Tune du Jour: “Blowin’ in the Wind” – Bob Dylan
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes: The Abyssinians vs. Nena vs. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
VOTE, COMMENT, then do SOMETHING ELSE EQUALLY AS SUBSTANTIAL
CoverMeImpressed.com CoverMeImpressed.com CoverMeImpressed.com
You used to be so amused,
At Broccoli Man,
and the carrot for a guitar he used …
Blowin’ in the Wind was written by Bob Dylan in 1962 and released in 1963 on his album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Dylan’s manager, Albert Grossman, also managed Peter, Paul & Mary. Before The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan had even hit the stores, Grossman brought an acetate to Peter, Paul & Mary who immediately recorded and released their version of the song. Peter, Paul & Mary’s version of Blowin’ in the Wind would ultimately be the most commercially successful version of the song. It sold a phenomenal three hundred thousand copies in the first week of release and reached number two on the Billboard Pop Chart with sales exceeding one million copies.
Lyrically, Blowin’ in the Wind is one of Dylan’s most revered songs. Upon first hearing the song, Mavis Staples described herself as being astonished, wondering how a young white man could write something which captured the frustration and aspirations of black people so powerfully. Sam Cooke was also in awe of the song. He covered Blowin’ in the Wind in live shows and in 1964 wrote A Change Is Gonna Come as his response.
In 1994, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, it was ranked #14 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. Okay, enough said …
The Original
Bob Dylan:
The Most Popular
Peter, Paul & Mary:
THE CLASH of Cover Tunes
The Abyssinians vs. Nena vs. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
The Abyssinians:
Nena:
Neil Young & Crazy Horse:
Oh the disharmony! Much like Harlan County there are no neutrals here. It is your solemn responsibility to decide which cover song prevails. In other words … Which Side Are You On?!!?
Disclaimer: Votes cast from Florida may or may not be counted.
cover me impressed 
I generally like Nena. Nice voice and delivery. However, I do not like her cover of “Blowin’ in the Wind”. The Abyssinians knock out a fine rendition. But Young & Crazy blow away the competition on this one. Excellent creativity and raw emotion. In a word, Superb!
I liked all three versions, I must say. Neil’s version was kick-ass, undoubtedly. Still, there was something about the Abyssinians’ version that I really enjoyed, just a tad more.
I thought Nena was sexy for about the first ninety seconds of her fame. Then she lifted her arms and I saw Angela Davis and her twin sister. Still The Lords of the Sisters Of Siouxsie’s Death version was interesting. I like Ziggy Marley’s version much better. This seemed too vanilla reggae pop to me. Neil though was dramatic and theatrical. And it seemed to work. I hear he had an entire county in West Virginia obliterated to get that cool footage to set the tone. Artistic commitment? Word!