Dylan Cover #697 Toni Lindgren "Buckets of Rain" Live

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 Toni Lindgren playing "Buckets of Rain"

Thoughts on Original:
From our first take on a cover of this tune:
Dylan's mid-career masterpiece closes out with this song and to me it always seemed tacked on whimsically.  After going through a ton of raw emotion with "Idiot Wind" and other tunes, Blood on the Tracks finishes with this ditty.  Honestly, never one of my favorites, it acted more as a palate cleanser but a sweet one at that. 

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
This is the first time we are hearing Toni Lndgren, a guitar player based in L.A.

Thoughts on Cover:

A fantastic acoustic cover that keeps it light and airy like the original. 

Dylan Cover #694 Jeremy Mayle "Million Miles" Live

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 Jeremy Mayle playing "Million Miles"

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:

From the barren blues of Time Out Of Mind comes "Million Miles". While not a standout on that album, the song was prophetic, hinting at the fantastic twelve bar blues variations that would dominate Dylan's next two releases. When first heard though it doesn't jump out, just feels like yet ANOTHER solid track from the bard that is ripe for covering. 

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We featured Jeremy Mayle, a folk singer from Parkersburg, West Virginia once before in our Monday cover series, and yes Jeremy, we were giving you props. 

Thoughts on Cover:

A very cool take on this tune that Mayle kicks up in exciting, solo acoustic, fashion. While the original was a slow meditative take on love, loss and life, Mayle delivers the song at wits end, frantic and disturbed. An excellent rendition of a malleable Dylan tune that feels unique as Mayle sings with gusto and soul. 

Dylan Cover #693 Jeremy Fisher "Seven Curses" Live

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 Jeremy Fisher playing "Seven Curses"

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune

An early tune from Dylan that lives and embodies the European folk song tradition as breathed through his lungs. The distrust of authority, the bleakness/unfairness of life, the anger and retribution all feel so natural. Dylan's harshness here seems connected to "Masters of War" as the pain and suffering flows through the end of the bitter tale. 

Also this is a great read about the song. 

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
This is the first time RtBE has come across Jeremy Fisher who is a Canadian singer and guitar teacher. He has a lot of videos where he teaches Bob Dylan songs that are worth checking out if you want to play some of these tunes. 

Thoughts on Cover: 

A fairly straight ahead live acoustic cover that dos a proper job of telling the story through song and conveying the harsh emotions. Good cover. 

Album Review: Louis Michot - SEAUXLEAUX

Louis Michot

SEAUXLEAUX

*** out of *****

The second solo record from Louis Michot, titled SEAUXLEAUX, follows up his 2023 solo debut, Rêve du Troubadour. While Michot has won GRAMMYS with his main act the Lost Bayou Ramblers, his solo debut looked to mix his Acadian/Louisiana French sound and singing with larger influences such as electro-bass/drums and Tuareg guitar. On this follow up, all the outside influences and guests go away and it is just Michot, stripped down. 

Dylan Cover #687 Phil J Gray "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" Live

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 Phil J Gray playing "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" 

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series.

In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

For June we highlight live Dylan covers from Phil J Gray 

Thought's on Original:

From the first time we reviewed a cover of this tune:

This song is so iconic and flat out awesome, even people who dislike Dylan have to enjoy this tune right? Biting and yet not bitter, a toss off of the grandest proportions, "Don' Think Twice, It's All Right" is epic and yet so straight forwardly simple. It easily ranks as one of the bard's best works, truly a classic and has been covered by so many people in so many ways.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist

Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on him and his Bob covers.

Thoughts on Cover

A great spin through an excellent song. We end our month of June's special focus on a high note with Mr. Gray! Thanks for reading and listening. 

Dylan Cover #686 Phil J Gray "Desolation Row" Live

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 Phil J Gray playing "Desolation Row" 

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series.

In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

For June we highlight live Dylan covers from Phil J Gray 

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this track:

A magnum opus of early Dylan. A song that is mystical and heated, politically charged while never explicit. One of the more expansive songs he has written and an early indicator that Dylan was on another level lyrically. From Ezra Pound to Bette Davis there are literary references, pop culture bits and a complete fabled world that comes alive in the ears. A true high point when it comes to Bob Dylan songs.

