In celebration of Bob Dylan’s 77th birthday on May 24, we take a look at some of the weirdest — not necessarily good or bad, just pleasantly strange — cover songs of his career, now a half century strong.
Elvis Presley: “Tomorrow is a Long Time”
Dylan supposedly ranked Elvis Presley’s shuffling, back porch version of this breathtakingly sincere rarity above any other cover from his extensive catalogue. That’s enough to push it to the top of the list, right? Here, Presley sheds the “King of Rock and Roll” label for an easygoing vibe that reflects his Memphis heart and soul.
T.S.O.L : “All Along the Watchtower”
The West Coast punks covered the track from Dylan’s 1967 album “John Wesley Harding” – bridging the gap between his original acoustic take and Jimi Hendrix’s heavy electric rendition, while maintaining their anarchist spontaneity.
David Bowie: “Trying to Get to Heaven”
David Bowie singing about trying to get to heaven before the door closes post 2016 makes for a difficult listen. In true Starman fashion, he transforms a country dirge from Dylan’s late-‘90s resurgence into something otherworldly. It’s easy to picture an aging, lonely Goblin King juggling his crystal balls while staring ruefully over his labyrinth humming this tune.
PJ Harvey : “Highway 61 Revisited”
The Queen of Everything’s version of “Highway 61 Revisited” removes Dylan’s dizzying police whistle and jangly chug, completely switching up the tempo. It’s much more sinister, oscillating between a warm calmness and reckless thrashing while emphasizing the conflicts presented in each of Dylan’s verses. Purists probably won’t like it. Their loss.
Olivia Newton-John: “If Not for You”
Long before giving John Travolta chills in “Grease,” Olivia Newton-John turned one of Dylan’s unsuspectingly sweet love songs into something downright sprightly. The wide-eyed Australian’s first hit single, “If Not for You,” sets the stage for a career steeped in sentimentality without ever becoming cloying.
13th Floor Elevators: “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”
The acoustic number that capped Dylan’s first foray into electric rock ‘n’ roll – 1965’s “Bringing It All Back Home” – got a psychedelic makeover in 1967 thanks to Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators. A warbly riff holds it all together, while Erickson delivers a vocal that sounds almost like a plea in contrast to the original’s absolutism.
Ed Sheeran: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”
Ed Sheeran doesn’t sound heartbroken or bitter or lovesick or much of anything beyond cordial while singing Dylan’s most romantic kiss-off song. Where’s the passion? Or at least the schmaltz found in the 27-year-old’s pithy chart-topping ballads? The Brits are known for possessing a stiff upper lip, but the ginger multi-millionaire boarders unfeeling during this capable, but watered-down rendition.
Concrete Blonde: “Simple Twist of Fate”
In 1993, Concrete Blonde released “Still in Hollywood” – an album of covers and unreleased tracks. The group’s rendition of Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” – from 1975’s “Blood on the Tracks” – captures its original heartbreak but the raspy drawl of singer Johnette Napolitano’s vocals adds extra devastation. A bit indulgent, sure – it’s better to do less when covering an artist such as Bob Dylan, but this grungy ballad could’ve been way worse.
Ministry: “Lay Lady Lay”
No one would characterize Dylan as a sensual singer, but the warmth he exhibited during his “Nashville Skyline” period (to which he credited the cessation of his smoking habit) gave this unexpected hit a lovely sheen. In Al Jourgensen’s hands, the chorus’ come-on doubles as a threat.
White Stripes : “One More Cup of Coffee”
Back when Jack White was actually inspired, he and Meg White took on this “Desire” classic. The song, a tale of a man who must leave a woman (who doesn’t really love him anyway) and her family of gypsies and drifters to enter “the valley below,” got a static-riddled, fuzzed-out re-do — accompanied by Jack’s most earnest effort at embodying both Dylan and Emmylou Harris’ textured, Middle Eastern-inspired vocal delivery. If you dig the Stripes, you’ll dig this. But don’t feel bad if you also laugh, at least a little bit.
Cher: “Masters of War”
The snare drum death march and the psychedelic Jefferson Airplane-like flourishes seem to accentuate Dylan’s vitriolic, unforgiving words in a silly way, but Cher’s steadfast contralto grounds the affair. A track off her 1968 flop “Backstage,” this version unveils the fear Dylan’s sneering tried to mask.
Albert Hammond, Jr. : “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”
As the Strokes’ guitarist continued his quest as a solo artist, a minimal, pop cover of the “Freewheelin’” classic ended up on his third solo LP, “Momentary Masters.” Against a plucky guitar groove, keys and drums, Hammond croons with less bite than Dylan’s original. Where Dylan was definite in his conviction, letting his lover know “you just kind of wasted my precious time,” Hammond seems to give pause before launching into a muted, echoing riff. This version will make you think twice, probably – but just remember its better that you don’t.
Patti LaBelle: “Forever Young”
Icon Patti LaBelle takes this simple, folksy prayer Dylan penned for his youngest to church – a sprawling, megachurch with a band half the size of the congregation, blinding spotlights and a smoke machine. Stretching out syllables like Silly Putty, it’s like she wants the cloak of her maternal tenderness to envelop the listener indefinitely.
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons: “Queen Jane Approximately”
The weirdest of them all, who knew Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons could turn “Queen Jane Approximately” into a Malt Shop diddy? With backing vocals that include epithets-sang-in-unison like, “Take me on a trip, take me on a trip” and “Janie, get to me. Janie get to me,” in addition to Valli deciding to riff “Won’t you turn me on, Queen Jane?;” the song’s protagonist sounds less like a woman fed up, looking to change up her life and more like a girl Valli’s tricked into thinking he’s going to rock her world.
Natasha Bedingfield : “Ring Them Bells”
Thankfully, Natasha Bedingfield can give us more than a “Pocket Full of Sunshine” and “Unwritten.” Oddly enough it was “Ring Them Bells,” a classic from 1989’s “Oh Mercy” — her contribution to the “Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan” compilation album that aided and celebrated 50 years of Amnesty International. That album alone could’ve been used to put this list together (we’re better than that), but Bedingfield’s approach stuck out. While moving, it’s trying too hard to fit pop frills and a feeling of grandiosity into something that’s moving and grand because of its simplicity. Her vocal battles to out-do the lyrics — which is ridiculous to try to do when the lyrics are written by Bob Dylan.
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