With Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday on the very near horizon (May 24th, to be exact), the influx of various tributes, praise and general doffing-of-caps to one of the most celebrated musicians and songwriters of all time is inevitable.
One of the more surprising salutations comes from Chrissie Hynde. The Pretenders frontwoman was hit by a lightning bolt of inspiration last year, after bandmate James Walbourne sent her Dylan’s new 17-minute opus, Murder Most Foul. As a result, the pair decided to delve into Dylan’s back catalogue, sending ideas for arrangements and their respective parts back and forth by text message until they could be mastered by Tchad Blake at a later date.
Despite the roughshod nature of their home recording, these nine covers have both a charm and a respectful sense of deference. Hynde has wisely steered clear of the better-known tracks in Dylan’s canon, instead pilfering from albums such as 1981’s Shot of Love (In the Summertime, Every Grain of Sand), with rare demos such as the quiet frenzy of Blind Willie McTell and Tomorrow Is a Long Time filling out the tracklist.
The latter is a highlight on a predominantly pared-back acoustic album, with Hynde’s fine voice supplemented by soft harmonies and a simple piano riff. That same voice works wonders on the solemn, piano-led Standing in the Doorway.
The stripped-back nature of these covers is both pleasing and frustrating, depending on the song. The loose strum and shuck of tambourine on Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight is in stark contrast to the dated, soft-edged pop of the original and arguably improves upon it; the scratchy, lo-fi In the Summertime strips out Dylan’s peppy electric guitar for something more raw, with its prowling Hammond organ riff. On the other hand, it’s hard to see how any cover, dreamy and breathy as it may be, could match Dylan’s own version of You’re a Big Girl Now.
You often wonder what Hynde might have done with these songs with a full band in a studio setting, but such lockdown projects are surely meant to retain a certain sense of unprocessed and unfiltered alchemy. There are slivers of such allure in evidence, though it’s admittedly difficult to see how listeners who are fans of neither Hynde nor Dylan might find much to latch on to.
All the same, this is both pleasant listening and a worthy tribute to one of the greats.
Chrissiehynde.com
