"May your heart always be joyful..."

"may your song always be sung. May you stay forever young, forever young, forever young. May you stay forever young."

Robert Zimmerman is turning 66 today, ladies and gents! And the collective crowd asks "Who the hell is Robert Zimmerman?" Robert Zimmerman is one of the most influential and enduring artists of all time and arguably the greatest songwriter in history. Robert Zimmerman has one of the most recognizable voices ever recorded and is both loved and hated for it. I will admit that his vocals were certainly an acquired taste for me to be sure. Robert Zimmerman is a talented writer and a gifted poet; an actor and a musician who has been writing, recording and performing music for 45 years and counting. Robert Zimmerman is none other than the Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

I could go into a long winded thesis about Bob Dylan...his life, his music, his mark on the world at large...but I won't. Anyone reading this can find more information than they ever wanted to know about Bob Dylan with a click of their mouse by going here, here, here or about a million other sites dedicated to his life and ongoing legacy. I'm good with the words but it would take me ages to appropriately explain Bob Dylan and what his songs have meant to me and I just don't have that kinda time today. Bob Dylan isn't for everyone but I've found there are two types of music lovers...those who adore Dylan and those who think he's grossly overrated. I fall into the first category.

In lieu of a wordy dissertation, I decided that since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I'll let the music do the talking today and post up some of my favorite songs of his covered by some of my favorite artists. My love letter to Mr. Dylan, if you will. We'll call it the "Happy Birthday, Bob!" mix.

Enjoy!

Jimi Hendrix - "All Along The Watchtower"

Luka Bloom - "Make You Feel My Love"

Magnet with Gemma Hayes - "Lay Lady Lay"

Guns N' Roses - "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"

Tracy Chapman - "The Times They Are A Changin'"

Stevie Wonder - "Blowin' In The Wind"

Cerys Matthews - "I Believe In You"

Jason Mraz - "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall"

As Tall As Lions - "Girl of the North Country"

The Format - "Simple Twist of Fate"

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - "Isis"

The Roots - "Masters of War"

Jane's Addiction - "Like A Rolling Stone"

Van Morrison - "Just Like A Woman"
Limbeck - "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You"

O introduced me to Super Deluxe not long ago and I find I check it far more often than I should. If you find yourself bored at work, killing time stuck in an airport or just generally huntin' a laugh, give the site a spin. This is one of my favorite videos...The Post Show punkin' on Dylan with their short, No Direction, Period. It's HILARIOUS...enjoy!