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What's Your Favorite Track?

duluthdoes2.jpg

I just picked up the new Duluth Does Dylan Revisited compilation and there are several tracks I like. The one I think is the best is the States Champs' version of "Oxford Town."

What's your favorite? Samples of the tracks can be heard here.

Chris Godsey wrote a story for mnartists.org that mentions "Oxford Town" as one of four tracks that "might challenge listeners." That statement can, of course, be interpreted to mean those tracks will only be appreciated by more refined ears or that those tracks are painfully bad. I don't think either of those interpretations is accurate regarding "Oxford Town," but I will agree that the other three tracks he mentions are indeed "challenging."

But what do YOU think, PDDers? Who has the hottest track on Duluth Does Dylan Revisited?

Comments

Best: "Tamborine Man" by Cloud Cult, which as a techno dance number, is also farthest "outside the box" (not including the Sparhawk instrumental).

Runner Up: "Oxford Town," because it rocks out with its *ock out.


I take "challenge listeners" to mean, "not exactly like the original".


I recall someone talking about how upbeat "Oxford Town" is compared to the original.

I cannot vouch for this as I have actually never heard the original version.



My personal favorite is the Hobo Nephew's High Water Rising. Great, great song. Charlie's track is haunting, as is Jarree Small's. Overall, it's a great feature of talented local artists.

The real question - is it better than the first one? I'd say it's close, but the first one is slightly better (edge given based on cover art).


I think Kitsune is probably right. If Godsey meant that those four tracks "challenge listeners" because they are very different from the originals, I can't argue with that.


Cloud Cult's song is amazing, but my vote is for my neighbor (even though we lived many blocks apart) Jerree Small.


aint just because my favorite song pic is to ramona
i gotta say that's a fine redition. gets my vote, too.


I think this album is better than the first, and I loved the first. This one is solid. I can listen to it all the way through and never have the urge to skip a track. Also, I'm really glad that Charlie Parr covered "Blind Willie McTell" which is one of my favorite Dylan songs.

I never paid any attention to "To Ramona" until I heard Jerree sing it. I always skipped Dylan's original on his albums for whatever reason. But the first time I heard Jerree sing it, I realized it's an amazing song. Her version is outstanding.

Kudos to all!


i bet godsey was, to a significant degree, being intentionally ambiguous.

i bet he also was trying to say that the four songs he mentioned as possibly "challenging" would be so not because of listeners' relative refinement, but based on their ability or desire to stretch their personal definitions of how a dylan song or any song "should" sound.

remember the crazy betty version of "knockin' on heaven's door," from the first DDD? it's cool and creative and credible, and a LOT of people think and say it sucks; my contention is that most people aren't basing that opinion on taste as much as they're basing it on prejudice and dogmatism.

because they're challenged by the form, they say the song sucks.

i've heard similar comments about cloud cult's "mr. tambourine man."

and i've had a tough time coming around on boy girl boy birl's "lay lady lay"--most definitely because the vocals are so much different from what i expect in a BGBG song, and in a song in general. it violates my unintentionally rigid expectations--not my taste--so it challenges me.

or something like that.


Now how the christ did Bone Appetit get passed on again for this kind of thing? I've always thought we could do a good version of "I Shall Be Free, No. 10" from Another Side of Bob Dylan.

I guess we're Duluth's shameful little secret, huh? I hear there is a documentary film in the works that completely ignores us as well... oh well.


oops. I meant 'Motopsycho Nightmare'.

Not "I Shall Be Free..."


Damn it. Where's the Edit botton on comments :(

"Motorpsycho Nightmare"

The lyrics are like something Bone Appetit would write anyway. I think people forget Dylan has a great sense of humor.


Don't worry Chip, no one's talked to me about this Duluth doc either. But then again, I've never done anything in Duluth (drummer in at least 7 bands over 13 years, promoter of 20 all age raves, 5 years on KUMD, work with some/most of the "big" Duluth artists etc...), so why should I be in it anyway?

As for the DDD disc, anything that sounds as little like Dylan as possible is a good thing in my book. I feel like it's just a bunch of folky-hippies wishing they were him. And, like flateric, I also had not heard our song (Oxford Town) before we recorded it.

[thumbs nose, wags fingers]


Good to hear you're still around and busy as ever ZB. Yeah, I guess I just just all sensitive... no big deal really. Duluth just has various musical cliques and we're not particularily welcome in the DDD camp.

Had we ever followed through with Duluth Does Kiss we would have included everybody. :)


The worst is that Homegrown clique. I can't believe the steering committee had the nerve to limit the festival to 113 bands. Why couldn't they be more inclusive?


yeah that's 339 free drinks, too!


Paul: I hope you're being sarcastic =)


What? Me? Sarchastic?


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