Expecting Rain

What is this indefinable quality that Bob brings to other people's songs? Think 'Spanish is the Loving Tongue' and 'Thirsty Boots' in particular. (same era, interestingly)

I am a massive Eric Andersen fan. I think 'Blue River' is one of the best albums of its era, but his early stuff, including 'Thirsty Boots' has always been eclipsed by his 70s stuff on account of its over-sincere vocalisation and rather stagey presentation. So, along comes Bob and just rips the guts out of the thing, suddenly making the lyrics come alive and the meaning so clear with his extended phrasing, bending notes and chilling harmonica.

How does he manage to make these songs his own? Genius. And that is all.

You make an interesting point, stephenoxford. Songs I've heard a million times become sometimes uniquely associated with Dylan. For example, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior and Rock of Ages I've known and associated with the church my entire life but when I hear them now, I immediately think of Dylan's covers. And interestingly, his covers were fairly straightforward reproductions, without any significant change to the arrangement. And yet, his phrasing, his singing have made them his own (for me).

On the flip side, its an extremely rare occasion when I hear a cover of a Dylan song that I don't cringe and have the sensation my skin is about to crawl.

Agree with covers. The only cover album I (only occasionally) play is: The Times They Were a Changing, with Hendrix, Byrds, Johnny Winters being the only few covers you'll ever want to hear.

You said it Stephen. I always think of this quote because I think it gets to the heart of it.

"... Most of the other performers tried to put themselves across, rather than the song, but I didn't care about doing that. With me, it was about getting the song across."

IMHO "Masterpiece" is over stating things a bit. It's a nice cover. Not all Bob's covers are worthwhile. "A Change is Gonna Cone" "Dock of the Bay", "Willin'" "Let's Stick Together" and "Dolly Gagger" are truly awful. Could mention a few other disasters too.

Whilst some Dylan covers are pretty bad too there are some great versions out there ifyou care to dig a bit - Televisions "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", Joe Cocker's "Seven Days" and The Triffids "I Am a Lonesome Hobo" are all excellent and i'dsay all the Band's covers hit the mark. Giant Sand have done some great covers too. Dig em out.

Let's Stick Together is not that bad. Have you ever heard this one? It's really loud and tasteless, though I don't necessarily hate it. Dylan's is practically a straight up interpretation, about 30 years later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NSQI51dppg

I agree with Mr. Oxford. What a wonderful interpretation Dylan has done with so many tracks. Unfortunately, so many of them are hard to find or unreleased.

Although I've yet to hear this take I'm eager to do so by your account. I'd say the same about his Early morning rain, too.

Listening now. Lovely, indeed.

Lets Stick Together is about 100 times better than Thristy Boots, Lets Get Together is a true groove, killer move LOL

the Thirsty Boots thing is totally untogether, it barely qualifies as a demo, if this is the best take then the other takes must be something.

i saw Bob do Willin live back in the day and he totally killed it. he tore it up. bob kills just about every song he covers properly. Thank God with the TP group is totally killer far better than the HW take. one of my favs. same with House of Gold. Bob is second to nobody when it comes to true musicologogy.

as far as a cover of a bob song, billy joe becoat cover is probably my fav, aint gonna eat chitlin no more, for the times they are a changin LOL great track.

Happy to confirm you just went off the deep end, Mr goombay!

Just try to stick it together in there with chosen, appropriate elevator muzak.

arent you the fellow bouncing around the walls over at the John Prine thread? LOL


This thing the Thirsty Boots is Bob doing someone doing Bob, and not very good. thats why it was never released as opposed to The Boxer.

Could be, could be.
----
There you go again, Dylan's The Boxer is severely hampered by the double vocal track and a much too reverent feel all over.
Missing a piano probably, too.

