Only two originals from Bob here. "Talkin' New York," and his ode to his hero, "Song To Woody." Both songs are alright, but neither one could really clue you in to what Bob was about to do on his next album. There was no foreshadowing here.
"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," "Man Of Constant Sorrow," and "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down," top my list of favorite songs off the album. Unlike some of you, Bob's "House Of The Risin' Sun" really doesn't do much for me. I may have just heard the song too many times from too many people. There's really not much else to say about this album. If you want to hear a legend beginning to feel his way around the industry, buy this album. If you're only interested in hearing the cream of the crop, go out and buy his mid '60s masterpieces.
My rating, a 5. (Now, all of my ratings are exclusive to the world of Dylan. They are all in comparison to other Dylan albums. If I rate a Dylan album a 6, that doesn't mean I think it's equal to an AC/DC album I'd rate a 6. Bob is much, much better than that. Bob just can't be compared to anyone else. He is a species unto himself. So a 5 for this album is in comparison to a 10 for Highway 61 Revisited.)
the funny songs are good too.
In fact, the sentiments in this song are still very much relevant today - if you'd care to leave the music/entertainment websites for a just a moment, and read the world news sites, you may see what Dylan is/was talking about....
But that may involve thinking....
This is a landmark album and will be remembered as such when 20th Century music is looked back upon by future historians.
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," though...that's the guy's masterpiece! One of the best songs ever written. Apparently each line was originally going to have an entire song written about it, but he decided to just throw it all together. Good decision! I love the whole thing...so haunting, so mysterious, so Dylan! And the rest aren't bad, either. After "Corrina, Corrina," it's hard to see how people couldn't guess Bob would soon chuck his acoustic guitar. It's practically a rock song!
The closer is hysterical, by the way. What do we need to make the country great? More songs like that! A big, whopping 10.
You know, it's October 2001 as I write this, and given what has happened in the past few weeka, I doubt anyone will ever again raise serious criticism of the likes of Masters of War. It may not be a great song - a different argument entirely - but the sentiment is truer and more grimly sincere than ever. War is hell.
Bob made two pretty big statements back in those heady days. He was right about the answer - it's blowin' in the wind today just as much as it was in 1962, but as for the times... well, they weren't really changing at all. But I have a feeling he knew that.
Well. if that's the case -- let's "pretend that we never have met" (to quote a sarcastic Dylan lyric from two albums hence).
No, better - goodbye is too good a word, babe, so I'll just say "fare thee well."
"I Shall Be Free" is a FANTASTIC tune!!! I like a few others, but there are the two that I can distinguish as the highlights, and the other one is "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", so I obviously agree on that one, but man that last track, I never get tired of...Pretty guitar, kick-ass harmonica, funny lyrics and whatever it is that's special about Bob Dylan.
But this space isn't reserved for politics, so how about the rest of the songs? Everyone knows "Blowin' In The Wind," and rightfullly so. Fantastic, anthemic song. Truly a standard of popular music. "Girl Of The North Country" is a beautiful ballad, and superior to its sound alike sister "Boots of Spanish Leather" off Dylan's next album. "Masters Of War" is another epic protest song. Possibly Dylan's most vicious song to date, and almost certainly his most venomous protest song. "Talkin' World War III Blues" is one of Dylan's few "humor" songs that I actually find mildly humorous. Even manages to quote Abraham Lincoln in it (sort of). "Down The Highway' finds Dylan showing off some of his more impressive guitar skills (which most casual music fans will claim he doesn't have). And of course, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is one of Bob's more enduring love songs, and one of his favorites to play live. Oh, and I'll never understand the draw of "I Shall Be Free." I just don't like it much. But that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a fantastic sophmore album, and one hell of an accomplishment for a young 20-something.
Some people will tell you that Bob never surpassed this album. I won't argue that point, even though I don't agree. Everyone has their own specific taste. Although I'd certainly agree that this is the height of acoustic Dylan.
Overall rating, I give it an 8. And it's hard not to give it a 9, it really is. It's between an 8 and 9, and I'm gonna round down this time. "I Shall Be Free," "Corrina, Corrina," "Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance," "Bob Dylan's Blues," and "Oxford Town" are all just a little too pedestrian for me to give it higher than 8. Nonetheless, it's still one of the most important albums in music history, and was partially the impetus for The Beatles' "Rubber Soul," another epic '60s record.
10 out of 10.
Q. What's the difference between Bob Dylan and a dark reddish orange?
A. Well, one is 'burnt sienna' and the other was 'burnt out by 1977'!'
Q. Why did Bob Dylan cross the road?
A. To get to Another Side!
Q. How many Bob Dylan fans does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A. Theoretically only one, but he's been talking to the record store clerk for the last three hours!
Q. What was Bob Dylan's ass dildo doing five minutes after Bob ate at Taco Bell?
A. The answer, my friend, is "blowing in the wind"!
Q. What did Bob Dylan both say and experience after an all-night lovemaking session with his idol Woody Guthrie?
A. "'Morning, Wood!"
Now that I've saved society from certain suicibe, I plead with you to hear me as I discuss the recently-released recording of Mr. Dylan and his acoustic guitar performing a solo set of mostly traditional folk material at the Gaslight in 1962. The first thing to note about this performance is that Dylan sounds extremely uncomfortable; this is due to the Gaslight being not a club but an actual gaslight upon which Bob has accidentally sat while in the nude. Ha ha! No, see - I'm joking!
According to those in the know, Dylan performs two tracks from Freewheelin', one non-LP original and seven trad. arr. folk classics. Which reminds me - have you heard that Half Man Half Biscuit song "We Built This Village On A Trad. Arr. Tune"? See, now that's FUNNY! Why can't "Weird Al" Yankovic make us laugh like that anymore? Your enjoyment of this Dylan CD is going to depend entirely upon your interest in hearing him perform old folk tunes on his guitar with a hole in it. Do you like his debut album? I do. This doesn't really sound like it though. How about eggs? Do you like eggs?
Folk melodies aren't by nature the most exciting and novel riffs you're ever going to hear, but Bob does his best to make the set seem diverse by utilizing a number of playing techniques -- pretty pickin', happy strummin', sad pluckin', moody lickin', tough rhythmizing, and best of all, playing the incorrect chords! (listen closely to "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" for some ear-scraping wrong turns!). The lyrics seem fairly provocative too, particularly in the fanTAStic anti-war ballad "John Brown" and the goodtime drug celebration let's all take drugs drug anthem "Cocaine." But somebody should have decked him during "Rocks And Gravel"; I don't know that I've ever heard a vocal hook quite as purposely annoying as "Take some rocks NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN gravel baby...." Were there no violent rednecks around? Come on, what kind of beat cafe didn't have a bunch of Nazi skinheads and humongous drunken jocks hanging around every night? This is why I think it was actually recorded in a studio surrounded by policemen.
I have to assume Bob wasn't terribly popular yet because the crowd remains almost completely silent throughout the entire set, aside from singing along like a bunch of kindergarten children to "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." Eh, I'm done.
Winner - 2005 'Best Ending' Awards
I agree that this album is a disappointment after Freewheelin'. While recently pruning my CD collection, The Times . . . was the first Dylan album to go. It's so dour and preachy that listening becomes a chore by the end. That being said, "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" does feature some beautiful harmonica work, and the tune overall is a fine one, and may be worth the price of admission (It's a sad song, in case the title didn't forewarn you). It is not a bad record, so much as one that has not aged well and now seems to us more a product of its time than Freewheelin' does.
This is one of several Dylan records that would have benefited from a more considered track selection. The outtakes "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" (included on Biograph) and "Moonshiner" (on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1) would have helped to balance the album out, in terms of mood. But, what's done is done (and we listeners today can always make a mix tape that includes some of the less cranky outtakes) . . .
The Times They Are A-Changin' is "Too bleak to enjoy"????
That's like saying you didn't like Saving Private Ryan because it was short on laughs!!!!
And as for saying that there are no great songs on it... songs don't come much greater than "With God On Our Side", "Only A Pawn In Their Game" and the title track itself....
This album, along with Freewheelin' are both absolutely indespensible albums. Sparse, immediate and classic.
As for giving albums stars, does anyone else think that's a silly way to assess art, or is that just me?
Times They Are A'Changin is too bleak?
Will somebody please explain the concept of folk music to this kid? You admire the quality, eh? Well that's very big of you. Next you're going to tell me "Dr. Strangelove" has too many people and the US should've won...
The Good Half:
1. The Times They Are A-Changin'
2. With God On Our Side
3. One Too Many Mornings
4. Only A Pawn In Their Game
5. Boots Of Spanish Leather
6. When The Ship Comes In
The Bad Half:
1. Ballad Of Hollis Brown
2. North Country Blues
3. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
4. Restless, Farewell
Okay, so maybe that doesn't break up perfectly into a half and half. But it certainly feels like there are more bad songs considering the length of the last two. And I know a lot of people like "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," and I understand the message of the song. Good message, bad song. I just can't stand Bob's vocals on it. And I usually like his vocals. And having to hear "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" and "North Country Blues" within 20 minutes of each other makes me want to kill myself. And not because of the subject matter, I'm cool with that, I don't care too much that the album is "humorless" as some say. I just think they're not good songs. I like "Only A Pawn In Their Game," and it ain't a laugh riot.
Wait. Why am I writing this like I"m defending myself from criticism? I haven't even posted this yet. Overall, it's a 6, mostly on the historical significance of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and the greatness of "When The Ship Comes In."
One warning I must give to you here though, my friends: If you, like me, first heard this album's most popular tracks as performed by other less vocally-challenged pop combos ("All I Really Want To Do," "Spanish Harlem Incident," "Chimes Of Freedom," and "My Back Pages" by The Byrds; "It Aint Me Babe" by The Turtles), it might take a few listens to get used to these rudimentary acoustic original versions. But you will, and eventually you'll even come to enjoy them as much as those fine cover versions (except maybe "Chimes Of Freedom" - I always thought it was an impossibly beautiful anthem until I heard Bob sing it! Still, the lyrics are godlike, you gotta give him that).
A fantastic, melodic, young, humorable album. His often irritating voice is probably a bit loud in the mix, and, though pretty, "Ballad In Plain D" sure gets tiresome after about 14 minutes, but the rest of 'em can - isn't it weird that we're all gonna be dead some day? Wouldn't it be weird if these reviews were my legacy? Or would that just be pathetic? I'm 23, see, and I have to feel like I'm creating something. Otherwise, I'll look back when I'm 30 and go, "Jesus Christ, what have I done? Wasted my life!!!!" I don't want to waste my life. Can you get me a job writing about music for money??? I don't get to spend enough time doing it, and it would be a heavenly way to spend 40 hours a week. I used the word "spend" twice in that sentence. Good way to impress editors.
People rave and rave about the four songs on side 2 of Bringing It All Back Home being his peak as an acoustic songwriter. But they're wrong - I'll be damned if the last four songs on Another Side are not better. Much better. Truly, My Back Pages, I Don't Believe You, Ballad in Plain D and It Ain't Me Babe do far more for me than Gates of Eden et al. My Back Pages in particular is right up there with the greatest songs of a) Bob Dylan and b) the 1960s - its melody is sumptuous and it simply bleeds emotion. And Ballad in Plain D is very long, but it's also wonderful - I don't hear Desolation Row or Sad Eyed Lady coming in for the same criticism. It Ain't Me Babe speaks for its magnificent self.
I honestly couldn't name a Bob Dylan album I like more than this one. But I do recognize that in later years he took his art to even higher levels. So a nine, but as high a nine as the law permits. Amazing.
Despite that, this album is about how Dylan got his humor back. The brooding, angry Dylan from The Times They Are A-Changin' is gone on this album. Dylan is now a lover, and a joker, not a fighter. And he proves to be an exceptionally good lover (at least in song). "Spanish Harlem Incident," turns the typical love song on its head. Who else could write lines like "your temperature is too hot for taming/your flaming feet are burning up the street." Or "the night is pitch black come and make my/pale face fit into place oh please." As an extremely pale man, I know what he's talking about there. "To Ramona," "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)," and "It Ain't Me, Babe" all add more quality to this album.
As for the "comedic" songs, they're alright. I'm just not much for comedy in my music. Professional reviewers who have called Dylan songs "funny as hell" must suffer from some kilnd of humor deficiency. They're okay songs, but nothing special.
The two serious songs are what really stand out about this album for Dylan, though. Although I don't much care for "My Back Pages" (I hate the pitch of his voice at the opening of the song. It's just like "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" which is one of the only songs where his vocal delivery bothers me.) it essentially announces his artistic direction for the next few years. He says he's done with protest songs, and that's fine, he gave more to that movement with "Freewheelin'" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" than any other artist did in their entire careers. The other serious song is "Chimes Of Freedom" which is both the best, and most disappointing song of the album. The lyrics are amazing, and it's a good melody, but Dylan doesn't put the necessary passion behind the vocals to match the words. His live versions of this song blow the studio one out of the water, and that can't be said about too many of his acoustic pieces. The version on the No Direction Home soundtrack has the proper performance behind the music, and shows us what kind of song this could be. Overall, the album is a 6. Good, not great, but it was certainly a necessary transition album for Bob. Once he got these songs out, he was ready to move forward to bigger, better things.
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9-The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 - Columbia 2010
Highlights included:
- The use of megaphone and guitar static for the "Honey Pie" intro
- A member of the horn section standing patiently onstage for the entirety
of "Glass Onion" just to play the four recorder notes during the third
verse
- The guitarist replicating Lennon's "Oh! Fuckin' hell" during the "Hey
Jude" encore.
- Astonishingly rich vocal harmonies throughout. These guys can SING!
- A special guest appearance by MR. DENNY LAINE! He played some twiddly
nonsense during "Birthday" and "Yer Blues," then returned for the encore of
"Hey Jude," "Revolution" and the Denny Laine classic "Go Now," which wasn't
even written by Denny Laine but whatevs.
