Dave Stewart

Returning with an album of man-and-guitar Dylan covers, the Eurythmics legend's playing has never been laid so bare. He tells us about gigging folk clubs underage, the blues in his palette, and a memorable night on the tiles with Robert Zimmerman himself

- Henry Yates

'Underrated' seems a strange word to use about a musician who has sold 75 million records.

And yet there's a case that Dave Stewart has never quite received his due as a guitarist. Perhaps this oversight is understandable. Partnering the androgynous, octave-straddling Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox on Eurythmics' chart-topping dash through the 80s would put anyone in the shade. Nor did the multi-instrumentalist Stewart feel the need to constantly flex his guitar chops, driving many of the duo's biggest hits – like 1983's icy Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) – on synth and programmed drums.

“It feels very natural for me to [sit with an acoustic and play blues]. I never went away from that, even all through the 80s synthesiser period”

And while Stewart has been hugely prolific as a producer, songwriter and music-industry Swiss Army knife since Eurythmics' dissolution in the 90s, he's never attached himself to another full-time project in quite the same way. As such, the 72-year-old's new release – a fantastic collection of Bob Dylan covers snappily titled Dave Does Dylan – is a welcome reminder of Stewart's generational guitar skills, showcasing his supple fingerstyle and lived-in vocal on songs that take him right back to the start.

How do you feel about Dave Does Dylan? Are you pleased with it?