setlist/video link

The 45 minutes of Bryan Ferry’s Dylanesque promo gig, which has just finished on BBC1 TV, saw England’s rags-to-riches rocker delivering an inspired set. Ferry was backed by a lively band – a rock quartet, filled out by piano, keyboards/viola, horn(s), and a pair of tumultuous gospel-tinged backing vocalists.

The broadcast component of Ferry’s set, recorded at the lovely ex-church, LSO St Luke’s, London, was a rich mix of Ferry/Roxy favourites, interleaved with Dylan covers:

SETLIST:
1. The In Crowd (Ferry – Another Time, Another Place)
2. All Along The Watchtower (Dylan – JWH)
3. Slave To Love (Ferry - Boys And Girls)
4. Make You Feel My Love (Dylan – TOOM)
5. Let’s Stick Together (Ferry – Let’s Stick Together)
6. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Dylan – H61R)
7. Don’t Stop The Dance (Ferry – Boys And Girls)
8. Gates Of Eden (Dylan – BIABH)
9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Ferry - Another Time, Another Place)
10. I Put A Spell On You (Ferry – Taxi)
11. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall (Dylan – F)
12. Jealous Guy (Roxy – single)

Ferry’s treatment of the five Dylan covers was both soulful and reverential. He worked the nuances of each tune. His occasionally melodramatic delivery served to highlight the majesty of both Dylan and the other songs in the set. He delivered some well-felt, lively harp on songs 6 and 8, too: bonus!

It was instructive (if predictable) to hear how well the Dylan material sat alongside the old Jerome Kern standard, Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.

The only slight weakness of a delightful gig was the choice of final tune – a weak song by an over-rated writer, with an appropriately weakly whistled outro.

Overall, this was a lovely show – the best rockpop gig I’ve seen for some time. Now, is it too late to I book for Ferry’s forthcoming UK tour… ?

You can see a splendid 15 min video, with clips of the gig, plus a Ferry interview discussing the Dylanesque release (due 5 March – yummy!), as well as an album review, and related Roxy Music stuff:

www.bbc.co.uk/music



Gerry Smith

Midnight Train – catching Dylan on the cusp of a cataclysm

The decision in El Corte Ingles to pass on the “grey market” CD, Bob Dylan and The Band, with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield - Midnight Train: Recorded Live Between 1964 and 1966, reported here a few weeks ago, was a mistake. I now know that because a reader kindly sent me a spare copy from his collection.

The first eight tracks are from the 1965 US tour rehearsals, the last two from Edinburgh, May 1966. It’s an intriguing document, catching Dylan on the cusp of a cataclysm – the switching on of the electricity.

Magnificent. Thank you, dear reader…



Gerry Smith

The Bible and Dylan (7)

I’ve been re-reading Scott Marshall’s handsome study, Restless Pilgrim: the spiritual journey of Bob Dylan (Relevant Books, 2002, 188pp, pbk).

It’s diligently researched, referencing an abundance of sources, and finely written - a well-informed introduction to the spiritual dimension of Dylan’s output as it has developed since the early 1960s. It’s a helpful entrée into a richly complex subject.

Quite apart from the well-crafted text, the design of Marshall’s book makes it a must-have in any half decent Dylan collection: it’s the most beautiful artefact in my Dylan library.

If you can’t get hold of a copy of the book, Scott Marshall has covered similar ground in four extensive articles on the web (links supplied by James Dring). Dylan fans owe Marshall a debt of gratitude for making a key topic approachable:


www.jewsweek.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El1034&enVersion=0

www.jewsweek.com/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Article%5El1541&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Stories



Gerry Smith

Extra London date added

Thanks to Steven Pearce:

“Extra London Dylan date: the April 15th Wembley Arena date has pretty much sold out, so the 16th has been added.”

New Dylan remixes/mashups

Digital mashups – mixing official recordings with each other, and with unauthorized sources - open up creative possibilities, though you’d expect to find rubbish as well as gems. I hadn’t come across any Dylan mashups until Paul Reiners sent this:

“Here are some interesting Dylan remixes/mashups:

http://www.leipzig48.com/mashups/


Thanks to Paul. If you know of similar mashups, please send details to The Dylan Daily - info@dylandaily.com

Bob Dylan: Blues - no new tracks

Thanks to Martin Schaefer in Switzerland, who answered my question about Bob Dylan: Blues, the official compilation release (US):

“For your info: there are NO unreleased or alternate tracks on the Blues compilation, unfortunately. Although apparently a few tracks have never been released in this re-mastered form yet, eg ‘Dirt Road Blues’.”