- A big ol' harp being brought onstage for "Good Night"
- The entire Beatles White Album
Lowlights included:
- Boring wank-off jams at the end of "Everybody's Got Something To Hide
Except for Me and My Monkey," "Revolution #1" and "Helter Skelter" that
probably had Paul McCartney spinning in his grave (the real Paul
McCartney, that is)
- A strangely atonal version of "I Will." It sounded to me like the two
guitars were out of tune, but Mr. Jim Laakso informs me that one of the
guys was making mouth noises into the mic, so maybe that's what sounded so
off about it.
- A 'good old college try' at "Revolution #9" that relied too heavily on
triggered samples pulled directly from the record. It was fun watching the
guy in the back do the weird wheezing and screeching vocal noises though
(ex. "Hooo-ooo-ooo! Hoo-ooo-oooo!"; "RI-I-I-I-I-I-IGHT!") .
- The morons standing behind us for the final half-hour, who (a) excitedly
exclaimed after every single song, "They nailed it!," (b) spilled
their beer all over my date's leg, (c) responded to the stage introduction
of a band member from Philadelphia by repeatedly shouting "PHILLY SUCKS!,"
(d) talked all the way through "Revolution #9" even though the band had
specifically requested silence, and (e) spent the entirety of "Go Now"
talking about how lame it was and how much it sucked. Had they not each
weighed about 200 pounds more than me, I might have said something like
"Are you fucking retarded!?" But you know me, I'm a zip code gentleman.
Say! Here's a rare fact of which you may be unaware: beloved Christmas crooner Bob Dylan actually began his career as an obscure singer-songwriter. It's true! Long before becoming world-famous for his many Christmas carols and holiday joy, Mr. Dylan actually recorded more than thirty little-heard albums of secular music. It's true! And, as demonstrated by The Pickwick Demos, he was creating great tunes long before replacing Santa Claus as the official mascot of the season, to whom children send letters asking for things.
I know it may seem strange to see the words "wit" and "Mark" in such close proximity to each other, but The Witmark Demos features a whole slew of early Rob Dylan songs performed by Corn on the Cob Dylan on acoustic guitar, harmonica and occasional piano so that S.O.B. Dylan could pursue the moneymaking scheme of selling his songs to other artists. This double-CD collects 47 performances, only five of which were previously available on official releases (all earlier Bootleg Series discs). In total, the Shitmark (alt. Titmark) (alt. Jitmark) Demos includes demo versions of nine songs from Freewheelin', four A-Changin', one Bringin', one Bob Dylin' and one Greatest Hits, Volume IIin', along with a whole smasharole of originals and stolen covers you ain't NEVER heard! (unless you own them on bootleg)
I read something recently that changed my whole tune towards Bob Dylan. Apparently a lot of those great early melodies I thought he wrote were actually just stolen from old folk songs. In other words, he would write lyrics to something like "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," and then just sing them to some public domain melody he'd heard somewhere else. I will never forgive him for this. Similarly, I immediately forgave Led Zeppelin for recording a bunch of black guys and releasing it as their first album.
My point is that I can't really vouch for Dylan's melodic ingenuity at this point in his career because I've no clue which tunes he wrote and which he just borrowed and returned later. Nevertheless, I'll go out on a limb and ask, "How in Sam Nation's Aspirin Bottle were these songs considered 'not good enough' for inclusion on a studio LP?" about the following compositions:
- "Long Ago, Far Away" and "Quit Your Low Down Ways" with their bluesy
string bendin'
- "Ballad for a Friend" with its sad melodic pickin' and singin'
- "Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues" with its story of a ship
sinkin'
- "Rambling, Gambling Willie" with its hooks, fun and nominal similarity to
a Bob Seger song
- "John Brown," the Metallica-worthy fable of a mother's foolish
excitement as she sends her son off to war ("His face was all shot off and
his limbs were all blown off..")
- "Man on the Street," the depressing tale of a dead homeless guy
- "The Death of Emmett Till," the sickening report of a real-life racist
child murder
- "Seven Curses," the brutal tale of a treacherous hangman with a penis
- "Farewell" and its gentle, sad folk goodbye
- "Let Me Die in My Footsteps," even though Dylan complains, "It's awful
long. I mean it's not that long, but it's a drag!"
- "Guess I'm Doing Fine" with its calm demeanor bouncy country-western bass
line
- "Baby, I'm in the Mood for You" with its spirited joy and 'too short to
start sucking' quality
- "Paths of Victory," which is just a really good song
They can't all be zingers though, and bland folk-by-numbers garbage bags like "Bound to Lose, Bound to Win," "All Over You," "I'd Hate to Be You on That Dreadful Day," "Hero Blues," "Whatcha Gonna Do?" and "Ain't Gonna Grieve" are proof that even Bob Dylan of Empire Burlesque and Down in the Groove fame churns out a duff track every once in a while.
If you're a Dylan fan, stop being a skinflint and help Dylan out with a Witmark purchase. There's lots of good rare material here - including PIANO (!) demos of "Mama, You Been On My Mind," "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "I'll Keep It with Mine" -- plus you get to hear a young, fresh-faced Zimmerman provide such entertaining commentary as:
- "Jesus, I can't get it! I lost the verses."
- "Let's just put this one down for kicks!"
- "I can write you out the verses later. I can't remember them right now."
- "That's my calypso tap number!"
- "That's about all I can remember of that without the notebook."
- "This imposes a real problem. 'Imposes' - is that a word? It
supposes a real problem!"
- "In 15 years I'm going to become a Christian and write a song about
naming animals."
That said, I'd like to forget about this rock'n'roll side of Mr. Dylan for a moment and discuss the breathtakingly well- written serious tracks that close the album: "Gates Of Eden," "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" are the breathtakingly well-written serious tracks that close the album.
There. I have now discussed the breathtakingly well-written serious tracks that close the album.
Let me also say that, as much as I respect Beck for his little wacky bebop hoody-doo, he absolutely is not the "Dylan of the '90s." Dylan was probably the most perceptive songster of the entire seventieth decade of the 19th century (the first decade was 00-10); Beck writes non-sequitors (sequiters? aaah, who gives a crap?). Does Dylan have a '90s equal? I'd wager not; if so, I haven't heard him and he was probably just influenced by Dylan anyway so he doesn't really count, although granted Dylan was essentially just trying to imitate Woody Guthrie, so maybe I should just give the whole argument a rest. In closing, Dylan's move to Electricland (one damn passable Bad Company tune) didn't affect his genius one Lee Iacocca. A few of these songs are harrowingly lovely - except for that voice, of course.
"It's Alright Ma" is powerful, catchy, and it features one of my favorite Dylan lines (I think, I suck at song titles) "even the president of the United States must sometimes stand naked."
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is....great for lack of a better word. I've spent many an idle hour trying to memorize all the lyrics of that song ("you don't need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows", "twenty years of schooling and they put you on the day shift"). Dylan is raging at the "establishment" with a rapid song/poem/speech that I still find amazing every time I hear it.
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is an exquisite song, that's the only way I can describe it. The melody, the words, the chorus, even Bobby's much maligned voice, they all click together to form one hell of a beautiful song.
By the way, the rest of the album is wonderful too, just not ultra-super-incredible (more on the ultra-super level). If you are foolish enough to only want one Dylan album, get this one.
Still, the electric side is fascinating. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is fast and furious; "Maggie's Farm" has a great lyrical hook; "Love Minus Zero" is a great emotional ballad. There are some songs you could call 'filler' here, although I prefer to refer to them as 'the usual Bobstuff', and I like 'em nonetheless.
And well, maybe he's riding the Stones vehicle, but I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd never even suspected that before, his style is so different. The bluesy melodies are often much too simple, but that's OK by me. Remember - "all blues sounds the same"?
8/10
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Oh, sorry, I was laughing at Bush W. Jerk's latest press conference. But what's this? THIS is funny too!! I CAUGHT you!! HAHA!! Always knew it would happen!!! You admitted you respect Beck for SOMETHING!! It's too late now!! You can't take back what you wrote a decade ago!!! Never ever!! Because people pick their positions at age 20 and never change them!! And I am Thomas F. Barton of Not in Our Name. I am a psycho who cheers when car bombs go off. Yay for mememememmm
Whew, sorry. Big stats test tomorrow.
Ah, you and your Beck Sucks fixation. I think you must've listened to all his albums that suck and nothing else. Odelay and Sea Change, goddammit. Read 'em and weep. Literally, I mean. Sea Change will make you cry. And he is NOT a groomed corporate MTV plastic-man, fuckdammit. Ska-funk-rap?? Must've done THAT on Mutations or some shit. Ah well.
But THIS album? Great LP, no question, but no comparison to Another Side, Highway 61, Blonde on, and Blood on. Like the entire rockin' side, looooove the original "Tambourine Man," dig the lyrics to "It's Alright Ma," hate absolutely everything else. I'm not kidding. How "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" came to be on one of his Greatest Hits compilations is way the hell beyond me--that song is uuuuuuuggly! Timely lyrics, yes, but the melody. . . yyyyuck. Same goes fer "Gates of Eden"--man can't sing worth a crap, but he pretends to. Still, that's two bad songs out of eleven. Better than any of the first three Pixies albums, that's what I say. I give it a low 9.
Hurricane Rita? More like Hurricane EAT A! (dick, that is.) I stayed in Houston for the big show. The highest winds we got were 60 mph, nothing exciting--and half the city left town anyway. Buncha weirdos. Oh well. Lake Charles got near wiped off the map, though. A girl I'm in love with lives there, and that's why I care so damned much. Unfortunately, it's the college equivalent of a Clapton-ish Layla situation, if you "Patti Boyd" my "George Harrison," and I think you do.
The point I'm trying to make with all this is: Watch the second part of the Bob Dylan Documentary tomorrow. It's gonna tear.
Well, you know me, we go way back. So obviously, I don't have to tell you that after a good few years of smashing my head on the punk rock (and other music from the 80s/90s/00s), I've finally started checking into some groups from the 60s and things. Among these new interests, I've been looking into Bob Dylan, who's songs I've always liked a bit, although I've only recently gotten any of his stuff.
Anyway, so I'm at Manifest Records today, and I see "Bringing It All Back Home" for 6 bucks used. "6 bucks?", I said. "Now that's my kinda price!", said the women next to me. Well, she didn't but oh this is stupid let's just cut to the cheese here.
I get the cd, take it home, cherish the artwork, put in the cd that would normally start with "Subteranian Homesick Blues" to find...some boring ass 6 minute long song that is NOT "Subterainian Homesick Blues"! No, rather, when I popped the cd out of my player, I find that somehow, somebody stuck in the cd of "Infedels" and nobody ever noticed it when they bought it or sold it to me! And it skipped on the first song! Almost as bad as the time I bough "Sorry In Pig Manner", only to find no cd inside the case. Actually, it was probally better then, because at least I didn't have to hear boring crap in lou of good crap! Thankfully, there were 2(!) used copies of that, so I made a quick exchange...
So I guess the moral of the story is, is that
Do I like the album? Sure, I like it, but it's not necessarily a step up for Mr. Dylan. An overabundance of Stonesy rock'n'blues too often makes it feel like a retread of Bringing My Shoes Back Home. You know how it can be in life sometimes. The only tunes that really save it from a lower score on the Prickter scale are the dark piano grinder "Ballad Of A Thin Man," the sloppy sleepy blues ballad (and Beasties Boys sample) "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," and then of course that last song. You know the one. The longest and most beautiful track he'd recorded yet? You know the one. The one with the lead and rhythm guitars coming together for a pretty "dugge-digge-doo-doo" there at the end of each verse? Oh man, you know the one. Ah yes, she's lovely. I could listen to her for the rest of my weeks without moanin' and complainin'. "Desolation Frank," I think she's called?
Blowing opportunites, I mean.
Away.
That is.
I'm GOOD (at that).
Love opportunities.
But DYLAN sure didn't! Good fer him and HIS huge fuckin' mojo!!!!&^% This was the first Dylan record I ever got, and I must've listened to it. . man, a wolloping TWO times before something (forever undefined) clicked. Suddenly, I realized, all these nine songs kick ass! Maybe it's a retread of BIABH (my cousin from Zimbabwe, whom Dylan treads on every so often), but I wouldn't know and/or care one way or your mother, because I heard this one first. Lyrics? Awesome, but the music is where it's at, mite. These chord changes. . . not everyone could come up with these chord changes. At least I couldn't, so that's at least one person. And although "Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues" is kinda lame by my estimation, it was a hit, and I have to yield to the masses, because they can kick my, as it were. Life sucks to the fullest extent (and that's a HUGE fuckin' extent) but Dylan does NOT. And Blood on the Tracks can suck me. Yeah, it's BETTER than this album, and yeah, it's FAR more appropriate to this situation than HSOR, "Desolation Row" notwithstanding, but I REFUSE TO YILED TO CLICHES FOR THE LOVE OF PETE! WHO'S WITH ME
KONG DELTA??
Well I'll be Kurtzed.
Buy Bob Dylan and the Smashing Pumpkins right now. Before Billy Crogan whines you to death. Or something.
Oi!
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live 1966-The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert - Columbia 1998.
The book? It's called Kind Of Live: The Making Of The Bob Dylan Masterpiece by Ashley FuckingprickwhomademewanttokillmyselfwhenIhadtoworkwithhimforthreemonths. But that's between me and my analyst.
And I DO mean "anal"!!!!
So, the crowds didn't much care for Bob's electric friends in the mid '60s did they? Well, the crowds were full of idiots. Most crowds are. Seriously, try finding 5 intelligent people in a group of 100. It's hard. Very, very hard. Just think what that means for Congress. Like, 27 smart guys out of 535ish. This is why I can't tie my alligator to a fire hydrant in Virginia. That's Democrats for you.
But for the album review. Disc 1 finds Dylan performing acoustic tracks off his epic mid '60s trilogy to a silent crowd. They soak up every word, everyone harmonica riff, everyone strum of the guitar. And Bob plays some great songs for them. "Desolation Row," "Visions Of Johanna," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Just Like A Woman,' "She Belongs To Me," and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." However, you can tell that Bob has grown a bit tired of playing these songs alone, the passion necessary isn't there. You can particularly tell on "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." I have bootleg performances of Bob playing these songs from '65 where he's clealry having more fun and putting more into it than he does here. With all that said, it's still extraordinary to here solo concert versions of "Desolation Row" and "Visions Of Johanna." To be fair, I should also mention that this album has yet another live version of "Just Like A Woman" that just doesn't work.
