As part of the 50th anniversary celebration for Amnesty International, a new 76 song, four disc set, Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan, is being released today. Lest you think this is just some hippy dippy outgrowth of the 60s, Amnesty International has been fighting for human rights all over the globe, working to protect people’s justice, freedom, truth, and dignity, for which they received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Bob Dylan’s music is the perfect choice for a tribute, with his literate portrayal of social mores, issues, and the body politic in song through the years. The list of artists participating is mind-blowing, among them: Adele, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, Mark Knopfler, Lenny Kravitz, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Morello, Seal & Jeff Beck, Patti Smith, Sting, Pete Townshend, and Lucinda Williams.
All told, there are 80 artists spanning the genres who have contributed to this worthy album for a worthy cause. Bob Dylan himself does “Chimes Of Freedom” on the new album, and I couldn’t find a video for it. So here is a bit of a left curveball, as this version is not on the album, but here is one we found from Bruce Springsteen with Sting, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, and Youssou N´Dour back in 2007.
- Jessie Scott