Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 3: 1968-1976

As Columbia Records once advertised, “Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan.” Still, I always love to hear Dylan covers. Whenever one pops up, at a show or online, I listen attentively for something new the singer might bring to the song. For the last few years, I’ve been collecting them via bit torrent with an eye toward making a multi-volume compilation.

Volume 3 is definitely the best one so far. It was originally going to be subtitled “The ’70s”, but there were a few tracks from the ’60s that fit nicely, and nothing I wanted to include after 1976. All the recordings are soundboards or broadcasts, and while the quality varies, they mostly sound great. Two cuts, the Springsteen version of “I Want You” and Van Morrison’s “Just Like a Woman,” though officially unreleased, can hold their own with the greatest Dylan covers ever. There are also some genuine rarities–especially “Sign Language” by Eric Clapton and “Man on the Street” by Dave Van Ronk. Finally, I’ve listed the last three cuts as Bonus Tracks because they don’t really flow with everything else here. The Elton John medley is a mere curiosity, but George Harrison’s desolate renditions of “I Threw It All Away” and “Mama You Been On My Mind,” recorded in cavernous Tickenham Studios during the Beatles “Let it Be” sessions, tell you everything you need to know about the Quiet Beatle’s state of mind as the Greatest Show on Earth disintegrated.

Due to the many different sources, I am not including lineages. I have done nothing to the original files but normalize the levels and fade in and out on each track (using Cool Edit). Thanks, of course, to the tapers, and to the original uploaders.

FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE VOLUMES. Volume 4 will be more recent soundboards and broadcasts, and is shaping up to rival this one. If anyone can provide me with an audio copy of the Rosanne Cash/Bruce Cockburn version of “Don’t Think Twice” from Austin City Limits (1992), please send me a PM.

Enjoy! JS

Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 3: 1968-1976

1. Sign Language – Eric Clapton (11-11-76, The Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL)
2. Tough Mama – Jerry Garcia/Legion of Mary (4-19-75, Oriental Theater, Milwaukee, WI)
3. I want You – Bruce Springsteen (2-5-75, The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA)
4. Just Like a Woman – Van Morrison (9-05-71, Pacific High Studios, San Francisco, CA)
5. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – Emmylou Harris (WBAI, NYC, 1970)
6. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry – David Bromberg (Summer 1970, The Jabberwocky, Syracuse, NY)
7. Man on the Street – Dave Van Ronk (February 1969, The Jabberwocky, Syracuse, N.Y.)
8. Tears of Rage – The Band (7-17-76, Carter Baron Ampitheatre, Washington, D.C.)
9. Open the Door, Richard – Fairport Convention (4-21-70, BBC Studios)
10. The Wicked Messenger – The Faces (11-19-70, Paris Theatre, London, England)
11. One More Cup of Coffee – Eric Burden (4-21-76, Rockpalast, WDR Studio L, Germany)
12. Girl From the North Country – Leon Russell (11-21-70, Fillmore East, New York City)
13. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – The Byrds (1-4-70, Fillmore West, San Francisco)
14. Like a Rolling Stone – Jimi Hendrix, BB King and Paul Butterfield Blues Band (4-15-68, Generation Club, New York City)

Bonus Tracks:

15. Blowin’ in the Wind/ She Belongs to Me/ Mr. Tamborine Man (Instrumental Medley) – Elton John (12-18-73, BBC Studios, London)
16. I Threw It All Away – George Harrison (1-9-69, Twickenham Studios, London)
17. Mama You Been On My Mind – George Harrison (1-9-69, Twickenham Studios, London)