Chimes of Freedom : The Songs of Bob Dylan

Last Tuesday Amnesty International released a benefit album which contained 75 covers of Bob Dylan songs. This should be a good fundraiser for Amnesty and certainly should provide significant amounts of press play and publicity which is something Amnesty certainly needs.

In our house we were very much looking forward to this collection. I have a very strong predisposition for cover songs. I have a friend who does not like live versions as he likes to hear the song as he first heard it on the radio and thus covers completely shake his world. For me I think a new interpretation of a song you love is always nothing less than interesting and sometimes can be amazing.

Bob Dylan is an amazing songwriter. Often critics in the past have conceded this point and said but if he just had someone else sing the songs but this album at least for me proves what we might not have believed. We want Dylan to sing these songs. They are what they are not just because of the lyrics but because Bob is singing them.

In a collection of seventy five songs there are going to be some hits and most likely even more misses. In this collection I would not classify that many songs as misses as just being in the words of Simon Cowell " forgettable." The fact is that at least for me it is hard to make a Dylan song better without Dylan in it.

There are some songs that work very well however. First on my list is the song that starts the collection. A version of One Too Many Mornings with the vocal from Johnny Cash and Dylan, and added vocals from The Avett Brothers. This has been my song of the week. This is the song I play each day and am singing when I am not. My kids are tired of it though my youngest daughter plays along and agrees that it is neat how they put the Avett's in with Cash's voice.

Pete Townsend does justice to Corinna, Corinna and Diana Krall offers a lovely take on Simple Twist of Fate. Ziggy Marley gives a reggae twist to Blowin' in the Wind that works, while New Jersey's Gaslight Anthem rocks Changing of the Guard. My Morning Jacket offers up Your a Big Girl Now and Jim James voice works as well.

Miley Cyrus offers up a surprising success on her version of Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go. It is quite good. Jack's Mannequin does well on Mr Tambourine Man. The best song on the second disc is Jackson Browne with Love Minus Zero/No Limit. Browne's version works on all levels.

The third disc does not offer much but it does hold the highlight of the album. Not just the highlight but the shockingly effective highlight. The highlight that in now way could have been predicted. Keisha the pop slut princess of the moment known for songs like Tick Tock sings a version of Don't Think Twice It's Alright that is at least for a music fan earth shattering. Recorded on Garage Band at her home, and kept as the recording because it ended up being so powerful, this girls sings from so far down her heart that she is hollow. She ends up crying and as she pauses by verse you can hear her sniffing her tears and runny nose away. This might be contrived but it does not feel like it. It is amazing.

On Side Four there are more winning entries. Mick Hucknall actually sounds a bit like Dylan on his version of One of Us Must Know, Micheal Franti puts a pop reggae spin on Subterrean Homesick Blues, and a band I have never heard of called We Are Augustus takes on Mama, You've Been on My Mind and does very well.

Lastly of note Kris Kristofferson's version of Quinn the Eskimo, his sigh on the intro is more meaningful than have the singers songs on the album and Pete Seeger who is I believe over 90 sings Forever Young and with his age and his history it is a success.

What doesn't work? It is not so much that a song does not work as it just does not add much. Sting's version of Girl From the North Country and Lenny Kravitz doing a take on Rainy Day Women, neither work for me. They both sound like almost every song they have done and just sound like bad takes on the originals. Sugarland, Flogging Molly and Sinead O' Connor do not do well on their takes as well. Flogging Molly sounds like all other Flogging Molly but Blowin in the Wind does not sound very strong through and Irish lilt.

Dave Matthews and Adele have their well known live versions of All Along the Watchtower and To Make You Feel My Love. These work but I did not rate them as they are not new material.

All in all I love Spotify, it gives one the chance to hear them all without a twenty dollar investment. I know, I know it was for a good cause to spend the money. But I did listen all week, Spotify must pay royalties. Listen to Keisha the next time your feeling blue. Just stay away from window ledges when you do.