ecause Dylan wrote such dense and distinctive songs, covering his work necessarily involves as much impersonation as interpretation. In fact, the best songs on I'm Not There are the ones where the artists seem to be having a great time being Bob. Chan Marshall mimics his cadences on "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again", and her pronunciation of the world "mama" is one of the album's best moments. Craig Finn sings "Won't You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" with a chuckle in his voice, as the Hold Steady relocate the song to the Minneapolis streets of Separation Sunday. And Stephen Malkmus, who gets a whopping three tracks, gives some of his best and weirdest performances since going solo.
The cast of I'm Not There is admirably diverse, mixing relative newcomers like Karen O and Mason Jennings with veterans like Willie Nelson, whose despairing "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)", from 1978's Street Legal, is a good argument for a full-length collaboration with Calexico. Roger McGuinn's voice has aged considerably over the years, but he sounds both surefooted and surprisingly tender on "One More Cup of Coffee", another perfect match with Calexico. And Richie Havens' uniquely jumpy energy jolts "Tombstone Blues", surpassing mere imitation and ratcheting up its wordy tension.
Perhaps it's a testament to the potency of his peculiarities-- rather than to the strength of his convictions-- that Dylan's songs are so successfully coverable in so many different styles. They're challenging undertakings, but possible, inspiring varying degrees adventurousness in some artists and reverence in others. Despite a stellar backing band (including members of Sonic Youth and Television), Eddie Vedder's "All Along the Watchtower" sounds just like every other version of the song and Mason Jennings can't do anything with the iconic "The Times They Are a'Changin'" other than render it faithfully. It's a crazy, mixed-up world, though, when Jack Johnson's medley of "Mama, You've Been on My Mind/A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" has more smarts and soul than Sufjan Stevens' "Ring Them Bells", which begins as a fairly uninspired cover but sails off into a tediously overwritten coda that strains patience and good will. But that's really the only truly objectionable track on this long album, which sounds much better on your stereo than it did on paper. With so many different types of musicians contributing to these 34 songs, I'm Not There could have turned out like so many inconsistent and forgettable tribute soundtracks-- listened to once or twice, then shelved for eternity-- but instead it plays like a real album, focused on the music and leaving the myth to the movie.
— Stephen M. Deusner, October 30, 2007
DISC 1:
1. All Along the Watchtower - Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers
2. I’m Not There - Sonic Youth
3. Goin’ To Acapulco - Jim James & Calexico
4. Tombstone Blues - Richie Havens
5. Ballad Of a Thin Man - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again - Cat Power
7. Pressing On - John Doe
8. Fourth Time Around - Yo La Tango
9. Dark Eyes - Iron & Wine & Calexico
10. Highway 61 Revisited - Karon O & the Million Dollar Bashers
11. One More Cup Of Coffee - Roger McGuinn & Calexico
12. Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, The - Mason Jennings
13. Billy 1 - Los Lobos
14. Simple Twist Of Fate - Jeff Tweedy
15. Man In the Long Black Coat - Mark Lanegan
16. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) - Willie Nelson & Calexico
DISC 2:
1. As I Went Out One Morning - Mira Billotte
2. Can’t Leave Her Behind - Stephen Malkmus & The Bashers
3. Ring Them Bells - Sufjan Stevens
4. Just Like a Woman - Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico
5. Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind - Jack Johnson
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Yo La Tango
7. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
8. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? - The Hold Steady
9. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues - Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
10. Wicked Messenger, The - The Black Keys
11. Cold Irons Bound - Tom Verlaine & the Millions Dollar Bashers
12. Times They Are a Changin’, The - Mason Jennings
13. Maggie’s Farm - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
14. When the Ship Comes In - Marcus Carl Franklin
15. Moonshiner - Bob Forrest
16. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - John Doe
17. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door - Antony & The Johnsons
18. I’m Not There - Bob Dylan with The Band
part 1...
2...
these are a few highlights;
Who are The Million Dollar Bashers? The super backup group was assembled by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and has Steve Shelley on drums, Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, guitarist Smokey Hormel, keyboardist John Medeski and Dylan bassist Tony Garnier.
2/25/11
good and bad moments
ecause Dylan wrote such dense and distinctive songs, covering his work necessarily involves as much impersonation as interpretation. In fact, the best songs on I'm Not There are the ones where the artists seem to be having a great time being Bob. Chan Marshall mimics his cadences on "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again", and her pronunciation of the world "mama" is one of the album's best moments. Craig Finn sings "Won't You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" with a chuckle in his voice, as the Hold Steady relocate the song to the Minneapolis streets of Separation Sunday. And Stephen Malkmus, who gets a whopping three tracks, gives some of his best and weirdest performances since going solo.
The cast of I'm Not There is admirably diverse, mixing relative newcomers like Karen O and Mason Jennings with veterans like Willie Nelson, whose despairing "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)", from 1978's Street Legal, is a good argument for a full-length collaboration with Calexico. Roger McGuinn's voice has aged considerably over the years, but he sounds both surefooted and surprisingly tender on "One More Cup of Coffee", another perfect match with Calexico. And Richie Havens' uniquely jumpy energy jolts "Tombstone Blues", surpassing mere imitation and ratcheting up its wordy tension.
Perhaps it's a testament to the potency of his peculiarities-- rather than to the strength of his convictions-- that Dylan's songs are so successfully coverable in so many different styles. They're challenging undertakings, but possible, inspiring varying degrees adventurousness in some artists and reverence in others. Despite a stellar backing band (including members of Sonic Youth and Television), Eddie Vedder's "All Along the Watchtower" sounds just like every other version of the song and Mason Jennings can't do anything with the iconic "The Times They Are a'Changin'" other than render it faithfully. It's a crazy, mixed-up world, though, when Jack Johnson's medley of "Mama, You've Been on My Mind/A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" has more smarts and soul than Sufjan Stevens' "Ring Them Bells", which begins as a fairly uninspired cover but sails off into a tediously overwritten coda that strains patience and good will. But that's really the only truly objectionable track on this long album, which sounds much better on your stereo than it did on paper. With so many different types of musicians contributing to these 34 songs, I'm Not There could have turned out like so many inconsistent and forgettable tribute soundtracks-- listened to once or twice, then shelved for eternity-- but instead it plays like a real album, focused on the music and leaving the myth to the movie.
— Stephen M. Deusner, October 30, 2007
DISC 1:
1. All Along the Watchtower - Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers
2. I’m Not There - Sonic Youth
3. Goin’ To Acapulco - Jim James & Calexico
4. Tombstone Blues - Richie Havens
5. Ballad Of a Thin Man - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
6. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again - Cat Power
7. Pressing On - John Doe
8. Fourth Time Around - Yo La Tango
9. Dark Eyes - Iron & Wine & Calexico
10. Highway 61 Revisited - Karon O & the Million Dollar Bashers
11. One More Cup Of Coffee - Roger McGuinn & Calexico
12. Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, The - Mason Jennings
13. Billy 1 - Los Lobos
14. Simple Twist Of Fate - Jeff Tweedy
15. Man In the Long Black Coat - Mark Lanegan
16. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) - Willie Nelson & Calexico
DISC 2:
1. As I Went Out One Morning - Mira Billotte
2. Can’t Leave Her Behind - Stephen Malkmus & The Bashers
3. Ring Them Bells - Sufjan Stevens
4. Just Like a Woman - Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico
5. Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind - Jack Johnson
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Yo La Tango
7. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
8. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? - The Hold Steady
9. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues - Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
10. Wicked Messenger, The - The Black Keys
11. Cold Irons Bound - Tom Verlaine & the Millions Dollar Bashers
12. Times They Are a Changin’, The - Mason Jennings
13. Maggie’s Farm - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
14. When the Ship Comes In - Marcus Carl Franklin
15. Moonshiner - Bob Forrest
16. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine - John Doe
17. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door - Antony & The Johnsons
18. I’m Not There - Bob Dylan with The Band
part 1...
2...
these are a few highlights;
Who are The Million Dollar Bashers? The super backup group was assembled by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and has Steve Shelley on drums, Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, guitarist Smokey Hormel, keyboardist John Medeski and Dylan bassist Tony Garnier.
