Expecting Rain

I think it is exceedingly difficult to categorize a song like “Visions of Johanna” because everyone will come up with a different interpretation. I mean, it is hard to “decipher” a normal Dylan song but this one is a poetic masterpiece stuffed with a lot of imagery and metaphors. It is impossible to come up with an incontrovertible interpretation. Personally, I think “Visions of Johanna” starts out as a song about unrequited love and desire (the narrator is hooking up with Louise, although all he really wants is Johanna. He cannot be with her, for whatever reasons, hence he settles for less. And well, Louise is all right … the only problem is, she is not Johanna.) However, as the song progresses the focus shifts to other topics and gets more obscure with every stanza. So, yes and no. For me it is partially a love song.

(It is kind of funny that this thread has turned into a vivid conversation about a song which is not even on the Amnesty International compilation. That was not my intention… )

Why are we discussing the Amnesty 50th Album?

That's a really good question

You might have all these jokers fooled, XRay, but I know what you're really up to...

I'm glad that a cover of Visions was excluded from that particular collection. And I appreciate your views XRaylroad. Intended or not, it fits the purpose of the thread.

Interesting article from the homepage. Especially loved this:

Beyond sales of the full album, Ayeroff noted an intriguing surprise about individual downloaded tracks. Much of the speculation before its release focused on teen pop princess Miley Cyrus’ track “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” anticipating that her legions of click-ready fans would overpower all comers.

As it turned out, Cyrus’ track wound up as the second-most downloaded song from the album, with a little more than 10,000 copies.

The winner? Dylan himself, whose original recording of the title track posted about 13,000 downloads.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_b ... ional.html

Why are we not discussing the Amnesty 50th Album?


As of today there are 55 responses... by all appearances we are discussing the Amnesty 50th album...


And I'm still not much interested in other people covering Bob's music...

That is it.
Most of them covers I find boring and not worth listening to twice. Maybe with the exception of Julie Driscoll's "This wheel's on fire" I can't think of a cover that convinces me. And when "Wheels" came out I didn't know it was a Dylan thing at all. I didn't even know too much of Dylan then.

So I won't buy this Amnesty piece. Will someone tell me, why they did not put any collectable song by Bob himself onto the Album? I think this would be increasing the sales a good deal.

Oh, I forgot that Neil coverd Bob's tunes occasionally, they're good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5qkF18srbI
Blake Mills played a great version of "Heart of Mine" on Conan.

I think I like it better than the original, actually.

because we are too busy having fun, apparently

There is a short documentary about the making of this album on Youtube, in case anyone's interested...

http://youtu.be/bHNXgvJiMTQ

I still don't have this album but just heard the Diana Krall cover of Simple Twist of Fate. At first I thought it was really great, but the farther she got in the song, the more I lost interest. It was pretty enough, but just didn't tell the story, imo.

I have a hard time with Dylan covers. I usually prefer the real deal.

I'm sure it's fine for some. I haven't even bothered to try and listen to even a snippet of this, after being bamboozled into buying cover CD after cover CD in the past hoping for a placebo effect. If a Dylan cover passes by chance, maybe I'll listen. But no more seeking them out! Haven't given any Dylan cover a second listen since Rage Against The Machine (no relation to Raging Glory) did Maggie's Farm some justice.

Agreed. I keep givin'em a shot, but I haven't found too many (any?) that live up to the original.

^
You should try Van Morrison's cover of Baby Blue and Just Like A Woman, they're good.

I like this one a lot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZpKAB_6qkM

Hi Raging Glory and Giada, I have it and I still haven't listened to it. I have been busy doing things to my house. I don't know why I haven't put it on; however, it is probably because I usually prefer Bob to his covers. Love, Joanna XOXO

Hello, Joanna! Happy to see you! I should support the great cause and will probably get it, but I doubt I'll ever play the thing. Maybe once

Yeah! That's the JLAW I was talking about, it's killer.
Here's Baby Blue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7WJHdE0__I

Edit:
I also like Alan Price's To Ramona:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6QINqkVVdY

and Madeline Peyroux's You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRR5YrpbBe4

You are right. It's hard to pass up ANY van. I think you may have posted these in the past and I remember liking them. Thanks for pointing those out. I probably sound snobby, eh?

Nope. I feel the way you do about 99% of Dylan covers, but there are some good ones out there. Took me a while to give 'em a chance, though.

I like the Alan Price cover a lot.

Baby Blue - It's nice, but I like JLAW alot more.

Madeline - no.no.

lol
what do you dislike about the Madeleine P. cover?

^not sure. I couldn't even listen to the entire song.

I don't know her, but she sounds like she has that lazy style/half-hearted type voice that drives me nuts. Plus I didn't like the chord changes. Well, I guess I do sort of know why I didn't like it. I didn't give it much of a chance, though, did I? I'll try again tomorrow. Bed time. Night all.