What you say about Copper Kettle? I say cut the backing singers and the strings and voila!

its a double vocal because its Bob doing a Bob song written by someone else. if SP had been released in 73 it probably would have had a double vocal version of Heart of Gold.
as it stands the Boxer is a whole lot better than Thirsty Boots. the Boxer is a good Bob rewrite, Thirsty Boots a not so good re write.LOL

have to disagree on A change is Gonna Come---that is one excellent performance. Hardly a disaster.

^^^

Yeah, I love A change is gonna come. I think he does it better (now i know a lot will think that's pushing it)

With dylans wonder textured voice it gives it a more dusty blues voice of hardship and power. I listen to it a lot.

Also; I just listened to Thirsty boots for the first time and I'm impressed. I forgot how cool he sounded in this period. Much better than the original as far as music and emphasis in my opinion.

The Boxer was an unmitigated disaster, Thirsty Boots is great. And that is all.

It was one of his best performances of the decade. You'd think he wrote the song himself about getting old and fearing God and being hopelessly out of place and you'd never know black or white had anything to do with it at all. Tremendous, soulful and spine tingling.

The best thing I can say about 'Thirsty Boots' is it wouldn't have been the worst track on SP.
I detect the sound of a large barrel being scraped. Roll on BS11

yes finally some musicology. if thirsty boots had been on SP it would have been roundly tore up.
its one of those sing songsy type of tunes that bob tries to straighten out but the thing is not worked out properly and the new tune doesnt tune up LOL
you better believe they are scraping the bottom of the barrel, i hesitate to think what else is gonna be on the record. 4-5 Billys??????

the Boxer at least is not hot or cold but medium with the two bob voices, its nice and listenable. this is a sing songsy song you can even sing along with

I think The Boxer is properly irreverent. There were rumours that it was written about Dylan, doubt they were true, but that may have been the spur for its recording, and certainly Dylan'll have related to the subject. In the Biograph interview years later he namechecks Paul Simon's companion song "Keep The Customer Satisfied". You might be right about Heart Of Gold goombay.

Copper Kettle is the album's golden cut, and the backing singers and strings burnish a little and tarnish a little.

lets hope there are no Belle Isle alternate cuts or demos. please no Sony please Mr Sony NO.
LOL

thats one cut that Thirsty Boots could have happily replaced.

>>its one of those sing songsy type of tunes that bob tries to straighten out but the thing is not worked out properly and the new tune doesnt tune up


My thoughts exactly.

I am struggling to accept that some people like SP and now look forward to more of that unbearable glop.

Have you folks heard Sam Cookes version of "a change is gonna come"? Bob's version is just a croak fest. Bryan Ferry's "Let's Stick Together" is far superior to Bob wheeze-a-long. And don't even mention "Dock of the Bay".Bob's version is a crime. I never want to hear it again.

I love a lot of Bobs live covers. Golden Vanity, Little Moses, the 2000 openers, People Get Ready, Friend Of The Devil, many many more... but on the flipside he's done his fair load of crap too. Dock of The Bay is as bad as it can get I reckon. Hey Joe and Dolly Dagger were a load of bollocks as well. This Thirsty Boots is pleasant enough, it hasn't changed my world, but it's nice to hear.
imho of course. Best say that to appease our laughing aloud mate.

Dock of the Bay is a crime, but Change is Gonna Come is fantastic. And yes, I have heard the original. I love Sam Cooke, but Dylan's version of this song is just a knockout. Sam's is hopeful and Bob's is much more raw and intense. I'm always intrigued by how Dylan fans disparage his voice during different periods, especially since to the average music listener, Dylan's voice is always terrible.

Personally I think that from 1999-2004 his voice was the best it ever was on the NET and, in my opinion, these years are the only ones that are in any way comparable to the greatness of his 1960's to 1970's prime period (excluding 1995). I just can't handle his coked out 80's voice and he really hit a pit of tuneless-ness (some acoustic songs are an exception) throughout most of the 1990's. I really would be interested to know what happened in 1995 though. If you play some of those early European shows and then follow it with something from 1991-1993 it's almost unbelievable that they are the same singer.