Song of the Day: Bryan Ferry “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”

Ex-Roxy Music frontman, Bryan Ferry, kicked off his 2002 album, Frantic, with an absolutely masterful read of Bob Dylan‘s classic ’60s anthem, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”. The track is presented with Ferry‘s regular vocal aplomb delivered in front of a piano and an expansive arrangement including an extensive, though tasteful, string section. Ferry‘s voice here is like a worn piece of silk, it’s still unbelievably smooth, but the odd character-giving rough bit occasionally pokes thru. This all fits perfectly with Ferry‘s aging playboy persona and somehow gives the song further gravitas. The song also gives Ferry the opportunity to showcase his until-then unknown harmonica skills.

Ferry also turned in a gorgeous piano ballad version of Dylan‘s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” on the same album. The results were satisfying enough to him that he ended up following-up Frantic with an entire Bob Dylan covers LP, entitled Dylanesque, some 5 years later. There is a certain logic to these covers. Ferry after all, had interpreted Dylan dating back to his cover of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” on his first solo LP in 1973. Beyond that, Ferry is an almost perfect interpreter of Dylan‘s material. Like Dylan, he shares a certain elusiveness and knowing detachment. What is reality and what is artifice are hard to determine with both performers, but you get the sense with both that man and their respective legend have become one.

Bryan Ferry continues to record new music and to tour. At the age of 74, he remains a treasure, who like a fine wine, only seems to improve with age.