Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 23

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 23 – Buried in the Rocks

For anyone who found NSD 22 a little slow, this one should make up for it. There are some notes on performers at the bottom. As always, thanks to the tapers, the original uploaders, the folks who’ve sent me recordings, the fine artists who’ve created cover artwork, and especially the performers and composer. 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). Please keep the suggestions and files coming–if you’ve got something good, PM me.

Enjoy!

01 Maggie’s Farm – Tin Machine * (Jun 25, 1989, La Cigale, Paris, France)
02 Changing of the Guard – Patti Smith (Apr 18, 2007, Hiro Ballroom, New York, NY)
03 Everything is Broken – Kenny Wayne Shepard (Apr 21, 2007, Borgata Casino & Spa,
Atlantic City, NJ)

04 Subterranean Homesick Blues – Mitch Ryder and Engerling (Oct 2, 2002, Sinkkasten, Frankfurt, Germany)
05 Highway 61 Revisited – Bruce Springsteen and Wolfgang Niedecken (Jul 9, 1995, Cafe Eckstein, Berlin, Germany)
06 Ballad of a Thin Man – Robyn Hitchcock (Nov 25, 2006, Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA)
07 Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat – Frogwings ** (Dec 14, 1997, Paradise Rock Clu, Boston, MA)
08 Seven Days – New Barbarians *** (Apr 13, 1979, Rehearsal Studio, Culver City, CA)
09 Watching the River Flow – Steve Gibbons Band (Oct 5, 1974, BRMB Radio Sessions, Incognito Club, Birmingham, England)
10 Father of Night – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (Sep 23, 1974, Radiohuset Studio 4, Stockholm, Sweden)
11 All Along the Watchtower – Dave Mason (Jan 27, 2007, Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ)
12 Hurricane – Phil Lesh and Friends **** (Nov 26, 2005, Chicago Theater, Chicago, IL)
13 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Eric Clapton and Band du Lac * (May 20, 2006, Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England)

*David Bowie band
** featuring Derek Trucks and Jimmy Herring
*** Keith Richards and Ron Wood
**** featuring Chris Robinson on vocals
* featuring Andy Fairweather Low and Paul Carrack

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 22

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 22: A Thousand Miles Behind

It’s been four weeks since the last edition of NSD, but the delay has certainly not been due to any lack of good material. We’ve got 22 new tracks for Volume 22, including 15 new artists and six new songs to the NSD canon. But what truly distinguishes this installment is the intentional absence of both “All Along the Watchtower” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which must be the most covered Dylan songs around. Chances are they’ll be back next time.

Many of Volume 22’s performers may not be familiar at first glance (some because their names are usually hidden behind those of their bands), but they are all featured in the All Music Guide (allmusic.com), and I encourage you to look them up there. Of particular note is the Alpha Band cover of “You Angel You”–for those of you unfamiliar with these guys, they are Rolling Thunder Revue veterans T Bone Burnett, Steven Soles and David Mansfield. Also noteworthy are Robyn Hitchcock’s backing band, the Nashville Crawdads, who include Peter Buck, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and John Paul Jones.

As always, thanks to the tapers, the original uploaders, the folks who’ve sent me recordings, the fine artists who’ve created cover artwork, and especially the performers and composer. 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). Please keep the suggestions and files coming–if you’ve got something good, PM me.

Enjoy!

