“Drifter’s Escape” by Joan Baez (1968)
Maybe no artist had more insight into the songs of Dylan in the early days than Joan Baez. Her close relationship – both personal and professional – led her to interpret a number of his songs. She recorded plenty of duets with Dylan. Their voices were always an exercise in creative clashing. Joan’s pure tone soothes Bob’s rough and rowdy ways.
Baez recorded an entire album of Dylan songs in 1968. It was called Any Day Now, from a lyric in “I Shall Be Released.” The songs were more folk-pop than the pure folk of many of the originals. That formula works best on “Drifter’s Escape,” a song that had appeared a year earlier on Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album.
She actually plays up the bouncy rock rhythm of the song with a solid lead guitar presence that I believe to be Jerry Reed. But I don’t really know. Doesn’t really matter. It’s a cool version. (With one exception, I’m not choosing the same song twice, but I will note Patti Smith does a great version of this song as well, from a Dylan tribute album in 2012.)
“All Along the Watchtower” by The Brothers & Sisters of L.A. (1969)
The most famous cover of any Dylan song is probably Jimi Hendrix’s searing take on “All Along the Watchtower,” released in 1969. Like the previous song, Dylan recorded the original for his John Wesley Harding album and it was a haunting little mysterious folk tune about fate and time. Hendrix subbed in his guitar for Dylan’s harmonica and turned it into an epic.
But the song had plenty of life left in it. Lou Adler assembled a first-rate group of L.A. singers and players to give some of Dylan’s songs a gospel flair. The extraordinary Merry Clayton, who was lending her voice to the Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” right around the same time, sings lead on this version of “Watchtower,” and she manages an accessible, jazzy take without sacrificing any of that mysterious sense of wonder. When the organ and backing choir join in, this “Watchtower” soars.
“Absolutely Sweet Marie” by Jason & the Scorchers (1983)
There had been rock & roll covers of Dylan by 1983, but none had been as unbridled and … well .. scorching as this riled-up cowpunk version of the Dylan track from his seminal Blonde on Blonde album in 1966. This was a bonus track on the second Scorchers’ EP. It got them noticed. They covered everyone from Hank Williams to Iggy Pop and gave it all a raw Nashville sound.
The Scorchers would continue putting out their special brand of fervent rockabilly well into the 21st century and would tour with Dylan himself toward the end of the 1980s. A few years back, Old Crow Medicine Show released a live album in honor of Blonde on Blonde’s 50th anniversary with live recordings of each track on the album. It’s a fine project, and they also do a very nice “Sweet Marie,” But the Scorchers did it even better.
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