Martin was replying to my original posting:

Don’t know how I missed it on release, but Bob Dylan: Blues, an US import compilation, is available at discount (£5.99, with free delivery) until 1000 on Tuesday 30 January.

The idiosyncratic track list appears to contain no previously unreleased titles (though there might be unreleased versions – anyone know?):

She Belongs To Me
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
Down In The Flood
Meet Me In The Morning
Gotta Serve Somebody
The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar
Seeing The Real You At Last
Everything Is Broken
Dirt Road Blues
High Water (For Charley Patton)
Blind Willie McTell

For that price it’s not worth ripping and burning from the 12 different source albums, and, for £6, you get the artefact, including album artwork.

www.cd-wow.com


Gerry Smith

“Dylan is a great singer” – Bryan Ferry

“I actually think Dylan is a great singer. For years people said ‘Great songs but he can’t sing.’ But he’s one of the great voices, just as Louis Armstrong was, or Edith Piaf or Lotte Lenya – I guess they’re all oddball in one way or another.”

That’s according to Bryan Ferry, promoting Dylanesque, his album of Bob covers, due in the shops on 5 March (in England).

The Ferry interview is the cover feature in the Culture mag of yesterday’s Sunday Times. The Ferry portrait on the front cover is captioned ‘With Bob on his side’ (geddit?). The frisky sub-editor, obviously amused by his joke, captioned the article (pp 30/31) ‘The freewheelin’ Mr Ferry’.

A recommended read (and purchase).


http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article1389907.ece



Gerry Smith

Another new must-buy: Record Collector, March 2007

The cover of the new (March) issue of Record Collector has an iconic Dylan portrait (circa 1966), promoting a welcome nine-page feature article on Theme Time Radio Hour.

Planet Airwaves is the first of a two-parter (clever move, that), compiled by one Jason Draper. It quotes Dylan’s broadcast comments on almost 100 of the artists featured in his weekly radio show (covering artists with surnames A-K; L-Z next month). It’s filled out by some nice photos, and a valuable guide to CDs carrying the featured songs.

So, apart from its collectability as an artefact, the March 2007 issue of Record Collector is a valuable guide for those contemplating following up the musos featured on Uncle Bob’s magnificent radio series.

www.recordcollectormag.com




Gerry Smith

Bryan Ferry’s Polar Prize Hard Rain: encore

Thanks to Tricia:

“As a belated follow-up: I found Ferry's 'Hard Rain' performance at the Polar Prize on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=azCOL5IQM0M

“Dylan's quizzical reaction (only a couple of shots) is priceless, but imagine how it would feel sitting next to the King of Sweden and
watching this stuff.

“… I like Ferry and look forward to hearing the album.”



Earlier post:

“With regard to links between Ferry and Dylan, and previous Ferry cover versions of Dylan songs, don't forget the Polar Prize ceremony.

“When Dylan was awarded the Polar Prize in Sweden on 15 May 2000, Brian Ferry performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' - with Dylan in the audience almost directly in front of him!

“How scary would that be? Although, if I remember correctly, there were some attractive back-up singers onstage, so he may have been safe."

Dylan symposium in Minneapolis — early registration to 12 March

Dylan symposium in Minneapolis — early registration to 12 March

Thanks to Jill Boldenow at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis:

“Highway 61 Revisited: Dylan’s Road from Minnesota to the World will take place at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, March 24–March 27, 2007.

“Assessing Bob Dylan’s work, sources, and international influence, this symposium features Greil Marcus, Michael Gray, Christopher Ricks, Alessandro Carrera, Anne Waldman, Daphne Brooks, Matt Friedberger, Gayle Wald, Dave Marsh, Thomas Crow, CP Lee, Darcey Steinke, Robert Polito, Stephen Scobie, Dylan Hicks and other musicians, and more.

“The symposium is presented in conjunction with the Weisman Art Museum exhibition “Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956-66.”Further information:

http://weisman.umn.edu/exhibits/upcomingDylan.html


(Sounds wonderful - wish I could be there – GS)

Dylanesque preview - Bryan Ferry gig on TV

Thanks to Martin Cowan:

“BBC1 Friday 23 February: 11.15pm - BBC1 Sessions: Bryan Ferry. The Roxy Music frontman performs an intimate concert at LSO St Luke's London, ahead of a new album of Bob Dylan songs next month.”

