So here it is - the new series I threatened in my recent Byrds post and not nearly as original as the suggestions in the column box
The fact that there are about half a dozen Dylan songs on The Byrds Definitive Collection gave me the idea.
And let's face it given that he is probably the most covered artist in the world (or maybe second after The Beatles) there should by plenty to choose from
The idea is to compare and contrast the cover with the original
The default position is that Bob will invariably be better but there may be exceptions.
You of course my free to take issue with my pontifications.
It's only proper that we start with The Byrds
Verdict - in this instance the Nobel Prize winner is the winner yet again
Bob Dylan - All I Really Want to Do
The Byrds - All I Really Want to Do
I prefer just about every Byrds cover to the Bob originals. Maybe My Back Pages is debatable.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I suspect I'll be disagreeing with your default position quite a lot...
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ReplyDeleteWith the odd exception (Like a Rolling Stone, for instance), there is at least one cover of every Dylan song I like better than his original. This is one of them.
ReplyDeleteThis one should run and run, CC. A few years ago, in my pre-blogging days, I did a playlist of Dylan covers (I think to mark one of his more significant birthdays) and it went on for pigging hours.
ReplyDeleteWorld Party did a rather fine rendition of this one on their "Private Revolution" album, too.
Bob Dylan, an American treasure.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I had a long-running series called "Originals vs. Covers" on my blog. I'd always been especially fascinated by obscure originals that inspired more celebrated versions.
ReplyDeleteI'm always very interested to hear covers of Dylan's songs (Old Pa over at Tune Doctor concluded a long running series of these a couple of years back), but precious few touch the original. I'm biased though! The 1978 full band treatment of 'All I Really Want to Do' (on 'Bob Dylan at Budokan') might be more acceptable to those who struggle with young Bob's 1964 voice.
ReplyDeleteOh, dare I say it, but I'm one of those who, in just about every instance I can possibly think of, has always preferred Dylan covers to Dylan originals. I'll get me coat...
ReplyDeleteHere at Alfie Towers it's the Byrds version for us - But that Nobel prize was for the words so thanks to Bob for writing them.
ReplyDeleteI feel some good debates coming on!
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