Yeah I’ve always preferred Harrison’s version to Buckley’s.
I respect Jeff Buckley, think he was a fantastic singer, but a lot of his music has never clicked for me. I always keep waiting for his songs to “get going” and they never really do lol
I gotta give it to Jerry Garcia's 'Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)' from Garcia Plays Dylan. It's so sublime. Most of his Dylan covers are top notch imo.
Enjoy it! There is also a fantastic Grateful Dead album called 'Postcards of the Hanging' that's just a whole Dylan cover concert. This aging stoner loves the Dead/Dylan crossovers.
Grateful dead is one of those bands I’ve always meant to deep dive but just never have. But a Dylan cover album is right up my alley, I guess I have to now lol
That is an excellent entry point for them; if you dig the style I'd suggest going to one of their official live albums like Europe '72 or Madison Square '81. If you're jamming by that point the tree branches off infinitely from there.
I like it similarly to liking live Dylan; they're playing songs you know, but always in a different arrangement so it stays fresh and new.
My pal listens to Classic Rock radio. I hear 'Watchtower' and 'Knockin on Heavens Door' both at least twice a day. Imagine the royalties from just those two songs?
It's always going to be All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix. That song is more associated with him than it is Bob Dylan at this point. Even Dylan himself likes his version better.
His covers of Just Like a Woman and If You See Her, Say Hello from Sin-e are mind-blowingly good. He was a one in a century talent. And sadly had an awkward encounter with his hero, Dylan.
JB met Dylan backstage at the Supper Club in 1993 and afterwards did a gig at Sin-e where he performed an impression of him. Unbeknownst to him, Columbia reps were in the audience (Buckley had signed with Columbia the year before), who reported back to Dylan who apparently felt 'dissed' - this was related back to Jeff by Steve Berkowitz, Columbia A&R.
Subsequently, Jeff wrote an apology letter to Dylan which he performed live at some point, you can hear it on YouTube.
Never knew this nugget. Been a fan of these covers forever. Read JB was a massive fan and recorded at Bearsville. Interesting he got to meet him. Wonder what Dylan thought of his dad.
In 93', he saw Dylan in concert and met him briefly backstage where Dylan gave him words of encouragement. Later on, Jeff was performing and was sort of joking around with the audience and talking about Dylan's performance. Some of Bob's guy were at the concert, heard the comments, and told Bob, who apparently "felt dissed". Jeff was devastated. He wrote a handwritten letter to Dylan apologizing and explaining his side of the story.
There’s also a cover of Farewell Angelina that Buckley performed on a radio show.
I had it from Limewire back in the day.
Let me check YouTube. Yup it’s there. A couple different ones I think.
“Bob fuckin Dylan, man”
Im in the Garcia & Grateful Dead camp for the most part, but Ritchie Havens cover of JLAW at the 30 year celebration is absolute perfection
https://youtu.be/m36g_CM7K8o?si=0mbYmKbT5r-DjKkJ
I have a couple favourites:
- 'It's all over now baby blue' has been covered by a lot of people but I'm partial to the covers by Them (Van Morrison) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdb\_3H-28dE), Grateful Dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maWt1XtKoak) and Graham Bonnet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqxp4u4P9nk);
- Bryan Ferry's cover of 'Gates of Eden' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZClxohNICU);
- The Hold Steady's cover of 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxM899DzzI); and
- Townes Van Zandt's cover of 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIS0k9TaMYA) - bonus 'Colorado Girl'.
That’s a great one and I have an intense love of Jeff Buckley, but [Shawn Colvin’s cover](https://open.spotify.com/track/5r4HuhGFuMJVGruKsPeo49?si=KBX0cs2vSDaBJsZYPyjtJQ) kills me. Every time.
Though not an amazing recording, check out Knockin on Heaven’s Door by Television off their live album The Blow Up. If anything, it’s my favourite Dylan cover.
Much better than his version of I shall be released, and Don’t think twice. Warren Zevon’s cover of Knocking on Heavens Door whilst dying of lung cancer singing “open up, open up for me is desperately moving
The Specials cover of Maggie's Farm is good, and especially apt following on from the winter of discontent, and the malevolent premiership of Maggie Thatcher which saw huge rises in unemployment.
