The Smiley Smile Message Board

Many, many people have done Dylan covers, and I'm thinking not many are better than the originals...do you have any in mind?

Here's the ones I think are better than the originals:
1. "My Best Pages"-The Byrds
2. "Quinn the Eskimo"-Manfred Mann
3. "When I Paint My Masterpiece"-The Band (if anything the 30th Anniversary concert)
4. "I Shall Be Released"-The Band (Manuel's vocal is just the tops)

Your thoughts??

Great thread idea. Gimme a minute.

1. Jimi Hendrix - "All Along The Watchtower"
2. The Turtles - "It Ain't Me Babe"
3. The Byrds - "Mr. Tambourine Man"
4. Willie Nelson - "You Gotta Serve Somebody"
5. Cher - "All I Really Want To Do"

Gene Clark recorded a great version of "Tears Of Rage" for "White Light/Gene Clark" in 1971.

And Sam Cooke's rendition of "Blowin' In The Wind" isn't bad either.

I also like The Walker Brothers' "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and The Byrds' "You Ain't Going Nowhere".

Fairport Convention - Si Tu Dois Partir
Joan Baez - With God On Our Side, It Ain't Be Babe, Farewell Angelina

Hendrix's Monterey take on "Like a Rolling Stone" is pretty damn fantastic. Eels' live take (from the ...With Strings tour) on "Girl From the North Country" was great. And how about a less known modern band doing one, Herman Dune (one of my favorite bands) doing "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"? (Warning, you'll probably not like this. In fact, I don't even like this much. But I love the band overall.)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RABOjwmpJRU    (Why can't I embed this video? Obviously we can embed in the youtube thread in the media forum. Is it only allowed there?)

Bryan Ferry's take on "Positively Fourth Street" is sublime. He turns it into a song of mournful regret that loses the spite found in Dylan's version but gains an emotional level only hinted at in the original.

I would also recommend Ferry's version of "Gates Of Eden" which gives the song a sense of authority missing from Dylan's own (which I always thought sounded a little undercooked).

Grace Slick & the Great Society - Outlaw Blues

Jimi Hendrix - Could You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (from the BBC Sessions 2 cd)

Mark Lanegan - The Man in the Long Black Coat (from the I'm Not There soundtrack)

Thunderclap Newman - Open the Door (this might be my favorite Dylan cover, they turn it into a beautiful psychadelic ballad.)

Pete Townshend - North Country Girl although I do really like the Dylan and Cash duet version as well.

Here's another one I just remember. The Byrds - You Ain't Goin' Nowhere. Knocks the Dylan/Band version out of the water.

'Wigwam' by the James Last Orchestra.

When did Pete Townshend cut that? I never heard it.

My faves are
Elvis Presley Tomorrow Is A Long Time (Dylan's favorite) and Don't Think Twice.
George Harrison If Not For You
Jerry Lee Lewis Rita May
Johhny Cash does a funny It Aint Me Babe (naw naw naw It Aint Me Babe).
Rick Nelson Just Like A Woman

Hollies - When the ship comes in

Pete's cover of North Country Girl gets an upbeat pop version on the All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes album and Pete still plays it sometimes at his solo live shows but now he uses a darker arrangement based off of Roy Harper's.

The 1982 album version;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavnVVDlBak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavnVVDlBak)

The live shows version;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDYUcGD4Ti0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDYUcGD4Ti0)

I have the album I just haven't played it in a long time. I recalled it instantly once I heard it but I had totally forgot about it before.

It Ain't Me Babe - David Jones  ;D

The Byrds covers.   Younger than Yesterday is a favorite among these.

And the take off on dylan "Hey Mr. Space Man."

Robyn Hitchcock recorded a great haunting psychedelic version of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".

I also like his version of "Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door," on Spooked.

Love Minus Zero/No Limit by Fleetwood Mac.  I also like Make You Feel My Love by Timothy B. Schmit.