n paper, Bob Dylan is very easy to hate. A Guthrie-obsessed, politically minded troubadour charms the pants off the Greenwich folk-revival scene then self-righteously changes formats, impresses rock critics, gets in a motorcycle crash, reappears a year later as a freaked-out Bible-alluding country-rock prophet and goes on to create one of the spottiest late-careers in rock and roll history. I’m glad I got interested in him before I read anything about him. He seems too calculated, too ambitious, overly-self aware, but somewhere he managed to write some of the most emotionally-resonant, interesting, and influential music of the century. As with Dylan, I would not want to describe Robyn Hitchcock’s music to someone to whom I was trying to sell him. Hitchcock’s sense of humor clicked with the Soft Boys, but got in the way of much of his solo work. On top of that, cover albums are almost always a failure, especially those by one artist performing songs by his favorite artist, and furthermore, aside from a few of the classic pop interpretations, Dylan’s songs have been, historically, best left untouched. This, however, could be attributed to the type of singer attracted to Dylan, be it the warbly, earnest man singing his heart out on his cheap acoustic guitar on the corner near the coffee shop, or the sensitive, understanding female folkie. Thankfully, Hitchcock fits neither category and doesn’t allow his fandom to get in the way of the quality of the album. He turns what, by all accounts, appeared to be a doomed project into an interesting, enjoyable listen.


Robyn Hitchcock makes it clear on the first track that he is, indeed, a fan of Dylan’s. “This is my favorite song, this is why I started writing songs” he begins “Visions of Johanna”, the signature song from 1966’s Blonde on Blonde. The song is one of the strongest Dylan has ever written, and, seemingly at least, one of the most personal. Which may be why few other covers exist. Hitchcock nails the tune, keeping the haunting spirit of the tune alive but makes it his own. Hitchcock’s unique phrasing adds a different layer to the song and separates it from a boring, fanboyish ode to his favorite song. His “Tangled Up In Blue” is vibrant and alive, nothing special but it’s certainly engaging. “Not Dark Yet”, the most recently-penned Dylan song on the album is delivered perfectly, as is the Norwegian Woodesque “Fourth Time Around.” His guitar sounds perfect on the obscure “Dignity” and his voice is well suited for “Desolation Row.” Disc two is a reproduction of the electric portion of Dylan’s “Royal Albert Hall Concert.” Hitchcock’s rendition of “Baby Let Me Follow You Down” is as exciting as Dylan’s. The reworked “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” sounds quite nice as well.


While it is a superb additional to the Dylan or Hitchcock fan’s collection, this album defines “inessential.” I like hearing a talented and intriguing musician enjoy himself performing songs I love, but it’s not for everyone. It was a good move on Hitchcock’s part to make the album an internet-only release, he’s not flooding the market with vanity projects but is making something his fans want to hear available to them. In the end, this album is the nicest surprise of the year. As Hitchcock’s reputation wanes (especially with the ill-advised Soft Boys reunion), it’s comforting to know that he is still capable of putting together quality material.