One essential artist and one indispensable organization are being acknowledged for the imprint they’ve made on the planet in the past 50 years on the just released four-disc collection Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International. Over 80 artists contributed to the 76 songs featured on this once-in-a-lifetime must-have compilation, which serves the dual purpose of paying tribute to one of the most important songwriters of our time and one of the most indispensable organizations of our generation.
Gotta Serve Somebody: Not unlike the far flung impact made by the artist and organization it pays tribute to, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International hosts a wide spectrum of artists who have left an enormous impression across a broad spectrum of music fans. Disc one begins with Johnny Cash and folk rockers The Avett Brothers covering Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings.” Additional disc-one highlights include Rise Against doing “Ballad of Hollis Brown;” Tom Morello of The Nightwatchman tackling “Blind Willie McTell;” The Gaslight Anthem’s “Changing of the Guards;” Silversun Pickups taking “Not Dark Yet” for a drive; and My Morning Jacket handling “You’re a Big Girl Now.”
Disc two’s eclectic track list features Queens of the Stone Age capturing the essence of “Outlaw Blues;” Lenny Kravitz pouring his heart and soul into “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35;” Britain’s Billy Bragg doing a rendition of “Lay Down Your Weary Tune;” Elvis Costello covering “License to Kill;” The Belle Brigade putting their stamp on “No Time to Think;” and Jack’s Mannequin doing its version of “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
CD-three may boast the most diverse assembly of artists found in the package. The list of acts includes Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House fame with his new side project Pajama Club covering “She Belongs to Me;” Flogging Molly updating “The Times They Are A-Changin’;” Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry performing “Man of Peace;” Bad Religion ripping through “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue;” My Chemical Romance performing “Desolation Row” live; Cage the Elephant nailing “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll;” and Band of Skulls doing “It Ain’t Me, Babe.”
Finally, disc four wraps the compilation with a superstar lineup that includes Carolina Chocolate Drops’ version of “Political World;” Jeff Beck and Seal teaming on “Like a Rolling Stone;” State Radio reworking “John Brown;” the Dave Matthews Band ripping through “All Along the Watchtower” live; Michael Franti reimaging “Subterranean Homesick Blues;” We Are Augustines offering up “Mama, You Been on My Mind;” singer-actress Evan Rachel Wood taking a crack at “I’d Have You Anytime;” and Bob Dylan himself closing out the disc with the collected works’ title track “Chimes of Freedom.”
Let Freedom Ring: Enjoy a rare clip of Bob Dylan performing “Chimes of Freedom” live on BBC TV:
As A Matter of Fact…
* Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, MN and raised in nearby Hibbing.
* Amnesty International is a human rights non-governmental organization founded in 1961 in London, England. AI’s mission is to prevent and eliminate abuses of human rights and to seek justice for those whose rights have been violated.
* Bob Dylan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002, and has three singles and three albums enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
* Amnesty International was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize and the 1978 United Nations Prize in the field of Human Rights.