Antony & The Johnsons - "Knocking On Heaven's Door"

It's been a long argued over debate whether Bob Dylan, one of the most widely covered artists of all time, did his songs better than the legions that cover him. While of course this can only be truly determined artist by artist, I think it's widely accepted that the man is outdone quite often (Dylan purists would argue, but can they really maintain that The Jimi Hendrix Experience version of "All Along The Watchtower" isn't definitive?)

In 2007, The Weinstein Company released the film I'm Not There, the highly experimental bio film that featured six personas of the Bob Dylan psyche, portrayed by six actors of varying age, race, and sex. The film's soundtrack was a Dylan cover free for all - two discs filled to capacity with brand new recordings by a wide range of artists. Between the two, there is an album's worth of great music, and another of filler. The whole album in one shot can be a bit of a grueling listen about three quarters in, but one of the record's sweetest plums is saved for the very end.

The penultimate track on the I'm Not There soundtrack is a haunting version "Knocking On Heaven's Door", performed by Antony & The Johnsons. A sparse recording, featuring only piano, acoustic guitar, and Antony's quivering croon, it is by far the best rendition of the often covered track. While Guns N' Roses' version reigned supreme (and probably always will in the general public's eye) for the last two decades, this take features a breadth and grace that stays true to the original's sentiment but reveals more pain and anguish than Billy The Kid could have ever hoped to express.