Now to the electric disc. Bob and The Band don't waste any time, immediatley kicking into the best rocker of the album in "Tell Me, Momma." I don't believe Bob ever did this one in the studio, and that's too bad, because it's one hell of a song. He follows that with a certifiably awesome versiion of "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)." Positively fantastic is the only way to describe it. I never get tired of hearing the opening with the interplay between the guitar and harmonica.
"Baby Let Me Follow You Down," "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," and "Ballad Of A Thin Man" are all great cuts as well. The only weak song on the electric side is "One Too Many Mornings." I've just never thought it worked electric, mostly because it doesn't. "Leopard Skin Pill-box Hat" is serviceable.
So that leaves us with the JUDAS! version of "Like A Rolling Stone." An impassioned performance, no doubt. Bob's giving it his all. That said, I still prefer the Before The Flood version. Even I'm not sure why. And one thing I've never gotten is why critics like to write that Bob "dressed down" the heckler before he went into the song. All he says is "I don't believe you. You're a LIAR." Sure, he made his point, but I don't think he humiliated the guy or anything. Although I do imagine that jackass feels stupid everytime he hears his idiotic voice screaming out cries of betrayal when this record plays. Or maybe he's proud of himself, I don't know. But Bob asked The Band to "Play Fucking Loud," and they did. Good decision.
I rate it a 7. Same rating as Live 1975, even though I prefer '75. '75 isn't so much better than '66 to push it down a point.
So, all son of a bitching and bastardizing aside, I'd like to confide that the major flaw I find with this ride is the length, the length, the filler just stinkth! Here's your Blonde On Blonde in a perfect world: Side one starts off with the sugary boppy poppy "I Want You," which flows into the heavenly murmur of "4th Time Around" which brings you just to the point of tears until the slaphappy hit epic "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" brings you back again before you are ahh, screw the diction, the side would end with the beautiful beautiful oh so beautiful ballad "Just Like A Woman." Then side two would be "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands," which holds the world record as Bob's lengthiest and loveliest tune. And that's your album. Screw all that mediocre stuff - including "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35"!!!!! Everybody must get stoned, my eye. Have you tried marijuana? If so, go to jail.
You know what I just realized? "Just Like A Woman" does the same exact tonic-subdominant-dominant-tonic thing that every other goddamned song on this album does (aside from the traditional blues bores). So knock that one off too. Plus the lead guitar and harmonica are too trebly the whole fucking album! Why do people LIKE this thing so much!?
For the record, the #1 stupidest thing ever said was by some bastard in the Rough Guide to Rock who called AC/DC's Back in Black "patchy". Hmm. I just noticed how similar the two titles of these albums are. Neat!
You need to rethink your misguided criticisms.
So just don't take it so seriously. Sure, "Temporary like Achilles" and "Visions of Johanna" do sound like "Tom Thumb's Blues". And you do not mention that "Sad-Eyed Lady" in a lot of places sounds exactly like "Just Like A Woman" (some lines are almost identical), and sometimes like "One Of Us Must Know". And the instruments are always the same, and the song structure, and the voice, and everything - it all sounds just like one seventy-minutes long track, in fact! And if we recall that this album is the logical successor to the two previous ones, this seventy-minutes track becomes even longer.
Sure, you may say: "Why the hell do I need to listen to this overlong piece of almost the same music when I can go out and get myself some Beatles instead?" But this is just a question of taste. If you really enjoy Bobbie and his musings - you must be prepared for this "boring", many-many-hours-long sequence. If not - just throw it away, together with all the other albums!
My verdict would be: either this album deserves a 9, or all the previous albums deserve a 6 like this one - depending on the taste. 'Cos it's ridiculous to accuse Dylan of being unoriginal! He never pretended to be original. He never tried to be original. He was just a genius, and all those things, they were coming out of his head...
Furthermore, to complain about the length of blonde on blonde is ridiculous; 13 bucks for 73 minutes of stellar music-perhaps there is occasional justice. ironically, you consistently refer to Dylan as one the greatest artists of 20th century while dismissing his greatest works as derivative; you are indeed the sort of fella to whom greatest hits are marketed. on a brighter note, your brand of maverick idiocy is well suited to the net.
I won't go into detail on every track, but you can't approach Blonde on Blonde like some kind of product that provides its consumer with a particular flavor of instant gratification. This album is not supposed to reach out and grab you the `nads; instead, it takes some investment on the listener's part. Just sit back, close your eyes, and let Dylan's stream of stunning imagery weave its tapestry around you. These tracks have a groove all their own; a listener conforms to the record. Ultimately, this ride is well worth the price of admission.
By the way, "Visions of Johanna" ranks as one of my 20 or 25 unwavering favorite songs of all-time.
Sure, "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35" is stupid, but its supposed to be. The drummer was playing his trapset backwards for Chrissake!
I just hope that no one is persuaded into picking up Planet Waves or Nashville Skyline before this. You're insane if you think those are better albums.
OKAY, BEFORE ALL THE E-MAIL DEATH THREATS COMES FLOODING MY WAY, JUST READ ON A BIT
I mean that the melody isn't all that great; there's no shift in tone or time, it's just the same damn chords strummed over and over and over ad nauseam. The lyrics are old Bobo's best, second only to "Desolation Row." It can be better appreciated in his "Lyrics 1962-1987" book than on this album; if he had put a bit more musical effort into the song's production, it could HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST FUCKING SONG IN MUSICAL HISTORY!
I think the shorter "Visions of Johanna" is better (that organ in the background did it for me) and "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way" is one of the best cuts. "4th Time Around" is a fine classic; kinda like "Norweigian Wood" spread out over 4 minutes (I heard old John Lennon got spooked when he first heard this song). "Rainy Day Women" SATIRIZES instead of encourages the drug culture by the way; "Leopard-Skin," "I Want You" and "Mephis Mobile" are perfect examples that this coulda been a hit-laden album. Everything else is good to okay (yes, even that "classic" "Just Like A Woman).
Better off saving for Bringing It All Back Home, Basement Tapes, Blood On the Tracks, Desire, Highway 61, Time Out of Mind and both Bootleg Series (Volumes 1 - 3 & 4: Live At "Royal Albert Hall"). This is often referred to as the finest album of the 60's. What the fuck. But then again, what the hell do I know? I'm just a seventeen-year-old student who is on the verge of flunking senior math.
And visions of Johanna is fantastic!!!!It's up there with Desolation Row. Rainy Day women is also a laugh.
I like this album because of the same reasons I like The Clash's London Calling; Diversity, layd-back charm, humour and the sheer length of the album
It's quite relaxing, though. I've fallen asleep to it more than once.
Has anyone ever heard the saying, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone?" Well, that's what "Rainy Day Women" is about. It's not about getting stoned -- it's about being judgmental about others and "casting stones." Think about that the next time you hear Dylan wail, "Oh, I would not feel so alone. Everybody must get stoned." It puts the song in a whole different perspective.
They stone ya when yer driving in yer car..
They stone you when you're playing your guitar.. (Electric Bob?)
Disc one is far stronger than disc two - in fact (with the exception of Rainy Day Women and Pledging My Time) I think it might be the strongest single slab of shellac he ever laid down. Visions of Johanna is the perfect song on that heartbroken summer night, and Sooner or Later, in my fairly unhumble opinion, is a far greater rock song than Like a Rolling Stone. I Want You, meanwhile, is Dylan's greatest pop song by miles and miles.
As I said, the second disc is less good - mainly fairly derivative 12-bar blues - but it's hard to criticise any album that ends with Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. It's long but not a second too long, and comparing it with Desolation Row is stupid - let them stand side by side as different but equal folk-rock masterpieces, the like of which would never be seen again (Joey? I don't think so!).
I am sure Blonde on Blonde loses some fans' affection because of its length, but it shouldn't. The best songs on here are just about the most heart-warmingly tender music ever made, and every lesser track adds to the whole - there is no filler. For anyone wondering whether or not to buy this record - JUST GET IT. Ask questions later.
I think your original review pretty much nailed it, and there was no reason to take back any of it. As for the man's vocals on this record, I mostly feel the urge to punch the self-indulgent bastard in the face for it.
The people who say this is classic are either in search for a very male white role model, just like the critics... OR it's pretty much the first record they ever picked up.
For as much as many of the songs are decent, there's still no answer to the question, WHY should I spend my money on a bunch of mediocre songs? "Visions of Johanna" for instance, is pleasant, but it's background music at best.
There's only one great song on his whole album, Sad Eyed Lady. I don't think there's anything to be puzzled about, about why this record is not nearly as good as its reputation. The truth is Bob Dylan isn't a very good musician. When people say he's fantastic, he's just good, and when they say he's good, he's crap.
I'm not shore what Rainy Day you smoked last year, mister, but this album, she's a classic. Now, granted, I listened to it first while I was eating jalapeno and buffalo chicken pizza and playing Starcraft deathmatch (my entire base got massacred early by a mere 13 Dark Templars in the first ten minutes, all to the tune of the text taunt "where's your god now"; damn him to hell)--but STILL. 14 songs, all of 'em enjoyable happy fun. Except for that lengthy crapsong at the end--I've never been much of a fan of Bob's expressions of love. His expressions of breakup are MUCH more bonus.
Fer me, 't'weren't an intellectual thang--BOB--hey, that's his first name!!-- why am I hooked on hyphens??--is just a fun lil' goodtime album that happens to be pretty intellectual and heady at the same time. It seems to me the culmination of a period when Bob simply couldn't write an un-memorable song, either musically or lyrically. 14 songs, 13 of which should be hits, and one of which is probably at least good torture device for the terrorists, so it's good for something. The man's on fire here.
And you KNOW what that first song is about, write?
Ever read "The Lottery"? No? Good!
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 - No Direction Home: The Soundtrack - Columbia/Legacy 2005
Review by Stephen Thomas GIRLYwine
The seventh volume of COB Dylan's Bootleg Series doubles as the GREYHOUNDtrack to No Direction E.T. PHONE HOME, FARTIN Scorsese's feature-length SCHLOCKumentary covering Dylan's SOMETHING GROSS IN THE REFRIGERATOR and WATCHING TV.
Okay now make a funny video and we're good to go. Thanks.
My notes page got ripped in half on the way to work, probably by an angry jealous rival record reviewer out to steal my 3500 daily visitors (and their 35,000 click-throughs), so I'm going to have to piece this together as best I can. First of all, the album appears to be called NO DLBESJIOM HOMO and is by who appears to be 'ROR DVIAM." Oh this'll never work. NEVER WORK! I'll have to review it from memory.
If memory serves, this double CD features 4 home recordings, 1 studio demo, 10 live recordings, 12 alternate takes and 1 album track of 7 Highway 61 Revisited, 4 Bringing It All Back Home, 4 The Freewheelin'..., 3 Blonde On Blonde, 2 S/T, 1 The Times They Are A-Changin' and 1 Another Side Of... song(s), along with 6 early rarities. If you were one of the first to purchase it, you might also have received a special bonus third disc, a record of B.D. Live At Carnegie Hall 1963 performing five The Times They Are A-Changin' songs and "Lay Down Your Weary Tune." Strangely, I find I like the Times A-Changin' songs a lot more now than I did back when I reviewed it for this lousy 8-year-old crap page that you should completely ignore because it sucks. I think the problem was that I didn't pay enough attention to the lyrics. Man, these songs are SAD! Did you notice that "Hollis Brown" kills his family and commits suicide just to save his loved ones from a life of poverty? Did you notice the depressing tale of the mine closing in "North Country Blues"? Did you notice the witty, sarcastic lyrics to "With God On Our Side"? I apparently didn't. Every day it becomes clearer and clearer exactly how big a dumbass I used to be. And probably will be now when I'm 40. Hah?
You want to know what the biggest disappointment is for me? When I heard about this Martin Scorcese movie, for some reason I thought it was going to be about Bob Dylan's entire life. Haven't we already heard enough about (and from) his classic early years? What we really need is somebody to (if they haven't already - if so, TELL ME!) trace his entire career, devoting special attention to boneheaded ideas like his attempt to actually 'sing' in the late '60s, the genesis of Self-Portrait (Actually, a whole movie could be devoted to that trainwreck alone!), his weird Christian phase, and that long string of horrific '80s records he made. What was he thinking? What happened to him? How did one of the most quick-witted and intelligent young men of the '60s turn into a hairy, clueless monster? And -- just as suddenly and jarringly -- suddenly become really GOOD again in the '90s!? Isn't anybody clamoring for a live version of "Tight Connection To My Heart"? Or his home demo of "Man Gave Names To All The Animals"? Who the hell needs to hear the fuckin' "JUDAS!" version of "Like A Rolling Stone" for the 50 thousandth time? Ahh I'm just a grouchy old man. With grouchy old ideas! Like this one -- FUCK YOU!
My more specific complaint about this release is that much of the material, although 'rare,' isn't all that great. None of the early rarities ("When I Get Troubles," "Rambler, Gambler," "This Land Is Your Land," "Dink's Song," "I Was Young When I Left Home" and "Sally Gal") rise above Dylan's basic folk/blues influences, and even a lot of his well-known material is presented in half-assed lazy versions that would look better on my bedroom floor, if some hot bitch in lust is wearing them down the street and aching for my touch. BULLET POINTS, PLEASE! (This next part will be presented in PowerPoint, by David Byrne)
* "Mr. Tambourine Man" somehow doesn't sound quite so good with Ramblin' Jack Elliott drooling heinously incorrect harmonies over Bob's shoulder the whole time.
* "Chimes Of Freedom" is shockingly lacking any sort of hook or melodic sense without the timeless input of David "Mustachioed Genius" Crosby. And what's with the ass-ugly tinny nasal hair-clogged-in-throat timbre of Bob's voice!? (let's) Y(f)uck!
* Maybe it seemed shocking and revelatory at the time, but the Newport Folk Festival rendition of "Maggie's Farm" today just sounds like a dopey bunch of unrehearsed losers goofing around on oompah bass, clumpity-dumpity drums, rhythm guitar that sounds like a toy and a lead guitarist pulled out of the Electric Blues Blues Rock Blues Combo. Bob's vocals are energetic, but the empty, crappy music sounds like shit! That's right - it's crappy and it sounds like shit! My parents paid for me to attend college, where I majored in English!
* "Desolation Row" lacks the 'diggy-diggy-dee-doo' bit at the end of each verse. And is thus long and dull.
* 12-bar blues snooze "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" and a bored boring bore bore bororiffic borley borton borpost boron borotomer boronimo version of "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" hit my ears as so depressingly underwhelming that it drove me to reduce my Blonde On Blonde grade from an 8 to its original 6. All without even listening to the album again! That's the power of negative thinking!
Soooo yeah. Enough reminiscing about the 'good' Bob Dylan. A more honest look at his entire life might not make for a more listenable CD, but it sure would be more interesting. Who the hell needs ANOTHER version of "Blowin' In The Wind"!? I'll tell ya who - some NITWIT!
I didn't mean to upset any nitwits out there.
Disc 1 features a young Dylan playing a some mostly underwhelming folk tunes that weren't released for a reason. However, the life version of "When the Ship Comes In" and "Chimes of Freedom" are very good. "Chimes of Freedom" in particular is impressive. Bob finally plays this song with the passion that it needs. To me, that is how the song should have sounded on Another Side.
Disc 2 is a little bit more impressive. It features mostly alternate cuts of songs of Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde. There's nothing especially profound uncovered here, you can understand why these tracks weren't chosen for the album, but there are a few things that are enjoyable about them. The alternate piano line on "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is nice, and the live version of "Maggie's Farm" shows Bob in fine form.
The best cut off this disc is the alternate version of "Desolation Row." It features Dylan, a guitar, (which I believe is played by Al Kooper) and some guy on bass. As Kooper describes it in the liner notes, this version has a bit of a "punk" feel to it. Although the released track is clearly superior, it's interesting nonetheless, and is one of the tracks that makes me want to put that disc in the stereo every so often. Finally, there's an alternate cut of "Visions of Johanna" on here that just blew me away, but not in a good way. The "Visions of Johanna" from Blonde On Blonde is flawless. It's scary to think Bob even toyed with a rollicking rock version of this gem. It's not that it's bad. It just would have been about 50% as good as the Blonde On Blonde track. And I guess I should mention that the JUDAS version of "Like A Rolling Stone" is on here. I've covered that before, so there's not much else to say. I would've loved for them to have put one of the uncompleted cuts of "Like A Rolling Stone" on instead, but considering the context of the film, I can understand why they did that. The rest of the cuts are mostly average, and don't stray enough from the released version to mention, with the exceptions of "Stuck Inside of Mobile" and "Leopard skin Pill-box Hat." Unfortunately, both those cuts are vastly inferior to their album counterparts. The "Stuck Inside Of Mobile" version in particular is extremely weak on here. The accompaniment is sparse, and Bob really needed the guys to back him on that song. Fortunately, they figured it all out later in the session.
Overall, I give this album a 6. This is another one that's kind of hard to rate. Since I regularly listen to the cuts of "Maggie's Farm," "Chimes of Freedom," "When The Ship Comes In," "Just Like Tom's Thumb's Blues," and "Desolation Row," I think it should have a fairly good rating. That's fairly substantial for an album compiled of alternate cuts and rare live cuts.
BTW, the documentary was fine, but not the greatest thing ever. Tell that to Mr. S.
Oh! And "This Wheel's On Fire" is pretty much amazing. A delightful record to perk you out of a bitter, melancholy, "I wrecked my motorcycle and my knee hurts" mood.
Rating:6.5 - Some great stuff, but some very weak material mixed in, especially The Band's songs.
My highlight is "Tears of Rage," which depending on your viewpoint is either an account of a father's personal saga with his daughter or a broadly sketched metaphor for all the crap capitalism hath wrought upon this country. The melody is so beautiful it seems powerful enough to move mountains; listen to the way Garth Hudson's organ weaves its way in between the choruses like some loom on loan from the Confederacy, or the way Dylan slides his voice with a confidence and vulnerability he would only reach again on Blood on the Tracks.
Oh, and let me be the lone voice in the darkness on this point: I am a huge fan of the Band (well, their first two albums at least). Richard Manuel is one of the few vocalists out there capable of making me cry. His voice has this strangely feminine, vulnerable quality to it (listen to "Katie..." on this album for proof). They've written some of the most gorgeous rock songs of all time, and I think it's high time somebody reviewed them here.
Anyway, I'll chalk this baby up with ten stars. Peace.
One of the reasons Dylan recorded a lot of the Basement Tapes material, according to his biographers, was to generate cover versions. At the time, those were making him more money than his own records, IIRC. He laid down a bunch of these tunes for the purpose of getting other artists to record them (which apparently led to the McGuinness-Flint album). According to the "Down The Highway" biography, IIRC, someone stole the tape that was made to register the copyrights, and that tape was the source of the original bootlegs of the Basement stuff.
If you ever do get a taste for this material, there's a new bootleg set, "A Tree With Roots," that presents a lot of it with sound quality rivalling the legit release. Me, I can't get too much of it.
WHY THE FUCK FUCKING FUCKALL FU(*gets zapped by Dobson's Ray of Death*)
I'm wondering. Why do folks rag on this album? It's no worse than most of Bob Dylan's '60's output, except he's suddenly lost his gift for wild mercury cougar blues Alan Jackson god that's a great song even though the artist sucks lyricism. Reeeal grungy and off-the-cuff, but if there ever was a dood better at off-the cuff shitake, I have yet to here it, hear. Not a song blows, except maybe "Tiny Montgomery." And the Band has rarely been better. And there WAS selection, all right, maybe a little slanted in favor of the Band, but slanting's all right by me! Especially if you slant the scales in my favor on the Scale of Mojo-Favoring Lover-man Kickassitude. I apologize fer sharing my inner, personal werkings with you gize. I'll stop now. Time to hoogle down without love!!! YEE-HAAW!! (eh.)
^
I
I
(that's Canadian. Robbie Robertson is from Canada. He speaks Canadian like
a Canuck from Canada. I know these things.)
This album gets a rejection. I mean, a rejection. Dammit I mean, a NINE!! I mean. . . a rejection. Reject reject reject reject reject. .
The melodies are simple but harrowing, low-key but powerful, minimal but incredible - especially when taken as individual sections of a larger piece of art; song for song, there aren't a whole slew of hits here, but the twelve songs (plus the grimy album cover) work together to create a mood of such understated woodsy folk coldness that it's nearly impossible to remember that you're dwelling in late 20th century Manhattan while you're listening to it. That subway train? She's a horse! That crack addict? He's a lonesome ol' hobo!!! That Mayor Guiliani? He's a cruel shipcarpenter!!!! Oh, life is such a blast when you live in the past. Kudos to Bob for taking a chance on a completely different type of music and pulling it off with flying burritos. So why not a 10? Because the ugly squealing harmonica is mixed about forty times louder than every other instrument.
I think 'the moral of this story, the moral of this song, is simply that one should not be where one does not belong' might be my favourite Dylan line of them all.
And the harmonica is rather loud, but I like to think of it as an aural representation the red-hot iron cauterizing that gangrenous leg...
"All Along The Watchtower" has been the most enduring song off this album. With powerful, foreboding lyrics, Dylan crafts an amazing song that invokes biblical imagery to great effect. Although Jimi Hendrix's version is arguably better, they both have their own unique charms. However, the Dave Mathews version is god awful, as are most things that involve Dave Mathews. If Bob was dead, he'd spin in his grave everytime Dave played one of his songs.
"Dear Landlord" may not be the best known song off the album, but I consider it one of the best. Dylan has one of his best piano lines here, and the underlying bass part really works. On that note, I should mention that the bass does wonders for most of these songs. Charley McCoy did a heck of a job.
Other memorable tracks include "As I Went Out One Morning," "The Wicked Messenger," "I Am A Lonesome Hobo," and "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine." Dylan weaves biblical imagery throughout most of these tracks, and although he'd been doing that through most of his career, this was probably the most pronounced it would be until Slow Train Coming.
The only things that really take away from this album are the title track and "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest," which drags on and on. Though Dylan has an incomparable ability to keep his marathon-long songs interesting, this one doesn't work out. (Of course, it's not half as long as "Desolation Row" or "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," but it's still the longest song of the album.)
And one more thing about the album: Dylan's harp playing is at its absolute wheeziest. On some songs it works, on others, not so much. It doesn't seem to really add or take away much.
So overall, I give this album an 8. Extremely novel, and very, very strong. Another triumph in his already highly successful career.
The Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash Sessions (with Johnny Cash) - Bootleg 1969
At first I thought to myself, "Hmm. This was a bad idea, because Johnny Cash's low manly voice doesn't mesh well with Bob Dylan's weird late-60s high warbly vocal approach." Upon further reflection, I realized, "No, actually there isn't a human being alive or dead who would have meshed well with Bob Dylan's weird late-60s high warbly vocal approach." Have you heard it? The "Lay Lady Lay" voice? It's not human! And when it's placed directly alongside one of the most powerful voices in popular music history, the result can't help but sound like Johnny Cash has granted a Make A Wish Foundation request to do a session with a dying retard.
Me, I find it at least amusing. You see, Bob Dylan even at his most musical simply cannot sing in harmony. And Johnny is hardly the most disciplined, note-perfect vocalist in the world either. So to put the two together - oh, it's Hell On Ears! Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she fears! (My wife, that is. The one who responded to this CD with (a) "Do you have to listen to this while I'm home?" and (b) "This is the dumbest idea that Johnny Cash ever had! Aside from the whole 'Christian' thing.")
Although some of the tracks feature JC and BD dueting on acoustic guitars, most of the disc appears to be Karaoke duets atop previously recorded Johnny Cash instrumental tracks. At least that's the feeling I get, as it's all very boom-chicka-boomy like Johnny's classic work, with drums and bass and everything. Incidentally, I love Johnny Cash. I now own all of his studio albums except for 10 or so, and almost always get a kick out of him, even when he's backed by horrific '80s pop-country music. So if you're looking for a reason behind the '4 instead of 1' grade, that's it. Johnny sounds wonderful and lovable in every single one of these tracks. And to be honest, Bob sounds fine too, when he's singing ALONE. It's an odd voice, but a memorable one. The problem with this session is that they try to sing together on nearly every track - sometimes in harmony, other times the same notes, but it always sounds messy, ugly and amateurish. I know they respected each other a good deal, but Christ, couldn't they hear themselves? It's a HORRIBLE CACOPHONY OF FOULNESS!
Still, you can tell that Bob and Johnny had a terrific time singing together. This is especially evident in "Careless Love," a hilarious back-and-forth exchange of gun rhymes that they appear to have made up in real-time for each other's entertainment. Sample verse: "You can pass my window, you can pass my door - but you'll never make it past my .44" (followed much later in the song by "You can pass right by my windowpane/You can pass right by my windowpane/But you'll never make it past my .44... AGAIN.") (pr. 'a-gayn') (for rhyme joke's sake)
Other highlights include Dylan's so-bad-it's-funny-and-so-funny-it's-hysterical attempt to warble "Ring Of Fire," the carefree run-through of "That's Alright Mama," and an honestly not bad at all run-through of the Johnny classic "Big River" (that's the one that starts 'I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry...."). To be honest, "Big River" is probably the one Bob should have put on Nashville Skyline; "Girl From North Country" is kinda draggy. Maybe copyright issues were a problem or something. At any rate, you can find this album or CD on ebay pretty much any time you want so if you're up for a laugh and some bad vocal stylings, look not elsewhere!
On a similar topic, Henry The Dog is going nuts about the kitty-cat that moved in next door a few months ago. One of his favorite things to do now is to run across the terrace to the kitty-cat's door and bark,bark,bark until the kitty-cat comes up and jumps all over the screen trying to claw his eyes out. Then he tried to bite the kitty-cat through the screen while bark,bark,barking, the kitty-cat keeps jumping all over the place, yowling and scratching, then eventually they get tired and stop, take a little rest and eventually start up again. I've no clue why they both enjoy it so much, but Henry's always begging for me to open the terrace door and the kitty-cat always comes when Henry barks. Maybe it's some sort of animaly 'love-hate' relationship. Interesting to note is that Henry has learned three new word/phrases because of this experience: (1) kitty-cat, (2) Satchmo (the cat's name) and (3) "Want me to open your door?" #3 in particular makes him haul ass up the spiral staircase faster than a grease-oiled fire demon comes a-sprayin' outta the bowels of
Ooo, I shouldn't have said 'bowels.'
Say! Anybody have a use for a brown smelly chair?
Fact is, this is a brilliant and consistent album (one of Dylan's most consistent).
Beautiful and simple (this is not a crime, get his other records off the shelf if you're looking for word pictures) the album kicks off with a ramblin' version of "Girl From The North Country" with Bob and Johnny Cash trading off lines in super casual mode, and along the way we get the absolute classic "I Threw It All Away" and the gorgeous "Lay Lady Lay".
I have always loved his vocal performance on this record.
In fact, for anyone brand new to Dylan this is the perfect entry point. Simple catchy songs, played by a soulful unit of Nashville's finest country musicians - and a smoother less abrasive vocal.
If this was put out under a different name than Dylan's, it's praises would have been sung a lot louder, a lot sooner.
Also the mellower tone of his "smoke-free" vocal cords is a definate bonus...lending a lovely element to this record (I wouldn't say it sounded "goofy" at all. Are we listening to the same record here, Mark?) You want goofy...listen to Bob sing that insipid "Wiggle Wiggle" song from 1990's Under a Red Sky! Now, that's goofy!
And I do like the duet with Johnny Cash...I think those two old pros worked nicely off one another! In spite of its brevity this record rates a strong 7.5 out of 10, for me.