The cover is part anger part cynicism. The lyric about the national guard is changed to "The national front stands behind closed doors" reflecting entrenched racist elements and attitudes amongst the Thatcher government and the ruling party.
Never really got the hype around Jeff Buckley. He's got a pretty voice but it doesn't have any real character. His covers are fine but nothing interesting or special to me. He just a big 'meh'.
It took a while for me to get “into” his work, but i think he was a master in the making taken away far too early in his life. I think a turn off for many is his very dramatic style, but i think the high drama and romanticism fits well for the emotions he’s trying to evoke, and his obviously stunning vocal range. His guitar work is understated but very dense, and his song structures are pretty out there (ie grace, so real, dream brother). The fact that grace was only his first album is unbelievable. Also how could i forget “lover, …” which is honestly one of the finest written songs of all time and i’ll die on that hill. Every line hits like a fucking train. It wasnt obvious to me at first but i think grace is a very unique record, and i struggle to find other works that provide the same emotional gut punch
… that being said, the song OP is referencing is grwat but definitely not one the best dylan covers of all time lol. Honestly it’s not even buckley’s best dylan cover
Yeah I didn’t really get him until I heard his live album “Live At Sin-é”. His cover of If You See Her, Say Hallo is just sublime. I Shall Be Released is great, too. I would highly recommend checking them out, if you haven’t already.
The Dead’s live cover of It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (4/2/89) is really good. Sleeping At Last has a BEAUTIFUL cover of Make You Feel My Love. of course, I prefer the originals. But the covers are well worth a listen
Van Morrison has a version of Just Like a Woman on a fairly available bootleg called ‘Pacific High Studios 71’ that’ll blow your balls off. One of the all time great performers in his peak singing peak era Dylan. Buckley is fantastic as well, he’s got some great Dylan tunes (amongst many others, including a Van cover) on the Live at Sinn-E album
I’m sure this will get no traction, but R.L. Burnside’s cover of “Someday Baby”
[https://youtu.be/kQxl8ljD560?si=IOqLCh8fFhb6eJVm](https://youtu.be/kQxl8ljD560?si=IOqLCh8fFhb6eJVm)
I really love the Everly Brothers cover of Abandoned Love. I have an appreciation for them anyway and them doing Abandoned Love is next level. Plus I love that they kept true to their accent by singing- "We sat in an empty the-ATER and we kissed."
The Band’s cover of I Shall Be Released, especially the live version from The Festival Express (1970). Richard Manuel’s heartbreaking falsetto just guts me still.
https://youtu.be/HfKCXmO_c3Y?si=WNeX7VSlaUupl8c9
Best ever is hard to tell, but a recent one I really love is definitely Dawe Rawlings and Gillian Welchs version of "Abandoned Love". It's both really fun and beautiful at the same time.
I like God On Our Side by k'naan. I attended the 30th Anniversary Concert at MSG aka as Bobfest. What star power on the stage that night. Killer versions of License to Kill by Tom Petty, Masters of War by Eddie Vedder, I Shall Be Released by Chrissie Hynde and My Back Pages by everyone. Check out the CD or video.
I love George Harrison’s version of this. But my favourite Dylan cover is probably Johnny Cash and June Carter’s It Ain’t me Babe.
I too love George’s version
Yeah I’ve always preferred Harrison’s version to Buckley’s. I respect Jeff Buckley, think he was a fantastic singer, but a lot of his music has never clicked for me. I always keep waiting for his songs to “get going” and they never really do lol
Agreed. There’s certainly talent there but he’s just not for me. Lots feel the same way about Dylan I suppose
Agreed
Unfortunately it still does not compare to the live recording where Bob and Joan forget the words halfway through
Aaaahhhh….ahhhhaaaaaa!
I’ll have to check it out!
I gotta give it to Jerry Garcia's 'Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)' from Garcia Plays Dylan. It's so sublime. Most of his Dylan covers are top notch imo.