01 Ye Playboys and Playgirls – Dave Sharp and The Acoustic Terrorists (Aug 31, 1992, Greenbelt Festival, Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, UK)
02 Maggie’s Farm – Mike Seeger with Retrograss (Jul 30, 2000, Planet Bluegrass Ranch,
Lyons, CO
)03 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson (Apr 22, 1973, Record Plant, Sausalito, CA)
04 Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You – Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell (Jun 22,2005, The Garage, Winston-Salem, NC)
05 Oh Sister – Andrew Bird (Mar 21, 2007, Crawdaddy, Dublin, Ireland)
06 Silvio – Amy Rigby (Jun 2004, Roots On the River, Bellows Falls, VT)
07 One Too Many Mornings – Jay Bennett and Edward Church (Aug 14, 2002, Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA)
08 Tomorrow is a Long Time – Chris Hillman, Bernie Leadon & Al Perkins (Jan 12, 1984, Rockefellers, Houston, TX)
09 When I Paint My Masterpiece – Tim and Mollie O’Brien (Apr 27, 1996, Merle Watson Memorial Bluegrass Festival, North Wilkesboro, NC)
10 Tiny Montgomery – Robyn Hitchcock and the Nashville Crawdads (Mar 18, 2007, Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN)
11 I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine – Thea Gilmore (Jul 2, 2002, Telford’s Warehouse, Chester, England)
12 You Angel You – Alpha Band (Dec 6, 1976, Paul’s Mall, Boston, MA)
13 Buckets of Rain – Jimmy LaFave (Sep 15, 2000, Ted’s Wrecking Yard, Toronto, Canada)
14 Up to Me – Moshav (Mar 19, 2007, World Cafe, Philadeplphia, PA)
15 I Threw It All Away – Jeff Tweedy (Oct 21, 1999, Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL)
16 If You See Her Say Hello – Elliott Murphy (Jun 4, 2002, Libreria Feltrinelli, Milan, Italy)
17 Sign on the Window – Circle Sound (Mar 17, 2007, Irving Plaza, New York, NY)
18 The Man in Me – David Bazan (Feb 17, 2007, Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA)
19 Make You Feel My Love – Mary Black (Jul3, 2006, Dublin Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland)
20 Ring Them Bells – Ron Sexsmith (Jul 10, 2004, Jarhunderthalle, Bochum, Germany)
21 I Shall Be Released – John Doe, Kristin Hersh, and Grant Lee Phillips (Sep 19, 2002, Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC)
22 Blowin’ in the Wind – Bill Morrissey, Carol Noonan and Peter Heimlich (Dec 17, 2002, Barnstormers Theater, Tamworth, NH)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 21

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 21: They’ll Stone You When You’re Playing Your Guitar

As you’ve probably guessed from its title, this volume features some great guitar players spinning their magic on Bob’s tunes.

01 Rainy Day Women (instrumental) – Phil Lesh and Friends with Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring (Apr 20, 2001, Independence Hall Cricket Arena, Charlotte, NC)
02 Highway 61 Revisited – Johnny Winter (Jul 27, 1980, Blues ‘N’ Tattoo, New York, NY)
03 Quinn the Eskimo – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (1970, Paris Theatre, London, England)
04 Going Going Gone – Richard Hell with Robert Quine (Jul 14, 1982, Old Waldorf, San Francisco, CA)
05 Don’t Ya Tell Henry – The Band (Aug 17, 1969, Woodstock, Bethel, NY)
06 Queen Jane Approximately – Grateful Dead(Oct 8, 1989, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA)
07 Watching the River Flow – Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton (NOV 28, 1983, ARMS Benefit, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX)
08 Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – Bill Kirchen (Aug 7, 2005, Rancho Nicasio Nicasio, CA)
09 Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? – Jimi Hendrix (May 5, 1968, Fillmore East, New York, NY)
10 Isis – Derek Trucks Band (Dec 31, 2003, Visulite Theater, Charlotte, NC)
11 This Wheel’s On Fire – The Black crowes (May 13th, 2006, Labatt Centre, London, ON)
12 One More Cup of Coffee – Chris Duarte (Feb 3,2007, Mexicali Blues, Teaneck, NJ)
13 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – Guns N’ Roses (Dec 19, 1987, Madison, WI)
14 All Along the Watchtower – Night of the Guitars with Randy California, Robby Krieger, and Phil Manzanera (Apr 30, 1989, Stadthalle, Heidelberg, Germany)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 20

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 20: A Land of Wolves and Thieves

To celebrate reaching twenty volumes of this series, we’ve got ten new songs to the NSD canon this time out, and a dozen new artists. Among the songs are such genuine rarities as the early gem “Troubled and I Don’t Know Why,” and “I Must Love You Too Much,” co-written in the late-seventies with Helena Springs. Also on hand are Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter’s version of the rarely covered “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”; one of Dylan’s earliest songs, “Song to Woody,” sung by British folk pioneer Wizz Jones; and much, much more…

A couple of notes: the beginning of “Trust Yourself” is cut off, but the song is so rarely covered that I decided to include it anyway; and there’s some brief digi-noise on “Man Gave Names to the Animals,” but this terrific version still merits inclusion.

Enjoy!

