5/5 Nobody does Dylan like Dylan, but...
  by Bob Fake Name (Divided States)
This is a worthy cover album. Not bad at all and it's interesting too, hearing younger generation musicians cover and interpret Dylan songs. There are some old timers here too tho, which is cool. Dylan is served well, seems to me, when disentangled a little more from the shadow of the 1960s, a decade the often media still seems is hell bent on imprisoning him. Bob Dylan's music surely belongs to no single generation. If it did I wouldn't listen to him, I'd hate him. Anyway, here's some covers that stand out to me:
Sonic Youth's "I'm Not There"
John Doe's "Pressing On"
Richie Haven's "Tombstone Blues"
Jim James and Calexico's "Goin to Acapulco"
Marcus Carl Franklin's "When the Ship Comes In"
I felt Cat Power's "Stuck Inside of Mobile..." -- kinda weak, imo. And there are some other versions that aren't too great and one or two that I should add to the highlight list. One version that is really standout is "I'm Not There" by Bob Dylan with the Band. Maybe the best song here.

5/5 Awesome
  by Joseph D. Jasper (Afghanistan)
The movie is truly profound and it re-introduced 50 years of awesome music for another generation.

4/5 A good showcase of Dylan's music
  by Terence Coggan (Auckland, New Zealand)
The soundtrack to Todd Haynes excellent 2007 biopic of Bob Dylan contains 34 Dylan songs from all decades of his career. Only one of them is performed by Bob himself (the title track, also covered on the record by Sonic Youth), and while I usually prefer Dylan's own versions of his songs, I found this a strong and interesting album, with hardly a dud track on it. It would make a good introduction to Dylan's music for younger listeners not so familiar with him as older devotees.

There are a few flat moments - Stephen Malkmus and The Million Dollar Bashers' reading of "Ballad of a Thin Man" fails to recapture the biting scorn of the original, but perhaps that song, unlike a lot of Dylan's work, is too much of its own time. The same band though, headed by Eddie Vedder, do a thumping version of "All Along the Watchtower".(This song must be intimidating for guitarists to play on because you know you are going to be compared to Jimi Hendrix, but Tom Verlaine and Smokey Hormel do pretty well.) Other highlights include Cat Power's "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again", and Rambling Jack Elliot's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", but for me the standout track is Willie Nelson and Calexico's haunting performance of "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" - just superb.


4/5 Gotta Wonder What Bob Thinks of This ...
  by Gregory W. Locke (Seattle, WA)
The idea of Bob Dylan allowing a bunch of mostly young indie rock types record their versions of his songs seems a bit unlikely, but then again so does the thought of the world's greatest songwriter acting in commercials for huge corporations like Victoria's Secret and Cadillac. While most of the time Dylan plays it distant and cold, just as any self respecting done-it-all legend should, he'll occasionally drop his rigorous façade and let someone peek in. The someone in question behind this 34-song collection - or so it seems - is film director Todd Haynes, the man responsible for such films as Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven and Corporate Ghost.

When word came out that Haynes had cast a bevy of actors - including Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere and Heath Ledger, to play Dylan - people, especially the Dylan purists, started to worry. Though the film has yet to hit theatres nationwide, the press and trailers currently available imply that Haynes treated the film as more of a loose celebration of all-things-Dylan, rather than a story about the man himself. One listen to the sprawling I'm Not There soundtrack leaves the same impression. The songs here, many of which feature backing accompaniment from a super group called The Million Dollar Bashers, come off as a celebration. And not just any celebration, but a celebration played by some of the best bands of the current generation.

Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, Dylan bassist Tony Garnier, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, legendary guitarist Smokey Hormel and Medeski, Martin and Wood key-man John Medeski join Sonic Youth guitar legend Lee Ranaldo in the aforementioned Million Dollar Bashers, the band responsible for giving the soundtrack legs to walk on. Fronting the Bashers throughout are Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Verlaine himself. Additionally, Calexico back other artists on five songs, including Jim James (My Mourning Jacket), Iron & Wine, Roger McGuinn (The Byrds), Willie Nelson and Charlotte Gainsbourg, thus - along with the Bashers - offering a level of continuity not usually found on compilations featuring over 20 different artists.

Also along for the ride are Cat Power and her Memphis Band, Sonic Youth, Richie Havens, John Doe (X), Yo La Tengo, Mason Jennings, Los Lobos, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees), Mira Billotte, Sufjan Stevens, Jack Johnson, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, The Hold Steady, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, The Black Keys, Marcus Carl Franklin, Bob Forrest and Antony and the Johnsons. Also included is the legendary (but never properly released) title track from the film in the form of it's original glory.

So there you have the facts. And while this album hardly plays through in a way that will satisfy everyone, it does attain the uncommon "something for everyone" element. My favorites, you ask? Sure. The Malkmus tunes with the Bashers, specifically "Ballad of a Thin Man" and "Maggie's Farm," are - believe it or not - nearly as raucous and memorable as the originals. Sonic Youth's take on the title track also stands out, as do Jeff Tweedy's straight-ahead version of "Simple Twist of Fate," the two Yo La Tengo tracks, Willie Nelson's "Senor," and Iron & Wine's take on "Dark Eyes." While some of the tracks, namely the cuts by Eddie Vedder, Cat Power, Mason Jennings and Los Lobos, feel a bit too much like cover band recordings, the bulk of I'm Not There is well worth your time, likely due to the excellent production throughout, especially the tracks handled by Joe Henry and Lee Ranaldo.

As much as I enjoyed this album, I have to admit that it hit the shelves pretty quickly. More than anything else, it has me dreaming of Dylan dropping everything and taking 10 or 11 new songs into the studio with The Million Dollar Bashers at his back and Joe Henry on the boards. Maybe even invite Dylan-superfan Ranaldo along for executive producer duties. Until then, we have I'm Not There, one of the better tribute albums you'll ever find. (Greg Locke)

5/5 Dylan Is Here
  by R. J MOSS (Alice Springs, Australia)
The first thing that struck about this generous 2 disc offering was the choice of material. You could, of course, dip into the Dylan songbook and compose various 'Best Ofs' from 100 plus songs, such are his superior and prodigal gifts. For mine, this, beats any such previous compilations for tonal shifts, themes and interpretations. Inevitably, some artists inhabit and interpret the material more convincingly than others, but this too, is a matter of personal choice. For instance, I think Anthony and the Johnson's,'Heaven's Door' sounds quite brilliant in his inimitable style. Verlaine's, Cold Iron's Abound', is riveting, even chilling, in a way the only other and earlier recording I've heard is not. I could happily erase the version of, John Wesley Harding and without ticking through the remainder of the list, some are merely competent versions without bring much freshness to the table. But these are small quibbles to the greater merits which will get a lot of play.