The Airborne Toxic Event perform Boots of Spanish Leather: beyond all I have imagined
By Tony Attwood
I have two disadvantages in writing this blog – one is I live in the United Kingdom wherein many bands never get to play, and the other is that I have retired to the countryside and so am less in touch with new bands, and a long way from the concert halls they might reach if touring the UK.
All of which is by way of saying, I have missed The Airborne Toxic Event’s version of “Boots of Spanish Leather” until today, just flipping through some cover versions on the internet, I found this.
Now there is a significant article on the band on Wiki – although I can’t judge if this is accurate or up to date because, as I say, I only discovered the band this morning (UK time), and I have been playing this Dylan song over and over ever since.
So what turns me on so much about this arrangement?
First, and most generally, the band get the feeling of the lyrics in working on this arrangement completely right, from my perspective. It is a sad song song of farewell – perhaps one of the most perfect songs of farewell of all time.
But listen to the harmonies of the male and female voice – the female harmonies are ones that I have never heard used in versions of this song before. And then play it again and focus on the astoundingly wonderful instrumental break.
Of course I must have heard this track when it was first released, but equally something must have got in the way of my proper appreciation. Goodness knows where I was at the time (I mean both geographically and mentally) but if I was dong a tour, then that is my excuse. And maybe I did hear it, and listen to it and even write about it, but somehow it did not sink into my consciousness.
All I can say is that I am making up for it now. And I can say that what makes this work so utterly perfectly is not just the harmonies but the balance of the instruments.
So having played that recording over and over I am now seeking to discover the band in more detail.
The Wikipedia article on the band makes no reference to this particular song and it has nothing to do with Bob, which means there is every reason for me not to put it in, but I have some other writing I have to get on with so I am gong to have to finish here in a moment with just one other song from the band….
So there we are…. after an hour of so I have not found any more Dylan songs recorded by this band – but if you know of any and can find a link on the internet to the recording, please do write in and then we can all share it.
Meanwhile apologies for being a decade or two later in finding their recording of “Boots”, it is now playing over and over in my house, and I rather suspect that the lady with whom I share the house is going to complain very soon. (Ooops, actually she has just said she is gong out – no mention of the record though).
But of course this is not the only Spanish Leather cover that is of note. Here’s another…
But really at this moment nothing can distract me from Airborne. Not even Bob….