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| I'm Not There | 
 enlarge | Artist: Original Soundtrack
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $9.29
You Save: $10.69 (54%)
New (64) Used (17) from $9.29
Avg. Customer Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 3649
Format: Soundtrack
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 712038
UPC: 886971203820
EAN: 0886971203820
ASIN: B000VS6P9Q
Release Date: October 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Established company with many years experience in the Music and DVD industry. Please allow 10-14 days for delivery.
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| Customer Reviews:
 What does 'Original Soundtrack' mean???? November 26, 2007
8 out of 14 found this review helpful
I just saw the movie and loved it - worth multiple viewing - and I have actually heard a couple of the songs from this album - on XM - Cat Power's version of Stuck inside of Mobile..which I enjoyed - but how can they call this the Original Soundtrack when a lot of the music in the film is actual Dylan cuts - this is crazy - If you don't see the movie because you don't like the cover versions - you will be greatly surprised that many of the covers are not in the movie - that the original Dylan is there in glorious sound - of course there are other cuts and most are extremely well done - a great movie and possibly a very good bunch of covers but where is the truth in packaging???
 "I'm not there", said Dylan November 4, 2007
6 out of 24 found this review helpful
One of previous reviewers said it best. Dylan is the best interpreter of Dylan. If you are young and new to Dylan (and you would have to be very young), skip this CD.
If you are older and enjoy Dylan, stick to his versions OR to insightful interpreters such as Mauldur.
This CD convinced me not to see the film.
 My Favorite Record of the Fall/Winter December 10, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I just looked over some of the reviews for this album, and I can't believe how many old hippies have posted on here about how "only Bob can do Bob" (one old-timer even insisted that the list of great artists to cover him begins with the horrible, uninspired noodlings of the Grateful Dead!). These songs are reinterpretations of great songs, and yes, many of them are quite different than the originals. One reviewer suggested that these versions are "too modern," which says a great deal about that person's closed-mindedness when it comes to music produced after the 1960s. Most of the other negative reviews are clearly unfamiliar with the bands on this album (most of whom are pretty popular among music fans, by the way). I don't know why anyone would want these songs to sound just like Dylan, or why anyone would say he'd rather hear Dylan do them when all he'd have to do is pop a Dylan album in.
This is an excellent soundtrack full of excellent versions of excellent songs. It's really interesting, too: halfway through my first listen to Ramblin' Jack Elliott's version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," I was about to dismiss it as a cheap Dylan imitation, only to realize that hey, early, acoustic Dylan is really a cheap Ramblin' Jack impression, as he's the first to admit, so it's really almost like hearing 1963-era Dylan covering 1965-era Dylan, if you catch my drift, which is really awesome. Other highlights include Sonic Youth doing a great job with the title song; Jim James and Calexico absolutely killing "Going to Acapulco"; Malkmus's unbelievable "Ballad of a Thin Man, in which his slacker-drawl somehow turns the song into something that I can't help dancing to; Yo La Tengo's "Fourth Time Around" with Georgia on vocals; Malkmus again on "Maggie's Farm"; Mason Jennings's versions of the folkie stuff; and the excellent backing by Calexico and the supergroup Million Dollar Bashers. Even Jack Johnson, whom I normally find too vanilla, does a really good job with "Mama, You've Been on My Mind." Only Sufjan Stevens stinks up the joint, doing a limp-wristed, Lawrence Welk-ified version of "Ring Them Bells" that doesn't fit in at all with the rest of the record (but then again, in my opinion Stevens ruins everything he touches).
This is exactly the right kind of soundtrack for this movie: it's smart, artistic, and challenging, and the kind of people who want to see their hero preserved in a time capsule like some sort of psychedelic Vladimir Lenin will undoubtedly be frightened out of their tie-dye. Plus, the vinyl version is four LPs, which is pretty cool.
substance over quality reigns supreme December 7, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
While I freely admit that imitation is a high form of flattery, and along that vein, so is re-interpretation, I have to also confess that once again I find myself disappointed with another spineless tribute album to a great artist. While there are some great covers here, no doubt, for my money they are the covers by existent sages, not the rabble clamoring around studio mics. While Dylan didn't live the vagabond lifestyle he so aptly portrayed in his music, his chameleonic nature allowed him to empathize to the point of true artistry: he became his creation. I've only been able to listen to this album once since I purchased it (with great anticipation, mind you), and fully expect it to litter CD sales boxes at Roses in the near future. Save your money; go out and purchase a remastered Dylan album (any one will do, particularly Blonde on Blonde), or try the Masked and Anonymous soundtrack. Shirley Caesar hits "Gotta Serve Somebody" on the nail (no pun intended).
Museum Pieces v. the Living Word December 18, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful collection of new takes on Bob Dylan songs. Although I am of a certain age that would know most (but not the very earliest) of the original Dylan songs in their original contexts, I do not worship the canon nor believe "The Times They Are a Changin' " was inscribed on stone tablets. "Blood on the Tracks" is my favorite album of his, so that should give you some idea of where I'm coming from.
But the comments here bring up an interesting dichotomy that resembles the classicist/romantic split that often comes up when performed art is discussed. The classicists tend toward the "Dylan does Dylan best," or even "only Dylan can do Dylan correctly." The romantic would throw the doors open to anyone performing a Dylan work in any manner he or she wishes. Of course, most people fall somewhere in the middle. Does anyone not appreciate The Byrds' version of "Mr. Tambourine Man?"
This isn't just a technical exercise, but rather has practical implications. Classical music pieces have become something akin to (pre-Modern) museum pieces. The vast majority of the classical music audience wants to hear Beethoven's 9th Symphony performed "correctly." Granted, conductors and musicians interpret the classics during performances, but within a narrow range. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the bright young violinist Carla Kihlstedt, who is building an amazing repertoire across several musical genres.
Do we want Bob Dylan's work to always be performed "correctly?" In 200 years (yes, I think his work will still be performed then and later) will we want to dress up to hear Dylan performed correctly in a concert hall by a performer in period costumes?
There will be a place for this type of performance, but keeping the songs fresh is mandatory. Without reinterpretations from contemporary performers, any music gradually becomes relevant only as history. When songs become museum pieces they lose their vitality and wither away, eventually known only to connoisseurs and members of the academy.
People may not like all of the interpretations here, but none of the performances sounds like it was "phoned in." Most of the artists here have probably lived with these songs during their careers and respect them greatly. The group of musicians making up "the house band" also provide a coherence that is lacking in many multi-artist compilations.
All-in-all, an outstanding collection, as long as you don't expect a completely deferential approach to the material.
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