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Covering the greatest
‘I’m Not There’ soundtrack a must-have for Dylan fans
By Marty Sliva
Despite the varying quality of the songs, nothing can detract from the lyrical poetry that Dylan poured into each and every one of his songs.
When I first found out about “I’m Not There,” an upcoming film chronicling the life of Bob Dylan, I got excited. Then I heard that seven different actors were playing the music legend, including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere, and I got even more excited.
Now, as the release of the film is nearly upon us, my excitement level has reached its peak. To add to all of this, Sony has just released a two-disc soundtrack for the film that contains 34 of Dylan’s classics covered by a whole slew of different artists.
The album wisely gets off to a great start with a cover of “All Along the Watchtower” by Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers. The song is presented with great energy and emotion, and kicks off the album in the best possible way.
Another highlight of the album comes during the second disc in the form of “When The Ship Comes In,” by Marcus Carl Franklin. Franklin is a young actor who is one of the seven that play Dylan in the film. His voice, although still that of a child, conveys an honest knowledge of the world rarely heard from someone so young.
The best song of the album comes midway through the second disc. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the stars of this summer’s sleeper hit “Once,” cover “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” The two pick up exactly where they left off in the film with beautiful voices that compliment each other at every turn of the song.
Other great songs on the album include Richie Havens covering “Tombstone Blues,” Mason Jennings covering “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” and Jeff Tweedy’s rendition of “Simple Twist of Fate.”
Disc two concludes with The Band and Dylan himself playing “I’m Not There.” After hearing nearly three dozen cover songs, it was nice to end the entire album hearing the legend himself.
Sadly, not all of the covers fare as well. The worst rendition of a classic comes near the end of the second disc, when Antony & The Johnsons attempt to cover “Knockin' On Heaven's Door.” The voice on the track lacks any emotion whatsoever, and the song moves at a painfully slow pace. Anyone who has listened to the original, featured on the soundtrack of Sam Peckinpah’s amazing film “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid,” will cringe throughout the duration of the cover.
Another gripe regarding the soundtrack comes from the absence of some personal favorite Dylan songs. While it seems silly to complain about missing songs when one could listen to any of the other 34 on the album, it is still disheartening not to hear covers of “Tangled Up In Blue,” “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Isis.”
Most notably missing is “Like a Rolling Stone,” a song featured prominently in the trailer for the film. Also, I would have loved to hear a ten minute cover of “Hurricane” by someone like Josh Ritter, who embraces lengthy ballads.
Other artists on the soundtrack include Jack Johnson, Cat Power, Willie Nelson and The Hold Steady.
Despite the varying quality of the songs, nothing can detract from the lyrical poetry Dylan poured into each and every one of his songs. His lamentations on the state of man and the world he inhabits ring true no matter who is singing his songs. Thankfully, a majority of the artists on the soundtrack respect the visionary and pay tribute to his genius in the most respectful of ways.
Listening to the album makes me even more anxious to see the film when it’s released on Nov. 21.
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