cheerful cynicism: Jerry Garcia Band

5/05/2010

Everyone covers Dylan: "Tangled Up in Blue"

Inspired by Cubism, "Tangled Up in Blue" attempts to defy time and to bring multiple perspectives into one song. All I know is that it paints a lovely picture. It was released as a single on the 1975 album, Blood on the Tracks.

1974 performance in which Bob Dylan has a case of cocaine face:

No really, what's on his face?

The Indigo Girls from their live album, 1200 Curfews (1995). I love how the words sound coming from women:

Sorry it cuts off early. It's lovely.

More lady singer action with KT Tunstall. Love her voice:

I wish I liked her original work as much as I like her covers.

Great White (yes, that Great White) tangled up on their 2002 cover album, Recover. Surprisingly mellow:

Shark attack?

The Jerry Garcia Band in 1990. It's pretty long, but it's a good cover:

Who knew I'd liked Jerry Garcia?

4/05/2010

Everyone covers Dylan: "I Shall Be Released"

So Bob Dylan, right? Great songwriter, terrible singer. More often than not, I enjoy covers of his songs rather than his versions, since his voice tends to kill a song for me. Lucky for you, I'm willing to scour the YouTubes to find you 5 of these great covers of a Dylan song each week. This is an impossible task, especially since the 60s were a time when people unabashedly covered songs and released them as singles or performed them on all those variety shows. All I can guarantee are a variety of versions that are good.

First up, "I Shall Be Released." This song was written by our man Bob in 1967.

Bob Dylan's version was recorded in in 1971 for Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II:

Although the first recording of it (according to the 'pedia) was in 1968 by the Band, Dylan's band for a time.

1. Here's the Band at the Express Festival of 1970: