Mr. Random iTunes Man resisted the temptation to go for a Dylan performance two weeks in a row, but he did choose a Dylan song.
The Byrds basically made a career out of covering Dylan. Their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man, and first single (of the title song) launched them to stardom and became the template for folk rock in America. Four of the 12 songs on that record, including today’s SOTD, were Dylan covers.
My latest Random Weekend selection is the opening track of Dar Williams’ 2000 album The Green World.
As a follow-up to the sublime Mortal City and End of the Summer, The Green World falls a bit short but does contain a few great tracks. The best of them is ‘After All,’ one of my favorite songs.
A year and a half ago, I posted my first Jackson Browne song on the blog in response to a commenter’s repeated outrage that I’d posted plenty of songs by artists he deemed less worthy than Mr. Browne without ever giving Jackson his due.
Today, thanks to Random Weekends, I’m posting my second Jackson Browne song. Listening to the track, I’m struck by how easy he is to listen to… he has a wonderful voice and a smooth, laid-back style. I like Browne a lot better than The Eagles and their ilk, even though I’m sure he’d be classified as their ilk (in fact Don Henley sings backup on today’s SOTD).
So apparently the little people who live in my iTunes and select the random playlist have a sense of humor.
Just last week, frequent commenter Amy delighted in the selection by the “iPod fairy” of several country tunes during Random Weekends and predicted “I don’t think Bob Dylan is showing up anytime soon!”
I guess the iPod fairy showed her.
I think the tiny people who live inside my iTunes library and pick the random songs must be country music fans. Today’s track means almost a third of my Random Weekend selections have been by country artists even though country makes up maybe five or ten percent of my collection.
I have almost as many Bob Dylan songs as I have country songs (and a few that are both) and yet Dylan has yet to make an appearance here. Ah, the whims of chance.
Meet Me In Montauk 