01 Song to Woody – Wizz Jones (Live 1989 or 1990, Dublin, Ireland)
02 Troubled And I Don’t Know Why – Hayes Carll (Sep 17, 2005, Third Floor Cantina, Bryan, TX)
03 Trust Yourself – Bottle Rockets (Sep 1, 2006, Azkena Rock Festival, Vitoria, Spain)
04 Down in the Flood – Dave Alvin, Peter Case and Chris Smither (Aug 31, 2003, Strawberry Music Festival, Camp Mather CA)
05 Open the Door, Homer – Robyn Hitchcock (Feb 3, 1992, Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV)
06 You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – Chris Hillman with Emmylou Harris (Apr 11, 1991, American Music Shop, Nashville, TN)
07 Moonlight – Maria Muldaur (Jan 13, 2007, Prairie Home Companion, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA)
08 I Must Love You Too Much – The Band (May 10, 1996, Rialto Theater, Tucson, AZ)
09 Love is Just a Four Letter Word – Joan Baez (Jun 1977, Palladium, New York, NY)
10 Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts – Robert Hunter (May 8, 1997 Palace Theatre, Albany, NY)
11 Man Gave Names to the Animals – Jerry Douglas Band with Tim O’Brien and Maura O’Connell (Nov 14, 1998, Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon, NH)
12 The Man in Me – The Frames (Oct 22, 2005, Park West, Chicago, IL)
13 Born in Time – Eric Clapton (Mar 30, 1998, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN)
14 All Along the Watchtower – Willie Nile (Jul 19, 1996, Pitea, Sweden)
15 Shelter From the Storm – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (Aug 14, 1999, Speyer, Germany)
16 Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – The Alarm (Apr 12, 1986, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA)
17 Hard Rain – Bryan Ferry (May 1977, Sydney, Australia)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 19

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 19: Humdingers! Folksingers! Dead Ringers!

Give credit for the inspiration for this volume to Stew (of StewART fame), who has quietly, then not so quietly, insisted that this series could not be complete without a Dylan cover performed by Joan Baez. I’ve tried and failed to get Joan into several previous volumes, so this time decided to build the entire set around her, including ’60s contemporaries like Arlo Guthrie, Gordon Lightfoot, and Judy Collins as well as current artists whose styles blend in with these old-school folkies. We’ve also got a couple of bluegrass goodies, and some stripped down rock bombast in the form of the Lovemongers, a one-off group formed for an anti-Gulf War 1 benefit and featuring Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart (along with Sue Ennis and Frank Cox). In all, 15 new NSD perormers here, and four new songs, including the instrumental “Nashville Skyline Rag” (Nobody PLAYS Dylan Like Dylan, either).

Speaking of Ms. Baez, if anyone has a good live version (unofficial, of course) of her doing “Love is Just a Four Letter Word,” please PM me. Otherwise, thanks to the tapers, the original uploaders, the folks who’ve sent me recordings, the fine artists who’ve created cover artwork, and especially the performers and composer. 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). Please keep the suggestions and files coming–if you’ve got something good, PM me.

Enjoy!

01 Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – Gordon Lightfoot (1965, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Burbank, CA)
02 The Times They Are a-Changin’ – Judy Collins (Jan 16, 1965, Sanders Theater Benefit Concert, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA)
03 Things Have Changed – Bob Walkenhorst (May 18, 2005, Molloy’s Irish Pub, Kansas City, MO)
04 All Along the Watchtower – John Mellencamp (Jul 25, 1984, Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, OH)
05 Don’t Think Twice – Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (Apr 21, 1998, Bottom Line, New York, NY)
06 Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) – Jeffrey Foucault (Nov 10, 2005, Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA)
07 Visions of Johanna – Chris Smither (Jan 30, 2007, The Furs, Lage Vuursche, The Netherlands)
08 Girl From the North Country – Roy Harper (Feb 5, 2007, Anti-Knock, Tokyo, Japan)
09 If Not For You – Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen (of Dolly Varden) (Aug 23, 2006, 311 S. Wacker, Chicago, IL)
10 Love Minus Zero – Al Stewart (Jul 18, 1999, Conejo Community park, Thousand Oaks, CA)
11 Nashville Skyline Rag – John Hartford and Norman Blake (Nov 9, 1971, WABN Radio, Cincinnati, OH)
12 Only a Hobo – Seldom Scene (Apr 26, 1992, Watson Stage, Wilkesboro, NC)
13 Country Pie – Dave Swarbick, Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, Dave Pegg and Geoff Muldaur (Sep 27th 1982, Lone Star Cafe’, New York)
14 I’ll Keep it With Mine – Fairport Convention (1968, Dutch TV, Amsterdam, Holland)
15 I Shall Be Released – Mama Cass, Mary Travers, Joni Mitchell (Jun 27, 1969, Johnny Cash Show, Nashville, TN)
16 John Brown – Staples Singers (Apr 19, 1968, Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA)
17 When the Ship Comes in – Arlo Guthrie (Sep 20, 2002, Lowe’s Theatre, Worcester, MA)
18 With God on Our Side – Lovemongers (Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart) (Feb 23, 1991, Paramount Theater, Seattle, WA)
19 Farewell Angelina – Joan Baez (Jul 14, 1989, Montreux Jazz Festival, Le Casino, Montreux, Switzerland)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 16

