This Wheel's On Fire
Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics in 1967, but didn't get around to releasing a version of this track with his own vocals for another eight years. By that time, two versions, one by The Band and the other by The Byrds, had come and gone with their own versions. The Band's, dating from July 1968, was the first released and is better than The Byrds simply because it features a group of musicians who knew exactly what to do with the track.
The Byrds' version from February 1969 features a group that was still getting to know one another as musicians. Clarence White's guitar is still pretty cool.
- Bob, Columbia, Missouri, United States, 12.10.2005
The Byrds
1969 |
vs. |
The Band
1968 |
| Click on the cover for listening |
|
Click on the cover for listening |
Further information about song and bands:
The Byrds
Fanpage |
Lots of photos, some samples of Byrds songs, tabs and interesting reports of Byrds Fans, how they remember The Byrds. |
The Band
web site |
A great web site about The Band. Biographies of the band members, discography, lots of audio and video clips, lyrics, chords and much more - Everything you could imagine about this great band. |
Comments about This Wheel's On Fire:
I think the version on Big Pink is terrible. A waste of time and stains an otherwise perfect album.
- Gus, London, England, 01.11.2005 |
The Byrd's version sounds like a funeral dirge.
- Jon, Tell City, United States, 01.11.2005 |
A great song, as recorded by Bob Dylan and The Hawks/The Band in the summer of 1967. Unfortunately, no one has come close to covering the song adequately since then. No, not even the Band; their version is soul less, shallow and sticks out like a very sore thumb on an otherwise flawless album. They never repaired the problem on any of their live recordings either; only Dylan ever succeeded in making it sound like it was about anything.
The Byrds' version is barely worth mentioning.
- Lucas Hare, Hertfordshire, England, 01.11.2005 |
Dont forget to mention that it was the Bands' Rick Danko who wrote the music for This Wheel's On Fire
- Tom H, Aarhus, Denmark, 01.11.2005 |
An apples-and-oranges comparison. Clarence White's guitar work on The Byrds version gives the song a totally different feel than The Band's keyboard-driven sound. I wish both groups were still around to cover Dylan songs; compared to what's out there today, the worst song by either of these two groups is better than the best any contemporary group can offer.
- Uncle Buck, Chico, United States, 01.11.2005 |
Just a great song, I think The Band's version is better, but the Byrds did a good job, too.
- Jimmy, New Orleans, United States, 31.10.2005 |
