"Dylanesque" by Bryan Ferry; Virgin

Considering its stopgap nature, "Dylanesque" is a pretty, pleasing solo outing from the vocalist of the British art-rock band Roxy Music.

What was originally supposed to come out this year was the long-awaited reunion album from Roxy Music. The thought of what Ferry and Roxy cohorts Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Andy MacKay and Paul Thompson might come up with is absolutely tantalizing, but the project has been shelved while Ferry struggles with writer's block.

To free his muse and get his creative juices flowing again, Ferry is back with, you guessed it, a Bob Dylan covers album. Cranked out in barely a week, "Dylanesque" is notable for its fresh, spontaneous feel.

Ferry is backed by a sizable band that features longtime associates Chris Spedding (guitar), Andy Newmark (drums) and Paul Carrack (organ). Together they work their way through a number of gems from Dylan's catalog, including "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "All Along the Watchtower" and an especially gripping version of "Positively 4th Street."