Brian Lee does a wonderful job of covering Bob Dylan’s “I Want You“. I think we’ve finally reached the point where those gifted enough can do justice to Dylan’s songs without sounding half apologetic (Hi Byrds) all the way through. That is to say, the myth of Dylan is receeding enough where just the songs can be addressed. Other than Jimi Hendrix (who is an exception in and unto himself) I’ve always heard Dylan covers as people trying to make some money, or a name, off someone else.
Brian Lee’s version sounds like someone who liked a song and decided to do something really cool with it. The song is done pretty straight, with a nice background chorus and the video is strangely watchable, with just a hint of a sideways compliment to “Subterranean Homesick Blues” from long ago.
This cover works, first, because the song is done well and it listenable on its own, and second, because they did a fine job of matching song to mood. Dylan covers are going to be out there as long as we are; might as well make them all as good as this one.
