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. 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)

Various Artists – Gift to Lossless Legs, 2008

Various Artists
Gift to Lossless Legs, 2008

From my CDR collection

1. Poem For Eva – Bill Frisell 02-17-2001 – Nashville, TN
2. Toujours Vouloir – The Duhks 11-01-2008 – Barre, VT
3. Salt Spring – Sarah Jarosz & Friends 07-19-2008 – Oak Hill, NY
4. When First Unto This Country – Crooked Still 08-10-2008 – Charleston, WV
5. Brother Wind – Tim O’Brien & Jerry Douglas 07-19-2008 – Oak Hill, NY
6. Billy Grey – Tony Rice Unit 04-08-1990 – Worcester, MA
7. Smith Chapel – Flinner, Grier & Phillips 08-10-2000 – Alta, WY
8. Where There’s A Road – Sam Bush Band 11-16-2007 – Lebanon, NH
9. Mystic Water – Donna The Buffalo 05-10-2008 – South Burlington, VT
10. Daughter of A Conjugal Visit – The Waybacks 07-21-2007 – Ancramdale, NY
11. Stayin’ Alive – Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives 07-21-2007 – Ancramdale, NY
12. Streets Of London – Goode Deal Bluegrass Band 12-26-2002 – Annapolis, MD
13. Roses – Rani Arbo and the Daisy Mayhem 08-16-2008 – Huntington, VT
14. Marilla’s Lesson – Norman Blake 07-19-1997 – Ancramdale, NY
15. Foreign Lander – Sarah Jarosz – 07-19-2008 – Oak Hill, NY