The American Songbook never sounded so good. In the hands of Bob Dylan, they are redefined – significant markers in US history spurned on by one of its greatest assets. Three batches of ten tracks may not seem like a great deal given the triple LPs and hour-long titans of now but for Dylan to cover so many greats, as he did during the 1990s and more recently the mid-2010s, is a real and rare treat. Til the Sun Goes Down, the first third of Triplicate, works in conjunction with the other two pieces just as well as it does when isolated. Swing time standards are thrown in, and the likes of I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plans covered to perfection. What else could be expected?
Croaky and harsh but a perfect antidote to ill days in the run-up to Christmas, the easy listening textures of this record come more from Dylan’s hand in the production side of things than anything else. He conducts these moments with great skill, learning and improving the craft of the studio as much as he does the microphone. A fair balance is struck and in turn come covers of Arthur Schwartz, Guy Wood and Sammy Fain, to name just a few. Dylan is no stranger to covers. He has taken to the likes of Billy Joel and Leonard Cohen while on tour – much to the delight of attending audiences. September of My Years is still an all-time great of Dylan’s, with a generous and warm flow to it spurned on by the nostalgia. A singer nostalgic for the nostalgia of a Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn track does not lose its tenderness to irony.
Unkept promises soothe the soul on the perfect third track I Could Have Told You. Gentle instrumentals, tearful interpretations and a smooth voice in their twilight years bring about enough to meddle with the heartstrings of a well-invested listener. An underrated and efficient time for Dylan, who works his way through the American Songbook – a period of music which clearly means so much to him and has influenced his works, from their earliest to the more recent fittings of Rough And Rowdy Ways. Listen to the likes of That Old Feeling and hear Dylan test the waters for what was to come – and with this first third, there are plentiful songs of nostalgia and reflection. It is all part of the charm, and Dylan brushes past this as the sun sets on his early years.
Reflective prose through the words of another is a difficult state to pull off but Dylan makes it feel so natural, so responsive, when he is tasked with turning the classics into modernised reflections. He does so with Til the Sun Goes Down, the first third of an exceptionally overlooked collection of classics covered by a man with a book of his own essentials. Guided by a real love for the early works and classics comes a triple album, split into three sections which work on their own. A crisp half hour from Til the Sun Goes Down, isolated like this, is a real treat. A nice, bitesize chunk from a plethora of excellent covers.
Discover more from Cult Following
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