Judas! RIP

The last issue of Judas! has just dropped through my letterbox. It’s a bumper double issue (19/20), running to 144 pages, its focus on Modern Times flanked by a typically wide range of additional meaty articles.

Throughout its five year life, Judas! has succeeded in treating Dylan’s art with an appropriate seriousness. Editor Andrew Muir has covered much of the ground you hoped he might. The legions of fanzinistas who ruin much specialist music publishing – “me, me, me, and, oh yes, how Dylan fits in on the periphery of my...” – have, by and large, if not entirely, been kept at bay. And Keith Wootton’s fine design/production has raised the stakes for niche magazines about popular music.

If you’ve collected a full set of Judas!, you now have a handsome file, brimming to the gills with good Dylan writing. Wootton and Muir should be proud of their legacy. Serious Dylan fans owe them a huge debt of gratitude.



Gerry Smith

Midnight Train – new bootleg - in a department store!

On a visit to Andalusia last year, I picked up a 2CD package, Bob Dylan (Seleccion 5 Estrellas), combining official recordings with wild and wacky live tracks and outtakes. I bought it in a branch of El Corte Ingles, Spain’s leading chain of department stores.

Last week, in one of Valencia’s many branches of El Corte Ingles, I almost bought another “grey market” CD, Bob Dylan and The Band, with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield - Midnight Train: Recorded Live Between 1964 and 1966.

The first eight tracks were said to be from the 1965 US tour rehearsals, the last two from Edinburgh, May 1966. I pondered long before deciding to pass – the short timings suggested that three of the 1965 tracks were aborted starts and, at £10, it was overpriced for a dodgy looking piece of merchandise.

But, once again, I was surprised to see a leading retailer offering goods you never see for sale in kosher retail outlets in the rest of the continent; Spain’s copyright laws must be very different from those of the rest of Europe.




Gerry Smith

Mr Tambourine Man – McGuinn almost upstages Zim

An uplifting clip from a Roy Orbison memorial broadcast from 1990 has three Byrds survivors backing Dylan on Mr Tambourine Man. The early highlight in both the sound and vision mixes is Jim McGuinn’s soaring lyric tenor.

Early on, McGuinn’s dwarf Dylan’s vocals. Later in the clip, in the duet with McGuinn, the Bobby charisma kicks in and there’s no doubt who’s leader of the pack. Dylan’s enigmatic wry smile indicates he’s not entirely unaware of the fact (memories of the Donovan shot in Don’t look Back).

This beautiful piece of television closes with some spellbinding two/three/four part harmonies.

Somebody should have had a quiet word with the cavorting Boomer granny, though … .

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pum6MtyC3NA

Euro tour: slow sales? And, for readers with tickets, a request

I was mildly surprised to see the UK shows on Dylan’s spring 2007 tour still being advertised last weekend, in The Sunday Times.

Slow sales? I wonder. The five April shows (11 Glasgow, 12 Newcastle, 14 Sheffield, 15 London, and 17 Birmingham) went on sale on 8 December. With Dylan reaching unprecedented levels of popularity in the UK, I had assumed all five venues would sell out rapidly.

If you’re planning to attend any of the gigs on the European tour and would like to submit a very short review for Dylan Daily readers, please contact me (eurotour@dylandaily.com).

Thanks to all the readers who’ve already offered to supply a review of the show(s) they’re attending. I’m looking for a string of correspondents to supply brief details straight after each show, in a prearranged format. You don’t have to be a budding novelist to submit the brief details required – I’ll guide you so you’ll be able to compose and send all that’s required in less than 5 minutes.

Here’s a reminder of the itinerary for Dylan’s Euro 2007 spring tour:

March: 28 Stockholm; 30 Oslo.

April: 1 Gothenburg; 2 Copenhagen; 4 Hamburg; 5 Münster; 6 Brussels; 8 and 9 Amsterdam; 11 Glasgow; 12 Newcastle; 14 Sheffield; 15 London; 17 Birmingham; 19 Düsseldorf; 20 Stuttgart; 21 Frankfurt; 23 Paris; 25 Geneva; 26 Turin; 27 Milan; 29 Zürich; 30 Mannheim.