Cover:

 

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on his tunes.

Thoughts on Cover:

Gray takes a bit of Dylan's exhausted defeatism out of the tune with this live cover. An impressive cover as this tune is a beast to take on, and Gray does a good job in his particular style.  

Dylan Cover #685 Phil J Gray "Positively 4th Street" Live

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 Phil J Gray playing "Positively 4th Street" 

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series.

In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

For June we highlight live acoustic Dylan covers from Phil J Gray

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
There are two songs I go to when I think of mean, spiteful, angry, hurtful, badass Dylan and this is one of them. Young but full of piss and hate, Dylan sings this tune to obviously someone he can't stand. I really don't care who it is specifically about, because that rarely, if ever, matters in songs, but Dylan rips into them here. It is a good one for any artist to use to lash out at slights (real or perceived). It has never been one of my favorites, but it is hard to deny how powerful this tune is. 

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on his tunes.

Thoughts on Cover:
Out of all the covers we are sharing from Mr. Gray this month, this one is the toughest fit for his style. He plays very upbeat, and sings with a palpable radiating positive energy that the meanness of Dylan's words doesn't really match. A solid effort though on a brutal song. 

Dylan Cover #684 Phil J Gray "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" Live

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 Phil J Gray playing "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" 

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series.

In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

For June we highlight live Dylan covers from Phil J Gray  

Thoughts on Original:

Arriving just after "Idiot Wind" the breezy "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" acts as a breather on Blood on the Tracks, but on it's own it is a gorgeous little number. A poetic love song that feels fresh every time it slips into the ear as the protagonist is in a world of bliss and doesn't want it to end, but knows it always will. Miles away from "Idiot Wind", but just as vital, showing off Dylan's easy charm and flowing word play/vocal style, I mean how cool is the "I’ll look for you in old Honolulu San Francisco or Ashtabula" run through?   

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on his tunes.

Thoughts on Cover:

A tune that fits Gray's performance style wonderfully and he does a bang up job. 

Dylan Cover #683 Phil J Gray "When The Ship Comes In" Live

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 Phil J Gray playing "When The Ship Comes In" 

This month we are doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series.

In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

For June we highlight live acoustic Dylan covers from Phil J Gray

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:

One of our favorite songs from the early days of Dylan. The purest Irish Folk we felt he ever got, Joan Baez was a fan of this one and told a cool story during No Direction Home, about him being pissed at a hotel attendant and then having this song just spiral out of him. Images of the sea, the salt, the song, raiding/pillaging; a pirate song at heart. When we are looking for pure folk Dylan this one usually finds it's way to our ears.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on his tunes.

Thoughts on Cover:  

Excellent, live energetic, well sung,  strummed with passion, accented with harmonica and nailed all around. It is going to be a fun month of live acoustic covers with Phil J Gray. 

Dylan Post #682 FAWA - "One More Cup of Coffee"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by FAWA playing "One More Cup of Coffee"

Dylan Cover #681 Ross Wylde "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from Ross Wylde and is a live cover of "Love Minus Zero/No Limit".

Happy 10th Anniversary to Angels & Vagabonds Anyways...

RtBE not only writes about music, but also creates some.  Angels & Vagabonds (mostly) acoustic EP titled Anyways... turns ten years old.

It is exciting to go from critic/reviewer of music, to creator of tunes. Special thanks goes out to friends and bandmates who helped with this one. While it has been quite a few years since a release from the group, more music is actually on the way...

Album Review: Jason Isbell - Foxes in the Snow

Jason Isbell

Foxes in the Snow

**** out of *****

For his most recent effort, Foxes in the Snow, the singer/songwriter Jason Isbell stripped down to as basic as it comes. Isbell set up shop at Electric Lady Studios with just an all-mahogany 1940 Martin 0-17 acoustic guitar and his impressive vocals. Working with producer Gena Johnson over the span of just five days, Isbell's open, raw and hypnotic tunes are enchanting. 

