Bob’s Birthday Bash III – Part 1

Bob Dylan will turn 79 years old this Sunday which means he will be 79 years further away from his birth (and, like all of us, one day closer to his death). As far as influence on 20th century music, for my money Bob Dylan is equally as important as the Beatles (although a friend once tried to convince me Jimi Hendrix had a bigger influence on music than Dylan- a position I find laughable). Thanks to Bob Dylan, rock music was able to move on lyrically from “Tutti Frutti” and “I Want to Hold Hold Your Hand” to more poetic songs that reflect life’s complexities like “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “All Along the Watchtower”. And, speaking of “Mr. Tambourine Man”, if artists are going to take the trouble to cover it then I wish they would sing the fourth verse that includes my favorite lines of the song:

Steep Canyon Rangers

Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

Stevie Wonder

Here are more of my favorite cover versions of Bob Dylan songs. Enjoy!

01. Steep Canyon Rangers – “Let Me Die in My Footsteps” (2018)
02. The Byrds – “Lay Lady Lay (Alternative Version)” (1969)
03. The Everly Brothers – “Abandoned Love” (1985)
04. Stevie Wonder – “Mr. Tambourine Man” (1966)
05. The Chocolate Watchband – “Baby Blue” (1968)
06. The Blind Boys of Alabama feat. Justin Vernon – “Every Grain of Sand” (2013)
07. The Charlie Daniels Band – “Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)” (2014)
08. Jack Savoretti – ‘Nobody ‘Cept You” (2015)
09. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová – “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” (2007)
10. The Animals – “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (1977)
11. Tracy Chapman – “The Times They Are a-Changin’ (Live)” (1992)
12. Lloyd Cole – “You’re a Big Girl Now” (1996)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...