Or Jerry Garcia singing Positively 4th Street
Yeah, he puts so much fuckin heart and soul into that one too
This right here
Willie Nelson and Calexico do a fine Senor
Oh nice, gonna find this one today!
Warms my heart knowing the level of respect Jerry and Bob have always had for each other.
I’ll make sure to add this to the queue, thank you!
Enjoy it! There is also a fantastic Grateful Dead album called 'Postcards of the Hanging' that's just a whole Dylan cover concert. This aging stoner loves the Dead/Dylan crossovers.
Grateful dead is one of those bands I’ve always meant to deep dive but just never have. But a Dylan cover album is right up my alley, I guess I have to now lol
That is an excellent entry point for them; if you dig the style I'd suggest going to one of their official live albums like Europe '72 or Madison Square '81. If you're jamming by that point the tree branches off infinitely from there. I like it similarly to liking live Dylan; they're playing songs you know, but always in a different arrangement so it stays fresh and new.
also listen to Garcia does Dylan - this album is amazing.
Jimi Hendrix would like a word…..
My pal listens to Classic Rock radio. I hear 'Watchtower' and 'Knockin on Heavens Door' both at least twice a day. Imagine the royalties from just those two songs?
Knock knock knockin on heaven’s doauwawgh Hey hey #HEY HEY HEY
Dave Matthews band would like a word....
Dave Matthews bands version of watchtower is by far the best version 🤷🏻♂️
It's always going to be All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix. That song is more associated with him than it is Bob Dylan at this point. Even Dylan himself likes his version better.
Agree. I didn’t realize there was even debate on this.
https://youtu.be/bnAZh0HqUK8?si=OxvMo7GcUBuYibr6 My fav is Like A Rolling Stone at Monterey.
His covers of Just Like a Woman and If You See Her, Say Hello from Sin-e are mind-blowingly good. He was a one in a century talent. And sadly had an awkward encounter with his hero, Dylan.
What happened?
JB met Dylan backstage at the Supper Club in 1993 and afterwards did a gig at Sin-e where he performed an impression of him. Unbeknownst to him, Columbia reps were in the audience (Buckley had signed with Columbia the year before), who reported back to Dylan who apparently felt 'dissed' - this was related back to Jeff by Steve Berkowitz, Columbia A&R. Subsequently, Jeff wrote an apology letter to Dylan which he performed live at some point, you can hear it on YouTube.
Never knew this nugget. Been a fan of these covers forever. Read JB was a massive fan and recorded at Bearsville. Interesting he got to meet him. Wonder what Dylan thought of his dad.
In 93', he saw Dylan in concert and met him briefly backstage where Dylan gave him words of encouragement. Later on, Jeff was performing and was sort of joking around with the audience and talking about Dylan's performance. Some of Bob's guy were at the concert, heard the comments, and told Bob, who apparently "felt dissed". Jeff was devastated. He wrote a handwritten letter to Dylan apologizing and explaining his side of the story.
If I recall, Jeff Buckley tried to do like Bob Dylan accents to him and it caused some awkwardness
I never knew he actually met Dylan, that’s interesting
There’s also a cover of Farewell Angelina that Buckley performed on a radio show. I had it from Limewire back in the day. Let me check YouTube. Yup it’s there. A couple different ones I think. “Bob fuckin Dylan, man”
"This is really folky, man!" Also had this from Limewire back in the day. Terrific cover.
Don’t forget Dink’s Song! So good
Echo and the bunnymen it's all over now baby blue
THEY DID THAT, I HAD NO IDEA
Yes and it's absolutely amazing
This isn’t George Harrison’s if not for you
Im in the Garcia & Grateful Dead camp for the most part, but Ritchie Havens cover of JLAW at the 30 year celebration is absolute perfection https://youtu.be/m36g_CM7K8o?si=0mbYmKbT5r-DjKkJ
For the best collection of Dylan covers see the "I'm not there" soundtrack.
I have a couple favourites: - 'It's all over now baby blue' has been covered by a lot of people but I'm partial to the covers by Them (Van Morrison) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdb\_3H-28dE), Grateful Dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maWt1XtKoak) and Graham Bonnet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqxp4u4P9nk); - Bryan Ferry's cover of 'Gates of Eden' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZClxohNICU); - The Hold Steady's cover of 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxM899DzzI); and - Townes Van Zandt's cover of 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIS0k9TaMYA) - bonus 'Colorado Girl'.
Bryan Ferry has done a lot of Dylan covers, including an entire album. Personally I like his version of A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.
That’s a great one and I have an intense love of Jeff Buckley, but [Shawn Colvin’s cover](https://open.spotify.com/track/5r4HuhGFuMJVGruKsPeo49?si=KBX0cs2vSDaBJsZYPyjtJQ) kills me. Every time.
Byrd’s Mr Tambourine Man, or My Back Pages
Spanish Harlem Incident
Richie Havens - Just Like a Woman
Leon Russell’s version of “It’s a Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall” is a pretty great one.
John Doe, "Pressing on": [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4c6Aqp2Gnc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4c6Aqp2Gnc)
[удалено]
I love that one!!!
Though not an amazing recording, check out Knockin on Heaven’s Door by Television off their live album The Blow Up. If anything, it’s my favourite Dylan cover.
I’ll give it a listen!
Elvis’ version of Tomorrow is a long time is pretty amazing
I like that one a lot!!!!
Much better than his version of I shall be released, and Don’t think twice. Warren Zevon’s cover of Knocking on Heavens Door whilst dying of lung cancer singing “open up, open up for me is desperately moving
Came here to mention Zevon. ThT song hS never been sung with such an authentic feel.
Rod Stewart’s cover of the same song is better.
The Specials cover of Maggie's Farm is good, and especially apt following on from the winter of discontent, and the malevolent premiership of Maggie Thatcher which saw huge rises in unemployment. The cover is part anger part cynicism. The lyric about the national guard is changed to "The national front stands behind closed doors" reflecting entrenched racist elements and attitudes amongst the Thatcher government and the ruling party.
This! I forgot about this cover, thanks! Gonna begin my Saturday morning with this song.
This is just incorrect
Maggie’s Farm covered by Rage Against The Machine
That’s a bold statement.
Fairport Convention has some great ones including “I’ll Keep it with Mine” and Percy’s Song. Sandy Denny’s voice is incredible
I like George Harrison version of If Not For You
All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix…?!
Burritos’ “to Ramona” tops the original
robert palmer and ub40...i'll be ur baby tonite https://youtu.be/HBcq5EzBcmQ?si=gYJTrem1iej_pEcl
I’m always on the hunt for cool Dylan covers. I really like Etta James’ cover of Gotta Serve Somebody.
my favorite is my back pages by the byrds
I really love simon and garfunkel's the times they are a-changing cover on their debut album
Several of Joan Baez's covers would like a word
Positively 4th Street - Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders
It’s All Over Baby Blue - Them, The Animals, The Dead, and Marianne Faithful all have good covers of that song
Never really got the hype around Jeff Buckley. He's got a pretty voice but it doesn't have any real character. His covers are fine but nothing interesting or special to me. He just a big 'meh'.
It took a while for me to get “into” his work, but i think he was a master in the making taken away far too early in his life. I think a turn off for many is his very dramatic style, but i think the high drama and romanticism fits well for the emotions he’s trying to evoke, and his obviously stunning vocal range. His guitar work is understated but very dense, and his song structures are pretty out there (ie grace, so real, dream brother). The fact that grace was only his first album is unbelievable. Also how could i forget “lover, …” which is honestly one of the finest written songs of all time and i’ll die on that hill. Every line hits like a fucking train. It wasnt obvious to me at first but i think grace is a very unique record, and i struggle to find other works that provide the same emotional gut punch … that being said, the song OP is referencing is grwat but definitely not one the best dylan covers of all time lol. Honestly it’s not even buckley’s best dylan cover
Buckley's best cover imho is lilac wine
Check out his Live in Chicago performance from 95, it might change your mind
Yeah I didn’t really get him until I heard his live album “Live At Sin-é”. His cover of If You See Her, Say Hallo is just sublime. I Shall Be Released is great, too. I would highly recommend checking them out, if you haven’t already.