New Single/Video from Moonrisers "All Your Hiding"

The Nashville, TN based Moonrisers have a new single/video out for "All Your Hiding"

Dylan Cover #674 Daniel Widegren "Spanish Harlem Incident"

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 Daniel Widegren of the Dylan tune "Spanish Harlem Incident"

Thoughts on Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
Easily one of my favorite early songs of Dylan's career, I love the sing-song playing of this tune and it's hints of his musical repertoire opening up.  "OnTheCliffsOfYourWildCatCharmsI'mRiding" combined is such a sweet phrase and how he strung it out it is fantastic.  You can see a young Bob becoming infatuated with a woman he saw, being inspired to write a tune that is filled with primal lust and sexiness.  A song I have always wanted to learn to play and cover...but that is for another post...    

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Band:
This is the first time we are checking out Daniel Widegren, a blues singer from Sweden. 

Thoughts on Cover:

A cool fairly straight ahead acoustic run through of a pretty little song. Well done. 

Dylan Cover #672 Miriam Hopper "My Back Pages"

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 Miriam Hooper of "My Back Pages"

Thoughts on Dylan Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:

The original has taken upon itself a cultural importance, and the chorus has simply become iconic. I doubt Dylan intended such, but it toes the line of out and out protest and illustrative questions. He puts down everyone from evangelists to girls, but the language snakes and flows so magically that it doesn't seem as harsh as "Positively 4th St" or "Ballad in Plain D". The sense of exhaling desperation or at least the realization that age confuses things even more seems to be what I take from this tune after each listen, but things can change...or can they?

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

The is RtBE's first time checking out Miriam Hopper who is an amateur singer/songwriter.  

Thoughts on Cover:

A standard cover that finds Hopper working her way through the song. Feels more like practice than a finished product, but is a breezy listen. 

Album Review: Mdou Moctar - Tears of Injustice

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of Mdou Moctar's Tears of Injustice, and acoustic version of last years fantastic Funeral for Justice, which RtBE rated very highly during our year end round up of 2024. 

While we like the original much more, feel free to check this out as well. 

Support the artists, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

 

Live Review: Los Lobos - "Disconnected Tour" 2/28/25, City Winery NYC

Los Lobos

"Disconnected Tour" 2/28/25

City Winery NYC 

The last Friday night of February brought the East L.A. legends Los Lobos to NYC for the first of three sold out nights at the gorgeous City Winery on the Hudson River. This show was a stop on their "Disconnected Tour" which finds the band laying down electric guitars and picking up acoustics. While that is true, this was far from and 'unplugged' concert, more of a slightly tuned down, normal, Los Lobos show.

Dylan Cover #671 Charlie Starr "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry"

 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 Charlie Starr playing "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
One of my favorite titled songs in the Dylan catalog, for some reason the title just nails an elusive feeling and perfectly works with the tune. Also contains multiple epic lines, my favorite being "I wanna be your lover babe/I don't wanna be your boss", AMEN brother Bob.  A pretty straight forward blues number musically that lends itself to cover attempts, leading to...

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Mr. Starr is the lead singer and guitarist of Blackberry Smoke whose live stream we spotlighted a few years ago.

 
Thoughts on Cover:

After a funny joke, the tune is straight ahead and direct. Enjoyable live acoustic version of this song, sung and played well from 2015.

Dylan Cover #667 Matt Borrello "John Brown" Live

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 Matt Borrello playing "John Brown"

Thoughts on Original:

From our first time tackling a cover of this song:

An absolutely crushing anti-war song, that is a monster from Dylan and should be more well known. While "Masters of War" breaks down the war machine, "John Brown" addresses the human toll expertly. Musically it takes from the folk tradition, as lots of Dylan's early tunes do, but lyrically it expands upon the topics of patriotism, passion, and pain. A chilling tale of hurt and the cost of war, "John Brown" is an all-time great Dylan tune, an artistic protest song.  

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
This is the first time RtBE has heard of Matt Borrello. 
  
Thoughts on Cover:

An excellent live cover of the powerful song...in today's political climate it couldn't be more on point. Which is sad.