If God swooped down and said to me, “Jes, create an album — an album to move the masses, calm the seas and ignite some fury,” I would call up my favourite artists. Let’s go Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Antony and the Johnsons, Eddie Vedder, Jeff Tweedy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Ramblin’ Jack, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket.
When they all said yes, that they’d love to be part of mine and God’s project, then I’d call up some other artists that I really like, even though I don’t own any of their albums: Let’s say Calexico, Stephen Malkmus, and Sonic Youth. Oh, and then, I’d create a super group called The Million Dollar Bashers. (Featuring Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, and Bob Dylan’s backing band.) And then, with an album this kick ass, with nothing left to loose, I’d call up Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, and get them to record some tracks.
AND last but not least, because it’s my (and God’s) album, and I could do whatever I wanted, I’d send out a memo, telling all of these incredible people that there was one catch to be on this album: They had to record all Bob Dylan songs.
What I would have is the most spectacular album I could imagine. Lucky for me, I don’t need to put in all this work. It’s already been done for me, without the intervention of God! And it comes in the form of the soundtrack for I’m Not There:
When they all said yes, that they’d love to be part of mine and God’s project, then I’d call up some other artists that I really like, even though I don’t own any of their albums: Let’s say Calexico, Stephen Malkmus, and Sonic Youth. Oh, and then, I’d create a super group called The Million Dollar Bashers. (Featuring Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, and Bob Dylan’s backing band.) And then, with an album this kick ass, with nothing left to loose, I’d call up Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, and get them to record some tracks.
AND last but not least, because it’s my (and God’s) album, and I could do whatever I wanted, I’d send out a memo, telling all of these incredible people that there was one catch to be on this album: They had to record all Bob Dylan songs.
What I would have is the most spectacular album I could imagine. Lucky for me, I don’t need to put in all this work. It’s already been done for me, without the intervention of God! And it comes in the form of the soundtrack for I’m Not There:
Disc One
"All Along the Watchtower," - Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers
"I'm Not There," Sonic Youth
"Goin' To Acapulco," Jim James and Calexico
"Tombstone Blues," Richie Havens
"Ballad of a Thin Man," Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers
"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again," Cat Power
"Pressing On," John Doe
"Fourth Time Around," Yo La Tengo
"Dark Eyes," Iron & Wine and Calexico
"Highway 61 Revisited," Karen O and the Million Dollar Bashers
"One More Cup of Coffee," Roger McGuinn and Calexico
"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," Mason Jennings
"Billy," Los Lobos
"Simple Twist of Fate," Jeff Tweedy
"The Man in the Long Black Coat," Mark Lanegan
"Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)," Willie Nelson and Calexico
Disc Two
"As I Went Out One Morning," Mira Billotte
"Can't Leave Her Behind," Stephen Malkmus and Lee Ranaldo
"Ring Them Bells," Sufjan Stevens
"Just Like a Woman," Charlotte Gainsbourg and Calexico
"Mama You've Been on My Mind" / "A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie," Jack Johnson
"I Wanna Be Your Lover," Yo La Tengo
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
"Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?," The Hold Steady
"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," Ramblin' Jack Elliot
"Wicked Messenger," The Black Keys
"Cold Irons Bound," Tom Verlaine and the Million Dollar Bashers
"The Times They Are a-Changin'," Mason Jennings
"Maggie's Farm," Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers
"When the Ship Comes In," Marcus Carl Franklin
"Moonshiner," Bob Forrest
"I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine," John Doe
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Antony & the Johnsons
"I'm Not There," Bob Dylan
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