Original Soundtrack - I'm Not There
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Free Music Notes for I'm Not There
Free Music Review: substance over quality reigns supreme
Hit: 3 Stars
While I freely admit that imitation is a high form of flattery, and along that vein, so is re-interpretation, I have to also confess that once again I find myself disappointed with another spineless tribute album to a great artist. While there are some great covers here, no doubt, for my money they are the covers by existent sages, not the rabble clamoring around studio mics. While Dylan didn't live the vagabond lifestyle he so aptly portrayed in his music, his chameleonic nature allowed him to empathize to the point of true artistry: he became his creation. I've only been able to listen to this album once since I purchased it (with great anticipation, mind you), and fully expect it to litter CD sales boxes at Roses in the near future. Save your money; go out and purchase a remastered Dylan album (any one will do, particularly Blonde on Blonde), or try the Masked and Anonymous soundtrack. Shirley Caesar hits "Gotta Serve Somebody" on the nail (no pun intended). Free Music Review: A very good sort-of-soundtrack album
Hit: 4 Stars
For those who haven't seen the movie, be aware that most of the songs on this "soundtrack" are not used in the movie. The movie uses more originals than covers, which is as it should be. Nonetheless, this is a good collection of covers. I'm a pretty big Dylan fan, but there are a couple songs on here that I had never heard of (such as "Billy 1"). Some of the songs presented here should not be covered by anyone, but these artists do their best. For instance, Eddie Vedder does a decent version of "All Along The Watchtower", but no one could ever approach Hendrix's cover or Dylan's version from the Concert For The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As some critics have noted, some of these artists are too reverent toward the originals and, therefore, add nothing to them (one song even has a Dylanesque harmonica solo--why??).
Having said that, rest assured that there are a number of excellent songs here. Marcus Carl Franklin (the black kid in the movie) does an outstanding version of "When The Ship Comes In." John Doe does a great job on two songs ("Pressing On" and "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine"). Richie Havens gives us a very energetic performance of "Tombstone Blues." Stephen Malkmus does a nice version of "Ballad Of a Thin Man" (used to great effect in the movie). I've never heard of Bob Forrest, but he does very well with "Moonshiner." I also really like Cat Power's version of "Stuck Inside Of Mobile..."
There are a few misses on this album, as you would expect, but it's very good overall. Ramblin' Jack Elliott tries his best with "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", but his voice is shot (he's probably even older than Dylan). I like Willie Nelson, but his typically lazy singing on "Senor" can't compare to Dylan's powerful vocals on the original.
I'm one of those who think that covers almost never match up to the originals. However, this is a worthwhile collection for any Dylan fan. And make sure you go see the movie. It's a priceless experience for any Dylan fan (it's even better if you've seen Don't Look Back and the recently released Live at Newport Folk Festival 1963-65 DVD).
Free Music Review: I'm Not There....or there....
Hit: 4 Stars
Bob Dylan has always been a mystery to both his fans and his haters. He has one major trait that Hollywood no longer produces: mystery. This is why the upcoming Dylan biopic I'm Not There is a huge deal to such a huge amount of people. They want to see inside the mystery.
But like most movies, the film was preceded by the soundtrack. A sprawling 37-song collection of Dylan covers by everyone from Jack Johnson to Willie Nelson. Some of the songs are good while others are not so good. But one thing can be made certain. Dylan himself would probably expect nothing less.
The first thing one will notice upon listening to this soundtrack is that many Dylan staples have been left out, replaced by much more obscure material by the legend. Gone are "Like a Rolling Stone," "Hurricane," and "Blowin' in the Wind," among others. It's interesting that these tracks have been chosen not to be included, but one might attribute this action to one simple fact. Many people believe only Dylan can do Dylan, and especially if you're talking about those classics. I for one believe this was a good choice in that I believe only Dylan can do justice to the song "Hurricane."
Another interesting thing about this compilation is the amount of well-known modern artists that contribute. In an age where Rihanna and 50 cent dominate the radio airwaves, many people of my generation don't even know a Bob Dylan song, much less like one. But artists like Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder, and Sufjan Stevens all cover songs here. One can only hope that their names will lead a younger generation to the original Dylan classics.
But now we'll move on to more important stuff like answering the question of if the music is even any good. As a disclaimer I must state that I might be a bit biased in this area. I'm one of the few in my generation that not only knows who Dylan is, but actually enjoys his music. In fact, he's my favorite artist in a pretty large collection of artists from both past and present. That being said, I do believe that a majority of these songs do justice to their original counterparts. This can best be explained by the fact that none of these songs is a radical departure from their original form. All the melodies and rhythms have basically remained the same. The songs are still good and in many cases are being sung by artists with a more pleasant voice than Dylan. (Of course, we all know Dylan was never lauded for his pipes.)
I won't go in to the individual songs because those are things that people will argue about until the end of time. Some will love Yo La Tengo's gorgeous rendition of "4th Time Around," (in my opinion) others will call it sacrilegious. But whether you like the covers or not is not the point of this compilation.
This record and the film accompanying it will once again have people talking about Dylan. And that can never be a bad thing.
Free Music Review: What does 'Original Soundtrack' mean????
Hit: 3 Stars
I just saw the movie and loved it - worth multiple viewing - and I have actually heard a couple of the songs from this album - on XM - Cat Power's version of Stuck inside of Mobile..which I enjoyed - but how can they call this the Original Soundtrack when a lot of the music in the film is actual Dylan cuts - this is crazy - If you don't see the movie because you don't like the cover versions - you will be greatly surprised that many of the covers are not in the movie - that the original Dylan is there in glorious sound - of course there are other cuts and most are extremely well done - a great movie and possibly a very good bunch of covers but where is the truth in packaging???Free Music Review: Dylan Delights, Thanks to Heavenly Haynes!
Hit: 5 Stars
As a movie reviewer and entertainment reporter, I received this CD at the press junket for the biopic, I'm Not There. It's the best swag I've gotten in years. I'm not a huge Dylan fan (I like his well-known hits, though), but these covers really open up a whole new frontier. Along with The White Stripes' "Icky Thump" and Tim Armstrong's "Poet's Life" this is by far one of the best CDs of the year.