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)