On the surface, it doesn't really look like Ani DiFranco and Bob Dylan have much in common. Sure, both of them are perhaps the preeminent singer-songwriter of their time (though "singer" might be a stretch for Dylan) and both play what could conceivably be classified as "folk" music—but it's generally agreed that they are more different, musically at least, than they are the same. Still, if you look a bit deeper, it's not hard to see more similarities between the two artists. Both writers, for instance, are heavily influenced by the political climate of their time and have no qualms publicizing their disapproval. Furthermore, both are staunch civil rights activists. So I figured the best way to link these two would be comparing their renditions of Dylan's civil rights anthem "Hurricane."
"Hurricane" tells the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, an African-American boxer who, in 1976, was convicted of multiple homicides in a trial that can only be described as American racism at its peak. There was precious little evidence against Carter and his alleged accomplice, yet the judge refused to let the defense actually defend anyone and the two men were
Bob Dylan
sentenced to consecutive life sentences based wholly on some sketchy evidence. The song, released on Dylan's 1976 album Desire, instantly became one of Dylan's most popular and is widely credited with turning public support towards Carter, which in turn forced a retrial that resulted in Carter's indictments being dismissed. It also cemented Dylan's place as one of only a handful of white people who can use the n-word in his music without having their motives called into question.
The original recording of "Hurricane" is a beautiful ballad replete with acoustic guitar and harmonica riffs generally associated with Dylan's music, as well as a backing violin that weaves in and out of the guitar. DiFranco's recording, off her 2000 EP Swing Set, is a bit different, as it reflects her personality rather than just being a musical facsimile of Dylan's. Dylan's rendition starts off with an acoustic guitar strum, which is joined after a few seconds by violin and drums, each melding together very well. On the other side, DiFranco starts her rendition with a tenuous bassline played in such a way as to indicate that something bad is about to happen—which actually portrays the feeling of the song a whole lot better in my opinion, as the first lyric after the intro is "pistol shots ring out in a barroom night." The differences don't stop there. The main guitar lines of each song provide the best example of musical differences between the two versions. Dylan played an acoustic guitar for vast portions of his career and is best known for his acoustic sound, and it makes sense that the acoustic guitar is used to provide the musical underpinning of Dylan's version. DiFranco, however, though certainly able to get the most out of her default acoustic sound, opts in her version for an electric guitar with a well-used reverb pedal. DiFranco fans will further recognize her stamp on the lyrical aspect of the song. It can't really be argued
Ani DiFranco
that DiFranco has a better voice than Bob Dylan—he's an amazing writer and musician, but try to find me someone who doesn't have a better voice than him (and the guy from Fall Out Boy doesn't count)—and she shows off her vocal talents amazingly in this rendition by constantly varying her rhythm, tone and pitch.
When all is said and done, if I had to choose which version I like better, I really don't think I could. I'm a big fan of DiFranco's vocals as well as her musical style, both of which shine in her cover of Dylan's masterpiece, but Dylan's version is just that: a masterpiece. Though he may not have the voice of a great singer, it can't be denied that musically, he is unparalleled in his time. I guess all I can really do at this point is recommend that you listen to both versions and decide which you like best: the modern rendition of a masterpiece, or a song that defined an era of racism and simultaneously helped to end it.
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12 02.28.2008 interesting fact: Feb 29, 1972: Hank Aaron becomes the first baseball player to sign for $200,000 a year. -www.brainyfacts.com VOL.5 ISS.22