Thoughts on Dylan Original:
Not to be confused with the excellent "Someday Baby" from the recent Modern Times today we have "Maybe Someday" from Knocked out Loaded, one of the weakest releases of Dylan's career. What makes the Bard endlessly fascinating is that you can usually find a gold nugget mixed in with the slag, I have a friend who swears by "Brownsville Girl" on this disk, safe to say "Maybe Someday" is not that winning gem. Dylan may have never sounded more cheesy 80's here with razor thin production, back up singers and a Casio keyboard sounding horn section. His singing is actually pretty powerful, but over the weak ass production it is forgettable, it would be interesting however to hear he, himself re-do this one with his current band...hmm
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
I had not heard of Esteban Paez, but after checking out a google search, I believe that this is a collection of his tunes. It looks like he is an Argentinian singer and a fairly decent one at that. Not speaking the language though I am not sure much more about him, and had no knowledge of him pre-hearing this cover.
Thoughts on Cover:
Well it took us 43 shots but we finally came up with a bilingual cover of Dylan's work. I find it fascinating to translate his songs into other languages and really wish I could speak one to hear how it works switching things up. Are the turn of phrases the same? Do the little jokes work? This tune doesn't have too much too it lyrically, so it is a good one for an ignorant American to tackle. Musically the slide guitar is really great and at the forefront of the tune, spicing things up. The crash cymbals are a decent touch, if a bit theatric, while the strumming acoustic keeps it organic.
The language barrier isn't much of a hindrance for enjoyment and Paez has done a nice job singing and playing on this one, without too much to work with from the original...
Grade C+
Wilson's Take:
Have you ever woken up outside, under the blazing sun, with no idea where you are? You're covered in sweat, glitter, mascara, and what appears to be (someone else's) dried blood? Well, evidently so has Esteban Paez. That's exactly what this cover of "Maybe Someday" sounds like - a night in Mexico gone awry in all the right ways.
"Maybe Someday" is a great tune because in many ways it's an upside-down version of "Idiot Wind" - Dylan's epic send-off. On "Maybe Someday" , it's almost as if Dylan was reaching for "Idiot Wind" but couldn't find the pulse...thus, instead of apocalyptic bitterness, he gives his woman a parting clank of the beer glass, rife with several overlooked lyrical gems, the best being: "Always was a sucker for the right cross; never wanted to go home ’til the last cent was lost."
Esteban Paez's cover invites a smile. It sounds - in Spanish - exactly as the words were originally intended...which is a testament to the spiritual depth of the romance languages. Above all, with the volume cranked, Paez's cover of "Maybe Someday" hits you like a memory not yet had. One that's coming on down the road, "Maybe Someday."
Janasie's Take:
I have never listened to the Knocked Out Loaded album, which is unusual for me when it comes to Dylan. I know a few of the songs off of it, "Maybe Someday" included, either through other releases or live shows. The album contains one of my favorite "bad" songs ever - "Brownsville Girl". Eleven minutes of rambling melodrama that I just can't get enough of. "Maybe Someday" is a bit of a rambler itself, though it fits a little more easily into the traditional, pop song format. Dylan has a lot of tunes like this one in his repertoire, where he finds a fairly simple song structure and works off the cuff for awhile, kinda prattling on, kinda not, usually about scorned love. Not what I consider "high" Dylan, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I like this cover. The phrasing is very Dylan-like, so much so that you don't necessarily pick up on the language switch at first. The guitar work is pretty tasty as well. I'd put my stamp of approval on it, allowing that I don't have a great connection to the original to begin with. Fun stuff.
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