Worthy Tribute
Various Artists
Paupers, Peasants, Princes, & Kings:
The Songs Of Bob Dylan
(Doghouse)
Far from “the emo tribute to Dylan,” Paupers, Peasants, Princes & Kings is refreshingly free of big names, opting for an exposé of Bobby D.’s influence on the young.
Although we’d prefer to use this space to discuss whether *Blood On The Tracks was the first emo album, there’s actually enough here to merit attention. Jim Ward’s monotone “Lay Lady Lay” smacks of detachment, Read Yellow’s jagged “If Not For You” sounds nothing like the original, and P.O.S turns “All Along The Watchtower” into an apocalyptic hip-hop beatdown. Most everyone (The Honorary Title, Say Anything, Apollo Sunshine) plays the songs straight enough to be recognizable, but none of the artists is fearfully reverent or striving to elevate themselves into the crowded new-Dylan field. As tribute albums go — a spotty bunch already — this could have been so very bad.
— Steve Forstneger
