THE ALLMANS' 'BLIND WILLIE McTELL'
I'm grateful to Waldo Floyd III of Macon GA for letting me know that the Allmans performed at the Macon Auditorium for the first time in almost 20 years last month, and for giving me a link to this recent performance by them of Dylan's song 'Blind Willie McTell'. In my opinion a fine vocal and terrific lead guitar from a band that was always one of my favourites:
posted by Michael Gray | 8:36 pm
6 Comments:
What’s with the back-projection? It’s mostly McTell, but from time to time, they put Leadbelly up instead. Odd.
Yes. Because he's the other greatest pre-war 12-string guitarist? Because he's the other one Bob Dylan has mentioned - and the one whose records first introduced Bob to the wonders of the pre-war blues? Don't know.
I recently came across these Dylan covers; I'll Remember You/ Soweta Gospel Choir, The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar/ Elkie Brooks, Death is Not The End/ Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue, Maggie's Farm/ Rage Against The Machine, Tryin' To Get To Heaven/ David Bowie.
I generally dislike Dylan covers - Sinead O'Connors I Believe in You is pretty good - I do like to check out from time to time the range of people who cover his songs.
Speaking of covers...I came across a lovely reference in The Independent Magazine. Jasmine Guinness a 33 year old model and designer(of the Guinness brewing family )was asked which album she has recently bought. She replied "Bob Dylan's Christmas album - genius".
Paul
The Allman Brothers have rarely covered contemporary musicians. Although they have covered bluesmen Muddy Waters, T. Bone Walker, Sonny Boy Williamson, and others, in their early years, McTell's "Statesboro Blues" was their signature opening song. Taj Mahal had covered McTell but the Allman Brothers Band in the late 60s and early 70s through their interpretation of Blind Willie's work significantly contributed to interest in McTell.
The Allman's cover of "Blind Willie McTell" to my mind represents homage to Blind Willie and to Dylan and the cover has much more significance than their doing a song to complete their set.
They must be fans of Bob as they are using the concert arrangement / lyrics and not the studio version
The ELKIE BROOKS version of "The Groom Still Waiting at the Altar" is fantastic. Not many singers could take this song and sing it the way the great ELKIE BROOKS does.
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