Reviews

Dave McEathron

Passers By Passers Through

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Review Date: 2007-10-07

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman) is without a doubt a very important musician to the past hundred years. Forty-four albums and hundreds of songs: you really could say that Dylan has done all that any musician ever could hope to achieve. Ranked second on Rolling Stones’ list of the most important people in music history – behind only the Beatles -- there is no doubt in my mind that much of today’s music is reflective of that stature.

Take Dave McEathron, for example. All I can think of is Dylan. It’s eerie how close they sound, and he does it so well that for all I know this could be Bob himself.

But it’s not; it’s Dave, I keep reminding myself, and I flip through the 14 songs on the album, Passers By, Passers Through. Backed by over a dozen musical guests and mastered at one of the most expensive (and close to the best) studios in the country, this album sounds good – great, even. All the arrangements are complex enough to show his skill and beautiful enough to be worth listening to. The only confusing aspect of the album is the inclusion of the “roots version” of the title track, which happens to be almost identical to the original, just with slightly different effects and vocals.

Everything about this record is solid. But if it’s all so perfect, why am I having such a hard time liking this Torontonian’s music? Because it’s existed since 1959, and don’t judge me, but if I hear anything else that resembles “Mr Tambourine Man” (with the exception of Will Shatner’s version...), I might have to kill myself.

So really there’s only one easy choice to make. If you like Dylan and all his glory, then find Dave McEathron and you will be pleasantly surprised. He is, in some ways, even better than the man himself. But if you are sick of Bob’s style, then find someone else.

Score: 6.2

= B.C.

- Bryan Chateau