Category Archives: covers

Audio: Bob Dylan Sings Blind Willie McTell’s ‘Delia’ Live + More

Blind Willie McTell.

Bob Dylan is a fan of the late bluesman, Blind Willie McTell. We’ve all heard the song Dylan wrote about McTell.

Today I’ve got the official version of McTell’s “Delia,” as sung by Dylan on World Gone Wrong, and a live version too from 1992.

“Delia” is an incredible song, and the way Dylan sings in on “World Gone Wrong” is heartbreaking.

I’ve also included a beautiful version of “Delia” performed by Jolie Holland, who also happens to be a huge Dylan fan. I executive-produced this video when I was Editor in Chief of MOG.

And I’ve got two versions of “Delia” by McTell himself.

Bob Dylan, “Delia,” off World Gone Wrong:

Della by Bob Dylan on Grooveshark

Bob Dylan, “Delia” Sydney, April 15th 1992:

Delia by Bob Dylan on Grooveshark

Jolie Holland, “Delia,” live in her New York apartment:

Blind Willie McTell, “Delia” early version:

Blind Willie McTell, “Delia” 1949 version:

Finally, Bob Dylan’s own composition, “Blind Willie McTell”:

– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post –

News Update: Neil Young’s PonoMusic Kickstarter Campaign Rockets Past $2.8 Million

Patti Smith talks up PonoMusic’s sound.

For Neil Young, times are good. Very good.

He’s on a creative roll with amazing live concerts In New York and Canada, a new album, A Letter Home, in the bag, a second memoir, “Special Deluxe,” due out later this year and the money pouring in to fund PonoMusic.

As of about 10 p.m. PT today 8649 people had put $2,812,059 into the company.

Also, Young’s second big archives set is in the works and a source known as “Archives Guy” who claims to be involved in the project told Thrasher’s Wheat:

At this time we are still planning on physical release for NYA V2 and yes it will be available on Pono, too in full 24/192 sound quality. I’m happy to report that we are in full on production of NYA V2 right now. Maybe I’m biased, but I think V2 might be the best one. A plethora of previously unreleased tracks.

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –

News Update: Neil Young’s PonoMusic Kickstarter Campaign Passes $2.2 Million Mark

Elvis Costello has endorsed the PonoMusic player.

This is pretty wild.

Neil Young’s Kickstarter campaign for his PonoMusic player passes the $2.2 million mark this evening.

To be exact, 6,475 people had contributed $2,112,066 when I wrote this at around 8:30 p.m. PT, but, actually, the take is now up to $2,206,538.

And 6,784 have people have now contributed.

Meanwhile, what’s up with Neil’s upcoming album, A Letter Home?

Young told Billboard it will ‘likely’ be out this spring.

“It’s not ready for prime time yet. It’s not really a release yet, but it’s a very unique record,” Young said. “It’s like a time capsule. It doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard that was made recently. And some great songs, some beautiful music.”

For more, check out my post on A Letter Home:

Neil Young’s ‘A Letter Home’ Now Set For ‘Likely’ Spring Release

Neil Young’s ‘A Letter Home’ Now Set For ‘Likely’ Spring Release

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Neil Young’s ‘A Letter Home’ Now Set For ‘Likely’ Spring Release

20140312-185757.jpg

Neil Young’s next album, A Letter Home, has been pushed back to a ‘likely’ spring release, Young told Billboard Originally, back in January, Young told Rolling Stone the album would be out in March.

As I first reported, the album is a collaboration between Young and Jack White. It was recorded at White’s Third Man studio in Nashville, is being released on Third Man Records and features Jack White on two tracks.

“It’s not ready for prime time yet. It’s not really a release yet, but it’s a very unique record,” Young said. “It’s like a time capsule. It doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard that was made recently. And some great songs, some beautiful music.”

“They’re songs that I love, songs that changed my life, songs that made it so that I understood what someone else was saying to me, songs by greater writers.”

Although Young has not revealed which songs will be on the album, I have speculated that it will include many of the covers Young performed at Farm Aid last year and at his recent acoustic shows in New York and Canada such as Bert Jansch’s “Needle of Death,” Phil Ochs “Changes,” Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain,” Ivory Joe Hunter’s “Since I Met You Baby” and Tim Hardin’s “Reason to Believe.”

Young also told Billboard that his forthcoming memoir will be called “Special Deluxe.”

He told Billboard it’s a book that focuses on his love of cars.

“So it’s a history through automobiles, and it’s a history of automobiles and it’s a history of the environmental impact of automobiles. And it’s a projection into the future of automobiles. It has its own agenda that develops over the book.

Young also said he’s working on new music, and would like to do an album with a full orchestra, live, recorded mono with one mic.

“I want to do something like that where we really record what happened, with one point of view and the musicians moved closer and farther away, the way it was done in the past. To me that’s a challenge and it’s a sound that’s unbelievable, and you can’t get it any other way. So I’m into doing that.”

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Video: Arcade Fire Cover Stevie Wonder’s ‘Uptight (Everything’s Alright)’

Photo via Arcade Fire’s Facebook page.

Last night Arcade Fire covered Stevie Wonder’s ’60s hit “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI.

