Cat Power is another artist I know by name but had never heard before. I'm seriously considering her further because I love what she did with "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again." It's one of my favorite Dylan songs and Chan Marshall plays this one straight. She doesn't reinvent the song, instead finding a way to shine within the basic constructs of the song. Marshall injects a little bit more R&B into the song than Dylan's original, and it works extremely well. Although I like Dylan's versions of his own songs, he sometimes (intentionally or otherwise) fails to capitalize on his melodies. Marshall's performance brings the melody into sharper, catchier focus. I like what she's done here she just might have forced me to head to Amazon.
I've meant to check out Iron & Wine for awhile because I'm old enough to remember when Sub Pop was a major player on the music scene and even lived in Seattle when it was happening. Samuel Beam, the architect of I&W, has a coffeehouse voice and on his cover of "Dark Eyes" he's supplemented that with some Middle Eastern-tinged sounds, giving a the track a dark, psychedelic ambiance. I'm curious as to whether this is representative of what Beam does on record. If so, count me in.
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit I don't know Stephen Malkmus or Pavement, but I got three chances to hear him on I'm Not There. Neither "Maggie's Farm" nor "Can't Leave Her Behind" have inspired me to rectify this, but I wasn't completely turned off. I love Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man," but Malkmus' is only okay. These tracks don't stand out compared to others on this set. Maybe if I knew him before coming to the album I'd feel differently. I'll give him a grade of incomplete.
I'm not quite sure what to make of Sufjan Stevens' "Ring Them Bells." It's a bit of a swirling mess of swelling horns and simple Americana, yet there's something deeply appealing about it. I tend to prefer the more languid, understated parts of the song. Stevens' voice is very pleasing to me and, like Cat Power on "Stuck Inside...," he has strengthened the song's melody. I'm putting him down as a definite maybe for further research.
Article comments
1 - Donald Gibson
For the record, Dylan considers the Hendrix version of "All Along the Watchtower" to be the definitive one, too. Even now, when Dylan plays it live, it's the Hendrix arrangement.
And to hear how Cat Power can rearrange a Dylan song and still make it work, check out her take on "I Believe In You," from her latest album, Jukebox.
2 - Glen Boyd
Dylan actually rearranges and reinvents his own material in concert all of the time. So much so, that when you hear him play the songs live, it often takes a minute or two to figure out what song is acually being played.
The Hendrix arrangement of 'Watchtower' does remain failrly constant (Neil Young has been known to play this live too), but even there it gets tweaked from time to time.
-Glen
3 - Josh Hathaway
Yeah, Donald, I know Dylan is pretty fond of Hendrix's version of it and when I saw him in Nashville he performed it in a style not too dissimilar from Hendrix's brilliant version.
I am glad you commented here, sir, because I figured you might be someone who could recommend a starting point for Cat Power. Would you start with Jukebox and work backwards, or where should I go?
Mr. Glen, you're 100% correct that Dylan often reinvents his songs. I remember reading an interview with Roger Waters where he said he quit going to see Dylan because he got tired of trying to figure out which song he was playing.
4 - Donald Gibson
For Cat Power, start with The Greatest. It's brilliant and gorgeous. And it won the 2007 Shortlist Music Prize.
5 - Mat Brewster
I'll second the praise for Cat Power. I started off with Jukebox and it took me several listens to care for it, but I dig it more and more each time I listen. I've not listened The Greatest all the way through yet (just got it actually) but what I've heard is really good.
6 - Mark Saleski
Los Lobos: screw the compilations. get Kiko and Colossal Head. trust me.
7 - Josh Hathaway
Thanks for the suggestions, Sirs Saleski and Gibson. I went to SatanBestBuy to look for these along with two other new releases. Here's a shocker: they didn't have them in stock. I'm about to send Amazon more money, and that's all right with me.