Dylan Country

Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Kitty Wells | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B00020SHGC
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,439 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Nashville Skyline Rag

2. Girl from the North Country

3. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

4. It Ain't Me Babe

5. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

6. Love Minus Zero/No Limit

7. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

8. If Not for You

9. Subterranean Homesick Blues

10. Restless Farewell

11. Heartland

12. When I Paint My Masterpiece

13. Sign on the Window

14. One Too Many Mornings

15. Boots of Spanish Leather

16. Forever Young

Editorial Reviews

There was a time when country fans didn’t listen to rock music and rock fans didn’t listen to country. It was the way of the world and there was little room for exception. Today, every form borrows from those who came before. Rappers sample jazz and rock, while electronic artists re-envision Elvis. So it’s no wonder that a number of respected country artists would tackle the genius that is Bob Dylan. This disc compiles the greatest countrified versions of Dylan ever recorded.

Includes an out-of-print Buck Owens song, plus collectible tracks by Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs with Bob Dylan, Country Gentleman and Norman Blake. Liner notes by award-winning writer Eddie Gorodetsky, who appeared in the Dylan film Masked And Anonymous.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars mysterious, May 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Dylan Country (Audio CD)

Why, in this era of of iTunes et al do CDs like this exist? Any of us can now pull together a mix CD based on whatever theme we like. The only reasons for relying on the record companies to pull something together like this:

1) Liner notes/documentation. Well, these liner notes are worthless! And, the recording details are minimal.

2) Great songs not currently on CD. OK, I gotta give them their props here: Glen Campbell's take on "If Not for You" hasn't been in print since the early 1970s. Ditto for Buck Owens'"Love Minus Zero." And, bonus points for unearthing the Kitty Wells take on "Forever Young."

3) Great remastered sound. Nope.

One out of three...ain't good. And, to make matters worse, "Dylan Country" doesn't even live up to its name. I love the Byrds. But (a) they aren't a country band and (b) this isn't even their best rendition of "You Ain't Going Nowhere." Almost every country music great from the 1960s-1980s recorded a Dylan song. So, why does this compilation feature dubious acts like Jennifer Warnes (Jennifer Warnes?!), Tim O'Brien and Peter Ostroushko, while passing on artists like Jerry Reed, Flying Burrito Bros., the Carter Sisters, Flatt & Scruggs (though, granted, Scruggs is here), Doc Watson, Kris Kristofferson, Carlene Carter, Toni Price, Jason & the Scorchers, and others. Passing on Emmylou Harris's definitive cover of "Every Grain of Sand" in favor of "When I Paint my Masterpiece" is similarly odd.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but flawed, January 20, 2005

By 

D. Plentus "webmaster of dylancover.com" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dylan Country (Audio CD)

Good idea, but the track selection could have been better. There are many more true country covers that could/should have been used, instead of several of these tracks that are bluegrass or folk rather than country. Dave Dudley, George Hamilton IV, Ray Stevens, Jerry Reed, The Browns, John Anderson, Statler Brothers come to mind. I was also surprised to see the re-use of Restless Farewell from A Nod To Bob, another Dylan tribute from just a couple of years ago.
FYI: Nashville Skyline Rag is Earl Scruggs with Bob Dylan, and Heartland is the Willie Nelson & Bob Dylan duet. Bob also plays harmonica on Boots of Spanish Leather.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars best version of Dylan song by another artist...?, June 1, 2004

By 

Joseph J. Pasko (Albany, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dylan Country (Audio CD)

I would say "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" by the bluegrass band The Seldom Scene with vocals by the late great John Duffy. Too bad it was left off this CD... would have been a great fit. Also, "Rita Mae" by Jerry Lee Lewis (from his late 70's Elektra LP) would have been an cool country-rockin' choice for this collection. Overall, though, I guess this is a nice mix of the obvious and the obscure. And heaven knows there is plenty of material out there for a Volume 2 (including the two I mentioned).
Let's hope they're working on that now!