This month RtBE will focus on Joan Osborn who released a cover album of Dylan songs last year. We will showcase some from that album but also a few live renditions that Joan performed as she has been singing Dylan tunes for years in various projects.
Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we addressed this cover:
A great song, and one that sounds so simple. It always felt to me that these are the kind of songs Dylan has seeping out of his pores, with lines like "Tailgates and Substitutes" that anywhere else would sound foolish yet here works wonders. The musical backing from the original Band version is loose and matched fantastically with the lyrics. I am sure it wasn't as easy going as it sounds on the final version, but what a gem of a track.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Joan Osborne has always been a cool artist on the fringe. When we first moved to NYC she was riding as high as she ever would be (on public popularity at least) with Relish. Her hit "One of Us" was massive and she was everywhere at the time. Then RtBE got to see her perform often with version of The Dead and Phil and Friends over the early 2000's. A singer with soul, twang and power, she can do it all and seems happy to still be performing.
Thoughts on Cover:
So the first of our monthly focus is fine. Straight ahead, not much different than the original. Joan's voice is warm as always, but otherwise there isn't a lot to write home about. A lackluster start to the month so things can only improve.
For more insight into Joan Osborn's choice to cover Dylan was explained in-depth during this interview:
No comments:
Post a Comment