Dylan Redux

Paying homage to the almighty Dylan on the I’m Not There soundtrack

By Paige Thomas

Bob Dylan is a lucky man. The genius of his songwriting and music hasn’t aged or rusted over time. For many musicians and music fans alike, his large body of work is just as relevant today as it was forty years ago. Dylan lives on as a potent musical force.

As a huge Dylan fan, perhaps I’m biased as to the multi-generational popularity of one of my favorite artists, but if you’ve ever been to a Dylan show in recent years you’ll know what I mean. Dylan fans span generations. My 67-year-old dad and I, his 23-year-old daughter, can both claim to have tickets stubs from shows.

Dylan’s influence continues to pervade music, art, and, most recently, film. The recent I’m Not There is a poetic narrative broken into small vignettes illustrating Dylan’s persona at different stages in life, with Dylan portrayed by a variety of actors from Cate Blanchett and Richard Gere to Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. And while the personification of the stages of Dylan’s life are definitely fascinating, it’s the soundtrack that takes center stage here, with various musicians recreating many of his greatest songs.

One look at the album’s track list and Dylan’s multi-generational appeal and scope of his influence is evident—the contributing musicians range from Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Richie Havens, and Eddie Vedder to Jack Johnson, Mark Lanegan, Sufjan Stevens, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Willie Nelson. And the list goes on.

Despite the powerhouse line-up, some of the album has the tendency to drift into moments of sleepiness, with certain tracks perhaps best experienced within the context of the film rather than as a standalone piece on the soundtrack. However, the best tracks on the album are good enough to outweigh the few bad.

The women on the album dominate some of the best tracks. Cat Power dives into an up-tempo version of “Stuck Inside Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again,” with lead singer Chan Marshall digging into the lyrics with the same Dylan-esque lilt to her voice that creates the unique lyrical phrasing so characteristic of Dylan. Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame sings a gritty, rambling version of “Highway 61 Revisited.”

Foreign-born musicians also show their love of Dylan. Irishman Glen Hansard (who sounds surprisingly and uncannily like Dylan on the track “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”) plays with lighthearted flair. His collaborator on the song, Czech-born Marketa Irglova, provides harmonic back-up vocals, playing an airy, imaginary Joan Baez to Hansard’s Dylan.

Another strong track—this one by Antony & the Johnsons—is a soulful, beautiful version of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” an interesting deviation from the original, adding some dimension to an album which at some points seems to teeter dangerously close to imitation.

Each of these artists has one commonality: they are influenced by Dylan, and yet are all able to bring their own unique sound and influences to the table in creating a diverse and eclectic tribute to a truly accessible and important musical legend.