A cover of I Want You, the hit song featured on Bob Dylan‘s Blonde on Blonde, has been praised by fans for making a big change.
Bruce Springsteen‘s cover of the Dylan classic was warmly received by listeners who believe The Boss’ rendition is a worthy continuation to the core values of the song. Some listeners of this rendition, which has been uploaded to YouTube, believe it is better than the original found on Blonde on Blonde. Others have described it as a “visceral” rendition of a classic love song featured on Dylan’s follow-up to Highway 61 Revisited. Dylan has not performed I Want You since 2005, though in the years since its release up to then, it was a frequently featured part of his setlist. He played the song most of all in 1978, with a total of fifty-nine performances.
Fans were thrilled by Springsteen’s interpretation of the track, with some considering it better than Dylan’s. One fan wrote: “I had this on a bootleg back in the day. In my opinion, this is the best version of I Want You, Dylan included. It retains the irony of Dylan’s version but adds Bruce’s special brand of passion, and the violin at the end is to die for.”
Another added: “Bruce did a great job of a Dylan song! It’s visceral, tugs at your heart.” A third wrote: “Nobody sings Dylan better than Dylan. But this is among the greatest of the many great covers of his songs, and Bruce’s version of Chimes of Freedom is amazing.”
Springsteen is no stranger to covering Dylan on stage, having delivered a rendition of Chimes of Freedom during his Land of Hope and Dreams tour earlier this year. The protest track was used towards the end of the show and received an official release on an EP named after the tour.
Others have praised Springsteen’s rendition of I Want You as a show-stopping moment from The Boss. A fan wrote: “Amazing arrangement. Sounds like it’s just Bruce on vocals and harmonica, Suki Lahav on violin, and Danny Federici on accordion. No guitars, keyboards, bass, or drums. This is rare. Must have been a true show-stopper. I need to hear the whole show now.”
Another added: “Such pure quality, what a transformation of this song.” A third wrote: “I don’t care for Bruce but this is a difficult song to sing and he does a great job with it, but he sure as hell he in Bob Dylan.”
Springsteen’s slowed version of the song sounds somewhat similar to Thunder Road, and it remains a real treat from Springsteen’s decades on stage. The veteran performer would also cover The Clash on several occasions, with a performance in London setting the scene for a cover of London Calling. You can listen to Springsteen, and what sounds like Van Morrison, perform the song below.
