Other people’s songs: Repossession Blues, and Dylan on Roland Janes

Publishers’ note: Apologies for non-publication for a few days – totally due to delays in my flights from Australia back to the UK, and then a day of adjusting to the 11 hours time difference.   But I’m back, and awake, and hopefully we now can proceed as normal.

by Aaron Galbraith

Roland Janes is a Memphis guitar player who got his start at Sun Studios. Billy Lee Riley cut the original “Repossession Blues” under the nom de disque “Lightnin’ Leon”. Dylan’s a big fan of Billy Lee Riley (and Sun Records, naturally).

What makes it so appropriate, of course, is that Dylan got divorced in 1977. Wags dogged the tour with the nickname “The Alimony Tour.”

Tony: The absolute classic blues opening – I used to hear these all the time, and absolutely loved them and in my early days as a musician used to play the piano parts – although to very small audiences!   Hearing this sent shivers through my spine.   And I especially love the way the piano keeps on in the background with endlessly inventive variations.  Also love the notion of a car for $20!

Aaron: Bob only performed it twice. The best version comes from the early-’78 rehearsals in Santa Monica, before they took off for Japan.

Tony: This is an absolutely perfect blues rendition of a class blues song.   What can one say; everything is perfect, no one is trying to outdo the others, every performer feels the music, the style and the arrangement perfectly.  If you want to hear a modern version of the classic blues which totally pays tribute to the original, this is it.   Even the picture above seems perfect.  So is the ending.

Aaron: The Complete Budokan 1978

Tony: Dylan takes it faster this time, but still gets the total blues feel right, as does the band.  It’s a more complex arrangement because of the addition of the simple tenor sax part (which must have been a bit of strain to play as it takes quite  few verses before the saxophonist is allowed to vary that simple refrain, but musically it works).

The build-up also works for me because although it is inventive it is utterly kept under control.

Yes two exquisite versions of a real classic, and a fanastic original.

And now what you really really must do is click the link that follows for there you will find Bob Dylan writing about Roland Janes, and a story that Roland Janes wrote and which Bob comments upon.

Bob Dylan on Roland Janes

Meanwhile here are the previous editions…

1. Other people’s songs. How Dylan covers the work of other composers
2. Other People’s songs: Bob and others perform “Froggie went a courtin”
3. Other people’s songs: They killed him
4. Other people’s songs: Frankie & Albert
5. Other people’s songs: Tomorrow Night where the music is always everything
6. Other people’s songs: from Stack a Lee to Stagger Lee and Hugh Laurie
7. Other people’s songs: Love Henry
8. Other people’s songs: Rank Stranger To Me
9. Other people’s songs: Man of Constant Sorrow
10. Other people’s songs: Satisfied Mind
11. Other people’s songs: See that my grave is kept clean
12. Other people’s songs: Precious moments and some extras
13. Other people’s songs: You go to my head
14. Other people’s songs: What’ll I do?
15. Other people’s songs: Copper Kettle
16. Other people’s songs: Belle Isle
17. Other people’s songs: Fixing to Die
18. Other people’s songs: When did you leave heaven?
19. Other people’s songs: Sally Sue Brown
20. Other people’s songs: Ninety miles an hour down a dead end street
21. Other people’s songs: Step it up and Go
22. Other people’s songs: Canadee-I-O
23. Other people’s songs: Arthur McBride
24. Other people’s songs: Little Sadie
25. Other people’s songs: Blue Moon, and North London Forever
26. Other people’s songs: Hard times come again no more
27. Other people’s songs: You’re no good
28. Other people’s songs: Lone Pilgrim (and more Crooked Still)
29. Other people’s songs: Blood in my eyes
30. Other people’s songs: I forgot more than you’ll ever know
31.  Other people’s songs: Let’s stick (or maybe work) together.
32. Other people’s songs: Highway 51
33. Other people’s songs: Jim Jones
34. Other people’s songs: Let’s stick (or maybe work) together.
35. Other people’s songs: Jim Jones
36. Other people’s songs: Highway 51 Blues
37. Other people’s songs: Freight Train Blues
38. Other People’s Songs: The Little Drummer Boy
39. Other People’s Songs: Must be Santa
40. Other People’s songs: The Christmas Song
41. Other People’s songs: Corina Corina
42. Other People’s Songs: Mr Bojangles
43. Other People’s Songs: It hurts me too
44. Other people’s songs: Take a message to Mary
45. Other people’s songs: House of the Rising Sun
46. Other people’s songs: “Days of 49”
47. Other people’s songs: In my time of dying
48. Other people’s songs: Pretty Peggy O
49. Other people’s songs: Baby Let me Follow You Down
50. Other people’s songs: Gospel Plow
51. Other People’s Songs: Melancholy Mood
52. Other people’s songs: The Boxer and Big Yellow Taxi
53. Other people’s songs: Early morning rain
54. Other people’s Songs: Gotta Travel On
55. Other people’s songs: “Can’t help falling in love”
56. Other people’s songs: Lily of the West
57. Other people’s songs: Alberta
58. Other people’s songs: Little Maggie
59. Other people’s songs: Sitting on top of the world
60. Dylan’s take on “Let it be me”
61. Other people’s songs: From “Take me as I am” all the way to “Baker Street”
62. Other people’s songs: A fool such as I
63. Other people’s songs: Sarah Jane and the rhythmic changes
64. Other people’s songs: Spanish is the loving tongue. Author drawn to tears
65. Other people’s songs: The ballad of Ira Hayes
66. Other people’s songs: The usual
67. Other people’s songs: Blackjack Davey
68. Other people’s songs: You’re gonna quit me
69. Other people’s songs: You belong to me
70. Other people’s songs: Stardust
71. Other people’s songs: Diamond Joe
72. Other people’s songs: The Cuckoo
73. Other people’s songs: Come Rain or Come Shine
74. Other people’s songs: Two soldiers and an amazing discovery
75. Other people’s songs: Pretty Boy Floyd
76. Other people’s songs: My Blue Eyed Jane
77. That Old Black Magic (and a lot of laughs)
78. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
79. Other people’s songs: The Christmas Blues
80. Other people’s songs: I’ll be home for Christmas