In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Cate Blanchett was discussing her portrayal of Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes’ upcoming biopic of the legend when she mentioned how enigmatic and unpredictable he remains, even as he approaches his seventies. She thought it ironic that the former poster boy for protest songs, and a man who cherishes his privacy, was now driving a mammoth and bright yellow Hummer around his hometown with a large “World’s Greatest Grandpa” sticker on its bumper.
If this is the truth, it shouldn’t be that surprising. Lest we forget, this is the guy who used to unfurl a giant American flag at the end of his shows abroad during the Vietnam era, a few years after he wrote “Masters of War.” Would it be so shocking, then, if Dylan were to be pleased with the 33 diverse covers of his own songs on the sprawling soundtrack to Haynes’ film, "I’m Not There?"
Taken on an individual basis, these 33 covers (plus Dylan’s own version of “I’m Not There,” available here for the first time on an official release) focus mainly on the first two decades of Dylan’s career, and there are clearly some songs that outshine others. But the supreme beauty of
I’m Not There is not found within the individual tracks, but in the layout of the entire album. With the help of his music supervisor Randall Poster, Haynes has compiled a fantastic and balanced tribute to Dylan.
Balanced is the key word here. The songs vary from popular to obscure. The musical talent on the album includes a slew of youthful indie artists and a smattering of senior citizens. And the renditions range from affectionately allegiant to disarmingly original. There is something for everyone here, and few songs stretch too far in any one direction.
Anchoring this balance are two house bands credited with playing backup on nearly half of the record. Like Booker T and the MG’s at Dylan’s 30th Anniversary concert in the mid-90s, these two groups have the ability to outshine the heavyweights they play behind, but instead, they simply focus on the servicing the songs. The adobe brick atmospheres of Calexico take Roger McGuinn to the Southwest with strings and trumpets on the distantly sorrowful “One More Cup of Coffee,” and their waltz-like pacing with Willie Nelson on “Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)” makes you wonder if Willie still has a couple of tricks left up his sleeve.
Meanwhile, the Million Dollar Bashers (an all-star cast comprised of Tom Verlaine, Steve Shelley, Nels Cline, Robert Garnier, Lee Ranaldo, Smokey Hormel, and John Medeski) act as the second coming of the Band, and they do it with such energy and recklessness that it is difficult to imagine them playing without ear-to-ear grins. Medeski’s organ drips all over Stephen Malkmus’ spooky “Ballad of the Thin Man,” while Cline and Hormel’s country licks elevate Malmus’ take on “Maggies Farm” to a sort of Nashville by-way-of Haight-Ashbury gem.
The rest of the artists are a little less even in their success. Jeff Tweedy does his damndest to reach those high notes in “Simple Twist of Fate,” but the tune falls short of spectacular. The same can be said of the hijacked version of “Ring Them Bells” by Sufjan Stevens, who turns the song into an outtake from Illinois.
Mark Lannegan, on the other hand, continues to look like the dark heir to the psychedelic cowboy throne of Lee Hazlewood with his chilling and magnificent “Man in the Long Black Coat.” Other vets like Richie Havens and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot strip their tracks down to the barest elements and let Dylan’s songwriting build them back up into dusty campfire sing-a-longs.
But, if there are two unmistakable winners on
I’m Not There, they are Yo La Tengo’s stunning recreation of “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s sunny take on “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” In these two songs, listeners can hear the joy that permeates the entire album, and the gratitude and respect that bubbles within each performance.
With this soundtrack, Haynes and Poster have delivered a seemingly impossible achievement:
I’m Not There caters to each distinct type of Dylan listener without making it feel like anyone’s toes have been stepped on. And with Dylan hiding somewhere in his Hummer, it’s hard to imagine his toes feeling any pain either.
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