Hey Mr. Tambourine Man: The Ultimate Versions

Is Liam the Tambourine Man?

One of the amazing things about Bob Dylan's vast catalogue is the versatility of his songs. Recorded to perfection either by the songwriter himself or by another artist, it simply blows my mind how many amazing Dylan covers there are; many staggeringly different from Dylan's original recorded version. In this light let's take a look at "Mr. Tambourine Man", one of Dylan's most popular songs.

Bob's original version was recorded in 1965 for his 5th studio album Bringing It All Back Home. The song has the classic Dylan 60's folk style that first burned him into America's music conscience. Though not a pitch perfect voice by any classical standard, I've always thought Dylan's unique singing style added immensely to his version.

A month after Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home was released, a new rock band from California covered the tune as their debut single. They Byrds's version, later also the title track of their debut album, is without a doubt the most famous version of Mr. Tambourine Man, reaching #1 on the Billboard Charts. The song showcases the group's wonderful harmonies (Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, and Gene Clark) as well as McGuinn's excellent guitar work (he also sings lead on the track). The song continues to be a mainstay of oldies radio and is signature 60's single, often played whenever the decade is discussed.


The great and hilarious William Shatner gives his own brooding and desperate take on the song here:

http://youtu.be/_0hTtsqiFCc I strongly recommend watching it.

Tons of additional artist have also recorded their take on Mr. Tambourine Man, though most tow a line similar to Dylan's or the Byrd's versions. One recent group who has impressed me with their rendering of "Mr. Tambourine Man" is Minnesota's own experimental indie rockers, Cloud Cult. Cloud Cult's take is easily the most upbeat version, kind of a building space journey drenched in vocal emotion. Good work boys.