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 16: Yonder Stand Your Orphans

[NOTE: Second try on this one–the Hendrix cut was released on video, and has been banned. Sorry folks.]

When I began this project, my unstated goal was to compile an eight volume collection of Dylan covers. Having now doubled that target, I’ve got some special treats in store this time, including a batch of studio and demo recordings which give this volume a different feel.

We kick things off with a Waterboys demo of “Nobody ‘Cept You,” performed with just piano accompaniment by Mike Scott; this is a very different take on this “Planet Waves” outtake than the version issued on the so-called collector’s edition of “Fisherman’s Blues,” with a gospel feel that gives new meaning to the lyrics. Next up is George Harrison’s rendition of “Abandoned Love,” featuring some nice country-style picking. Later in the set, David Bowie adds some weird studio vocal effects to “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven.” The Walkabouts take on “Wedding Song” is lovely. Listen for Lou Reed’s comments to Nico at the end of this rough run-through of “I’ll Keep it with Mine.” And finally, the last track is a rare demo of the Bruce Springsteen Band covering “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” recorded at the Challenger Eastern Surfboard Factory (!) in Highlands, New Jersey early in 1972. (The Bruce Springsteen Band followed Steel Mill and Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom in Springsteen’s career, but preceded his signing with Columbia Records.)

Of the live cuts here, the Staples Singers’ version of “Hard Rain” is a powerful standout, as is Southside Johnny’s chilling rendition of “Blind Willie McTell.” There’s some other pretty good stuff too…

And, oh yeah, enjoy!

01 Nobody ‘Cept You – The Waterboys (Piano demo, 1986)
02 Abandoned Love – George Harrison (Demo, 1984)
03 Lay Down Your Weary Tune – Tim O’Brien (Jul 7, 1999, The Station Inn, Nashville, TN)
04 Tangled Up in Blue – Jerry Garcia Band (Nov 26, 1988, Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA)
05 Subterranean Homesick Blues – Dave Van Ronk (Apr 9, 1995, Bottom Line, New York, NY)
06 You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – Jayhawks (Apr 29, 1995, Slim’s, San Francisco, CA)
07 My Back Pages – Roger McGuinn (Apr 26, 1985, Mohawk Valley, Utica, NY)
08 Hard Rain – Staples Singers (Apr 19, 1968, Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA)
09 Oh Sister/Knockin’on Heaven’s Door – Cat Power (Jul 20, 2000, Maida Vale Studio, London, England)
10 Blind Willie McTell – Southside Johnny (Feb 27, 1994, WXRK Studios, New York, NY)
**BANNED All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix (Jul 4, 1970, Middle Georgia Raceway, Atlanta, GA)
12 Tryin to Get to Heaven – David Bowie (Studio outtake, 1997)
13 Wedding Song – Walkabouts (Unreleased demo, 2001)
14 Don’t Think Twice – Nick Drake (1967-1968, Tamworth-in-Arden, England)
15 I’ll Keep it With Mine – Lou Reed and Nico (Bedroom tape, 1970)
16 It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Bruce Springsteen Band (Jan or Feb 1972, Challenger Eastern Surfboard Factory, Highlands, NJ)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 15

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Volume 15: Odds and Ends

With this volume, we conclude all the original music from KCRW’s John Wesley Harding-hosted “Oh Merci” special–I’ve also included an interesting intro Don Was provided for the unreleased, “Under the Red Sky”-era song “Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.” These versions of the “Oh Merci” songs come from Brian in England, whose source was cleaner than the one posted a couple of weeks ago on Dime by Mark Persic (which also omitted the outtake “Mr. Alice” altogether). Again, big thanks to Brian, Mark and Michel for helping get this show back out there!