May: 2 Leipzig; 3 Berlin; 5 Herning.



Hoping to hear from you soon…




Gerry Smith

The Bible and Dylan (6)

Thanks to Scott Marshall, author of Restless Pilgrim: the spiritual journey of Bob Dylan (Relevant Books, 2002, 188pp, pbk):

“Here’s a load of other references that look at Dylan’s religion/spirituality and/or Dylan and the Bible:

“BOOKS:

1) Stephen Pickering, “Bob Dylan Approximately: A Portrait of the Jewish Poet in Search of God” (New York: David McKay Company, Inc., 1975)

2) John Ledbury, “Mysteriously Saved: An Astrological Investigation into Bob Dylan’s Conversion to American Fundamentalism” (London: Quest Publications, self-published, 1980)

3) John Hinchey, “Bob Dylan’s Slow Train” (Bury, Lancashire, England: Wanted Man, 1983)

4) Don Williams, “Bob Dylan: The Man, The Music, The Message” (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1985)

5) Clinton Heylin, “Saved!: The Gospel Speeches of Bob Dylan” (Madras, India, and New York: Hanuman Books, 1990)

6) Jenny Ledeen, “Prophecy in the Christian Era: A Study of Bob Dylan’s Work from 1961 to 1967, Emphasizing His Use of Enigma to Teach Ethics, and Comparing Him to Dante Alighieri and Other Poets” (St. Louis, Missouri: Peaceberry Press of Webster Groves, self-published, 1995).

7) Ronnie Keohane, “Dylan & The Frucht: The Two Wits” (Fountain Valley, California: Ornery Press, self-published, 2000).

“ARTICLES:

1) Daniel J. Evearitt, “Bob Dylan: Still Blowin’ in the Wind,” Christianity Today, December 3, 1976, p. 29, 31.

2) Noel Paul Stookey, “Bob Dylan Finds His Source,” Christianity Today, Jan. 4, 1980, p. 32.

3) Unknown author(s), “Has Born-Again Bob Dylan Returned to Judaism?,” Christianity Today, Jan. 13, 1984.

4) Clinton Heylin, “Saved!: Bob Dylan’s Conversion to Christianity” (Part One), The Telegraph #28 (Winter 1987), pp. 73-87.

5) Clinton Heylin, “Saved!: Bob Dylan’s Conversion to Christianity” (Part Two), The Telegraph #29 (Spring 1988), pp. 32-54).

6) Clinton Heylin, “Saved!: Bob Dylan’s Conversion to Christianity (Part Three), The Telegraph #30 (Summer 1988), pp. 43-65.

7) James W. Earl, “Beyond Desire: The Conversion of Bob Dylan,” University of Hartford Studies in Literature, 20.2, 1988.

8) Bert Cartwright, “The Curse It Is Cast: Dylan, God and the American Dream,” The Telegraph #46 (Summer 1993), pp. 90-128.

9) Laurence A. Schlesinger, “Trouble in Mind: A Rabbinic Perspective on Bob Dylan’s ‘Religious Period,’” On the Tracks #4 (Fall 1994), pp. 31-47

10) Mac Linscott Ricketts, “Setting the Record Straight: A Letter from Pastor Larry Myers,” On the Tracks #4 (Fall 1994), pp. 30-34.

11) Mac Linscott Ricketts, “Bob Dylan’s Church: The Vineyard Christian Fellowship,” On the Tracks #4 (Fall 1994), pp. 35-47.

12) Martin Grossman (with Ronnie Schreiber and Larry Yudelson), “Tangled Up in Jews,” On the Tracks #22 (Fall 2001/Winter 2002), pp. 44-52.

13) Markus Prieur, “Cant Let Go No More,” Judas! # 3 (October 2002), pp. 18-24.”

Theme Time Radio Hour back on BBC’s premier station tonight

BBC Radio 2, the Boomer poprock station with the biggest UK audience, is re-starting its run of Theme Time Radio Hour tonight at 2030, with the programme of songs about US cities. It will, presumably, be streamed online and also made available via the web for seven days, via the Listen Again feature, for UK listeners only.

Niche digital station BBC 6 Music continues its run of this excellent series at 2100 on Fridays (this week: Summer).



Gerry Smith

The Holy Grail of Dylan recordings?

