Best Covers

Dwight Yokum kickin’ big Country ass . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sma7807ndP4

Imagine him doing an entire record of Dead covers!

Emmylou’s done a bunch, including this, one of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1k53OZZiSY

Taj supercharging Diving Duck Blues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EYNNEvKe30&list=OLAK5uy_kua_bplHWDjg5KVL29G3JWfyCqNJBptDc&index=8

Ry Cooder's made a career of covers ... here's just one: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Mx9npkNlI

@bdp24

After The Band’s 1969 second s/t album---routinely cited as the first "Americana" album---sent shock waves through the Rock music world, suddenly The Dead---and a lot of other bands---followed suit, but none with the depth The Band possessed and exhibited.

I’m not a deadhead but I enjoy and admire the Band and the Dead’s Americana phase equally. Personally, I don’t perceive the Band’s tunes, overall, displaying a greater "depth" but each to his/her own. I do regard Hunter and Garcia as a significantly underrated songwriting team.

As far as the Dead being first and foremost psychedelic, here is a pertinent quote from the New Directions In Music site:

... Robert Hunter was not just a poet... and lyricist; he was genuinely steeped in traditional American folk music and he and Jerry Garcia were playing the cafe scene together before there even was a Grateful Dead. From Garcia, he learned a lot of traditional songs from the bluegrass and jug band genres and he knew how to structure his lyrics to fit these musical forms.

@bdp24 

So, Lauderdale wrote music to Hunter's lyrics... o r????

@bdp24

I’ll check them out.

I recall seeing Lauderdale with Lucinda Williams on her second ACL show that also featured a very young-looking Kenny Vaughan.

I bought "On Your Side" at one point but it didn’t find it very engaging. Maybe I need to give him another try.

I love Gurf’s playing with Lucinda. His playing on her first ACL show is a stellar display of how to tastefully and effectively support a vocalist.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOehqlrJqc

I agree that the Fabulous Superlatives are deserving of their name!  

@immatthewj 

It's the first ACL show from 1989 -- where her hair is blonde and she's playing with the original band. Gurf Morlix on guitar. 

I had it on DVD at one point.

The complete performance was taken down, apparently and I can only find these: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOehqlrJqc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zYfnbwvgrw

@bdp24 

Mary Gauthier is very talented but what dark material!  

I tend to think of Gurf as mostly a sideman  but clearly I need to explore further...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_1i8q9WYpc

EmmyLou Harris: "Together Again":

"There are only two kind of men walking this earth, those who are in love with Emmylou and those who have yet to meet her"

@immatthewj 

My introduction to her was "Car Wheels..."

I don't recall whether I bought the "white album" before or after having seen the ACL broadcast. I have the 2CD version that includes live performances. 

These two remain my favorite L. Williams recordings. 

@immatthewj 

Seen her live?   I wish !  

Saw EmmyLou in '76, though, with the original Hot Band. That was special.  

@immatthewj

"She gave me half of her cheeseburger. I wasn’t the same for weeks."

I read an interview with R. Crowell where he described the ongoing challenge to his libido of working side by side with a "goddess". Poor guy!

@bdp24

I started seeing Lucinda live in small joints throughout L.A. around the time she was recording what became her s/t album on Rough Trade Records (I assume that’s the one stuartk referred to as her "white album"), once in a pizza parlour! Just Gurf on Telecaster, Dr. John on upright bass, and drummer Donald Lindley playing a washboard (the stage was too small to accomodate a drumset).

 

Lucky you!

I saw R. Crowell with the Hot Band at the Bluebird Cafe in Sta.  Barbara in the mid 70's. That was pretty cool, with both A. Lee and F.  Reckard on guitar. 

Damn -- Joan Osborn's version is smokin' !  !  !  

@immatthewj 

... then, there's this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRy53fb_7Sc

Emmylou covering Bruce;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6efV8-Gve50&list=RD6efV8-Gve50&start_radio=1