Overall this week, we’ve got nine new songs not previously featured on NSD, and a dozen new artists. A few notes about some of the performers on this collection: Planxty features vocals by the great Christy Moore; the Performing Gibsons include ex-Fairporters Iain Matthews and Richard Thompson; the Fairport line-up here features Sandy Denny, in her final stint with the group; the Yardbirds line-up includes Jimmy Page; and the late Rainer Ptacek was a longtime member of Giant Sand.

Lastly, someone out there sent me an MP3 of the Staples Singers doing “Hard Rain” and offered to send a lossless version–I’ve lost your contact info, but please do send it!

Enjoy!

From OH MERCI (Jul 4, 1993, KCRW, Santa Monica, CA)
01 Black Crow Blues – Peter Case
02 I Don’t Believe You – Cindy Lee Berryhill
03 Intro to Mr. Alice – Don Was
04 Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore – Was (Not Was)
05 Dear Landlord – John Wesley Harding
06 Tears of Rage – George Gerdes and John Wesley Harding

ODDS AND ENDS
07 Odds and Ends – Black Crowes (Sep 17, 2005, Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ)
08 Maggie’s Farm – Ratdog (Jun 22, 1997, Lakewood Amphitheatre Atlanta, GA)
09 Don’t Think Twice – James Taylor (May 16, 2006, Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO)
10 I Pity the Poor Immigrant – Planxty (Aug 1980, Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland)
11 Down in the Flood – Fairport Convention (Jul 16, 1974, BBC Studios, London, England)
12 It Takes a Lot to Laugh – Performing Gibsons (Apr 1971, BBC Radio One, London, England)
13 Country Pie – The Nice (Jun 2, 1969, BBC Studios, LOndon, England)
14 Most Likely You Go Your Way – Yardbirds (Apr 14, 1967, Stockholm, Sweden)
15 I Shall Be Released – Joe Cocker (Oct 19, 1969, Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA)
16 Meet Me in the Morning – Rainer Ptacek (Dec 5, 1983, KXCI-FM Studios, Tucson, AZ)
17 All Along the Watchtower – Jeff Healey Band (Sep 24, 1990, Hammersmith Odeon, London, England)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 14

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan Goes Acoustic Again (Volume 14)

Welcome back, friends, for our fourteenth heaping serving of Dylan covers. This week’s specials include George Harrison’s delicious 1970 demo recording of “I Don’t Want to Do It,” a song he would officially record and release nearly 20 years later on the soundtrack to “Porky’s Revenge”; and the David Rawlings Machine, featuring Gillian Welch, with a down home recipe for “Wicked Messenger.” Also on the menu are such old favorites as Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Garcia, and the Byrds, and new treats like Nick Drake, Lucy Kaplansky and Chris Smither, all cooked up with a refreshing acoustic flavor.

Speaking of Rawlings and Welch, they covered “Idiot Wind” at the PEN/New Yorker Tribute to Bob Dylan a few years back, under the nom du jour The Esquires. If anyone has a copy, I’d love to include it in a future volume of this series, so please PM me.

Big shout-outs are in order to Mark Persic, who streamed “Oh Merci” last week in as much of its entirety as our hosts permit, and also to my new friend Brian in England, who sent me the “Merci-ful” tracks I’ve not yet included in this series in somewhat better quality than the version that was streamed. I’ll include them in the next volume of this series.

As usual, thanks to the tapers, the original uploaders, the folks who’ve sent me recordings, the fine artists who’ve created cover artwork, and especially the performers and composer. 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). Please keep the suggestions and files coming, and by the way I’m still searching for live versions of Waylon Jennings doing “Things Have Changed” and Roger McGuinn doing “Golden Loom” live (there are soundboards from Apr 30, 1977 and May 2, 1977 in existence, perhaps listed as Byrds reunion shows), so if you have ’em, please PM me.

Bon appetit!

