I Shall Be Unreleased: The Songs of Bob Dylan (1992)

(One of my many reviews that went unpublished in Rock & Roll Disc when the magazine ceased publication in 1992 ... )

I Shall Be Unreleased: The Songs of Bob Dylan
Rhino R2 70518
Total disc time: 63:55 (AAD)

Merit: **½
Sound: ***½

This disc of various artists covering obscure Dylan songs would've been livelier if Rhino had used Joe Cocker's "Seven days" instead of Ron Wood's, Maria Muldaur's "Ain't No Man Righteous" instead of Jah Malla's, Dave Van Ronk's "All over You" instead of the Raiders', Johnny Cash's San Quentin version of "Wanted Man" instead of the studio one, Eric Clapton's "If I Don't Be There by Morning" instead of his "Walk Out in the Rain," Dylan's Clapton duet on "Sign Language" instead of Dylan's Doug Sahm duet on "Wallflower," and George Harrison's version of "I Don't Want to Do It" from the Porky's Revenge soundtrack instead of almost anything else here. True, Blue Ash's gleeful trashing of "Dusty Old Fairgrounds" and the Staples' "John Brown" smoke, but they're snuffed out by wet blankets from the Hollies, Dion DiMucci, and Pete Seeger.