Talking blues is a style that originated on the late twenties and is typified by sing speak vocals over top of a repeated guitar part. Woodie Guthrie used this style as the basis for a lot of his songs, and later Bob Dylan, as well as many others who continue to carry the style forward. Here's three fine examples for you today.

MP3: Bob Dylan - Talking World War III Blues
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MP3: John Wesley Harding - Talking Return Of The Great Folk Scare Blues
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MP3: Todd Snider - Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues
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On Dylanesque, Bryan Ferry brings his love for Bob Dylan to a full album's worth of covers. You're probably thinking why a full disc of Dylan covers. Ferry's Dylan bent is nothing new, his first post Roxy Music solo single back in 1973 was a cover of Dylan's A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall and his 2002 album Frantic included covers of It's All Over Now Baby Blue and Don't Think Twice It's Alright. The new album has long been a dream, saying "I just thought it would be great to make a whole album of Dylan songs. And at the end of last year, finally, it happened." The whole thing was recorded in a week with his touring band, and captures a much more live feel than most of his recent work. Some special guests on the disc include Brian Eno on If Not For You and guitar virtuoso Robin Trower on All Along The Watchtower. Bryan plays it pretty safe by sticking with mostly well known selections, which sometimes hurts, as in the case of a song like Watchtower where there are much more definitive versions out there, but in other cases like Tom Thumbs Blues or Positively 4th Street Bryan gives them a smooth new spin. In all likelihood it won't seriously increase either artist's fan base, but it makes for a nice easy going listen. The album is being released in the UK on March 5 and hits US shores on April 3rd.

Dylanesque Track listing :
1. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
2. Simple Twist Of Fate
3. Make You Feel My Love
4. Times They Are A-Changin'
5. All I Really Want To Do
6. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
7. Positively 4th Street
8. If Not For You
9. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
10. Gates Of Eden
11. All Along The Watchtower

MP3: Bryan Ferry - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
MP3: Bryan Ferry - If Not For You

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R2D2 otherwise known as the one and only Ryan Adams gives a Bob Dylan classic the techno-synth sound effect treament. I've also posted the original fron Dylan's Blood On The Tracks in case you may not be familiar with it. Now if we can only get Bob to cover Ryan's Beck-like rap Look Who's Got A Website Hmmmm.

MP3: R2D2(Ryan Adams) - You're A Big Girl Now
MP3: Bob Dylan - You're A Big Girl Now
MP3: DJ Reggie(Ryan Adams) - Look Who's Got A Website

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