It’s always nice to know your peers respect you. Much of building a music career is dependent on fan recognition, but being a “musician’s musician” hits a little harder — those who know the craft think you’re something special. Bob Dylan once explained who his “musician’s musician” was, and it might not be who you think. Not one to gush, he expressed his sentiments through a cover performance. Learn more about the time Dylan covered his favorite artist’s songs right in front of him below.
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The Time Bob Dylan Covered Warren Zevon
Dylan admired many songwriters. Though he hasn’t been one to wax poetic about anyone in particular, he has made sure to let fans know where his allegiances lie. One of the artists he admired most was Warren Zevon.
In the pantheon of songwriters, Zevon isn’t usually one of the most talked about. Casual rock fans might not even know who he is beyond his famous “Werewolves of London.” Nevertheless, Dylan took time to pay tribute to Zevon at a show, shortly after the late artist’s cancer diagnosis.
“I hope you like what you hear,” Dylan said right before the performance. He decided to cover three of Zevon’s songs, without really announcing them to the crowd. It was for Zevon’s benefit only, which makes the tribute feel all the more touching.
“There are levels past which things no longer connect,” Zevon once said. “There’s nothing to relate them to; there’s no way to really analyse them. To hear Dylan sing not just one song, but another. It’s a big thrill, but beyond the honour, it’s just so strange, beyond even computing.”
“A Musician’s Musician”
Dylan’s decision to cover three of Zevon’s songs in a row says plenty about his appreciation for his music. However, Dylan has also explained the “effortless” way Zevon strings songs within songs, something he admires greatly.
“His musical patterns are all over the place,” Dylan once said. “Probably because he’s classically trained. There might be three separate songs within a Zevon song, but they’re all effortlessly connected. Zevon was a musician’s musician, a tortured one.”
Though not everyone is as familiar with Zevon’s music as Dylan is, his compliments certainly make you want to stop and pay attention to the late, great rocker. Revisit Dylan’s cover of Zevon’s “Accidentally Like A Martyr” below.
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