This version of Girl from the North Country may be a little syrupy, but it's still a very pleasant listen, and there's really nothing on here that's in any way weak or fillerish (filler on a 27-minute album WOULD be a bit of a cheek, even for Bob). I Threw It All Away and Lay Lady Lay are simply gorgeous, and the best weapons in the war against the 'Dylan songs are nasal and ugly' forces. The Russian makes a very good point though: Let It Be Me is just as wonderous (as some band may once have misspelt a really quite simple word). It may be time to give Self Portrait a second chance.
You know what? I think a nine is in order! Especially when he's a-smilin' a smile and a-tiltin' his hat like he is. What a gentleman. What a lovely record.
Everyone will mention the change in Dylan's vocal style, so I'll avoid being redundant and worrying about that. So how good is the actual album? It's pretty good. It's great to hear a duet between two legends (Dylan and Cash on "Girl From the North Country"), though the song does seem to drag a bit. And "Nashville Skyline Rag" is a waste of 3 minutes. But the good thing about the album is, if you don't like a song, that's okay, because it will probably be over pretty soon.
Of course, "Lay Lady Lay" is the album's signature song, and one of Dylan's bigger hits (which might prove how underappreciated he was in his day. Seriously, "Lay Lady Lay?" That was one of his bigger hits? Really? Damn.) It's still a good song though. And "Country Pie" is incredibly enjoyable in its simplicity. "Tonight, I'll Be Staying Here With You," is the closer for the album, and a fantastic one at that. Beautiful piano, wonderful lyrics, a great way to end it. I'll still take the Live '75 version over it though. "I Threw It All Away" and "Tell Me That It Isn't True" also hold up after all these years. Only "Nashville Skyline Rag" and "One More Night" are of low quality. But through it all, you can tell Dylan is enjoying himself. He rips off a short album full of feel good numbers, and there's nothing wrong with doing that every now and then. I give it a 6. Good, fun album, and some of the only country I've ever been able to stand.
Now then, that said, this could've been a fine little four-song EP. All three of the near-instrumentals, (the boogie woogie "Woogie Boogie" and two ridiculously horn-and-string-tarnished "All The Tired Horses" and "WigWam") are funner, funnier, and perrier than a bucketful of candied yams, and "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)" is a total hoot, though a completely tossed-off amateurish piece of silliness.
So what's the problem with the rest of the album? Well, all the 12-bar country blues rock in the world isn't gonna make up for a total lack of innovative melody. Bob does worthless covers of stupid songs ("Blue Moon"?), and complements them with a huge pile of dopey "roots rock" tunes that entirely tarnish the near-perfect reputation he had accidentally created for himself throughout the sixties.
Get it? ;) No? He hated his fame, and this was his clever way of doing away with Dylan idolatry. Or so he later claimed....
So why does everybody throw this record in the trashbin? Simple. This is a SIMPLE album, see? No philosophical complexities, no endless acoustic ballads, no protest, no ushering in of new radical concepts, etc. No wonder it's called Self-Portrait: Bob just wanted to show there WAS a much simpler, softer, romantic side to him than was usually suspected. He succeeded. And nobody understood him. Not even Mark Prindle. Mind you, I am far from saying this is his best album or anything like that; but everybody who despised it should relisten to it a few more times. Just forget that this is the man who penned "Blowin' In The Wind", or "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", or "Masters Of War", or "Subterranean Homesick Blues" or anything like that! He "threw it all away" on this album. Instead, listen to it whenever you're in a relaxed mood, and you'll understand its deeply hidden charm. Trust me!
Yes, you're absolutely right that "he hated his fame". A similar thing happened to Eric Clapton in the seventies: he just told all his fans "fuck you!" and released several reggaeish/country/gospel albums with no guitar solos at all. And many fans hated him for it, but the most intelligent ones understood it and maybe even loved him all the more for it. And Dylan also got tired of his image. It was like saying: "hey guys, I'm sick to death of another side of Bob Dylan! Here's yet one more side to you." And it didn't work - at least, not for the fans. But I think Bob has got every possible right to be proud of this album. Thanks, Bob!
There. Better? O.K. Here we have a double album that is not Blonde on Blonde...(sigh) Tell you what...just scroll up and read George Starostin's noble defense of this album, again. He pretty much feels the way I do about Self Portrait. Like New Morning, this is Dylan with his hair down and his feet up. The great songwriter at rest but, by no means compromising himself.
Hell, I'm sure even Leonardo DeVinci doodled along the margins of the Mona Lisa, if you catch my drift...
Worst thing about this record, other than people simply dismissing it? That hideous oil painting that's on the album cover. Ugh!
Several months later, after repeated listenings: I *love* this album! In Search Of Sadie (both versions) - just so wack, it's awesome, the song has such great changes, you can sing along to it for days... Days Of 49, comon now - the horn part is incredible. Alberta (both versions), Woogie Boogie, Gotta Travel On... I can't think of a single song on here that isn't GREAT. Even "Like a rolling stone", which I originally thought was a toss off lame ass version, works on a certain don't-give-a-fuck Meat Puppets level. Blue Moon is just a good tune, and Dylan wields it punk rock style and pisses off all the yahoo revolutionaries in rock around the time (1970 was a crazy year sociopoliticalmusically for better or worse). Copper Kettle, Let it be Me, Belle Isle, Living the blues, all hit me about a month after some of the other tunes, and they rip! Heavier than Slayer and the Melvins, conceptually. I try and turn everyone I come across onto "Self Portrait" nowadays. If you hate it,! I can't say I blame you, but trust me, I have good taste! I won't deny Dylan was interstellar in 64-66, but when you're ready for the next step, get Self Portrait.
PS If you can find it, get an original analog copy - the CD version is a little thin, the horns on "Days of 49" are mixed too low for instance.
Oh yeah, and "I forgot more than you'll ever know" is mind blowing! The cover tunes on here are tunes I would have never heard anyway, and they're damned good.
it is the greatest joke in musical history, bob dylans mona lisa trick, and it gets better with every listen just not everyone has the lifetime to do it justice.
bobs a funny man
love yer site mark!!
Only a few, though, mind you.
Oh, okay, one. The first track on here, "Lily Of The West," is a great cover of somebody or other's great song. The others are iffy, but at least fun, which is more than I can say about the majority of Self Portrait. It's still essentially a bunch of half-assed, countryish coversrming. Not MANY parts, though, and the album is essentially another pile of yawns and tootin'. What is he, riding Insanity's Horse?
Unfortunate this, as both the lead-off track "If Not For You" and the way-too-short gospelly closer "Father Of Night" are terrific little semi-anthems. The other ten tracks are duller than a Doobie Brother (except possibly for the curious waltz "Winterlude" and the goofy jazz beat poem "If Dogs Run Free," which are at least novel). By all skips, mean it.
It's just that you don't get this quiet, self-contained side of Dylan. But people can't spend their lives writing universal anthems, see. As for you people - go out and buy this album! You won't regret it!
The first four tracks are all strong (If Not For You, Day Of The Locusts, Time Passes Slowly, and Went To See The Gypsy). I particularly enjoy listening to Dylan's ode to Elvis ("Went To See The Gypsy"). Elvis certainly isn't the kind of star you'd have expected Bob to admire when he was coming up as a folkie in his early years. Other strong tracks include "The Man In Me" and "New Morning."
One thing I really do like about this album is Bob's return to the organ sound. It may have had something to do with Al Kooper helping with the production, I don't really know, but it works for these songs.
Although I mentioned that New Morning is unique, the more unique songs on the album don't work particularly well. "Winterlude" features some of Dylan's worst lyrics to date. The first time I heard him sing "Winterlude, this dude thinks you're fine," I threw up a little in my mouth. It still makes me sick to my stomach every time. Although not as bad as that song, "Three Angels" doesn't work much better. Only "Father Of Night" and "If Dogs Run Free" are passable as far as the unique songs are concerned. And did anyone else notice that the woman who scat sings on "If Dogs Run Free" is named Martha Stewart? If only it was THAT Martha Stewart. It'd probably kick this rating up an entire point. But it isn't her, so my overall rating is a 5. Pretty average stuff for Bob. It's got its moments, and it's not bad by any means, but there's no way it can compare to his best stuff. Tragically for Bob, he could never actually be the happy domesticated man that he pretended to be in these songs. But hey, if he'd succeeded, we'd have never gotten the bitter heartache of an album that is Blood on the Tracks, or even later career songs like "Love Sick" and "Sugar Baby." And that'd be a real tragedy.
Just like "Self Portrait," it's VERY uneven, and you're right, the bad songs on here aren't even intriguing, they just suck. Bob messing around on the piano doesn't bother me, but "If Dogs Run Free" and "Winterlude" do, even if I kind of like "Three Angels." "Sign on the Window" and to a lesser extent "Time Passes Slowly" also bore the shit out of me.
Bad things aside, there are some GREAT songs on this album, and these include "If Not for You," "One More Weekend," "Father of Night," "The Man in Me," "Went to See the Gypsy" and "Day of the Locusts," a bunch of lightweight piano numbers that work wonders. But despite the extremely high points of this album (that outnumber the low points thank god), this album is more of a curiosity than anything.
Overall, another essential album, and not one to be passed over because it's a greatest hits album. There's a number of well known songs on here that wouldn't have fit on the first greatest hits album. I actually prefer this album to volume 1.
So what if the album lacks lyrics (besides the Billy ones which are too damn repetitive)? Big deal! Hey, give soundtracks a chance. Especially if it's mr Zimmerman who writes 'em. Go buy it. Now.
One thing I gotta say here: I absolutely am NOT a fan of The Band or their country-rock brand of songwriting, but they sound abdabsoputely wonderful backin' Mr. Bob on these hoedown tunes! Every instrument plays together just perfectly... the piano, the rhythm guitar, the sprinkly jankly lead guitar, the drums, the bass - I understand that a band is supposed to sound like a unified people with a unified mission, but rarely does a band sound this wild, loose, and free while still sounding so darned perfectly in tune with each other (spiritually speaking, of course).
Unfortunately, no matter how good they are, they're still mostly playing basic generic chord sequences, and Bob's not singing about a heck of a lot. As such, most of it seems more fun than good, if that makes any sense to you, my consumers. That complaint waged,, I must now vehemently lavish praise upon "Forever Young" and "Dirge" - man, do I dig "Dirge." The rest are fine too (except the Band-free "Wedding Song," which just reminds me of that semi-rotten Times A-Changin' debacle), but unless you're a huge Band fan, there's no real good reason to run out and buy this one tomorrow morning or early afternoon.
Many people diss this record usually citing that it sounds like a tossed off quickie by Bob and the boys from The Band. I disagree. What many claim sounds "half rehearsed", to my ears sounds loose and easy. The whole record sounds like a laid back jam session in a barn. Great feel to the project.
True, Planet Waves is no masterpiece, it is still a fine effort. And a worthy addition to anyones record collection. My final comment on this album? HEY PEOPLE! NOT EVERYTHING BOB DOES CAN BE HIGHWAY 61, ALRIGHT! (whew...) This really is a pretty cool record, you know.(Now that was my final comment!)
Planet Waves -- drunken reminiscence of his first sex in the frozen north, backed up by raucous cohorts the band, sounds like the Pogues.
Before the Flood -- I know you hate this album, but the Dylan/Band sides to me sound like the Faces or the Dolls, precision and anarchy...
Blood on the Tracks -- the axe falls on his marriage and he coughs up a quiet maturefolkie album that once heard remains written in your soul forever, his absolute best,
Desire -- showboating folkie troubador shills for a couple of convicted homiciders, but if you skip Joey, this is fun Gypsy-troub music.
Bootleg Series Rolling Thunder - what the F is Mick Ronson doing with Dylan? Did Bobby go down on his Gibson onstage the way Bowie used to? Still, great showboating troub stuff, the songs from Desire benefit.
Street Legal - Weird-ass Lyle Lovett Large Band sound, terrible mix, Dylan sounds hammered, songs uneven, BUT "Where are You Tonight/Journey Through Dark Heat" is THE GREATEST SONG HE EVER WROTE, and the story of my life as well as his.
Budokan -- well, Surrender rocks.
"It's Alright Ma" sounds wonderful, though.
I sat still while you dis'ed the great Blond on Blond, said nothing while you criticized the fantabulous Highway 61, and have borne your insults of The Band with quiet grace. But enough is too much!
I LOVE this album. Bobby's songs (by and large) have NEVER sounded better. From the hard driving guitar lick on the opening "You go your way..." to the hardest rockin', head bobbin', feet tappin', best ever version of "Like a Rolling Stone" you'll ever hear...culminating with the absolutely gorgeous "Blowin' in the Wind" with that beautiful Robertson solo, that should bring tears to your eyes. THIS ALBUM RULES.
Clearly your self-admitted hatred for all things Band have influenced your underrating of this collection, but you might have at least had the decency to recuse yourself from rating the album at all rather than give in to your hate (Luuuke!).
As for Dylan's output, on disc 1 "Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) gets the hard driving guitars behind it that the album version should have had. "Lay Lady Lay" and "Rainy Day Women" are both enjoyable. "It Ain't Me Babe" is a disaster. Bob cuts out a few verses from "Ballad Of A Thin Man," which never ceases to enrage me. And everytime I hear that damn synthesizer play a note, I just get madder and madder. It's particularly bad during "Ballad Of A Thin Man."
For the second disc, Dylan's solo version of "Just Like A Woman" is lacking (as has been every live version I've heard of the song), and "Don't Think Twice" is merely serviceable. However, "It's Alright, Ma" is positively fantastic. Although he does omit one verse, which irritates me, it's a very passionate performance. No doubt it is much better than the early version of the song from the "Live 1964" album, where Dylan is stoned out of his mind. For a Dylan fanatic, that cut is worth the entire price.
The remaining 4 electric songs go from great "Like A Rolling Stone," (wonderful piano on that one) very good "Highway 61 Revisited," okay "All Along the Watchtower," and absolutely terrible "Blowin' In The Wind" (that damn synthesizer again!) Really, the synth is just terrible on that song. Absolutely awful. It's a verifiable molestation of the song. Painfully bad. Thank God the Live '75 version is good.
