One of the greatest songs ever written.
It’s no stretch to say that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. From “Tangled Up In Blue” to “Like a Rolling Stone,” the legendary singer/songwriter has won nearly every award imaginable including Grammys, a Nobel Prize and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
With that being said, he has influenced a plethora of today’s best and brightest songwriters. Inspiring the likes of Zach Bryan, Evan Honer or Colby Acuff (to name a few), Dylan has become one of the go-to influences for many in the alt. country scene.
Today, it’s none other than Dylan Gossett who’s showing love to the legendary singer/songwriter with an exclusive Amazon Music release of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” off of his iconic 1963 album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.
Discussing why he chose to cover the track, Gossett pointed to the similarities in their music as well as the prolific nature of Dylan’s songwriting, “I chose this song because I feel like our music is actually pretty similar in ways. I love how he’s all about the lyrics and the songwriting. He can write the song, throw a harmonica on, and be done. With this cover, I tried to keep it faithful to the original but add my own feeling to it. I slowed it down, added a chunkier guitar, some low-end, and a banjo that keeps the rhythm going. And of course I can’t cover Bob Dylan’s song and not throw a harmonica in. I ultimately wanted to make it my version but also wanted to keep the original feel.”
This results in a cover that Gossett truly made his own. Unlike the aforementioned Honer who adhered very closely to the original in terms of tempo and the inclusion of Dylan’s flatpicking on his Woodstock Sessions cover last year, the “Coal” singer decided to forgo the flatpicking and slowed the tempo down a bit.
With that being said, it’s a fantastic cover that showcases the deeper range of Gossett’s vocals unlike many songs we’ve heard from him so far. The subtle inclusion of the banjo paired with the iconic use of the harmonica throughout the track pair heavenly, giving a bluegrass edge to it.
There’s no doubt that Gossett is one of today’s premiere artists in the genre, and this cover once again proves why. If you’re a fan of both Gossett and Bob Dylan, this is a must-listen.
Listen here: