Johnny Rivers - Positively 4th Street

[softshoes]

How could anyone hate Johnny Rivers, he's a secret agent man.

[cesargiometti]

esta canção balança os meus mais caros sentimentos, lembranças de meus quinze, dezesseis anos, os primeiros amores, paixões flamejantes e tão curtas como a duração de um cometa. Não há preço que pague trazer de volta tais recordações, com todas as emoções de tantos anos atrás... Johnny Rivers e Bob Dylan têm um lugar especial em meu coração, numa mistura de doce melancolia,e alegria também, de quem ainda vislumbrava o futuro, que é onde estou hoje, teclando essas suaves gotas de felicidade.

[jriversfans]

Better than Dylan's version.....Love Johnny Rivers.....He is the Best of the Best.....Dixie

[greengreyeyes28]

Love Johnny, adore the song, such scathing lyrics.

[sirronald69]

*****

[sh10131957]

Bob said Jimmi Hendrix owns All along the watch tower

[michelle88960]

one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs. i don't usually like covers of my favourite songs, but i love this. thanks for posting.

[teresoca41igcombr]

ELE CANTA COMO SE A MUSICA FOSSE DELE, DO FUNDO DA SUA ALMA....

[mattjackleroy]

The anger in Dylan's voice is palatable. Wisely, Dylan has never officially stated exactly who the song is about. Most likely a compilation of several people.

[Elafantre]

Johnny held the fort down out there.

[hollies65]

Bob Dylan is on record ...this is his favorite cover version of one of his songs. Fact.

[7777indie]

@hollies65 its in his book chronicles

[markbusk]

He's obvious he's got a better more smooth voice than Dylan's... but when Dylan sings it is more believable

[belliose]

I love this guy but Dylan's version is a masterpiece, one of his greatest.

[Raymantico]

Johnny had the unexpected arrangements and this one is superbly so

[mrm100350]

A very talented man.

[jor2814]

Love this cover, maybe better then Dylan's....maybe

[IAmberYatesI]

@jor2814 nawww never

[satinhell818]

@jor2814 nope !

[patriciaannpat]

No where in this song is the words "Positively 4th Street " and there is no repeat of words ....he was pissed with someone to write this song ....I like it a lot ..Who has not want to write a song like this about someone ? I know I have ...Both Dylan and Rivers did a great job of how they sing it !

[jarofants1]

@patriciaannpat Simply Red does a great version of this song. I rate it as a 10.

[QMPhilosophe]

Johnny Rivers has always been underrated by the musical establishment. So many fine songs..

[lwcowgirls]

absolutely stunning version!

[nicon99]

Go Johnny!!!

[namnoiz]

Johnny is one of my favorite recording artists from the 60's . His "7th Son" knocked me out when i first heard it . Jeon Leon

[bobrhode2]

Wow! I probably haven't listened to this version of this song for twenty years or more. Probably the best cover of the greatest 'kiss off' song of all time. Dylan was way less than thrilled with the Twin Cities when he wrote this.

[clucaspik]

Bob said in the autobiography that this version is better than his - God bless him for sayin' it.

[Seattlecarnut]

This is the best version of 4th Street I've ever heard. Even better than Bob Dylan's original (I think).

[robbylmp]

Yeah! Johnny Rivers. Excellent. 'rivers style'. Off of his 'Realization' album from the late sixty's. Many good covers on that Album. 'Summer Rain' 'Whiter shade of pale' 'Hey Joe'. Check it out! Thanks for posting. Ride on, Rob

[indiana1fats]

@robbylmp - "Realization" was my favorite album purchase of 1969. I wore that record out, especially this song.

[robbylmp]

@indiana1fats wore mine out too. It comes on DVD. Sounds excellent! ck it out. Rob.

[fogologo100]

@indiana1fats I was always a fan of j. Rivers. so underrated. I have all his records. But Realization is without a doubt my favorite record out of at least a thousand albums.Johnny Rivers stll performs now and then...

[cxmafia]

Wow - even better than Dylan

[JohnathonCole]

Hey i covered this song check it out let me know what you think

[ERIKOALVYM]

Dylan tem razão...Johnny é preciso, doce, e significativo.....

[fergal55]

vanilla!

[GreenGreenGrasOfHome]

This version is great, but I must confess, that I prefer Dylan's orignal.

[narnode]

i know dylan has aid this is best, but i think the original is bes no doubt, just like "watchtower" where everyone says hendrix is better just cuz dylan said it,, get an own opinion

[MJLatora]

I'm sorry, but this is awful. Neg me all you want, but this is Dylan's song, a personal song, a song that should never be covered. It's an iconic "writer's song" and just far too personal for anyone else to "feel" it...............

[fmazzar]

Dylan wrote in Chronicles that his cover of Positively Fourth Street was his favorite''Of all the versions of my recorded songs, [Rivers' cover of 'Positively 4th Street'] was my favorite...I liked his version better than mine.'' He went on to say that Rivers seemed understand what Dylan had in mind when he wrote the song..high praise...wouldn't you say....

[tideshea]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion MJLatora, but Dylan did refer to this version as his favorite interpretation of one of his works, and it's kind of amusing to hear you refer to it as Dylan's song and extremely personal and then to read him say, in his own words, how Johnny caught the emotion of this song perfectly and must have gone through a lot of the same things he did.

[newrycelt52]

a great version, however.. No One Sings Dylan like Dylan thanks for this version JFBrasil

[jimdonaldsong]

Bob Dylan could not be any bigger than he already is.

[thomascow1]

If only Dylan had a voice like this, how big would he be?

[Stbuster31]

but there wouldn't be a Dylan if it wasn't for his distinct voice and amazing lyrics. If Johnny or someone similar sang all of Dylan tunes and was in a sense Bob it wouldn't be as good. It would sound poppy and lame.

[thomascow1]

@Stbuster31 agree the man is a dynamo

[stephsguy01]

how big would he be???? how big is good ole johnny here?? im just sayin

[hownos]

Rivers is a great talent who got overshadowed somewhat.

[kjsnhs]

My fave of all time,of anyone,is CHANGES... the 2 are combined on CD...I still have the actual CHANGES album,autographed by Johnny....

He'd BETTER make it into the HALL OF FAME...it's a travesty that he is not already...

[GatewayHA]

My Favourite Album of all time. Realization. "Look to your soul." This album is the 60s through and through. There is nothing finer that expresses the age so fully. Johnny's version of "Whiter shade of pale." Is also the best cover of that song. Thanx 4 posting.

[youngbozo438]

You've got A lotta nerve!!!

[The7thSunSon]

Johnny is'nt in the HOF? UNBELIEVABLE! I've loved this guy since i was a little kid!

[kcantwell]

7th is right! It's a damn shame that Johnny Rivers and many others have yet to be recognized for their many contributions. I

[peeterpoon]

Dylan said that this was his favorite cover of any of his tunes....that is not feint praise...Note to Jann Wenner, put Johnny Rivers in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

[bara89]

johnny rivers puts so much of his soul into this cover. fucking hell it creeps up your spine....

[tacc24]

I love Johnny Rivers. Realization CD is in my car all of the time. Love the way the song ends with the last minute or so of guitar and drums on Pos. 4th Street. Really like his version. Johnny and Rick Nelson don't get the credit they deserve.

[littlebigbrain]

took me years to get a copy on cd now its here i know why i liked the album in 1969 when i first heard it. It was the first Album I ever bought.

[22ratshot]

Johnny Rivers had the amazing ability to capture the feelings and attitudes of his listeners who at the time of REALIZATION (which is absolutely his best ever collection)was during a time when baby boomers were in highschool and were facing war in Vietnam or had good friends who were over there and it was a time of special feelings and much of our music was about war, love,and hate. All of this created a very emotional feeling among young people. thanks for the post!REALIZATION!

[willowrivers]

really well said, 22ratshot. it was a very turbulent time but thanks to performers like johnny rivers, we had great music that expressed our emotions and touched our hearts. i am so glad that all these years later, j.r. is still going strong and that he has so many fans who love him.

[unclealbert72]

Johnny really does makes this song his own.

I love the pause at the end of "And you know what a drag it is to see you."

Just really makes you think.

The "Realization" L.P. is really his best album.

[dllewiszz]

This cover appears on Johnny's "Realization" LP, which Johnny says is his favorite LP project of all time. Be sure and listen to all the cuts on that album -- they are all excellent and allow you to hear a more complex, reflective Johnny Rivers than all his other music.

[tywilcox715]

awesome cover!!!!!!!! love johnny and bob both!

[jlsfla01]

I never knew Johnny had a version of this before----Been listening to Rivers since the mid 60s----this is a great version of positively 4th street--well done Johnny.

[Teach417]

I think I hear what Dylan liked about this interpretation; Rivers retains the melody, but this is more plaintive than angry. I suspect this is what Dylan's been trying to achieve with his own renditions for the last 10 or 20 years, but unfortunately, he just doesn't have the voice anymore to carry it off the way he wants to.