So is this album worth purchasing? Depends on who you are. If you're like me and "It's Alright, Ma" is one of the most important songs to you, then you'll love this album solely for that song. You'll also get a good version of "Like A Rolling Stone," one that I enjoy more than the Live '66 version (despite it's significance). Dylan's stuff is hit or miss, but the hits are big. The Band's stuff is almost all miss. I rate it a 5.
If you haven't, give Big Pink and the self-titled album and the live Rock of Ages for a spin. If you're judging these guys from the friggin' ghastly Last Waltz (sub-par self congratulatory over-blown piece o'crap, wholly unrepresentative of who these guys were, biggest aesthetic mistake, it's like knowing who The Beatles are solely from the movie of Let It Be or Help! the movie), and their weak Dylan-less performance of Flood, you really do not know these guys, or know what it is your missing. I'm tryin to convert you, bro!
Onto Dylan's set, it's his acoustic set that drags this album down, sure the line about the president in "It's Alright Ma" is entertaining, but it's that song, "Just Like a Woman" and "Don't Think Twice" that are presented here in rather half assed renditions, and don't match up at all to the studio versions. Other than that, I have no complaints, "All Along the Watchtower" is fuckin great, hearing Robbie let loose is relatively new to me. "You'll Go Your Way" and "Lay Lady Lay" are much better here than their studio versions and even "It Ain't Me Babe" is given a good hard rock treatment. Because of the acoustic set, and the fact that the Band did a pretty sloppy version of "When You Awake" I have to drag the rating down to an 8.5.
"Tangled up in Blue"- phenomenal!
If this was the only album he ever came out with it would've been sufficient.
It's just standard Dylan - with catchy melodies and lyrics, even a bit annoying now and then, especially because most of the lyrics are built on the same principle, namely, the title of the track is repeated at the end of each verse - check this out, it applies to more than half of the songs. And how do you not mention that most of the melodies can be easily tracked to their predecessors? Just one example: parts of 'Idiot Wind' are blatant, obvious rip-offs of 'One Of Us Must Know', even the organ sounds just like the one on that track.
So, while I do agree that this is a great album, I'd never give it a 10. I do suspect, though, why everybody loves it: it's just because they are told this is the greatest one, they go and buy it, they love it, and then when they go on to other albums, they naturally regard them as rip-offs from Blood On The Tracks, when in reality it's the opposite. Nope. Listen to me guys: if you're new with Dylan, don't start with this one! Take my word and first of all go buy the 1965-66 stuff. Mind I dig Blood On The Tracks, I'm not saying it's bad, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not! It's CLASSY. But get the primary stuff first.
I won't bother listing everything. Just know that "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is underrated. Really underrated. In my humble opinion, it battles with "Simple Twist of Fate" as the best song on here. True, it's awfully repetitive. But isn't that sort of the point? Dylan gets into a groove like the best of the funk bands, but his are very intellectual, lyrical grooves that flow like poetry (mainly because they ARE poetry) and, at their best, are intriguing stories. "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is Dylan at his absolute BEST -- mysterious, inspiring, and poignant. The song really could mean anything you want (most say it has no meaning whatsoever, but I disagree). Every time I listen to it I do just that...listen, listen, listen!!! The best lyrics he ever wrote. Period.
Here is my review for the fine, fine album:
It's strange. Every Bob Dylan album I have has taken me quite a while to like, or even appreciate. I bought Blood On The Tracks a few months ago, and after listening to it a few times placed it somewhere below Desire. It just didn't speak to me, and the production was too clean and perfect for my badass self.
Then last night the thought came from nowhere (or peraps from the Master Computer!) to put it in my CD player. For the next 40 or so minutes I couldn't do anything else but listen. I wondered if "Tangled up and Blue" was supposed to be about blue balls, but when I realized how sad it was I decided against such an interpretatation. In this listen I realized how amazing the melodies are, how poetic the lyrics are, and how honestly it describes things. Just like he sings about in "Tangled Up", it's like I wrote this thing myself in some past life, it just so perfectly describes how I/Bob feel(s)/felt.
By the way, I sense more scorn and anger in "You're a Big Girl Now" than "Idiotwind." The latter has an over-the-top, sarcastic feel to it, while the former is nothing but the purest form of heart-broken resentment. That's why I've adopted it as my theme for the girl that left me to pursue a shallow material existance at UCLA. At least until I write my own version of the story, which you will hear on my breakthrough album of self-penned folk tunes. You might not know it's me though, since I'll likely have a stage name. Robert Zimmerman, perhaps? The album will probably remind you of "Freewheelin," but with more swear words.
I think, pound for pound, that this might be the greatest album Bob Dylan ever recorded - the freshest mix, the catchiest guitar melodies, the most consistent vocal rhythms, the cleverest sequencing - but is the greatest album Bob Dylan recorded the same thing as the greatest ever Bob Dylan album? I don't think it is, and I don't think Blood on the Tracks is both. You see, it's not quite Maximum Bob in the same way those timeless albums from the 64-67 period were - the songs, fine though they are, don't feel like they're totally HIS. It sounds as if he's trying to please someone other than himself (record company execs? the press?? the fans???), which is understandable after the mixed successes of the early 1970s but not a tactic that ever really worked for him artistically. Here, the lyrics are simpler and more direct than on those albums, which works up to a point... but only up to it, not beyond. The complexity and obscurity of Bob's lyrics was always his strongest suit, and whilst the simplicity of these lyrics may make them more emotionally affecting (and easier for music critics to 'get'), they don't sound as if they're right out of his top drawer creatively. But the lyrics of Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde are, and these remain his greatest albums. Period.
Not that I am having a go at Blood on the Tracks; rather, suggesting that it is not the unmatched pinnacle of his career so many take it to be (considering WHEN it came in his career, it may be even greater than it first seems). It is of course a brilliant album, the first side of which does incredible things. Each song better than the last, culminating in the mighty Idiot Wind... oh, the power and the glory. Very very special. The problem is that side two is weaker, considerably so. The overall effect he is aiming for is the 'calm after the storm', but the storm only really lasted as long as Idiot Wind in any case, and the mood repeats itself too much on the first three songs, especially Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts - the real dud of the record. The last two though really cut it, don't they? Shelter and Buckets... aah yes.
Nine out of ten then - anyone with a conscience simply has to give the ten to one of the 1965-66 records - but that's not to say Blood on the Tracks is worse than those classics; it's original and beuatiful, but when all is said and done just a little less Bob.
(a few days later)
I frickin' hate this album.
Screw love up the bum-hole. Whoever thinks it exists at all is lying and probably very unpopular and smelly.
. . present company excepted, of course.
Although I feel it is slightly overrated by some Dylan enthusiasts, (I would never argue that this is his greatest album. I'd have to go with Highway 61. But then again, the two albums are quite different stylistically. Almost unfair to compare the two.) it's certainly a startling return to form, especially after the 8 or so years he spent pretending to be happy in his domestication.
Of course, the historic album opener is "Tangled Up In Blue." Now, I'm a young man, and I wasn't around when this album first came out. And I'll admit that I just didn't get what was so special about this song the first few times I heard it. But like all truly valuable music, it grows on you. It's healthier for you than the musical junk food that radio and television tries to cram down your throat. Now I understand. The guitar line is beautiful, and the final harmonica solo is vintage Dylan. Dylan has said that he was opening to write a song "like a painting." A song where time had no meaning, and you could only see one little piece of the story at a time. Considering how well the song has endured, I think he was successful.
Although some dismiss it for its childish cruelty, I've always loved "Idiot Wind." Maybe that makes me an angry person. I don't know. I just know I love some of those lines. "There's a lone soldier on the cross/smoke pourin' out of a box car door/you wouldn't know it/you wouldn't think it could be done/in the final end he won the war/after losing every battle." Gets me everytime. Love those lines.
"You're A Big Girl Now" is another one of the bitter love songs that Dylan pulls off with perfection. And although the album consists mostly of bitter love songs, "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," and "Buckets of Rain" show Dylan reminiscing about a slightly less painful side of love. And "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack Of Hearts" is surprisingly fun. I really love that song, and I have no idea why. Sounds like a hoe-down. But it's great.
Finally, I should mention "Shelter From The Storm" as well. This is another song I didn't quite get at first. It took me awhile, but I really appreciate it now. Simplistic and beautiiful, it finds Dylan using some of his potent imagery from ten years earlier. I can't think of anyone else who can do more with just a guitar, harp, and some guy playing a bass.
So overall, I rate it a 9. A lot of people on here has given it a 10, but for some reason, it just doesn't feel quite like a 10 to me. I don't really have anything bad to say about it (Although I'm not crazy about "Meet Me In The Morning." Still an okay song, I just don't think it's quite up to the quality as the rest of the tracks.). I just think a 10 has a certain feel to it. And I don't feel it when I listen to Blood On The Tracks. Ain't nothin' wrong with a 9 though. I haven't heard a new album from anybody worthy of a 9 in a decade.
Unfortunately, the other tracks fall short of the standard given by 'Hurricane', but they're still good: both 'Isis' and 'Black Diamond Bay' have strong melodies, 'One More Cup Of Coffee' is one of Bob's most emotional late-period wailings, 'Oh Sister' is interesting (although, strange as it is, I far prefer the live version on Budokan), 'Mozambique' is Bob experimenting with strange chord sequences and complex singing, and 'Romance In Durango' returns us to the main theme on Pat Garrett. Doesn't it?
The only track I don't appreciate on here is 'Joey'. Some more dumb lyrics set to a mediocre melody, this could have been passable were it not eleven minutes long. Still, I don't think Dylan believed Joey was a hero - he was probably just thinking how tough it was to be a gangster. Anyway, this album is an absolute must for even an unserious Dylan fan. It marks the end of an era. After this, Dylan has completely lost his status as leader and frontman of the nation.
Kick me in the ass if I'm wrong with this statement but - I have always thought that this "sound" is what the Grateful Dead could have sounded like had they progressed and artistically grown. But they didn't. And they were never even close to this album - EVER.
One more thing, Prindle, you are nuts with your "Self Portrait" review. It's a great album with great songs. (Damn, that was one hell of a clever sentence, huh?) I think it's simple, countryish Dylan at his country-ass best. "Take a Message to Marie", "It Hurts Me Too", "Days of '49", "Quinn the Eskimo" all really stripped down, great songs. Prindle, do yourself a favor and listen to this again.
1.HURRICANE: I SAW THE DENZEL WASHINGTON MOVIE ABOUT THE FAMED BOXER TURNED CRIMINAL AND DYLAN WENT TO PRISON TO TALK TO HIM. HE WORTE THE FOR WHAT WAS TO BECOME THE HURRICANE. GUITAR PLAYS THE CONGAS PLAY AND DYLAN SINGS PISTOL SHOTS RANG IN THE RESTAURANT 3 MEN DEAD! BLOOD ALL OVER THE FLOOR AND SHE CALLED THE COPS RUBEN THE CHAMPION BOXER WAS ARRESTED. JAIL DAMAGED HIS LIFE BUT NOT HIS LEGACY! THE VIOLIN BY SCARLET RIVERA AND BACKING VOICES BY EMMYLOU HARRIS DRIVE THE SONG and the congas do sound a bit disco sounding but It drives the song and never missed a beat. for the whole 8 minuets dylan scores a hit and it is played at discos.
2.ISIS: NOT THE TV SHOW BUT THE SONG. ABOUT A DRIFTER WHO GOES TO EGYPT LOOKING FOR GOLD AND DIAMONDS. WHAT HE FOUNDED WAS A TOMB FULL OF SNAKES BUT HE GOT THE GOLD ANYWAY! ISIS IS A SEXY CLEOPATRA LIKE WOMAN! AND HE AND ISIS MARIIED AND THE GOLD WAS IN THE BEDROOM.
3.MOZAMBIQUE: AFRICA. DYLAN AND EMMYLOU GO TO MOZAMBIQUE. THE AFRICAN COUNTRY WHERE THE SUN IS BLAZING AND THE DRINKS ARE BEST SERVED WHEN YOUR HOT!
4.ONE MORE CUP OF COFFE: TASTY FOLDGERS COFFE AS WE GO TO SPAIN WERE DYLAN SINGS A KINDA SPANISH MELODY WAIL.
5.OH SISTER: TEXAS. OH SISTER WHEN I'M GONE YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME. I DEDICATE THIS SONG TO MY SISTER MAXINE.
6.JOEY: OKAY. SAY WHAT YOU WILL BUT JOEY IS GREAT 11 MINUTE EPIC! JOEY GALLO THE GANGSTER IS POTRAYED AS IF DYLAN WATCHED A LOT GODFATHER. PAPA QUOTES LINES FROM THE GODFATHER. JOEY WAS A MEAN GANGSTER AND KILLED MOST MEN. BY THE TIME HE GOT OUT OF THE JOINT HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED.
7.ROMANCE IN DURANGO: MEXICAN ROMANCE. HEPA! HOT CHILLI PEPPERS IN THE HOT BLISTERING SUN! THE DRIFTER WITH A GUITAR ON HIS BACK. LA DUENA CON LOS CHI CHI'S! HEPA! HEY ESTE PENDEJO ES UN LUCHADOR QUE ES UN CARA DE MOCO! EW! MIRA LOS CHI CHI! AY! MIRA PA YA!
8.BLACK DIAMOND BAY: MARDI GRAS HOME OF YOUR TITS SHOWING AND SEXY PARTY GORES GET DRUNK!
9.SARA: CONFFESIONS ARE HARD DYLAN SINGS TO HIS WIFE.
THE ADVENTURE ENDS THANKS FOR RIDING AT THE PERDO ANDINO EXPRESS. 10!
The album features Dylan using Emmylou Harris for back-up vocals. Their voices work well together, certainly much better than any of the back-up singers from Street Legal through the Christian albums ever did. But on to the songs.
