And so we know the drill by now. I listen to folks cover Bob Dylan and I talk about it. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. In almost every case, though, I'm saying: "Somebody get me a Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits CD."
Onwards we go to the third disc:
1. K'naan - "With God On Our Side" - I like the song itself a lot more than the performance. Not to say its bad, but nothing about it really grips me. Part of me wonders if its my general lack of knowledge on who K'naan is and what is music is typically like. Still, this song certainly hasn't sold me on him.
3. Neil Finn With Pajama Club - "She Belongs to Me" - I've always liked Neil Finn, especially in Crowded House, and before even hearing this song I had a good feeling about it. I was right on, with Neil's voice lending itself nicely to a Dylan cover. There's nothing fancy about this song at all, but it doesn't need it either.
4. Bryan Ferry - "Bob Dylan's Dream" - I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that I never particularly cared for Bryan Ferry. This song, especially, annoys me. No disrespect intended for his many fans. I just don't get it.
5. Zee Avi - "Tomorrow is a Long Time" - Avi, a member of Jack Johnson's Brushfire collective, is almost more well known for her renditions of holiday songs than she is for her other work. She has a great voice, though, and it really helps sell this delicate dreamy song.
7. Flogging Molly - "The Times They Are A-Changin'" - Of all the songs on this collection that I knew well ahead of time, this was the one I knew best, and its a song I have always really respected and loved. I was a little let down to hear that Flogging Molly was covering it if only because, well....Flogging Molly isn't, and never has been, my cup of tea. This song sounds so much like every other Flogging Molly song I've ever heard. It does next to nothing for me, which I almost feel bad about admitting, since I know that FM has a rather rabid fanbase.
8. Fistful of Mercy - "Buckets of Rain" - I was honestly confused for a moment when I read the track listing for this collection. No Ben Harper, really? He seems like the most likely contributor to a compilation like this (right next to Dave Matthews, who is on Disc 4). Oh, but I forgot that Ben Harper was 1/3 of Fistful of Mercy along with Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison (Yep, George's son). Anyways, this song sounds great and delivers exactly what I hoped it would: folky-bluesy rock. There's just so much talent in this group.
9. Joe Perry - "Man of Peace" - Was Steven Tyler too busy with TV? Still, as much as I may roll my eyes at Aerosmith (a band who has gone far out of its way to embarrass its own legacy during the past 15 or so years), Joe Perry is an awesome guitarist and I don't think I ever really realized how good his voice was either, before now. A surprising, but definite, highlight.
10. Bad Religion - "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" - Admittedly, I was never much of a true punk fan beyond early Green Day and a handful of Rancid singles from the 90s (right now, someone is readying a their fists in anger at the thought of Green Day, of any era, being considered punk), yet Bad Religion was always a band I had a lot of respect for. I think it was mostly due to MTV's 120 Minutes and watching them perform on that show. Every time they were there, there was just so much honest energy and passion that I thought was incredible. Anyways, all that aside, this was a breath of fresh air in this compilation: a song that has some much needed gumption behind it.
11. My Chemical Romance - "Desolation Row (Live)" - Just so you know: I love My Chemical Romance. I don't know what kind of harm that does to whatever sort of credibility I'm supposed to have, but I can't even deny it. That said, this song is a little disappointing, if only because the better-recorded studio version has been around for a year or two now, making this song a little unnecessary. Still, its a great song, with the band really making an effort to give the song their own flavor.
14. Darren Criss Featuring Chuck Criss of Freelance Whales - "New Morning" - Yeah, a guy from Glee and his brother, who is in some band. I point this song out only because of how unnecessary it is. This is as forgettable as I assumed the Miley Cyrus song would be. The only difference being that I was pleasantly surprised by Miley. Not so much for the Criss boys.
15. Cage the Elephant - "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" - I like Cage the Elephant. I think they're a really great new band with so much potential. That said, this is a bizarre track. Not bad, mind you, just not at all something I'd suspect from Cage. Still, it's the kind of song that might just stick with me and get a lot of plays.
16. Band of Skulls - "It Ain't Me, Babe" - I don't have much to say about this. I didn't care for this band when they were almost popular a year or two ago, and this song isn't helping. Band of Yawns.
17. Sinead O'Connor - "Property of Jesus" - Forgive my possible ignorance, but did Sinead O'Connor ever...rock? Because this song kind of...rocks.
18. Ed Roland & The Sweet Tea Project - "Shelter from the Storm" - If anything, this reminds me how much I loved Collective Soul in the 90s. What a damn good band. Underrated, if anything. Anyways, I don't know who the Sweet Tea Project is, but I like their sound. This is another highlight of this disc, sunny and full of life.
19. and 20. Ke$ha / Kronos Quartet - "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" - No, no, these two artists didn't team up, its just two different versions of the same song, back to back. First comes Ke$ha, the most unlikely artist on this entire compilation and, judging from the reactions online, the most polarizing. Depending on who you listen to, Ke$ha's cover is either the most atrocious thing ever recorded (to which I respond: Really? In the same universe where Fergie continues to exist?) or a ballsy and emotional take. I tend to lean towards the latter, and I believe its only her name and reputation that make this song so hard to swallow for some. It's not bad and actually showcases some of the natural talents that some have suspected that she had under her immature pop exterior. The Kronos Quartet cover, meanwhile, jumps right in after Ke$ha's ends, sounding like the second part of a planned pairing of the two songs. It's beautiful in its own right (as Kronos Quartet tends to be (see: The Fountain soundtrack)), but to be sequenced after the Ke$ha cover is too perfect to be accidental. Somehow, these two songs - together - form the absolute highlight of this entire collection thus far. Surprised? Me too.
So that leaves one more disc, with contributions coming from Maroon 5 (who I'm tempted to sigh at, except that the unlikely pop acts have been the most satisfying so far), Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band, Dave Matthews Band and...Evan Rachel Wood...
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