Robyn Sings
If there was any doubt about the deep and lasting influenceBob Dylanhas had on Robyn Hitchcock's music--let alone his soul--this 16-track (mostly) live tribute double-disc will set the record straight. Even Hitchcock's self-penned liner notes refer to himself as a "trainee Dylan" with pride. And if Hitchcock can't help himself from falling into a few blatant vocal Dylanisms on his opening version of "Visions of Johanna," the album is book-ended with another take that gratifyingly belies his modest assertion that the performances here are about singing, not interpretation. Indeed, decades of Hitchcock's own rich artistry can't help but inform spare, haunting 2001 studio cuts of "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," "Desolation Row," and "Dignity." Disc two is another nervy Hitchcock gambit--a rollicking, live 30th-anniversary recreation of the singer's favorite Dylan bootleg, the "electric" half of the legendaryRoyal Albert Hall Concert, complete with sonically challenged source recording.--Jerry McCulley