What Dylan cover is furthest from the original?

Link Wray's Girl from the north country fits the bill.

 

Yeh now THAT is different, and lovely.

 

This is what I usually post when it comes to a Dylan covers thread. It does not get many "likes".

 

Another great one from Bryan Ferry:

 

Yep. I must pick up that album, I’ve listened on YouTube but should get a copy.

Now, this one I heard last year and I keep going back to listen. I think it’s beautiful

 

Flaming Lips take a lazy, hazy song and make it hazier and somewhat psychedelic.

 

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”
The Wonder Who (Four Seasons)

 

Ministry's Lay Lady Lay is pretty far removed from the original:

 

So many choices, here' s a live clip of a great singer named Barb Jungr who has done a few albums of all-Bob Dylan material. Interestingly (for me) I never knew this particular clip was around- it's at least somewhat likely I was in the audience for that! (I saw her at the metropolitan room several times for sure). I'd urge everyone to check out her albums 'every grain of sand', 'man in a long black coat' and the most recent 'bob brel and me' (and many others too)

 

I don't know if I'm alone in this as a stone Dylan freak but to me his songs have such strength that no matter WHAT an artist covering them does, I'm apt to pretty much dig it. His songs hold up to most any treatment, to me, is what I'm saying. That's what I'm being reminded of by the choices in this thread.

 

Ferry released an all-Dylan covers album called 'Dylanesque' some years back and I was expecting some good versions but it was bland overall.

 

Peter Paul & Mary - Too Much Of Nothing

 

Might more belong in a "who most RIGHT! destroyed a Dylan song" thread

 

He gives it the boardwalk carousel treatment.

 

Can't believe it took this long to mention it.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I even used the search function to make sure it wasn't already mentioned.

 

Perhaps not radically different but my favourite Dylan cover hands down.

 

Yes. Bob Dylan can do versions of his own songs that are practically unrecognizable, compared to his originally released arrangements. To a greater extent than almost all of the covers. Although Manfred Mann's version of "Mighty Quinn" is pretty far afield of the original.

Now that I think of it, the real prizewinner for most unrecognizable Dylan cover is Devo's version of "Blowin' In The Wind", featured in Neil Young's 1982 film Human Highway.
Human Highway (1982) - Plot Summary - IMDb

 

And then this... South African rock band, this was released back in the Eighties.

 

Surely you've heard the hit version, by Ron Wood.

 

The Nice - She Belongs to Me

 

1. Neil Young's effects-laden live version of "Blowin' in the Wind" from Weld.
2. Any of Sebastian Cabot's recitations.
3. "Like a Rolling Stone" by the Living Voices.

 

I like this version well enough. Who doesn't? But when I told this guy at work I preferred Dylan's original he looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses.
He got quite uptight about it too explaining to me that Dylan's version didn't rawk , lacked a guitar solo , was ruined by out-of-tune harmonica and Dylan couldn't sing.

 

Just remembered I have this on 45.

 

A-ha! So we have Brian Ferry to blame for Dylan's eventual use of a trio of backup singers!!