Blog Assignment 3A

http://www.myspace.com/bobdylan/music/songs/i-m-not-there-28269741

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX7xddWLyYI

For this blog assignment, I've chosen to write about one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs and a great cover of that song.  "I'm Not There" is a song by Bob Dylan recorded sometime during the 1970s but not officially released until it's inclusion on the soundtrack to the 2007 film of the same name.  On that same soundtrack, alternative rock band Sonic Youth recorded a cover of the song that ended up playing over the end credits of the movie.  The main contrast between the two versions would probably be the instrumentation.  Dylan's version is, like most of his songs, a traditional folk song, with acoustic guitar and vocal driving the song and bass guitar, organ and piano playing in the background.  Sonic Youth took more of a hard rock approach to the song, with a heavily distorted electric guitar being the main instrument and the rhythm being driven by drums.  Their are several electric guitars in the background that attempt to make a lot of distorted noise to make the song more atmospheric and intense.  The vocals to Sonic Youth's version are more laid back and not as emotional Dylan's.  Vocalist Thurston Moore also has a more "bassy" vocal timbre than Dylan.  Since Dylan's version was just a demo, the songwriting is not quite complete (which could say something about the subtext of the title of the song.) and the lyrics are more unorganized and chaotic than Dylan's version.  Many of the lyrics to Sonic Youth's version were rewritten or reinterpreted (since many of Dylan's lyrics are indecipherable) to fit with the themes of the film.

     The songs share many similarities as well.  Both songs play at about the same speed or tempo despite their differing sources of rhythm.  The rhythm of both songs is regular, while their arrangements could be called somewhat chaotic, since neither version has a true chorus.  The melody and chords of each song are almost identical, giving them similar emotional appeal to the listener. 

     If I had to choose a favorite version of the song, it would be Sonic Youth's version.  I am a much bigger Bob Dylan fan than I am a Sonic Youth fan, but Dylan's version seems kind of sloppy and incomplete.  I also like the way that Thurston Moore sings the song more than the way that Dylan sings it.  I love how his laid back vocals contrast the heaviness of the electric guitars, and I love how during the "chorus" (not really the chorus, but where the melody changes) he starts to put a lot more emotion into his singing.  Reading the comments on youtube, I noticed that most people prefer the Sonic Youth version to the Dylan version.  A lot of people can't stand Dylan's voice, but the reception to the Sonic Youth version just goes to show that although Dylan may not be for everyone, his songwriting is timeless.  I have to give most of the credit to Dylan for writing the song, but I commend Sonic Youth for executing such a wonderful and faithful cover and breathing new life into this hidden classic.  Both versions are great in their own way.