By Tony Attwood

If you have been lurking around Untold Dylan for a few years you’ll perhaps remember that the notion of a Dylan Cover a Day came about when lockdown hit England, and I was shut up on my own day after day with just the computer and phone for company.

With lockdown very much a thing of the past I am now allowed out again (although I think quite a few people reckon that is not quite such a good idea) so it’s no longer “a day” but maybe “once a week” or so.

Anyway this is episode 123, and I mention that because I think this might be the first time I have brought in covers not just of the song in question (Romance in Durango) but re-writes of that song under different names.   Hopefully, I’ll be able to explain myself in a moment.

But first a straight cover: Els miralls de Dylan is described on Secondhand songs as “A duo project dedicated to Bob Dylan songs in Catalan, mainly translated by themselves. Temporarily also integrating other artists.”   Except much of this is in English, so I remain as confused as normal.

I love the song, and find this a rather jolly version, and one worthy of a listen but not one that suddenly gives me that insight into the music which deepens my appreciation, or which really draws me back to it.  But as I say, in my view, worth a listen.

The next example, from Nicole Stella, does however give me something extra.  There’s more emotion here, which I always feel is what this song needs.  Not over the top emotion, but just more than Els miralls de Dylan gave us.  Somehow, because of the fractional delay of certain words and the fractional speeding of others, I believe in the song more.   The harmonies work for me as well.

In fact it is one of those frustrating pieces that I can say, yes I really do appreciate this music, but I find it hard to explain exactly why.  Maybe it is the way the accompaniment is always held back with no temptation to get above itself.   Maybe it is because I don’t understand the language – and in fact that is interesting, because there is nothing in my head that is translating the lyrics into English – I am in fact enjoying the sound of the lyrics without trying to remember the English.

The video ends with a note to the effect that if you enjoy the video please share it, so I have.

This next one is Fabrizio De André, but now not just with a language I don’t speak and a totally different accompaniment, and indeed what seems to me inappropriately fast moving pictures (which I find distracting) I am less inclined toward this version.   But I don’t think it is the music that is putting me off, it really is the video.  These pictures just fly past too quickly, and the timing of that movement is so out of keeping with the music.

Indeed it is a thought I do get sometimes – that the video makers really don’t have any appreciation of what the music is doing.  How could anyone think that the music requires a new picture (one without association to the next) every two or three seconds?   It just seems utterly bizarre and self-defeating to me.  If by any chance you feel the same, try closing your eyes.  I most certainly found it helped.  (Mind you as I get older I often find that helps).

And now for something different.   Because this is one of the songs that Dylan didn’t just write once, but wrote again and again.  And that’s not just me trying to be clever with a bit of musical memory – as many others have noted he really did use the same music in different songs.

Try this for example… and don’t be put off by the rhythm and accompaniment.  Listen to the melody.

And if that were not clear, try this version.

We’ve moved from covering to copying – but you know, it’s Bob.  He’s written over 620 songs so he’s entitled to have one or two sounding like the others, surely.

 

• The Dylan Cover a Day series
  1. The song with numbers in the title.
  2. Ain’t Talkin
  3. All I really want to do
  4.  Angelina
  5.  Apple Suckling and Are you Ready.
  6. As I went out one morning
  7.  Ballad for a Friend
  8. Ballad in Plain D
  9. Ballad of a thin man
  10.  Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
  11. The ballad of Hollis Brown
  12. Beyond here lies nothing
  13. Blind Willie McTell
  14.  Black Crow Blues (more fun than you might recall)
  15. An unexpected cover of “Black Diamond Bay”
  16. Blowin in the wind as never before
  17. Bob Dylan’s Dream
  18. You will not believe this… 115th Dream revisited
  19. Boots of Spanish leather
  20. Born in Time
  21. Buckets of Rain
  22. Can you please crawl out your window
  23. Can’t wait
  24. Changing of the Guard
  25. Chimes of Freedom
  26. Country Pie
  27.  Crash on the Levee
  28. Dark Eyes
  29. Dear Landlord
  30. Desolation Row as never ever before (twice)
  31. Dignity.
  32. Dirge
  33. Don’t fall apart on me tonight.
  34. Don’t think twice
  35.  Down along the cove
  36. Drifter’s Escape
  37. Duquesne Whistle
  38. Farewell Angelina
  39. Foot of Pride and Forever Young
  40. Fourth Time Around
  41. From a Buick 6
  42. Gates of Eden
  43. Gotta Serve Somebody
  44. Hard Rain’s a-gonna Fall.
  45. Heart of Mine
  46. High Water
  47. Highway 61
  48. Hurricane
  49. I am a lonesome hobo
  50. I believe in you
  51. I contain multitudes
  52. I don’t believe you.
  53. I love you too much
  54. I pity the poor immigrant. 
  55. I shall be released
  56. I threw it all away
  57. I want you
  58. I was young when I left home
  59. I’ll remember you
  60. Idiot Wind and  More idiot wind
  61. If not for you, and a rant against prosody
  62. If you Gotta Go, please go and do something different
  63. If you see her say hello
  64. Dylan cover a day: I’ll be your baby tonight
  65. I’m not there.
  66. In the Summertime, Is your love and an amazing Isis
  67. It ain’t me babe
  68. It takes a lot to laugh
  69. It’s all over now Baby Blue
  70. It’s all right ma
  71. Just Like a Woman
  72. Knocking on Heaven’s Door
  73. Lay down your weary tune
  74. Lay Lady Lay
  75. Lenny Bruce
  76. That brand new leopard skin pill box hat
  77. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
  78. License to kill
  79. Like a Rolling Stone
  80. Love is just a four letter word
  81. Love Sick
  82. Maggies Farm!
  83. Make you feel my love; a performance that made me cry.
  84. Mama you’ve been on my mind
  85. Man in a long black coat.
  86. Masters of War
  87. Meet me in the morning
  88. Million Miles. Listen, and marvel.
  89. Mississippi. Listen, and marvel (again)
  90. Most likely you go your way
  91. Most of the time and a rhythmic thing
  92. Motorpsycho Nitemare
  93. Mozambique
  94. Mr Tambourine Man
  95. My back pages, with a real treat at the end
  96. New Morning
  97. New Pony. Listen where and when appropriate
  98. Nobody Cept You
  99. North Country Blues
  100. No time to think
  101. Obviously Five Believers
  102. Oh Sister
  103. On the road again
  104. One more cup of coffee
  105. (Sooner or later) one of us must know
  106. One too many mornings
  107. Only a hobo
  108. Only a pawn in their game
  109. Outlaw Blues – prepare to be amazed
  110. Oxford Town
  111. Peggy Day and Pledging my time
  112. Please Mrs Henry
  113. Political world
  114. Positively 4th Street
  115. Precious Angel
  116. Property of Jesus
  117. Queen Jane Approximately
  118. Quinn the Eskimo as it should be performed.
  119. Quit your lowdown ways
  120. Rainy Day Women as never before
  121. Restless Farewell. Exquisite arrangements, unbelievable power
  122. A Dylan Cover a Day: Ring them bells in many different ways