Bob Dylan is back this month with Rough and Rowdy Ways, his first collection of original material in eight years. I’ve listened to it just once so far, enough to know it’s a very strong collection.
Perhaps in honor of that new release, the Random iTunes Fairy decided to dip back into Dylan’s previous album, 2017’s Triplicate, a three-disc tour through the Great American Songbook, and Dylan’s third straight album spent covering standards.
All three of these covers albums are much better than you’d expect. Some people have a problem with Dylan singing his own songs, let alone songs popularized by people like Frank Sinatra. But he does right by the material, his playful vocals sounding better than ever and his small backing band emerging as a true highlight.
It makes a cloudy day sunny
It makes a bee think of honey
Just as I think of you
Imagination is crazy
Your whole perspective gets hazy
Starts you asking a daisy
What to do, what to do
Have you ever felt a gentle touch
And then a kiss, and then and then
Find it’s only your imagination again
Imagination is silly
You go around willy nilly
For example I go around wanting you
And yet I can’t imagine that you want me too
It’s not that these covers are bad, it’s just that I really have no interest in spending time listening to Dylan do them. Of course, if the alternative is a 17 minute song, give me the 3 minute standard!
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