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –

Audio: Arcade Fire Cover Prince’s ‘Controversy’ in Minneapolis

Photo from Arcade Fire’s Facebook page.

Arcade Fire performed Prince’s “Controversy” at the Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, last night.

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –

Audio: Bob Dylan Sings Lowell George’s ‘Willin” – Sept. 23, 1995

Lowell George via his Facebook page.

This is cool.

Bob Dylan at the The Edge, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on September 23, 1995 singing Little Feat leader Lowell George’s “Willin’.”

We miss you Lowell!

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –

Listen: Joseph Arthur Sings Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side’

Photo by Danny Clinch.

Joseph Arthur’s new album, Lou, is a tribute to Lou Reed. The album will be released May 13, 2014.

Arthur has recorded 12 of Lou Reed’s songs including “Coney Island Baby” and the first single, “Walk On The Wild Side.”

In his liner notes Arthur writes:

“It’s odd dancing around death, odder still if the death you are dancing around is that of a legend. You just never know what’s appropriate and what’s not, what to share and what to keep inside. There is no blueprint. I loved Lou and we were friends. The last thing I would want to do is turn his life into an opportunity, but at the same time, what better way to honor the man and his music than to celebrate it and sing it and record it?”

More from Joseph Arthur’s liner notes:

“The three weeks of touring passed by quickly and suddenly I was home, snowed-in in my studio, holidays approaching, end of tour blues, all coupled with the fact that the day I got back to NYC was the final tribute show for Lou at the Apollo and I went almost without wanting to. I was tired of mourning him and it felt like I was done, but in truth, the real mourning was only just beginning.

Death, like life, works with your resistance and finally it wears you out and breaks you down and then you are too tired to do anything but face it.
I was home alone and there was nowhere to go.
I set up some mics.
A Coles ribbon mic
And a Wunder mic which is a version of a U47 (I used those two mics on the whole record). The ribbon gives it silk and warmth, the Wunder makes it hi-fi.
The first song I tried was “Coney Island Baby.”
And I liked how it came out.
But I also liked getting to hang out with Lou again.
This was the only way to get close.
I did another song and another still.
I made a rule:
No drums or electricity.
Lou was electric.
The only way I know to give new life to something as rich with life as Lou’s songs and recordings is to go about them in a completely different way.
Bill’s (Bentley) advice to just keep it simple and not overthink it kinda acted as my mission statement and in each song, I felt I revealed something new in it.
Making versions, not trying to outdo the originals (impossible), but rather versions that bring out something unheard before.
I felt I was doing that to some degree and I felt guidance in it.
I was saying goodbye. “

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-

Audio: Bob Dylan Covers Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘Shadows’ – Oct. 9, 2012

Bob Dylan in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 9, 2012 covering Gordon Lightfoot’s “Shadows.”

Dylan is a huge fan of Gordon Lightfoot. Here’s what he said in a 2009 interview with Bill Flannigan:

Bill Flannigan: Who are some of your favorite songwriters?

Bob Dylan: Buffett I guess. Lightfoot. Warren Zevon. Randy (Newman). John Prine. Guy Clark. Those kinds of writers. …

Flannigan: You and Lightfoot go way back.

Dylan: Oh yeah. Gordo’s been around as long as me.

Flannigan: What are your favorite songs of his?

Dylan: “Shadows,” “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind.” I can’t think of any I don’t like.

Here’s Gordon Lightfoot’s version:

— A Days Of The Crazy-Wild blog post —

Audio: Ollabelle’s Beautiful Cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘You’re A Big GIrl Now’ + Live Dylan Versions

Photo via Ollabelle’s Facebook page.

This is a terrific cover of Bob Dylan’s Blood On the Tracks song, “You’re A Big Girl Now” by the New York folk group, Ollabelle.

It was performed in 2004 at The Blood On The Tracks Project concert in York City’s Merkin Concert Hall and broadcast live on WFUV.

Some info about the concert from the concert producer’s website:

The Blood On The Tracks Project

In 2004 David Spelman was hired to curate and produce The Blood On The Tracks Project, a concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s landmark album Blood On The Tracks. The sold-out event took place at New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall and was broadcast live on WFUV and later as a two-hour radio special, syndicated to over fifty NPR affiliates.

A distinctive roster of singer-songwriters, bands and instrumentalists performed their own arrangements of the album’s ten songs, as well as instrumental interludes. Featured artists included Joan Osborne, Citizen Cope, Jesse Harris, Vernon Reid, Chocolate Genius, Toshi Reagon, Alex de Grassi, Ollabelle, Jeffrey Gaines, Brandon Ross, Richard Barone, Tony Visconti, Joel Harrison, and Buddy Cage.

Located in the vibrant Lincoln Square business district just north of Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall is well known for its unparalleled acoustics and has been hailed as an ideal venue for chamber music since its opening in 1978. Merkin Hall was twice awarded first prize for Adventurous Programming by ASCAP/Chamber Music America.

And here’s a version by Bob Dylan from his Rolling Thunder Review show in San Antonio, Texas, May 11, 1976:

You're A Big Girl Now by Bob Dylan on Grooveshark

Birmingham October 5, 2002:

Denver, Colorado, July 15, 1988:

You're A Big Girl Now by Bob Dylan on Grooveshark

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-