Latest
Reviews
I'm Not There Soundtrack
Sunday, December 30, 2007
There should be enough on this great soundtrack to tempt Dylan fans and maybe introduce others to his work. By Brian Wise.
Last month’s feature album dealt with the Dylan anthology, a collection that might have been disappointing for fans because they probably have everything on it anyway. A better investment might be this soundtrack to the Todd Haynes’ Dylan biopic that features six different actors, including Cate Blanchette, to portray the multi-faceted Dylan.
Over the decades there have been literally thousands of cover versions of Dylan’s songs. In fact, it should be remembered that he first came to widespread attention through other artists rather than his own recordings. His first album was all covers – as were the first albums for the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. It was only after Dylan broke out of the folk scene and went electric that he helped to establish the notion of the songwriter performing his or her own songs.
These days Dylan himself plays it fast and loose with his own songs – old and new – so it hardly seems that he is attached to any particular template. Let’s face it, the best Dylan covers band is probably Dylan’s own current band with Denny Freeman on lead guitar - though some may argue that his tour with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers resulted in versions of his songs that were closest to the originals.
One argument posited for the fact that Dylan continually changes the arrangements of his songs is that he hates people singing along; but, it is more likely that if he has been performing a song for 40 years or so he wants to reinvent it to at least make it interesting for himself, if not the audience. No one complains that jazz or blues players reinterpret classic songs to suit their own needs. Dylan now sings ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ from the perspective of a 66-year old not an angry 24 year-old, as he was when he originally recorded the song.
So if Dylan himself has no problem with reinterpreting his own work it is hardly fair for his fans to be precious about how others tackle his songs. The secret to these interpretations is not necessarily how closely they conform to the originals (as Todd Rundgren once did on his Faithful album in the ‘70s) but how they capture the mood and the intent of the lyrics.
There have been dozens of Dylan tribute albums but there are few that come close to this soundtrack in terms of spirit and interest. This double-disc collection uses more than 30 different musicians, in various combinations on new recordings, to open a window on Dylan’s music. There is a mix of ‘older’ musicians and newer artists with only a few, such as Willie Nelson or Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, being real contemporaries of Dylan. This brings the album a freshness of perspective that a lot of other tribute albums lack. Too often reverent interpretations ossify the songs. Here that rarely happens.
What you will find on I’m Not There are some of the best modern interpretations of Dylan’s work. Which is not to say that they are better than Bob’s originals just that they often give a different view of the songs – like looking at a painting through a prism. Not that everything works well: there are the inevitable failures but these are outweighed by the triumphs.
For me, the first disc is the stronger of the two, jam-packed with highlights. It opens with Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers (with Tony Garnier on bass and Tom Verlaine and Nels Cline on guitars) on ‘All Along The Watchtower.’ The title song by Sonic Youth is drenched in the fuzz of Lee Ranaldo and Kim Gordon’s guitars. This is followed by a stunning version of ‘Goin’ To Acapulco’ by Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Calexico. Producer Joe Henry helps Richie Havens provide a typical reading (for him) of ‘Tombstone Blues.’ Stephen Malkmus really captures the essence of ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’ out front of studio band (The Million Dollar Bashers).
Cat Powers fronts a version of her Memphis band for a fabulous rendition of ‘Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again’ while a little while later Karen O provides the other highlight of the set on a gloriously loose ‘Highway 61 Revisited.’ John Doe’s ‘Pressing On’ (also produced by Henry) is inspiring while Iron & Wine lend a brilliantly haunting quality to ‘Dark Eyes.’ Los Lobos offer an energetic, accordion driven, ‘Billy 1.’ Jeff Tweedy’s yearning voice seems perfectly matched to ‘Simple Twist Of Fate.’ Mark Lanegan’s ‘Man In the Long Black Coat’ is suitably eerie and he almost manages to make it his own. It is a mighty version of a classic song. Finally, Willie Nelson and Calexico are teamed for a gorgeous ‘Senõr (Tales Of Yankee Power).’
The second disc lacks the immediate punch of the opener – probably because it features some of the same artists - yet has enough to keep one enthralled. You might have thought that you never wanted to hear ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ again until you hear Antony & Johnsons invest a hymn like quality to it. Sufjan Stevens brings an unexpected symphonic edge to ‘Ring Them Bells.’ The Hold Steady’s ‘Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?’ begins quietly before they turn it into almost Springsteen-like rocker. The Black Keys bring a powerful blues punch to ‘Wicked Messenger.’ Joe Henry coaxes an enchanting version of ‘Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues’ with Loudon Wainwright III on guitar and Greg Leisz on mandolin and dobro. Henry also produces the only track by one of the actors (Marcus Carl Franklin) along with Bob Forrest’s ‘Moonshiner’ and John Doe’s ‘I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine.’
The set closes appropriately with Dylan and The Band from a 1967 recording of the title track which proves that you cannot out-Dylan Bob. Nevertheless, there should be enough on this soundtrack to tempt Dylan fans and maybe introduce neophytes to the work of popular music’s greatest writer.