by Jochen Markhorst
Jan: “First, I created a drum track on my trusty old Roland TR-626 drum machine (just the bass drum, hi-hat and snare). Then I invited Fons to sing and play the acoustic guitar accompaniment. I played the rest on the Nord Stage piano: tremolo wurly, drum breaks, cymbals, bass, the weird solo (patch 16:4; ‘The Italian Job’), hypnotic synth sounds, and finally I played the staccato guitar part. And then in the mix, I occasionally left out the bass and snare for a bit of variety. It created a bit of a ‘flower power’ vibe afterwards.”
In this series, we shine a spotlight on a thriving, fascinating, and polarizing fringe phenomenon within Dylanology: the semi-professional cover artist. And more specifically, on a veteran from the southern part of a small country on the North Sea: Jan Barten from Breda, the Netherlands.
The overused slogan Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan contains a profound—albeit subjective—truth, but still: Dylan’s songs really have more to offer than just the vocals. The words themselves. The melodies. The musical embellishments of the many masters who have accompanied Dylan. And everything that happens in the spaces between the words. And that is where his peers—both amateurs and professionals—step in: Dylan is the most covered artist in the world.
Aside from a stubborn, obstinate minority, we generally agree that there are plenty of covers that enrich the original—or at the very least don’t do it a disservice—and sometimes even elevate it. The Roches’ “Clothes Line Saga,” Manfred’s “Quinn The Eskimo,” and Jimi’s “All Along The Watchtower” are, of course, the prime examples where even the most rabid purist would rather look the other way, muttering half-hearted objections, and there are hundreds of examples more where, at the very least, the sheer number of fans is a valid argument. Millions of people simply appreciate Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love” more than Dylan’s original, and the same goes for dozens of other Dylan songs. Like it or not, but Millennials do prefer Guns N’ Roses’ “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” Generation Z votes for Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel”, often without knowing Dylan at all, and there’s even a not insignificant portion of the public that believes only them British bad boys, The Stones, do “Like A Rolling Stone” justice.
This appreciation and love for Dylan covers is most clearly demonstrated by the existence of dozens—probably hundreds, maybe thousands—of tribute bands around the world. Admittedly, there is plenty of cringe-worthy, well-meaning but talentless drivel to be found among them, but many of these tribute bands deliver beauty and emotion. As does Jan Barten, who—both with his Dylan Tribute Band and in solo projects—has been steadily building an impressive discography of sparkling Dylan interpretations for decades.
Until now, the Top 3 of “It Takes A Lot To Laugh”-covers seemed fairly undisputed: the Super Session cover by Al Kooper and Stephen Stills (1968), the irresistible Chris Smither (Time Stands Still, 2009) and Richard Thompson’s Fairport Convention (Cropredy 2002). And now Jan has joined this Top 3, by doing exactly what a good cover should do: tilting the song and putting a fresh spin on the original. A dash of Stevie’s “Living In The City”, an echo of Steely Dan’s “Do It Again”, and a particularly compelling clash between convention and experimentation. It’s a Dutch Job.
To be continued. Next up Jan’s Take 2: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue