Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque
Back in 1973, with his take on "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," Bryan Ferry thought a whole album of Dylan covers would be "great." It wasn't 'til last year that he made it happen, by which time the world's heard a couple Dylan covers too many. But, this is the man of Roxy Music, on a project getting a little "sonic enhancement" from Brian Eno ... so we're all ears. Below, a listen of two Ferry reinterpretations: "Positively 4th Street" is a flatter, heart-worn piano ballad in Bryan's hands; but "Tom Thumb's Blues" is a little more reverent (i.e. still got that harmonica, despite the enhanced backing band pickup).
"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (ASX)
"Positively 4th Street" (Real | ASX)
Nothing crazy, but not bad. The record's got 11 tracks to play with, though Bryan's touring with over 20 Dylan tunes in his quiver. For the record, he's never met Dylan. If Bob spoke in lyrics, what would he say to Bryan about all these other folks' Dylan covers?
Maybe, "None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
Dylanesque is out 6/26 on Virgin.
Posted at 2:01 PM
Tags: Bob Dylan | Bryan Ferry
i was expecting to hate, but these are beautiful
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I understand all the words in the sentance "the world's heard a couple dylan covers too many" individually, but together it's an incomprehensible statment.
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In other words, Danny, take the number of dylan covers the world needs to hear, and then add two. That is the number of Dylan covers the world has heard.
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Or... take all the dylan covers the world needs to hear and add this - http://play.rhapsody.com/thespecials/thesinglescollection/maggiesfarm
oh, and probably "something is happening here, but you don't know what it is, do you?"
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I heard Ferry's cover of All Along The Watchtower recently and it was actually pretty good. It doesn't beat Hendrix's cover, but Ferry clearly approaches covers from a lifelong love of the music and artists rather than as all the young puppets who are owned by a record company and who are forced to knock out something shitty for a B-side or desperate attempt to attract radio stations.
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