[duvaldallas]

yea ive never heard this version

but i love bob dylan

and johnny rivers is pretty dank in my book

i think the best dylan cover ive ever heard is van morrison doing "just like a woman"

or atleast the best imo

[NRAforlife67]

Actually Bob Dylan said this was his all time favorite cover of any of his songs. I have so much respect for Johnny Rivers. He was one of the very few, if not the only rock musicians to play for the soldiers in Vietnam. Not a popular move back then and I think it speaks volumes about the man. Plus I love his music. I swear I hear the Gulf of Mexico somewhere in his voice. Rock on dude!

[gabridad]

@NRAforlife67 ...hits the nail...

[cxmafia]

@NRAforlife67 Yep - Rivers was the only one, who actually understood how REALLY to make an anti-war statement by going down there

[indiana1fats]

@NRAforlife67 - Amen.

[moti4love]

@NRAforlife67

Thank you for this. Very exciting to know that people still appreciate singers who supported the soldiers.

[Seattlecarnut]

@NRAforlife67 I love Bob Dylan's version, but this one is more emotional. The first time I heard this song, I cried, which doesn't happen very often.

[peeterpoon]

This is a great version. My favorite Dylan cover is Rick Nelson doing "She Belongs To Me." I's rank Manfred Mann's "Just Like A Woman" right up there as well.

[AGibsonJ]

Dylan once said Johnny does the best version of this song.

[AGibsonJ]

"Poor Side of Town" which Johnny actually wrote is fabulous too!

[bigboyo]

Despite the fact that Rivers sang a lot of crap during his career he always had something that was buried under the sappy material he covered. And this interpretation shows it for what it was. Poor Johnny. The man's talent was wasted.

[68enxy]

Poor Johnny, 17 top 40 hits, 107 most popular artist of all time!  The owner of classics like, Poor Side of Town and The Tracks of My Tears! Sure, he covered other's songs , but did a damn good job at it. I personally love his version of "Do You Wanna Dance" Maybe we should take up a collection poor Johnny!.

[SouthernBelleSmiles]

what makes him "poor Johnny"?

[68enxy]

That "Poor Johnny" comment was sarcasm on my part referring to bigboyo's statement that Johnny's talents were wasted. I then went on to list some of his accomplishments. I think he's one of the best singers of the 60's

[SouthernBelleSmiles]

I see. He does a soulful version of this Dylan classic. I guess I like Dylan's best since he has that angry streak!

[68enxy]

You're right of course,anyone who covers Positively 4th Street and Like a Rolling Stone, comes in second at best. I've been listening to Dylan doing these two songs for almost 44 years now and I still love them.

[SouthernBelleSmiles]

Hey! But this truly a noteworthy rendition.

[HolgerHelfert]

yes, noone has done this two songs with a angry voice like dylan himself. all the many byrds-, hollies-, peter paul and mary-etc-covers of dylansongs are just popmusic ...

[willowrivers]

i guess if dylan liked jr's version, that says it all.

[sallygal7]

He gets at the hurt.

[hhhaller]

great version of the song-both excellent-Rivers has done a lot,& this is a good example

[dorak8]

for me to plastic...

[Celebrindan]

I wish today's music still had this kind of heart!

[mithunwa]

done justice to dylans cover!!

[hinton3311]

Thank you for this awesome post. I always loved Rivers' version of this amazing song.

[livndream4u2]

This guy is so versital, I never thought anyone could do this better then dylan, but here it is..Thanks for the post!

[Mrhellsy]

even bob Dylan said this version was better than his in his book. he loved it!

[Ricklawrence]

I wonder who Bob and Johnny were thinking about when they sang this song. I wonder who Bob wrote it about. Bob is a master poet.

[summercos]

Fantastic. Thanx.

[kjsnhs]

Lovely......

[Lidiafern]

Nossa que música linda!me arrepiei..

[bknight23]

Dylan called this his favorite cover of him in his book Chronicles

[JFBRASIL]

Yes its True...

Page 72

[swalta]

i read this today, tis a fantastic book

[tom120ali]

@bknight23 yeah he said that he preferred it to his own version :)

[brunofujii]

@bknight23 Didn't know that...

[mrmjb1960]

It's the version thay's on his 1968 Lp "Realization",originally called "The Realization of Mr. Beezlebub"(!) (The tile was changed by Johnny because of his iding Christianity) Michael Boyce

[teresoca41igcombr]

@mrmjb1960 que absurdo... vc não tem o que fazer, não ?

[nonodylan]

Nice song & video !