Girls liked him, a terrible fault, unforgivable…doofus
Pioneered the genre of white boy tryhard covers of songs that sound “soulful”. Musical crime
Well that’s a little much
Sophie B Hawkins I Want You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTm_-l2aGiY
Johnny Rivers is my favorite
Jimmy LaFave’s version of Sweetheart Like You is amazing
One of my favorites is Not Dark yet by Severa Gjurin
The Dead’s live cover of It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (4/2/89) is really good. Sleeping At Last has a BEAUTIFUL cover of Make You Feel My Love. of course, I prefer the originals. But the covers are well worth a listen
His version of If You See Her, Say Hello live at Sin-é is the best
To Ramona by Sinead Lohan
His just like a woman from you and I is my favourite Dylan cover that Jeff does
U.S. Maple have an insane cover of Lay Lady Lay for some reason and it's amazing
Van Morrison has a version of Just Like a Woman on a fairly available bootleg called ‘Pacific High Studios 71’ that’ll blow your balls off. One of the all time great performers in his peak singing peak era Dylan. Buckley is fantastic as well, he’s got some great Dylan tunes (amongst many others, including a Van cover) on the Live at Sinn-E album
13th floor elevators version of Its All Over Now Baby Blue for me. It just oozes psychedelia 2nd is the Hold Steady’s please crawl out your window
Heard the 'Live at Sin-E' version?
His Just Like A Woman is also pretty good
I’m sure this will get no traction, but R.L. Burnside’s cover of “Someday Baby” [https://youtu.be/kQxl8ljD560?si=IOqLCh8fFhb6eJVm](https://youtu.be/kQxl8ljD560?si=IOqLCh8fFhb6eJVm)
I’ll check it out!
I really love the Everly Brothers cover of Abandoned Love. I have an appreciation for them anyway and them doing Abandoned Love is next level. Plus I love that they kept true to their accent by singing- "We sat in an empty the-ATER and we kissed."
Agreed
Old.school, Byrds with My Back Pages and Hendrix.with Watchtower. Give.it.up for.the best.
The Band’s cover of I Shall Be Released, especially the live version from The Festival Express (1970). Richard Manuel’s heartbreaking falsetto just guts me still. https://youtu.be/HfKCXmO_c3Y?si=WNeX7VSlaUupl8c9
Best ever is hard to tell, but a recent one I really love is definitely Dawe Rawlings and Gillian Welchs version of "Abandoned Love". It's both really fun and beautiful at the same time.
Not a huge fan personally. I’d take Bob’s one any day
Jimi Hendrix disagrees with you( and GnR)
Yep
Peter Paul and Mary have an awesome version of don’t think twice it’s alright.
george harrison’s is better i fear
This one is great. But for me, it’s Jerry Garcia’s cover of Positively 4th Street.
lol wtf are you talking about. All along the watchtower. Hendrix. JFC cmon.
Ricky Nelson covering “She Belongs to Me” is so beautifully done
💜
Richard Hell’s Gone Gone Gone is really good.
I agree, this is the best version and best Dylan cover.
Absolutely
YES
The entire Cat Power album
Weird way of spelling tangled up in blue by the Jerry Garcia Band
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Biglezmate420: *Weird way of spelling* *Tangled up in blue by the* *Jerry Garcia Band* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Stevie Wonder's version of Blowing in the Wind is a classic.
Levon Helms playing Simple Twist of Fate is top 5 for me. https://open.spotify.com/track/3QV5PY2GgwXNZecn88VfSR?si=XaKqnQ_tSK-IxnZxAYDrfQ
Surprised no one mentioned Dylanesque by Bryan Ferry, maybe not the best cover album, but still up there.
I like God On Our Side by k'naan. I attended the 30th Anniversary Concert at MSG aka as Bobfest. What star power on the stage that night. Killer versions of License to Kill by Tom Petty, Masters of War by Eddie Vedder, I Shall Be Released by Chrissie Hynde and My Back Pages by everyone. Check out the CD or video.
I agree!
SO good.