Monday, October 1, 2018

Dylan Cover #344 Bettye LaVette "Things Have Changed"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Bettye LaVette playing "Things Have Changed"

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series. In the past we have highlighted The ByrdsCoulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain and more. Now the spotlight shines on Bettye LaVette and her recently released Things Have Changed covers album.

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
One of Dylan's late career highlights is this haunting tune of isolating coldness that is sprinkled with some of his coolest vocal images and smirks. You can see him wheeling a lady down the street, drinking champagne with one and doing a creaky jitterbug. It can be the lighter side of "Love Sick" or a more urban update to "Mississippi" but even taken on it's own it is a hell of a slick tune. Unfortunately it was only released on the Wonder Boys soundtrack and not an official album, which is a let down, but it did win Dylan both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
RtBE first became aware of Bettye LaVette while watching The American Epic Sessions on PBS and were semi shocked to learn that until the last decade or so LaVette only had minor success in the industry. She is a powerhouse singer and can turn a phrase with the best of them, using Gospel, R&B, Soul and Funky backings to croon her way forward.

Thoughts on Cover:
Wow, what a way to kick off this months focus on Ms. LaVette. The title track of Bettye's recent cover album of Dylan tunes is a stunner. Funky, soulful playing, and a singer who slithers into the song, making it her own. She inhabits the characters, switches roll's, drops F bombs, gets all sorts of juices flowing. This is a master singer at work, a blistering version and one of the best covers this long running series has ever had the pleasure of showcasing; this is going to be a fun month of Mondays.

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