I'm not sure anything is ever going to dethrone Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" from its perch as the #1 Greatest Bob Dylan Cover ever. But this should be a serious, serious contender for first runner-up. It's not only magnificent, it answers the question "what would Mick Jagger sound like if he could actually sing?"
I love this version, and the Jagger similarities are striking. Great call. Van sounds like early Mick - "Get Off of My Cloud" and even earlier. Only better, of course. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat covers allow you to see something different in a song. Bob's brilliant version of "Baby Blue" is acidic and raw, blunt and brutal. Van's doesn't have the same hiss, but it has a spooky, haunting quality that makes it all his own.
Wow. I heard this version when out and about and thought: "Huh? I don't recall a Stones/Jagger cover of IAONBB." Googled it when I got home and found your site. I love the Drifters-type ("Under the Boardwalk") arrangement, too!
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