February 1, 1979, is the birthday of the greatest living songwriter today. Let’s honor him…With cover songs! And, let’s give him his proper place on my GOAT list.
THE GREATEST OF ALL TUNES (G.O.A.T.) is a series of posts, producing my 100 favorite songs of all time. The master list is here, and I update it about every two weeks or when I have another 10 songs or so.
Isbell is probably my favorite living songwriter, so he’s got lots and lots of brilliant songs. Codeine. Cover Me Up. Danko/Manuel. And that little song from A Star Is Born. So what two will make my best 100 songs ever list? Well, first “Cover Me Up.” That’s the obvious one. But second is “The High Road,” a song many fans aren’t as familiar with.
For me, personally, this song tears me apart. It’s intensely aligned with the events that led to my divorce and, well, even if this doesn’t make anyone else’s top 100 lists, it will sit comfortably on mine.
But picking just one or two for my G.O.A.T. page is a challenge. And I haven’t restricted my covers bonanza to just a couple songs–you’ll find LOTS of great covers after the break.