Desire kicks off with "Hurricane," Dylan's first real protest song since the single only release, "George Jackson." Although it's certainly a good song, it becomes a bit tiresome after about the 5 and a half minute mark. By then I just wish Bob would wrap the story up and move on to the first great song of the album - "Isis." One of Dylan's patented story songs, "Isis" has a companion piece in "Black Diamond Bay." Both are vintage Dylan, and follow in the footsteps of "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack Of Hearts" as far as story songs are concerned. "Mozambique," "Oh, Sister," "Sara," and "Romance In Durango" (another story songs) help round out an excellent follow-up to Blood on the Tracks. The only weak songs are "One More Cup Of Coffee" which I've never been able to like, and after I found out the White Stripes covered it, I liked it even less. And of course, "Joey," which is a waste of 11 minutes.
However, the strength of the other songs more than makes up for those two. The album is a solid 7, and certainly worth remembering. Unfortunately, it has fallen by the wayside.
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5 - Live 1975: The Rolling Thunder Revue - Sony 2002
Did you know that without copulation
There would be no population?
It's true! It's true!
I taught it to you!
That's why our country's turning into a WOPunation
Did you know that without puberty
Boys would never find you purty?
It's true! It's true!
I taught it to you!
It's a shame there weren't more Italians in that McDonald's visited by James Huberty
Did you know that without testosterone
You'd never get to feel Bess frost your bone?
It's true! It's true!
I taught it to you!
I used to get my bone frosted a lot too, until I contracted syphilis from that filthy whore Rosa Pescastarone
It's also appropriate for Civics classes, nor is it included on Bob Dylan's Live 1975 album recorded on the Rolling Like Thunder, Under The Covers world tour with Elton John in 1983. This dandy tour found Dylan (or "Bobby Dylan" as The Who called him in their timeless anthem "The Seeker") transforming his classic material into redneck country-rock, performed by a rollicking goodtime reckless abandon band complete with violin, bottleneck guitar and pedal steel. Normally I'd rage and complain about such The Band-style arrangements, but the mix is so strong, the guitarwork so lovely and the playing/singing so energetic that I have to admit it even made ME want to sit on the porch with some turpentine and dandelion wine, alternately taking swigs from each one.
Dylan (or "Zimmerman" as John Lennon called him in his timeless anthem "God") plunges excitedly into his back catalogue as if it came in the mail from Victoria's Secret (masturbate), complementing six then-new Desire tracks with three from Bringing It All Back Home, two each from Freewheelin' and Blood On The Tracks, and a baker's one apiece from Nashville Skyline, Another Side, Times Are A-Changin', Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde and Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid. Hey! I just thought of something hilarious! Check this out:
"The Times Are A-Changin'? Yeah, more like The Songs Are A-Borin'!" I totally just made that up, creating jealousy in all who witnessed it.
Six of the tracks feature Dylan (or "The Jester" as Don McLean called him in his timeless anthem "American Pie") accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar and/or a female folk singer named Joan Baez. These songs are quite lovely indeed, and a nice break from the sloppy full-band hoedown of the other 16 numbers. There are also three rare tracks on here, which is another good reason to buy it. Another reason also is that Bob sounds REALLY into it, wheezing loudly and proudly to a nation of millions holding him back. These are all fine, fine reasons to purchase a record album. In fact, I think I'll purchase one right now.
(*leaves; returns*)
I chose Diabolical Conquest by Incantation. I can hardly wait to hear Bob Dylan's confident vocals and bluesy acoustic licks in such tracks as "Ethereal Misery" and "Unto Infinite Twilight/Majesty of Infernal Damnation." I wlll, however, do so, for I want to wish you a happy listening. If you've been waiting your life to hear a bad country-rock rewrite of "It Ain't Me Babe" with a bass line stolen from the soundtrack of CB Hustlers; if you can't breathe again until your ears say hello to a yucky dub reggae piss-remake of "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"; if your knees are already giggling at the mention of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" set to the musical theme of "I'm A Man"; if you somehow don't consider "Oh Sister" to be the musical equivalent of what your fingernail smells like after you scrape the back of your tongue; if all these things indeed. Have a good shit!
I just mean in general; I'm not specifically referring to fecal matter. Which reminds me -- who in the hell is supposed to be interested in a book like this????
Other album highlights include "Mama, You Been On My Mind" with Joan Baez, solo versions of "Tangled Up In Blue" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (which has more passion and energy behind it than any of this released performances of it from the 60s), and "Mr. Tambourine." Unfortunatley, most of the songs off Desire don't come off as much more exciting than the album versions with the possible exception "Isis." Overall, my favorite of Dylan's live albums, and solid 7.
Did I really use the word "nutsack" a few sentences ago? That was good stuff.
Enjoyable, still. The only real letdown is 'No Time To Think' because the lyrics are dumb to the extreme. Even idiotic. But most of the other stuff is not really bad. 'Is Your Love In Vain' in particular fascinates me. But I gotta agree this is the first album on which you're not really flooded with musical ideas. I think Slow Train is a serious improvement over this one.
Shit, I'll take this album over "Desire" any day of the week, and even "Blood on the Tracks" on somedays. But where "Desire" had one awesome song on it, there is one absolutely atrocious song here: "No Time to Think," which is about as boring as any non acoustic Dylan song can get. Some dull repetitious melody surrounded by a bunch of shitty lyrics. Anyway, you shod get the remastered version of this album. It'll change your view about this instantly.
The actual arrangements are quite cool, except for two of them (and not half, as you say): "I Want You" (I just cannot force myself to listen to this song without the fast backing track! it kills me! this SHOULD be a fast song!) and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door": this version sounds like a parody on Eric Clapton's version which, in turn, sounded like a parody on the original version found on Pat Garrett. But the other tracks are really fine: "Mr Tambourine Man", I'd say, nearly equals the original; and "Don't Think Twice" is very funny; and "Blowin' In The Wind" shows us the deeply-hidden potential of this song; and... well, everything else is pretty much listenable, too. I guess the critics who bashed this record were nothing but a bunch of milk-sucking, brainwashed pups. They'd be much happier off with the studio tracks with overdubbed applause. Sheez!
Still, "Gotta Serve Somebody" would have been a damn fine Dire Straits song (Mark Knopfler plays second guitar on this album), and a few others are cool enough, as far as post-prime Dylan goes. You know how it is. I think in life we all do, at times.
"Gotta Serve Somebody" is a pure Dylan song. Maybe it could have been good in the hands of Knopfler, but it is one hundred percent Dylan. Maybe the lyrics are a bit shallow, but they are great. I love them. And then there's "Man Gave Names To All The Animals", which may be lightweight, but which is indeed very funny and original (the only letdown is Dylan omitting the last line for the listener to finish it: "I think I'll call it a snake"). And "Precious Angel"? Wonderful! And several other fine tricks to be found here: the great changes of tempo on "When You Gonna Wake Up" is one.
A very good album indeed. Well, I wouldn't advise anybody to skip the classic albums in favour of this one. But do not skip this one in favour of all that Elvis crap!
seriously. it's our motto.
just to clarify, that's the motto of us commies. just so nobody thinks i'm meaning any insult.
Actually, I look at Dylan's whole “Christian phase” as his “psychedelic-freak-out-twelve-years-after-everyone-else” phase. And I don’t take Christians or anything they believe seriously so lyrically I would put stuff like “In The Garden” and “Saved” on a similar plane as, say, Barrett’s “Bike.” So don’t ignore the lyrics – listen to them and marvel at their unabashed insanity!
This was also a really inspired period for Dylan musically – check out one of the full “religious” shows he used to play around ’79-’80 and you’ll hear some pretty sophisticated stuff, at least for Bob. I’m not as into the coked-up/hippie reunion vibe of the ’75 live stuff as I am with this period, because there’s an added “fuck you” element to the performances where he knew he wasn’t going to give the crowds what they wanted but didn’t care. Maybe it’s just after listening to Dylan for so long and hearing the same musical formulas over and over that I can just appreciate him trying some different progressions like “In The Garden” and “Pressing On.” And putting all the wacky religious shit aside, “Saving Grace” is just a great song where you can really dig what he’s saying about hitting bottom and fucking up bad and realizing you still somehow came out okay.
So yeah, get into Saved and really picture it – the intro spiritual impromptu jam leading into the big “blow the roof off the tent” title track, the harmonica spotlight solo on “What Can I Do For You?”, the “audience full of hicks clapping along” vibe of “Pressing On”, the album cover art with the hand coming down – the whole thing. This album rules.
1. I like Lenny Bruce. Lyrically corny maybe, but full
of truth and light and benevolence. Sad and funny,
just like Lenny. Which is the point, I guess.
2. Groom's Still Waiting...Bob's best-ever Rock-Out
song in my opinion. A terrific thumping riff and
snarling vocal propel this turbo-charged blast into
the Big League. Also very possibly the best Hangover
Cure yet devised.
3. Every Grain of Sand. Buy the CD for this 6 minute
heaven-sent tower of song alone. Bob at his most
revealing and inspiration and the blue-print for every
Thinking Band's Epic Touchy-Feely number since (cf.
Everybody Hurts, I Still Haven't...) One of Dylan's
Top 3 songs. The other 2 being Visions of Johanna and
Tangled Up In Blue. For tonight at least...
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Breakdown, American Girl
You're Gonna Get It! - Listen To Her Heart
Damn The Torpedoes - Refugee
Southern Accents - Don't Come Around Here No More
Full Moon Fever - Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down, Runnin' Down A Dream
Into The Great Wide Open - Learning To Fly
Greatest Hits - Mary Jane's Last Dance
Wildflowers - You Don't Know How It Feels, Honey Bee
Mojo - Jefferson Jericho Blues, First Flash Of Freedom, Running Man's Bible, I Should Have Known It, Good Enough
Other - Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well"
I liked it.
On a related note, this Bob Dylan box set contains two songs each from Freewheelin', The Times They Are A-Changin', Another Side, Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, John Wesley Harding, New Morning, Planet Waves, Before The Flood, Slow Train Coming and Shot Of Love; one song each from Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline, The Basement Tapes, Blood On The Tracks, Street Legal, Greatest Hits Volume 2, Saved, Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid and Greatest Hits; and 20 non-LP live tracks, b-sides, alternate takes and rarities. Many are swell. The gross live 1966 version of "I Don't Believe You" stinks though.
A box set like this is always a questionable proposition because if you're fan enough to buy a box set, chances are that you already own most of the studio albums represented. And if not, how well served are you by a compilation that (a) doesn't include more than two songs from any of his albums, and (b) only covers the first 20 years of his massive half-century career? Plus, even if you think it sounds fun to own a sampler of Bob's first couple decades of output, what are the odds that the Biograph compiler would pick the same songs that you would? For example, my compilation sure as hell wouldn't have "Dear Landlord," "You Angel You," "On A Night Like This," "Solid Rock" or "Million Dollar Bash" on it. None are among the worst songs ever written, but there are certainly stronger tracks on every one of those LPs!
So let's concentrate on the rarities, which include:
- "Mixed Up Confusion" - Dylan went electric in 1962 and nobody noticed! What a Judas, right there from the getgo.
- "Baby, I'm In The Mood For You" - Excitable 1962 outtake featuring the lyric "WHOA! WHOA!"
- "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" - How could he not have put this 1965 recording on an album!? Even before being Byrd-ized, it was BEAUTIFUL!
- "Percy's Song" - Ridiculously overlong and tedious 1963 folk song that includes the line "Turn, turn, turn again" something like 500 billion times
- "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" - 1965 single with The Band; that classic early electric Dylan sound, and lots of fun
- "I'll Keep It With Mine" - 1965 jaunty piano/melancholy melody -- goodly!
- "Jet Pilot" - Sub-minute 1965 rocker that appears to be about a transvestite. Eat your heart out, Lou Reed! (Literally, because you're an asshole)
- "I Wanna Be Your Lover" - Apparently this 1965 rock'n'roller was intended as a parody of "I Wanna Be Your Man," but I'm not sure what differentiates "parody" from "ripoff" in this case
- "Up To Me" - 1974 Blood On The Tracks outtake that sounds nearly identical to several other songs on Blood On The Tracks
- "Abandoned Love" - 1975 country harmony vocals, strummy acoustic, violin, eh whatever pbbl
- "Carribean Wind" - In a year as shitty for Dylan as 1981, how on Earth did he end up dumping this delightfully energetic and melodic composition? Some day you should listen to it and formulate a hypothesis.
- Live and demo versions of some other songs
So it's up to you. My rating is a high 8 because the majority of this material is excellent. However, you should probably just purchase the entire Dylan discography -- even the terrible records are charmingly awful.
Besides, what kind of Dylan retrospective would have the gall and very nerve to not include a single song from his masterwork Self-Portrait!?
(Answer: a GOOD one!)
At least, those are my feelings concerning this matter. I love music, and I'd hate to recommend a weak album and ruin your afternoon, so I'm giving this one a 5 on the grounds that, although Bob displays a nice level of energy and enthusiasm, he also demonstrates his same old '80s lack of original song ideas. If you like it, good for you. Hell, I love The Ramones and they didn't come up with an original song idea for the last fifteen years of their existence! Each to his own, my main man.
Also, I forgot to listen to the lyrics.
In my humble view, if you ever wondered what a soldiers mother might feel like, listen to this.
If you've ever wondered how a man can be manipulated by his own feelings, listen to this.
If you've ever thought about how our culture violates the sacred, listen to this.
It's well known that Dylan likes to record at a fast pace; catching the immediacy of the moment like lightening in a bottle, which I very much appreciate, but the addition of Mark Knopflers immaculate production only adds to the power of most of these songs.
My personal favorite here is the (for whatever reason) often disrespected "Neighborhood Bully" but I like the other seven as well. Great production too. Shame that this was the last album to feature Mark Knopfler.
Here, let me give an example of what I'm talking about. Take Bob Dylan's Real Live album, just as an arbitrary example. A "writer" would go 'Tappity tappity tappity word word word' and out would pop some boring old review. An EXCITER, on the other hand, would write something so profound and insightful that it would make the world rejoice at his eloquence.
