In the 60's, it was common for at least five bands to cover each significant Dylan song. By the 70's, that happened much more rarely. One exception was "Knocking on Heaven's Door". When sung live with feeling, it can tear your guts out. We all know in the backs of our minds that we are going to die, and this song can help us glimpse at how that makes us feel.
Lots of bands have covered the song to great effect. The Grateful Dead had it in their lineup often, and during Jerry's deeper and darker times, there would be dozens of us out in the hallways crying when we heard it. You can love a performance of the song even if you don't like the band. I have heard some live Guns 'N Roses renditions that put to shame many Dead performances of the same song.
For your folkie pleasure: A live 1977 version by the Byrds.
Posted by lookit at July 7, 2005 07:52 PM