Great Cover #4, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

In 2002 Uncut Magazine had an edition with two different cover pictures of Bob Dylan. One had Vol 1 of a Bob Dylan cover songs CD and the other had Vol 2. I bought both of them, so Uncut got value from me that month.

The stand out track for me is a version of It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) recorded by Syracuse New York’s Anti-Folk pioneer Hamell On Trial. A hard song to take on but a song perfect one for Hamell as he spits out the lyrics and furiously strums his battered old Gibson acoustic guitar at breakneck speed. So much so that it ends in just under four minutes, where as the original is seven and a half minutes long. Also the themes of commercialism, consumerism with political overtones suits Hamell On Trial to a tee.

Bob Dylan’s songs have been covered so many times over the years. From the whimsical folk of Peter, Paul and Mary to the heavy rock of Guns N’ Roses but none sound anything quite like this acoustic attack of It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).







Download an mp3 of Hamell On Trial - It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)from here.