Songs of Bob Dylan explained

Songs of Bob Dylan
Type:studio
Artist:Joan Osborne
Cover:Joan Osborne - Songs of Bob Dylan.jpg
Alt:Osborne leaning against a car, smiling
Recorded:December 19–23, 2016
Studio:
  • Lake House Studios, Pennsylvania
  • Turbinen, Randers, Denmark ("Tangled Up in Blue")
  • Window Well, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States (backing vocals for "Tangled Up in Blue")
Genre:Folk rock
Length:52:43
Language:English
Label:Thirty Tigers, Womanly Hips
Prev Title:Love and Hate
Prev Year:2014
Next Title:Trouble and Strife
Next Year:2020

Songs of Bob Dylan is a 2017 studio album by American singer-songwriter Joan Osborne, recorded in tribute to American folk rock musician Bob Dylan. The album was met with positive reviews by critics.

Recording and release

Songs of Bob Dylan continued a theme of covering and reinterpreting Dylan's music by Osborne, including changing musical style and the gender of the character in the narratives of the songs. She first recorded this set after being approached by Café Carlysle to do a residency and Osborne supported the album with a tour and cabaret show of Dylan's music that included songs from throughout his multi-decade career.

Reception

The editorial staff of AllMusic Guide scored Songs of Bob Dylan four out of five stars, with reviewer Mark Deming writing that "she demonstrates she has a real knack for bringing his words to life", highlighting the emotional depth of her vocal performance. Hal Horowitz of American Songwriter gave this album four out of five stars, commenting on the diversity of Osborne's selections and her reinterpretations of Dylan's music, summing up that "she sheds new light on old material, exposes some seldom heard Dylan gems and proves once again how flexible and powerful his work remains". Hayden Benfield notes for Renowned for Sound that "a few of the tracks may arguably adhere too closely to the originals, bordering on imitation except for the vocals... it is clear how Osborne has earned her reputation as a deft cover artist when not performing originals" and praises the album's high quality.

Track listing

All songs written by Bob Dylan, except where noted

  1. "Tangled Up in Blue" – 5:43
  2. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" – 4:05
  3. "Buckets of Rain" – 3:55
  4. "Highway 61 Revisited" – 4:19
  5. "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" – 4:20
  6. "Tryin' to Get to Heaven" – 4:26
  7. "Spanish Harlem Incident" – 2:56
  8. "Dark Eyes" – 4:02
  9. "High Water (For Charley Patton)" – 3:53
  10. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" – 4:12
  11. "Masters of War" (traditional and Jean Ritchie) – 4:23
  12. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – 3:15
  13. "Ring Them Bells" – 3:13

Personnel

"Tangled Up in Blue"'

"Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"'

"Buckets of Rain"'

"Highway 61 Revisted"'

"Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"'

"Tryin' to Get to Heaven"'

"Spanish Harlem Incident"'

"Dark Eyes"'

"High Water (For Charley Patton)"'

"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"'

"Masters of War"'

"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"'

"Ring Them Bells"'

Technical personnel

See also

External links