By: David Schultz

For Heroes, the compendium of covers whose proceeds go to War Child International, an organization dedicated to aiding children worldwide afflicted by war, Beck completely reinvented Bob Dylan’s “Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat.” After listening to it for about the 50th time over the past few weeks, it prompted me to start discussions over whether Beck’s version of the Blonde On Blonde classic was the best Dylan cover ever. Of course, whenever such a subjective question comes up, it can mean only one thing: it’s list time.

Some artists have made their careers out of covering Dylan: Peter, Paul & Mary, Richie Havens and The Byrds rode Dylan’s coattails for many years at the expense of writing their own material. Even when Dylan retreated away from anything close to memorable music, his words and music were kept alive. For much of the 80s, the Grateful Dead rarely let a live show go by without a Dylan cover.

However, a comprehensive list of Dylan covers is not a novel exercise. Right around the time of Heroes’ release, Paste Magazine offered their all-inclusive, though relatively conservative, take on this idea. For this list of 5, we’re skipping the obvious: Jimi Hendrix’ take on “All Along The Watchtower” will always take the prize for best Dylan cover ever and the joyless droning version that The Dave Matthews Band included in a decades worth of shows just loses out as worst cover to the horrifying version of “Forever Young” that will.i.am cut for that Pepsi commercial.

What follows are the five Dylan covers that never seem to get the praise and discussion they deserve.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: “Like A Rolling Stone”

From Hendrix’ revelatory set at Monterey Pop in 1967, his version of “Like A Rolling Stone” usually gets overlooked as his closing take on The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” pretty much blew everyone away even before he ritualistically set his guitar on fire. Despite forgetting a verse, something he acknowledges in the midst of the song, Hendrix found the same streetwise state of mind from which to deliver the song as Dylan. In Hendrix’ hands, it still feels like gospel . . . only with awesome guitar solos.

Warren Zevon – “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”

Engaging in an unsettling bit of gallows humor, Zevon covered “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” while dying from mesothelioma. What might have been a sobering take on Dylan’s contribution to Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, retains a bit of the song's gravitas but turns into a relatively uplifting affair as Zevon hardly seems afraid of death. Near the end of the song, he demands that the doors open up, cause he's coming. Facing his own mortality, Zevon's interpretation is one many wouldn't have the fortitude to try.

Denzel Washington – “The Mighty Quinn”

This cover can only be found within The Mighty Quinn, one of the more underrated Denzel Washington films. A different version appears on the soundtrack, a light peppy reggae take that pales in comparison to the delivery in the film. Playing a detective in a small Caribbean village, coincidentally named Quinn, Washington ambles into a bar and starts Taj Mahal's "Cakewalk Into Town" on the piano before a hushed crowd. The rest of the band has other ideas and to Washington's character's initial dread, they slowly sabotage the song and amble into “The Mighty Quinn,” ultimately sucking Denzel into joining in.

The White Stripes – “Love Sick”

Never recorded in the studio, The White Stripes incorporated the latter-era Dylan classic into their live sets with relative frequency. Jack White’s frantic yawp works wonders with "Love Sick," turning Dylan's wizened delivery on its head and giving the song a hyperactive sheen and a manic edge. As White is want to do, he also adds some guitar pyrotechnics that light up the otherwise patient and deliberate opener to Time Out Of Mind.

Bryan Ferry – “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”

Adding a jaunty hop to The Freewheelin Bob Dylan classic, Ferry's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" seems more like a haughty, breezy taunt than a foreboding warning. From These Foolish Things, Ferry's 1973 coverfest, Ferry chops through the songs concisely poetic descriptions and observations without the sense of sorrow of the original. Like everything Ferry touches, he makes "Hard Rain" distinctly his own.

Labels: Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, Jimi Hendrix, Warren Zevon, White Stripes