Mostly Dylan

Tom Corwin, Tim Hockenberry | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 11, 2004)
• Original Release Date: December 11, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mostly inc.
• ASIN: B0006PWJFI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,162 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Ton Maas, Ode Magazine, December, 2004

"Tom Corwin and Tim Hockenberry’s new album brings a feeling of freshness to Dylan’s great material. "

Product Description

Mostly Dylan was born of a collaboration between Tom Corwin and Tim Hockenberry and the inspiration of bringing new perspectives to the indelible music of Bob Dylan.

In the producers words;
"The right musicians were essential to making this project a creative success. When I first heard Tim Hockenberry, it was clear he had a rare gift. Not only is his voice a refined instrument, but he has the talent and restraint to bring poignancy and new life to a familiar lyric. From the day we sat down to begin this record, it felt like something special was in the air.

We have been extremely lucky to have the contributions of other great musicians on this record. Ricky Fataar, George Marinelli, Bonnie Raitt and others helped bring this record home."

Tom Corwin

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Dylan is totally great, February 1, 2005

By 

Dan Reich (San Rafael, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mostly Dylan (Audio CD)

"Mostly Dylan" revisits a collection of tunes from the Dylan songbook, placing them in a fresh context alongside a couple of originals which hold up as worthy additions. It is a mature, polished effort, featuring chiming guitars, fluid bass, sturdy keyboards and a distinctive, atmospheric sound suggesting a Northern California version of Daniel Lanois' New Orleans mystique. A collaboration between vocalist/instrumentalist Tim Hockenberry and producer/musician Tom Corwin, it also features a host of superb players such as guitarist George Marinelli, drummer Ricky Fataar, and a guest appearance by Bonnie Raitt.

The first thing one notices is Hockenberry's voice...a rough-edged yet pliable instrument that suggests Marc Cohn in the lower ranges but soars effortlessly into an upper range without losing any of its power and emotional directness. It is somehow both familiar and distinctive...comparisons can be made to contemporary singers such as Joe Cocker and Tom Waits, but traces of long past singers such as Satchmo, Fats Waller and Louis Prima give it a timelessness that transcends the modern era.

The disc opens with a stately interpretation of "Forever Young," a meditative reading that sets the tone for the rest of the album, and stands as an effective reinterpretation that carves out its own territory amidst many other versions of this song. "Like a Rolling Stone" features a tasteful instrumental bridge anchored by Marinelli's guitar, and trades Dylan's angry tirade for a more wistful and poignant reading. Other familiar Dylan songs are completely recast..."Mr. Tambourine Man" emerges as a contemplative waltz with an emotional slide solo by Raitt, and "Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 is transformed into a hallucinatory, 3 a.m. drunken stagger punctuated by Hockenberry's boozy trumpet and Randy Quan's sly wah-wah guitar.

Perhaps the album's tour-de-force is a stunning reworking of "My Back Pages," with its behind-the-beat phrasing, hesitant arrangement and rhythmic shifts. Lyrics cascade out of quiet interludes, and a spiraling, tremulous guitar solo takes the song to a climax, only to have the band run away with the song in an electric outro jam in 5/5 time.

The two original tunes - both Hockenberry/Corwin efforts - blend seamlessly into the rest of the disc. "Two Steps Back" is an appealing minor-key ballad featuring nice fretless bass work from Corwin, and "Flirting With Disaster" more than holds its own, despite the use of a repetitive hook which Dylan himself probably would have eschewed.

"Mostly Dylan" closes appropriately enough with a brief and gently dreamy reading of "Tomorrow is a Long Time." Taken as a whole, the album is a rewarding listen...quiet yet intense, richly textured and tastefully produced. "Mostly Dylan" is the first of a planned series of similar projects featuring different songwriters' works...I'm already looking forward to hearing the results of their next collaboration.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of those records you want to listen to over and over..., January 29, 2005

By 

MS Wally (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mostly Dylan (Audio CD)

I cant' seem to get enough of this record and I discover new sounds, accents, riffs and touches each time I hear it. I think Like a Rolling Stone is just fantastic. Tim's voice is deep and soulful and the band is right there with him each step of the way. I have to admit, I've not been a fan of Dylan's music over the years, although I've always been a fan of his lyrics and poetry. But these arrangements make his poetry even richer. I heard about it from friends and now I want to spread the word as well. One Too Many Mornings and Tomorrow is a Long Time are also favorites of mine. Did I say I listen to this over and over and over? It's true. Check it out.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toss up between 4.5 and 5, January 29, 2005

By 

Don D (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mostly Dylan (Audio CD)

I liked this album. I received it as a gift and didn't play it for a week or so but when I did, it grew on me. It continues to grow on me. Dylan is a God, so it takes guts to cover his stuff. These tracks bring a bluesy interpretation to his work I'd never heard before, yet it works. If there was a 4.5 rating, I'd have given it that (if only because the originals get the full 5), but I think this is a very worthy cover album. The singer has the chops to bring a unique voice to these songs. To be honest, the first time I heard "My Back Pages" it brought a tear to my eyes. Dylan was still in his teens when he wrote it, so the original is kind of edgy and angry. This version locates a sad poignancy - a sense of wisdom earned from living many years -- that serves the song well.
"Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect.."

I find myself hitting "repeat" on this track many times over.

Some hard-core purists may not like this collection.
I don't consider myself a purist. I simply love Dylan's music.