Chimes of Freedom-The Songs of Bob Dylan: One Bloggers Opinion

Yet another Bob Dylan tribute album gets a release, this time from Amnesty International.  I love tribute albums and was actually looking forward to this albums release. Bob Dylan’s songs are very good, especially when someone else is singing them. Then I read how long the new tribute was set to be. Four full CDs, 76 tracks are just way too many songs for a tribute album; even if it’s for Bob Dylan.  I decided to go into the album with an open mind; no expectations no matter what artist are on it. After listening through the whole thing I found a few surprises. Some good, some not so good. Here is my interpretation of the album:

Using an already released or older recording on a new tribute album is a no-no. It’s a cop out. Putting the great but already dead for eight years Johnny Cash doing “One Too Many Mornings” as the lead off track is not a good way to get the ball rolling.  Placing a track performed by the artist the album is in tribute too, on track 18 of the last disc where Bob does “Chimes of Freedom”, is also a no-no.

I always said My Morning Jacket would make the greatest cover band ever. When they do other peoples songs like Dylan’s “You’re A Big Girl Now” on this album, they are awesome; boring as hell when they perform their own material.

The Gaslight Anthem and Queens Of The Stone Age both just seemed to take the two (almost) hits of their own,  GA’s “59 Sound” and QOTSA’s “No One Knows”, and change the words to that of two Dylan songs (“Changing Of The Guards” and “Outlaw Blues”).

Many classic artists turn in great performances. Patti Smith (“Drifter’s Escape”), Elvis Costello (“License To Kill”), Jackson Browne (“Love Minus Zero/No Limit”) and Billy Bragg (“Lay Down Your Weary Tune”) do exactly what you want them to do: the play Bob Dylan songs. They don’t try anything too fancy, just play the songs like they would if they were covering them in a concert. Lenny Kravitz turns in a very good version of “Rainy Day Woman #12 &35”, probably one of the best performances on the album.

I wish I could say the same for Bryan Ferry (“Bob Dylan’s Dream”), Pete Townsend (“Corina,Corina”) and Eric Burdon (“Gotta Serve Somebody”). The legendary Rock and Roll singers of Roxy Music, The Who (although not lead) and the Animals respectfully, just don’t sound like they have the chops anymore. The Pete Townsend song especially, he doesn’t even sound in tune.

Michael Franti of the Hip-Hop hybrid band Spearhead (but I will always remember from the more political underground group Disposable Heroes of Hypocrisy) was the perfect pick to do Dylan’s spoken vocal classic “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, another high point of the album.

Some bands seem to forget who they are supposed to be covering. Tom Morrello (“Blind Willie Mactell”) seems to think it’s supposed to be Leonard Cohen and The Airborne Toxic Event (“Boots of Spanish Leather”) think it’s Neil Diamond.

Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger

The 90+ year old folk/protest singer Pete Seeger turns in a very respectable version of “Forever Young” but I would be much more interested in hearing him perform the Alphaville song of the same name.

I love punk and hardcore. Rise Against and especially Bad Religion are two of the biggest, but let’s face it: Dylan’s music just doesn’t fit this type of music. When these two bands do “Ballad of Hollis Brown” and “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”, the two classic songs sound forced, no real soul anywhere to be found. Silverstein’s “Song to Woody” sounds straight out ridiculous.

But Flogging Molly’s Irish-punk (although most the band is from California) works very well on “Times They Are A-Changin’” as does the punk band The Bronx’s alter egos Mariachi El Bronx with “Love Sick”.

I always get jazz singer Allison Krall mixed up with bluegrass singer Allison Krause. I think it has something to do with their last names beginning with “K”. Evidently the compilers of this album made the same mistake since Allison Krall style doesn’t fit the song she sings (“Simple Twist of Fate”) whereas Allison Krause would probably have done it better justice.

Two very good unexpected great Dylan versions are brought by the young bands Silversun Pickups (“Not Dark Yet”) and Jack’s Mannequin (“Mr. Tambourine Man”). Both songs are done very well each bands own style. We Are Augustines, a band I have never heard of before, turn in a very good version of “Mama, You’ve Been on My Mind”.

Live tracks always seem out of place on tribute album where every other song is in the studio. Concert crowd noise suddenly starting up and ending before and after live songs often sounds awkward. David Mathews Band (“All Along the Watchtower”), My Chemical Romance (“Desolation Row”), Sugarland (“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You”) and Dirks Bentley (“Senor; Tales of Yankee Power”) provide evidence to this fact.

Adele (“Make Your Feel My Love”) is an exception to the rule since her track is recorded in a radio station with no audience.

I could go on and on about each individual cover song and artists on the album but now it is time for you to go through them and form your own opinions. I would  like to hear them.

Tribute albums are always uneven and the great thing about iTunes, Amazon and other Mp3 outlets is we can pick and choose which songs we want to have. Plus iTunes is giving 59 cents of whichever ones of these or the other 55 plus tracks you buy so give the album a listen. It’s for a good cause.