This post includes my favourite cover of a wistful, very famous Johnny Cash song, and a singular version of a less famous, more urgent song, authored by Stuart Adamson.
Both are “live” performances.
Darrell Scott is their American singer-guitarist, Danny Thompson their English double bassist.
And that’s not all…
Sometimes, a great song’s author fails to do it justice, or is incapable of doing so – the song needs to be rescued.
More commonly, however, the song’s greatness is readily evident in the author’s “original” recording.
Peter, Paul and Mary certainly did a young Bob Dylan a service by introducing some of his songs to their (then) larger audience; whether they did the songs themselves a favour is another question, entirely.
I doubt that many 21st century listeners would prefer their covers to Dylan’s own versions.
A “revelatory” cover is not necessarily “better” than the “original”, but it has to be wonderful/distinctive in its own right.
Also, it must deeply address/understand/respect that particular song’s essence.
I love Johnny Cash’s own version of this song, as, I am sure, Darrell Scott does.
Scott’s version, however, is neither a pale imitation of the Man in Black, nor one of those strained, mannered, gimmicky misfires that are all too often the result of attempts to put one’s own “stamp” on someone else’s song:
If you just listened to the above through the crappy speaker on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC, I urge you to listen again, properly.
If you are able to do so, play it (and this post’s other musical performances, which were all recorded properly) through your hi-fi system.
Failing that, at least plug in some headphones.
That done, you have some chance of actually hearing how nuanced is Darrell Scott’s vocal. You will then also be able to hear the other key element – Danny Thompson’s double bass, which is likewise resonant, nuanced and exquisitely spare. Via decent audio, drummer Kenny Malone’s brushwork will also repay your close attention.
Originally titled Live in NC, the relevant album captures a 2003 concert; it has few peers among “live” discs by songster-guitarists.
Darrell Scott had first encountered Danny Thompson just a few years earlier when he saw him play with Richard Thompson.
The English bassist and the American songster/multi-instrumentalist soon became an ongoing mutual admiration society, collaborators and close friends.
Here they are onstage in Scotland in 2013, with a song written by Stuart Adamson:
Stuart Adamson (1958-2001) is remembered primarily as the lead guitarist/vocalist/ songwriter in Big Country.
The late great Texan songster Guy Clark wrote Desperados Waiting For a Train about the man who had been his virtual grandfather when Guy was a child.
I have loved this song for more than 40 years, and had never imagined that anyone other than Guy Clark could “own” it with such conviction:
Darrell Scott is also an uncommonly gifted songwriter. Here he is in 2020, nailing one of his own, shortly after some months away from any stages:
postscript:
Darrell Scott and I are far from alone in rating Danny Thompson as one of the world’s s greatest, most profoundly musical bassists.
Danny is a very down-to-earth individual ..and a raconteur whose recollections of an uncommonly diverse musical life are variously hilarious, poignant and wise.
When you have an hour to spare, you’d do well to spend it at the Cat Club in October 2013, with Danny:
(he vividly remembers encounters with famous folk like John Martyn, Roy Orbison, Marianne Faithful, Nick Drake, Mick Jagger and Marc Bolan…and with an unnamed but fondly-remembered amateur songster, and a sound engineer who ought be deeply grateful that Danny has not remembered his name)
And, just in case you have never heard it, this is the song (from John Martyn’s 1973 album Solid Air) which Danny cites as an example of what Danny regards as the “real” John Martyn, and as evidence of Martyn’s ability as lyricist:
Danny is too humble to say so, but his sublime bass playing is what really “makes” this a performance for the ages: