Lucinda Williams – Lu’s Jukebox Vol. 3 – Bob’s Back Pages: A Night Of Bob Dylan Songs

Lu’s Jukebox is a six-volume series of mostly full-band performances recorded live at Ray Kennedy’s Room & Board Studio in Nashville, TN in 2020. Each volume features a themed set of songs or tribute to an artist curated by Lucinda Williams.

Earlier this year I picked up the Tom Petty volume of Lu’s Jukebox. That was great, but this Bob Dylan volume is even better. I am not sure why, but here are a few reasons:

• Dylan’s music lends itself to interpretation by other artists
• I am more of a Dylan fan than a Petty fan
• Lucinda may be more emotionally connected to Bob
• Lucinda’s murky, swampy and bluesy arrangements are not that far from Bob’s musical modus operandi the last couple of decades

But another reason I like this collection is that it is a great selection of Dylan. Lucinda has avoided the obvious and has gone down the deep cut route – focusing on the back half of his career. Below is the track list:

1. It Takes A Lot To Laugh
2. Everything Is Broken
3. Political World
4. Man Of Peace
5. Not Dark Yet
6. Meet Me In The Morning
7. Blind Willie McTell
8. Tryin’ To Get To Heaven
9. Queen Jane Approximately
10. Idiot Wind
11. Make You Feel My Love

As mentioned earlier, Lucinda wraps the songs in slow, murky, and swampy arrangements. Lucinda’s vocals are her usual sassy slur – a perfect proxy for the bard’s snarl.

Unfortunately, Lu’s Jukebox is not available on streaming services. You can buy it physical at your favorite record shop or get digital files from regular sources (e.g. Amazon).

If you are a Lucinda fan, this is a must have. If you are Dylan fan – especially late era – you will dig this album. Lucinda’s interpretations are fantastic.