Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra: twin titans of American music

Bob Dylan’s cover of a song by Ol’ Blue Eyes signals how much these two very different performers actually have in common

The most surprising thing about Bob Dylan choosing to release a song made famous by Frank Sinatra – Full Moon and Empty Arms – as the first track from his new album, is that anyone might be surprised. After all, it’s not like his Theme Time Radio Hour showed a man with rigid tastes (and the very first episode, broadcast on 3 May 2006, featured Sinatra’s 1966 recording of Summer Wind). His 2009 album Christmas in the Heart saw him addressing seasonal standards, among them – unavoidably, given they were standards – songs previously performed by Sinatra. And, most saliently, in 1995 Dylan performed at Sinatra’s 80th birthday gala, singing – apparently at the great man’s request – Restless Farewell, from his 1962 debut album The Times They Are a-Changin’.

You can read the rest of this article by Michael Hann of The Guardian here

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