Other people’s songs: Mutineer, Warren Zevon and Jenna Mammina

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This series looks at Dylan recordings of songs not written by himself.  The songs and opening notes are created by Aaron Galbraith and the additional comments are subsequently added by Tony Attwood

Aaron: Mutineer was written by Warren Zevon and was first released in 1995. The album largely consisted of home recordings.

Tony: I first paid attention to Warren Zevon’s work after Jochen mentioned him in his review of “Knockin on Heaven’s Door”.  It was just a passing sentence, “Warren Zevon’s subdued adaptation, recorded just before his death, is heartbreaking,” but enough to get me going, leading to the discovery of “Lawyers Guns and Money”, which Dylan later nominated as one of his favourite all time songs.  And indeed now one of mine.

Mutineer however is different, it is gentle, and as ever with Warren Zevon the lyrics are repetitive, but oh so powerful when heard with the music…

I was born to rock the boatSome may sink but we will floatGrab your coat, let's get out of hereYou're my witnessI'm your mutineer

I’m not trying to pretend that this is great poetry, but rather that it is moving, especially when heard sung in this way.

Aaron: Bob Dylan released it on the 2004 album Enjoy Every Sandwich

 

Tony: I think Bob performs it with real feeling, a feeling that so many great artists had for Warren Zevon.   I’m really pleased this song has come up in the series not because it is beautiful piece, but because I do hope it encourages you to explore a few more Warren Zevon songs, if you don’t know them all.

Aaron: Jenna Mammina & Matt Rollings

Tony:  Jenna worked with the Spinners (now there is something to put on your CV!).  I do love this and I would recommend Jenna Mammina’s work for anyone who doesn’t know it.  In fact I am going to slip in one more of her songs here, although it is not in Aaron’s original selection and takes us a little off topic…

Now back to the script…

Aaron: David Lindley

Tony: Now that was a surprise.  David Lindley sadly died last year – he was one of the early figures in the psychedelic movement and played with Crosby and Nash for a while and is reported to have supported Dylan in some concerts, although I don’t have exact details of that.

But now, since we are back on the subject of Warren Zevon, and since Bob Dylan nominated a Warren Zevon song as one of his favourites, I think that is enough of an reason to re-introduce it (and not, I seem to remember, for the first time).

It turned up in our series on Dylan’s favourite songs so that is all the excuse I need to play it again.   Oh why do these guys have to leave us so early?

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
  81. Repossession Blues, and Dylan on Roland Janes

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