Bob Dylan in the '80s, Vol. 1 [LP]

by Tribute To Bob Dylan In The 80S: Vol 1 / Various

Overview

Bob Dylan opened the '80s as a born-again Christian and closed the decade with Oh Mercy, a critical comeback that rejuvenated his career. In between came a decade in the wilderness, where he found religion and lost it, went with the flow of MTV, hit the road with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and the Grateful Dead, anchored the Traveling Wilburys supergroup, and released seven studio albums while he banked a bunch of unreleased material that had drifted out over the years. Dylan had some hits along the way -- 1983's Infidels and 1985's Empire Burlesque both went gold -- but this is generally considered an unfocused era of excess. Produced by Jesse Lauter and Sean O'Brien, the 2014 tribute Bob Dylan in the '80s: Vol. 1 attempts to kick-start conversations by offering 17 covers from this neglected decade by a bunch of modern indie artists (the expanded digital and vinly versions contain another seven songs). Apart from Infidels, Dylan's '80s singles are avoided, as are several '80s songs that are often covered ("Emotionally Yours," selections from 1989's acclaimed Oh Mercy, which is strangely and deliberately side-stepped), and 1990's Under the Red Sky is grandfathered in, likely because it's the last collection of original tunes Dylan would produce until 1997 (his time in the wilderness lasted much longer than a decade, but the early '90s were devoted to folk covers and live albums). This doesn't mean the album isn't anchored by relatively familiar songs: Craig Finn of the Hold Steady does a straightforward "Sweetheart Like You," Built to Spill appealingly lurch their way through "Jokerman," Dawn Landes & Bonnie "Prince" Billy sweetly sing "Dark Eyes," and Yellowbirds pay effective homage to the ethereal "Series of Dreams." Although Aaron Freeman's "Wiggle Wiggle" winks at the bad taste that peppered these '80s albums -- he arranges it as an early Ween tune, then has the sense of humor to bring in Slash for a cameo, just like Bob did on the original -- this is an earnest bunch of covers, dedicated to bringing these songs back into the Dylan canon. Most versions pull off the nifty trick of being faithful to Dylan's and their act's own sound. Glen Hansard turns "Pressing On" into something that'd fit on the Once soundtrack; Lucius gives "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky" a new wave grandeur; Langhorne Slim & the Law kick up dust on "Got My Mind Made Up"; Blitzen Trapper split the difference between past and present on "Unbelievable"; Deer Tick amble through a calypso on "Night After Night," and Tea Leaf Green thread in polyrhythms throughout "Waiting to Get Beat." Some of these versions work better than others, but they're all imaginative and worthy and, best of all, they prove the producers' thesis that there is a lot to discover within Dylan's '80s catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	03/25/2014
Label:	Ato
UPC:	0880882196011

Tracks

1. Got My Mind Made Up  -  Langhorne Slim  -  Law
2. Jokerman  -  Built to Spill
3. Brownsville Girl (Reprise)  - Reggie Watts
4. Sweetheart Like You  - Craig Finn
5. You Changed My Life  -  Ivan & Alyosha
6. Night After Night  -  Deer Tick
7. Dark Eyes  -  Bonnie "Prince" Billy  - Dawn Landes
8. Waiting to Get Beat  -  Tea Leaf Green
9. Wiggle Wiggle  - Aaron Freeman  -  Slash
10. Congratulations  - Elvis Perkins
11. Covenant Woman  - Hannah Cohen
12. Every Grain of Sand  - Marco Benevento
13. Series of Dreams  -  Yellowbirds
14. Unbelievable  -  Blitzen Trapper
15. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky  -  Lucius
16. Pressing On  - Glen Hansard
17. Death Is Not the End  - Carl Broemel

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Langhorne Slim & the Law   Primary Artist
Langhorne Slim   Primary Artist
Aaron Freeman   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Lucius   Primary Artist
Deer Tick   Primary Artist
The Law   Primary Artist
Dawn Landes   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Blitzen Trapper   Primary Artist
Reggie Watts   Primary Artist,Vocals,Synthesizer
Built to Spill   Primary Artist
Elvis Perkins   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Charango,Harmonica,Moog Synthesizer
Slash   Primary Artist,Guitar
Tea Leaf Green   Primary Artist
Hannah Cohen   Primary Artist,Vocals
Yellowbirds   Primary Artist
Glen Hansard   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Carl Broemel   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Steel)
Craig Finn   Primary Artist,Vocals
Hannah-Rose   Primary Artist
Marco Benevento   Primary Artist,Piano,Mellotron,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer
Bonnie "Prince" Billy   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ivan & Alyosha   Primary Artist
Ryan Carbary   Bass,Guitar
Matt Yeates   Drums,Percussion
Andy Burri   Drums,Vocals
Sean Scolnick   Guitar,Vocals
Josh Kaufman   Organ,Guitar
Nick Kinsey   Percussion,Drums,Marimba
Jesse Lauter   Vocals
Scott Metzger   Guitar
Jim Roth   Guitar
Lily Costner   Vocals
Pete Lalish   Guitar
Malachi DeLorenzo   Drums,Vocals
Ian O'Neil   Guitar
Christopher Dale Ryan   Bass
Kyle Resnick   Trumpet
Jeff Ratner   Bass,Vocals
Steve Gere   Drums
Luke Reynolds   Tambourine,Synthesizer
Jason Albertini   Bass
Matt Kilmer   Percussion
Reed Mathis   Bass
Todd Dunnigan   Organ
Brett Netson   Guitar
Trevor Garrod   Keyboards,Flute,Vocals
Rob Crowell   Keyboards
Sean O'Brien   Organ,Vocals
Annie Nero   Bass
Holly Laessig   Vocals
John J. McCauley III   Guitar,Vocals
Jim White   Drums
Tom Blankenship   Bass
Jess Wolfe   Vocals
Cochrane McMillan   Drums
Bo Koster   Piano,Pump Organ
Thomas Bartlett   Organ,Piano
Dave Moore   Banjo,Piano,Vocals
Scott Rager   Drums
Brian Kantor   Drums
Dan Molad   Bass,Drums,Percussion
Tim Wilson   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Joe Russo   Drums
Richard Medek   Drums
Brad Albetta   Bass
Sam Cohen   Guitar,Vocals
Josh Clark   Guitar
Dave Dreiwitz   Bass
Doug Martsch   Guitar,Vocals
Dennis Ryan   Drums

Technical Credits

David Groener   Assistant Engineer
Murray Trider   Engineer
Ryan Carbary   Engineer
Matt Yeates   Engineer
Craig Drake   Illustrations
Jason Ringlestetter   Mixing,Engineer
Kate Landau   Project Manager
Nick Kinsey   Engineer
Jesse Lauter   Beats,Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Aaron Freeman   Beats,Engineer
Jeremy Black   Beats,Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Pete Wells   Assistant Engineer
Jonathan Lethem   Liner Notes
Danielle Warman   Assistant Engineer
Adam Landry   Engineer
Tusi   Engineer
Steve Gere   Engineer
Dawn Landes   Engineer
Jason Albertini   Engineer
Aaron Mason   Assistant Engineer
Matt Kilmer   Mixing,Arranger
Reggie Watts   Beats
Alan Silverman   Mastering
Elvis Perkins   Engineer
Eric Earley   Arranger,Engineer
Brandon Belsky   Guitar Engineer
Tom Petty   Composer
Sean O'Brien   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Elijah Thompson   Engineer
Rob Lebret   Assistant Engineer
Cochrane McMillan   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Justin Collins   Engineer
Phoebe Gellman   Product Manager
Carl Broemel   Engineer
Sam Shepard   Composer
Dan Molad   Assistant Engineer
Marco Benevento   Beats,Engineer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Sam Cohen   Engineer
Patrick Dillett   Mixing,Engineer
Doug Martsch   Mixing,Engineer