01 I Don’t Want To Do It – George Harrison (Demo, 1970)
02 Tomorrow is a Long Time – Nick Drake (Tanworth-in-Arden, 1967-1968)
03 Blowin’ in the Wind – Bruce Springsteen (Jun 18, 1988, Anti-Racism Festival, Chateau De Vincennes, Paris, France)
04 My Back Pages – Todd Sheaffer (May 29, 2004, Ronquillo Ranch, Somerset, NJ)
05 All Along the Watchtower – Michael Hedges Feb 1, 1986, Ordway Theater, St. Paul, MN)
06 It Ain’t Me Babe – Lucy Kaplansky (Mar 30, 2002, Stone Soup, Pawtucket, RI)
07 Mama You’ve Been on My Mind – Peter Mulvey (Dec 10, 2004, College Coffeehouse, Fairbanks, AK)
08 You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Lori McKenna (Apr 18, 2003, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA)
09 Girl From the North Country – Bill Morrissey (Apr 9, 1992, WERS-FM, Boston, MA)
10 Don’t Think Twice – Of a Revolution aka O.A.R. (Apr 9, 2004, The Pageant, St. Louis, MO)
11 Boots of Spanish Leather – Black Crowes (Sep 17, 2005, Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ)
12 Wicked Messenger – David Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch (Aug 30, 2006, Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, Charlottesville, VA)
13 Cross the Green Mountain – Bob Walkenhorst (Feb 9, 2005, Molloy’s Irish Pub, Kansas City, MO)
14 I Shall Be Released – Warren Haynes (Jun 26, 1997, Atomic Studios, Clinton,NJ)
15 Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Todd Snider (Apr 15, 2005, Writer’s Room, Key West, FL)
16 Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds (Nov 7, 1970, Clark Memorial Gymnasium, Rochester, NY)
17 Simple Twist of Fate – Jerry Garcia and John Kahn (Jun 26, 1982, Warner Theatre, Washington DC)
18 Desolation Row – Chris Smither (Nov 2, 2002, Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO)

Various Artists – Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 13

Various Artists
Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan, Vol. 13: Mercy Walks the Plank

This volume should actually be subtitled “Merci Walks the Plank,” because it features a batch of songs from the 1993 KCRW special “Oh Merci,” hosted by John Wesley Harding on July 4, 1993 (not May 24, as I mistakenly wrote when I included one song, Paul Kelly’s “I Threw it All Away,” on Volume 11). In response to my plea for someone to make this show available, I got a PM from Michel, who told me he had a copy, but that the CDs had deteriorated since he got them in 1993. He got me the files, and sure enough, much of the show was unusable due to diginoise. What I present here is everything I could salvage (aside from the previously included Paul Kelly song). I’m especially sorry I can’t include the show’s first song, “Black Crow Blues” done by Peter Case, as I’d love to get a Peter Case performance in here, and Wes’s own two contributions, “Dear Landlord” and “Tears of Rage,” which are fantastic. But I’m thrilled to finally include a Dave Alvin cover, and the Rosie Flores performance is also great. Hopefully this partial set will spur someone to upload the whole thing, or PM me with the missing songs. If you have the Dylan bootleg “Inside the Rain,” you have one track I don’t: “Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” performed here by Was (Not Was); see http://www.bobsboots.com/CDs/cd-i-48.html for details.

The rest of Vol. 13 is a hodge-podge of soundboard or fm cuts that fit the spirit of the “Oh Merci” songs. Special treats include a Dylan Medley by Richard Thompson, from an all-requests show, and Jack Johnson’s musical version of Dylan’s poem on Woody Guthrie. The last track is by Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, the infamous early Bruce Springsteen group that featured something like a dozen members (including a Monopoly player) and only played a few shows in 1971. I count a twelve new acts in this set, and eight new songs not featured in previous NSD volumes.

As usual, thanks to the tapers, the original uploaders, the folks who’ve sent me recordings, the fine artists who’ve created cover artwork, and especially the performers and composer. 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). Please keep the suggestions and files coming, and if anyone has a live version of Waylon Jennings doing “Things Have Changed” or Roger McGuinn doing “Golden Loom” live (there are soundboards from Apr 30, 1977 and May 2, 1977 in existence, perhaps listed as Byrds reunion shows) please PM me.

Enjoy!

