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Various Artists
Dylan Country
(Shout! Factory)
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2004, Volume 11, #6
Written by John Metzger
Country music changed Bob Dylan just as much as Bob Dylan changed country
music. In fact, Dylan was enthralled with the genre from the very beginning of
his career, so much so that he even recorded a tune by Hank Williams for
inclusion on his self-titled debut, though it was cut from the final product.
Over the course of the next five years, Dylan became both a folk and rock star,
but he never left country music very far behind, and when he emerged in 1967
from a self-imposed exile, he completely embraced the genre, first via his
return to acoustic fare on his legendary John Wesley Harding and then
with the equally classic Nashville Skyline. Meanwhile, Johnny Cash was
breaking down similar boundaries, scoring singles that seeped into the
mainstream and landed him a television program, which he utilized to promote as
many rock bands as country artists. Though they certainly weren’t alone in their
endeavors, they served as the lightning rods for their respective sides of the
fence, yet in hindsight, it’s amusing to think that both Cash and Dylan caused
such controversy simply by refusing to limit their respective musical purviews.
Over the years, countless country artists have covered Dylan’s songs — much
like countless rock bands have tackled those by Cash — and the recently released
compilation Dylan Country draws together 16 previously released tracks,
including a few rarities. Naturally, not all of the renditions are gems — for
example, Jennifer Warnes’ depiction of Sign on the Window is decidedly
dull while Tim O’Brien’s interpretation of Subterranean Homesick Blues is
imaginative but ultimately forgettable — but overall, the good, by far,
outweighs the bad. Perhaps the biggest rediscovery is Buck Owens’ long
out-of-print reworking of Love Minus Zero/No Limit, though Earl Scruggs’
masterfully fluid performance of Nashville Skyline (with Bob Dylan in
tow) is positively delightful. Elsewhere, Waylon Jennings perfectly delivers Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright; Nanci Griffith applies her lovely voice to
Boots of Spanish Leather, and, of course, The Byrds
— which was better than anyone at re-framing Dylan’s songs — offers a sterling version of You
Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere. While Dylan Country isn’t quite as powerful a
statement as last year’s gospel set Gotta Serve Somebody, it’s still a
rewarding collection for Dylan and country fans alike. 
Dylan Country is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004
The Music Box
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