Judy Sings Dylan ... Just Like A Woman

As a folksinger who sang Bob Dylan’s songs when they were first written, Judy Collins finally answered the age-old question of when she would finally record an entire album of his songs with this mid-‘90s collection. The arrangements are clean and professional, with the quieter material like “Simple Twist of Fate,” “Sweetheart Like You,” “Dark Eyes” and “I Believe in You” expanding to a greater depth. Collins finds empathy in the tough-minded gospel of “Gotta Serve Somebody,” and sweetness where Dylan once put his sneer in “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.” Collins sounds a little out of character as the pick-up artist of “Sweetheart Like You,” but she retains a wistful hope and compassion that eventually wins everyone over. The social revolution of “Like a Rolling Stone” is less an anthem than a rush of excitement of how far things have come. The a cappella “With God On Our Side” is spine-tingling, as the voices race towards the heavens. “Bob Dylan’s Dream” becomes Judy Collins’ dream as well.