OH MERCI, KCRW-FM, Santa Monica, Jul 4, 1993
01 Watching The River Flow ñ Steve Wynn
02 The Times They Are A-Changiní ñ The Williams Brothers
03 Everything Is Broken ñ Will T. Massey
04 Pledging My Time ñ Russ Tolman
05 Just Like A Woman – Ronee Blakley
06 Youíre A Big Girl Now ñ Dave Alvin
07 Girl From The North Country ñ George Gerdes
08 Tonight Iíll Be Staying here With You ñ Rosie Flores

NO MERCI (From the NSD Archives):
09 Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie – Jack Johnson (Feb 11, 2002, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA)
10 Love Sick – White Stripes (Jun 9, 2002, Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC)
11 Up To Me – Roger McGuinn (Sep 14, 1976, WLIR Living Room, Glen Cove, NY)
12 Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Danny and Dusty (May 19, 1985, Club Lingerie, Los Angeles, CA)
13 Oxford Town – Tim O’Brien (Mar 27, 2002, Canopy Club, Urbana, IL)
14 Don’t Think Twice – Billy Bragg (Oct 1, 2006, The Triple Door, Seattle, WA)
15 Mama You’ve Been on My Mind – Jeff Buckley (Oct 11, 1992, WFMU, Orange, NJ)
16 Not Dark Yet – Mercury Rev (Apr 1, 2000, Zenith Cinerama, Tel Aviv, Israel)
17 Hard Times in New York – Cat Power (Jul 20, 2000, BBC Studio, London)
18 Medley: Tears of Rage/ Desolation Row/ Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues/It Takes a Lot to Laugh – Richard Thompson (Mar 4, 1992, Bottom Line, New York, NY)
19 I Wanna Be Your Lover – Blue Aeroplanes (Jul 3, 1993, Roskilde Festival, Denmark)
20 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry – Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom (May 15, 1971, Newark State University, Union, NJ)

Syd Barrett – My Head Kissed the Ground (1967-1971)

Syd Barrett
1967-1971 – My Head Kissed the Ground

Sources:
06 Jun 1970, + others
1-4: 6 Jun 70, Olympia Exhibition Hall, London
5-7: BBC 16 Feb 71
9: 1967
10: 13 Sep 67 Copenhagen
11: 14 May 67 Look Of The Week
12-14: Nov 74, Syd’s last studio sessions.
15: 13 Sep 67 Copenhagen 16: 1967

Tracks:

  Disc: 1
   1. Terrapin
   2. Gigolo Aunt
   3. Effervescing Elephant
   4. Octopus
   5. Baby Lemonade
   6. Dominoes
   7. Love Song
   8. Scream Thy Last Scream
   9. Swan Lee #1
  10. One In A Million
  11. Astronomy Domine
  12. Blues #1
  13. Blues #2
  14. Blues #3
  15. Arnold Layne
  16. Swan Lee #2
  17. Birdie Hop
  18. Short bit of Syd talking (studio babble)
  19. Opel
  20. Astronomy Domine
      Total Time:                                         66.34

Band:
Syd Barrett
Roger Waters
David Gilmour
Nick Mason
Rick Wright

Comments: 8) Scream Thy Last Scream – the last verse only, at 1/2 speed. This way, the
“chipmunk” voices in the background are at normal speed. This is, easily, the nicest thing
on this disk. It’s really great to hear Syd & the boys have a good time.

9) Swan Lee #1 – One of the unused backing tracks probably made by the Floyd at the
Vegetable Man sessions in the Fall of 1967.

11) Astronomy Domine – 14 May 67 This track has an introduction on it that I’m not
familiar with. It’s in French, I believe. However, the song is certainly from the good old
Look Of The Week.

16) Swan Lee #2 – Another one of the unused backing tracks probably made by the Floyd
at the Vegetable Man sessions in the Fall of 1967.

17) Birdie Hop – The CD says that it’s a different take than was used on Opel. However,
since only 1 take was ever made, they have to be the same.

19) Opel – The CD says that it’s a different take than was used on Opel. However, it’s really
the same. Horrible quality, though..

20) Astronomy Domine – The CD claims 19 April 68 Rome, Italy. but, I don’t know if
that’s correct. It certainly doesn’t feature Barrett.

-SCOTT

This is another decent collection of Syd’s rarities, plagued with inaccurate source
information. There is nothing presented here that wasn’t available before or in better quality
than before. Lots of vinyl distortion can be heard. Not the best CD in my collection, but
certainly not the worst. Hey, at least they didn’t reissue the bloody Peel Sessions again…
groan…

-SCOTT