by Jochen Markhorst
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.
Jan: “As usual, I recorded the drum track first, for Fons’ vocals and his acoustic guitar. Simple; just bass drum, snare, and hi-hat. Everything else I played manually myself. Since this is a long song, I had to add some variety. Alongside the bass, different sounds and instruments vie for prominence: piano, guitar, organ, tremolo clavinet, and strings. They interlock rhythmically. In the mix, I occasionally removed an instrument to keep the track interesting.
The result is reminiscent of the Neville Brothers’ funky New Orleans style (they’ve actually recorded a version of this song as well).”
“Ballad Of Hollis Brown” is a song that, despite its length, its monotonous nature and its disheartening, depressing lyrics, does not put people off. Quite on the contrary. Since its creation, more than sixty years ago in August 1963, not a year goes by without the song being covered somewhere. Worldwide, at that; there are Swedish, French, Polish, Dutch, Spanish and more covers in more languages. Catalan, even
With Nina Simone’s spine-chilling interpretation in 1965, the song entered the canon, with the top-tier artists in particular seeming to feel challenged to produce versions that were as idiosyncratic as possible; horror-like (Man in the Long Black Coat: Barb Jungr Sings Bob Dylan, 2011); drawn-out, ponderous and dramatic (Nazareth, 1974); agonisingly building towards a climax that never comes (Stephen Stills demonstrates his mastery, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, Stills Alone, 1991); furious, as in Rise Against on the acclaimed compilation album Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years Of Amnesty International from 2012, and hypnotic and oppressive, as Paula Cole on her surprising Ballads from 2017, the album on which she places Hollis Brown amongst American Songbook classics such as “Skylark”, “Body And Soul” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It” – which seems to illustrate her opinion on the song’s status (along with, incidentally, a deceptively sweet rendition of Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll”, three tracks earlier). And then there are the dozens of folky, bluesy, funky, jazzy and soulful renditions by such diverse artists as Leon Russell, Tony Joe White and Hootie & The Blowfish.
Jan compares his approach to that of the Neville Brothers, and there’s certainly some truth in that. Particularly thanks to the NOLA vibe; Jan lays down a jittery piano pattern à la Allen Toussaint, adopts the groove of Dr. John’s “Right Place Wrong Time”, the syncopated rhythms of Professor Longhair, but the stomp, the sharp Nile Rodgers-style guitar part, the cowbell and the unleashed organ lay down a thick layer of funk beneath the drama – all of which contributes to the dramatic contrast as Jan lets a sense of foreboding descend in the final verse. It’s a brilliant cover.
To be continued. Next up Jan’s Take 6: I Want You