Dylan was never a pure country musician. He started with acoustic white folk music, Negro blues. Then he became a pioneer of folk-rock. In general he tried all genres of folk roots music, so Dylan is world music. To call Dylan a good vocalist is possible only on the album Nashville Skyline, where he temporarily changed the way of singing. But the vocals are not his strength.
And our compilation begins with the instrumental composition Nashville Skyline Rag with the legendary Earl Scruggs, the popularizer of the banjo. In fact, Earl was the guest musician on that Dylan album. Next up is another traditional bluegrass band, The Country Gentlemen Quartet played Dylan’s most country song, Girl From The North Country, back in the ’60s. Suddenly I found out there was a musical of the same name a few years ago.
Waylon Jennings and Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright with a cachet intonation in the last line of the verse. With slightly shifted phrasing in moments like “…To try to change my mind and stay,” missing one beat. One rhythmic unevenness compared to the original version and a trained ear of any Dylanomaniac catches the difference and the cover is memorable. Part of the melody and a few phrases Dylan borrowed from a song by Paul Clayton Who’s Gonna Buy You Ribbons When I’m Gone, who in turn wrote his own song based on a folk song.
Johnny Cash is even more confident than Dylan in declaring It Ain’t Me Babe. The harmonica is still there, and June Carter-Cash’s brass and undertones feel like they’re taken from Ring Of Fire. Of the three Dylan verses, only two are here. Definitely Cash has better songs, but definitely this version of the song is better than all the other versions of it. Hank Williams Jr, or just Bocephus, also gives away one of Bob’s most quotable songs here. But it’s also one of the shortest.
Love Minus Zero/No Limit I’ve always perceived as one of the anthems of the ’60s, along with Like A Rolling Stones. Here with Buck Owens, it’s a solid middleweight. Actually we all know Buck as the author of Act Naturally, performed by “the same four”.
Tim O’Brien is a virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist who has recorded many versions of Dylan songs. Subterranean Homesick Blues is a minimalist bluegrass funk played on mandolin. You Ain’t Going Nowhere is here in The Byrds version. Performed by Roger McGuinn’s Birds, Bob Dylan’s songs were often hits, unlike the author’s versions.
Dylan in Country, CDVA Dylan Country, CD back cover
Glen Campbell’s brilliant version of If Not For You. The song was also sung by Harrison, a close friend of Dylan’s. Folky Restless Farewell – one guitar plus violin. Heartland in a duet with fellow singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. As early as the second verse, the country Indian is joined by Bob himself. It looks like the guys wrote the song together. It was later released on Nelson’s album Across the Borderline (1993).
When I Paint My Masterpiece by Emilou Harris first weaves leisurely, then marches to upbeat acoustic country blues. And while the song about the genius artist was first recorded by the author himself, it was first released in The Band’s version.
Sign On The Window isn’t even called country, it’s just a great ’80s ballad. The original version can be heard in an episode of the sitcom Friends (S08 Ep.24). One Too Many Mornings by Jerry Jeff Walker is even slower than the original, becoming very thoughtful. The lovely quiet arrangement reminded me of Tom Waits from Night Hawks At The Diner or Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Sessions.
Boots of Spanish Leather is sung in a pleasant, girlish voice. The collection symbolically closes with Forever Young 1974 by Kitty Wells, elevated to the rank of country musicians by It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels alone. It’s everything we love here: electric organ, slide guitar, piano, harmonica and classic female country singing.
What I love about Dylan is that he expresses his thoughts quite clearly with good and simple words. It has always annoyed me in foreign rock music that the lyrics often don’t make it clear what the author meant. Sometimes the musicians will make some hints, create some atmosphere in the lyrics, but it’s all hard to understand and interpret, especially in a different temporal, linguistic and cultural context. It’s different with Dylan. His songs are self-contained, but also open to new things. Other musicians may tell their own personal stories in these songs.