Bob Dylan: what a weird and wonderful week he has had. Photograph: Jeff Christensen/AP
What a weird and wonderful week it has been for Bob Dylan. First there's the strangely appealing combination of Bryan Ferry greasing his way through some vintage back catalogue, then the pope has at a pop at him for a 1997 gig,and now there is the quite magnificent website album Dylan Hears a Who.
We are used to hearing mash-ups - Elvis suddenly appearing halfway through a Girls Aloud track like a Cadillac shunted on to the back of a Seat Ibiza - but this is something altogether more ambitious. Here, a Bob Dylan soundalike sings a selection of Dr Seuss classics, including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, to the tunes of Like a Rolling Stone, Tombstone Blues and Ballad of a Thin Man.
The results are magnificent. Not only does the band brilliantly capture the Highway 61 Revisited-era sound but the vocalist pulls off the imitation with such exactness you'd swear this was some secret jest Dylan knocked off back in the 70s to amuse young Jakob. Rather like a Glunk that can't be unthunk, once you hear it you'll never be able to listen to Dylan in the same way again.
The site comes just weeks after the release of Songs for the Young at Heart, an album of children's songs put together by the grumpy old fellas in the Tindersticks, which features Jarvis Cocker (the real Jarvis Cocker) reading the classic Stanley Holloway story The Lion and Albert.
Maybe the musician/children's book angle could work for other artists too. Neil Young could reach a whole new audience with a concept album based on the Rainbow Fairies, while 50 Cent would be perfect for Gruffalo. Obviously the mouse would have to be armed. Any better ideas?