Thanks to Anthony Varesi:

“While scanning new eBay listings of Dylan compact discs, I came upon the following item:

cgi.ebay.ca/Bob-Dylan-RARE-and-UNRELEASED-recordings-Sunset-Studio_W0QQitemZ200075556819QQihZ010QQcategoryZ307QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
“$12,500 US for one song? Is this the Holy Grail of Bob Dylan recordings? For that price, it had better be.”

The Bible and Dylan (5)

Thanks to James Dring:

“Further to your Dylan Daily posting of 1 Feb, giving the link to Parts I-III of ‘Dylan's Unshakeable Monotheism’, I've now found the link to the missing Part IV (42 pages).

“It says, however, that the four-parter is now a five-parter with, naturally, part five, as yet, nowhere to be seen!

“Sorry for the piecemeal nature of this info, but so it sometimes goes:

www.jewsweek.com/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Article%5El1541&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Stories

Dylanesque - new Bryan Ferry album of Bob covers

Thanks to Martin Cowan for his note about media coverage of Dylanesque, the Ferry covers album, due 5 March (UK):

“Shortish interview with Bryan Ferry in the latest UNCUT, talking about his forthcoming Dylan covers album.”



Earlier Dylan Daily articles about Dylanesque:


* Dylan and Bryan Ferry: encore

Thanks to Tricia, in Australia:

“With regard to links between Ferry and Dylan, and previous Ferry cover versions of Dylan songs, don't forget the Polar Prize ceremony.

“When Dylan was awarded the Polar Prize in Sweden on 15 May 2000, Brian Ferry performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' - with Dylan in the audience almost directly in front of him!

“How scary would that be? Although, if I remember correctly, there were some attractive back-up singers onstage, so he may have been safe.

“Some video (not sure if it includes Ferry) and pictures at:

www.polarmusicprize.com/newSite/cerm2000.shtml



* Bryan Ferry and Dylan songs

Thanks to Bernard McGuinn:

“Bryan Ferry did It ain’t me babe, on Another Time Another Place, the follow up to These Foolish Things. His next album after that was Let's Stick Together, which, of course, is a song Bob covered on the largely forgettable Down in the Groove. Ferry’s next album, In Your Mind, carries a version of Rock of Ages, a song Bob's been known to sing on occasion.”



* New Bryan Ferry album of Dylan songs

Bryan Ferry - last seen as a model in ads for Marks & Spencer clothing – is set to release Dylanesque, a CD of 11 songs written by Bob Dylan, on the Virgin label in early March.

The tracklist includes Dylan classics like:

All Along The Watchtower
All I Really Want To Do
If Not For You
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Positively 4th Street
Knocking On Heaven's Door
Simple Twist Of Fate

The album will be a must-buy for all fans of Ferry/Roxy Music and many in Dylan’s fanbase (count me in, twice over). Although the cognoscenti regard all the Ferry solo releases as inferior to all the Roxy Music albums, his cover versions - including Dylan’s A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall on his first solo album, in 1973 – generally garner high praise.

Ferry’s 1999 album, As Time Goes By, a collection of standards by the great Broadway writers such as Cole Porter, is a beautiful CD. It’ll be instructive to see how Dylan’s work sounds alongside The Great American Songbook.

The recently re-invigorated Ferry will also be appearing on the first new Roxy Music studio album for a quarter of a century, due later this year. He’s also touring the UK this spring.
Gerry Smith

The Bible and Dylan (4)

As you’d expect, there’s loads of coverage of The Bible in Dylan on the web, much of it frighteningly, obsessively missionary in tone.

One of the earliest sites, which is neither of those things, is Bill Parr’s Christianity and Bob Dylan site - Slow Train Coming Home Page. Though it’s showing its age a bit, Parr’s site (he’s a professor of statistics at the University of Tennessee) has some compelling comment on the topic, drawing together notes from many different sources.


It’s well worth a look:

web.utk.edu/~wparr/SlowTrain.html


Gerry Smith

The Bible and Dylan (3)

Thanks to James Dring:

“Ref your look at Bob and the Bible, the first book that came to mind was Bert Cartwright's The Bible in the Lyrics of Bob Dylan, which was one of John Bauldie's Wanted Man Study Series publications.

“Or try this link for related interesting reading (note that the article is "part three" with links within it to parts one and two). Though it calls itself a four parter, no sign of part four - maybe not yet written.

www.jewsweek.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El1034&enVersion=0