I'm glad we were able to clear that up. Now you are prepared mentally and psychologically for my review of Bob Dylan's Real Live LP, which we'll rejoin after the jump.
MUSICAL REVIEW: Bob Dylan's Real Live LP, recorded July 5-8, 1984 in Europe.
What is this crap? Do you hear this shit? What a bunch of - Jesus christ! Listen to what they're doing NOW! I can't even - don't even look at it. Don't even think about it!
- Mark Prindle, www.markprindle.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Hay asshole,
My name is Mick Taylor, I played guitar on Bob Dylan's Real Live LP and I don't need to take any of your guff about it. You don't think I already took enough guff back when I was in Rolling Stones, from all those Brian Jones fans mad at me for drowning him in that pool? Come on, I'm sick of taking guff. We worked really hard on Real Live. I remember saying to Bob one day, like "Hay, these songs have too many melodies, can we make them boringer." And he agreed and now "Highway 61 Revisited," "Maggie's Farm," "Masters Of War" and "Tombstone Blues" have no melody at all! That's progress, and no amount of guff is going to change my accomplishments.
I also remember saying to him "Hay Bob, everything you've done since 1966 has been a piece a shit, can we skip all of it cuz it sux?" Next thing you know, we're playing two songs from Infidels (his latest piece a shit at the time), one Blood On The Tracks rewrite and BALLS-ALL ELSE from his last 53 albums! Seriously, besides those three all we played was classics from Bringing It All Back Home, Freewheelin', Another Side and Highway 61 Revisited! Christ, we played THREE songs off Highway 61 Revisited! In 1984!!!! So don't go around calling me a dick because YOU'RE the dick if anybody's the dick.
Worst,
Mick Taylor
Lead Guitarist, Mick Taylor's Tumbling Dice
Former Lead Guitarist, Mick Taylor's Torn And Frayed Band
Previous Lead Guitarist, Mick Taylor's Rocks Off Revue
EDITOR'S RESPONSE:
Mick,
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Asses are made to bear, and so are you. You are the portrait of a blinking idiot, and your letter a carcass fit for hounds. O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils. May all the infections that the sun sucks up from bogs, fens, flats, on you fall, and make you by inch-meal a disease.
Sincerely,
The Editor
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Diamond Jim,
They're getting ready. Look out, I'm coming in! So spin that wheel, cut that pack and roll those loaded dice. Bring on the dancing girls and put the champagne on ice. I'm going in to....
Sincity,
Mr. Hilarious
P.S. Also, this album features three songs by Bob alone with his acoustic guitar and harmonica (two of which -- "Girl From The North Country" and "Tangled Up In Blue" -- are the clear highlights of the record), and seven with his full, dull choogle-rock band backing him up.
P.P.S. Why on earth are they playing "Masters Of War" as a stupid Tuff Rock song!? I'm beginning to think you hit the nail on the head when you said, "What is this crap? Do you hear this shit? What a bunch of - Jesus christ! Listen to what they're doing NOW! I can't even - don't even look at it. Don't even think about it!" and then signed it "- Mark Prindle, www.markprindle.com.
The rest of your review is horseshingles though. Why did you have to give so much guff to Mick Taylor? He's the best lead guitarist that Mick Taylor's Turd On The Run ever had!
And the album ends with "Dark Eyes," which is a near-painfully gorgeous reminder of why so many fans gave up on him the day he "went electric." He was (and probably still is) a lovely acoustic songwriter. The rest of the album is '80s genericism all the way, with fake drums and synth horns and chick back-up singers and not a memorable melody to speak of.
You know, I don't have a record contract. I could make an album better than this one with my head shoved up Joan Baez's ass. And nobody's giving me a record contract. What a worthless world in which we live in.
Just a little historical background: this was 1985! That year Clapton released his loathsome synthy poppy Behind The Sun with almost no audible guitar, the Stones were recording Dirty Work and McCartney was recording his electronic monster Press To Play which for me is pretty much the worst effort by any Beatle ever. So much for the dinosaurs. And I must say that compared to this 'music' all of Bobby's 80-s output is really great. See, there's nothing particularly exciting or outstanding about this record (as well as about Down In The Groove; I haven't yet heard Knocked Out Loaded), but there's nothing to hate about it as well, that is, if you don't go comparing it with the 60'-s stuff. He hasn't 'run out of ideas'; rather he's exploring the same ideas over and over again, this time in disco form. However, the reasons of his suddenly embracing disco and electronics are way beyond me. When everybody was freaking out in the 60-s, he was playing country; in the years of heavy metal he was playing quiet acoustic; in the years of punk he was playing gospel. Why the hell had he to go electronic in the years of electronics? Who can explain?
Fuck this album up the ass.
No no, not that ass!
From what I have read, the rehearsals for this album, which Petty insisted on ,were truly inspirational.
Supposedly a stunning version of "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine"with Dylan on piano backed by the Heartbreakers is sitting in a can somewhere.
Twelve reasons why Knocked Out Loaded is worth listening to:
1. There's a joyful exuberance in the weird reggae of Precious Memories.
2. There's an engaging surrealism when the child choir kicks in on They Killed Him.
3. People sometimes slate this record for not including enough original Dylan songs, but the presence of cover versions hardly makes an album less of an artistic statement (Good As I Been To You being one of Dylan's most focused and powerful records). Bob chose the songs and they mean something to him.
4. At least Bob is trying something new with a 'modern sound' (okay, the '1980s rock' stylings and the booming drums don't work). It would presumably have been easy enough for him to knock out ten acoustic songs and get rave reviews, but he bravely chose a more tricky path.
5. The wonky gospel trimmings have the power to surprise and delight this listener (when in the right mood).
6. Lyrically, Brownsville Girl is different to pretty much everything else in Dylan's catalogue (or anyone else's, come to think of it). Enjoy its strangeness.
7. This album is sometimes written off as a compilation of studio bits and pieces. But a variety of studio sessions/recording locations does not in itself make for a bad album. Who cares when/where a set of songs were taped? They are unified by being selected to appear together here, and offer each other contrast. In the same way, Death Is Not The End improves the Down In The Groove LP, despite being taped five years before the bulk of that material.
8. Knocked Out Loaded may be a failure, but its an interesting one. Even Dylan's lesser works are worth hearing. This isn't the case with most artists.
9. Overall, it's a more satisfying listen than Empire Burlesque, which has worse-sounding production and fewer good songs.
10. Under Your Spell is a pretty good ballad and works well as a closer. If this was on another album (at the end of Saved or Infidels, for example) people would rate the song more highly.
11. Weird sleeve art.
12. It's a short album. More people should record short albums.
Have you ever heard the Wipers? I got a box set of their first three albums, and a lot of these songs are GREAT!
Oh yeah, it's Christmas. Merry Christmas. I'd like to say Merry Christmas especially to Rock Hudson and Pete Townshend cuz one's a dead fag and the other one should be.
Oh come on! That joke is a seasonal CLASSIC! What kind of PC world is this in which we are living in where a harmless family-oriented riddle can't be enjoyed like a pleasant ride on a horsey trapeze?
All he's done is allow his latest collection of poorly-conceived melody-free blurts of poor vocalization to be produced by Daniel Lanois (of U2 production fame). Meaning what? Meaning that the guitars sound crisp, clear, vibrant, and way way way too echoey, tremoloey, and all those other "ethereal" overkillys that Dan just adores. No matter. The songs still pale in comparison to nearly every other song written in 1989. The ballads "Where The Teardrops Fall" and "Most Of The Time" are melancholy, emotional, and gorgeous; the other eight songs aren't. Yeah, it is nice to hear Bob with his guitar and harmonica and very little accompaniment playing slow relaxed music again, but it's awfully disconcerting to have to finally face the fact, once and for all, that the problem with '80s Dylan was never the synth horns, back-up singers or disco beats - it was the boring material.
"Where Teardrops Fall" is a nice song (beautiful saxaphone outro) with Dylan leaning towards his Tin Pan Alley side (I mean that in a good way).
"Most Of The Time" and "What Good Am I?" use the same songwriting device (every line of each song revolves around, explains or elaborates on the title) and these songs to my ears point towards what Dylan and Daniel Lanois accomplished nearly a decade later with the brilliant Time Out Of Mind album.
Points too for the trio of songs that close the album "Disease Of Conceit", "What Was It You Wanted" and "Shooting Star" (although I prefer the MTV Unplugged version).
Lastly "Political World" and "Everything Is Broken" are two uptempo numbers that I like, but don't love.
The remaining songs I could take or leave, but all up it's an album really worth having once you own the more consistent ones.
But this album is one of Dylan's two successful (and only) collaborations with Daniel Lanois. Though I don't always care for Lanois' production, apparently he had a way of pulling better performances and better songs out of Bob than other producers. "Political World" starts the album off right, only to be undercut immediately by "Where Teardrops Fall." But then the album hits its stride with "Everything Is Broken," "Ring Them Bells," and "Man In The Long Black Coat." Ring Them Bells is particularly well done, although I don't like the echo Lanois puts on the piano. The lyrics appear to point out that although Bob no longer feels that he must focus every song on the subject, he still holds on to some of his Christian beliefs. Is he still "property of Jesus?" I don't know. Jesus could probably get a lot on the black market for him. Okay, I'm no longer making sense, time for a new paragraph.
"Most Of The Time" continues the string of good songs for Bob. It's a beautiful ballad. Now that I think about it, "Man In The Long Black Coat," isn't that good. Not bad, but not so great either. I always want to think about Johnny Cash when I hear the title. Unfortunately, the remaining tracks render 3 average songs and one terrible one ("Disease of Conceit").
I'm gonna give this album a 6, which may seem confusing considering the fact that I've been pretty critical of it. But it's better than New Morning and Bob Dylan, and I gave them both 5s. Plus, I love hearing the end of "Ring Them Bells." "Oh the lines are long/and the fighting is strong/and they're breaking down the distance between right and wrong." The man can still write some great lines after all these years. If nothing else, this album told us all that Bob still had something left in the tank. It makes Time Out Of Mind a little less unexpected to those of us that actually liked Oh Mercy. But only a little.
The only two rockers here are fuckin great, "Political World" (fresh from the movie "Man of the Year") and "Everything is Broken are rough as hell and are easily the best two songs on this album. "Where Teardrops Fall" is a beautiful ballad with a great slide guitar part, "Most of the Time," "What Was it You Wanted?" and "Shooting Star" aren't as great as the first three, but they're still very pleasant songs deserving of repeated listens. However, the album is pretty monotonous, pretty much every song sounds exactly the same and Dylan's voice is starting t really give out here. "Ring Them Bells" and "Disease of Conceit" are insanely boring, just nothing but Dylan growling on a piano. That being said, the production is great, and gives the album a creepy nighttime feel.
By the time the second half of the CD rolls around, it's clear that Bob has nothing new to contribute to the world, either musically or lyrically. Nor does his son, I assure you.
In terms of the songs themselves, I only have a problem with one of them, the generic blues song that goes absolutely nowhere "10,000 Men," and the lyrics to "Wiggle Wiggle" are appaling (but the music is probably the best on the album). Other than that, my favorites are the pleasant title track, the other blues song "Unbelievable," the "Like a Rolling Stone" ripoff "Handy Dandy," "God Knows" and "2 X 2."
I checked this out of my local library back in 2009 (shortly after hearing "Oh Mercy") expecting to hear the very worst. It didn't take me long to realize I not only liked this album, but I even grew to like it better than "Oh Mercy."
The Bootleg Series: Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991 - Columbia 1991.
Cool, dude. There's about sixty songs, and a large number of them are well worth your while. Just fast forward through that '80s stuff and you will undoubtedly be blown away by the fact that there was once a human being so talented that these great songs were his outtakes. Pretty impressive, Weezer.
Though don't take that to imply that Weezer is in any way impressive, or ever has been.
Alright, so just how good is this 3 disc set? It varies from disc to disc. Disc 1 has some good moments "Talkin' John Birch Paranod Blues," "Let Me Die In My Footsteps," and piano versions of "When the Ship Comes In," and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (why do I feel the urge to spell out that whole title almost every time?).
But the real meat is on disc 2. The unfortunately unfinished "She's Your Lover Now" is the highlight of the set. However, you can see parallels between the vocal delivery at the ends of lines in the song to the way Bob sings on "One Of Must Know." It's likely that the songs would have been a bit too similar to put on Blonde On Blonde had they both been completed. That wouldn't have been true for "I'll Keep It With Mine," though. It's a beautiful song, and this unfinished version is vastly superior to the heartless version off Biograph. It appears that Bob just got bored with the song and then half-assed a version in the studio just to get it finished. Otherwise, I can't imagine how the finished version on Biograph could have decreased in quality as much as it did in comparison to the early version on here.
Other great cuts off disc 2 include "Mama, You Been On My Mind," (though it doesn't quite stand up to the live duets with Ms. Baez) "Farewell, Angelina," the solo acoustic version of "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and finally the New York versions of "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Idiot Wind." Although I like these NY versions, I've never been one to claim that they were superior to the released versions. They're interesting certainly, but I simply can't believe some professional critics who claim that the acoustic "Idiot Wind" trumps the electric. I've heard a lot of complaints that "Idiot Wind" is childishly vitriolic. I don't know about that, but apparently the critics think Bob should have handled the song with kids gloves and softened it up. I think that's insanity. Insanity, I tell you!
So what about disc 3? Ummmm........ A lot about disc 3 is best left unsaid. However, "Blind Willie McTell" is the masterpiece many have called it. Although it may take a few listens to realize that. "Series Of Dreams' also stands head and shoulders above the rest of the songs. It definetly should have made it onto Oh Mercy (replacing "Disease of Conceit"). But Bob seems to enjoy leaving some of his best songs off the albums. That's just how the man rolls. As for the rest of disc 3, the Desire outtakes are pretty lousy. So is a lot of the stuff that was left off of Shot Of Love.
Some additional highlights: The wonderful early piano version of "Like A Rolling Stone." To have been in the room while Bob fleshed that out would have been incredible. Al Kooper is a lucky bastard. "Nobody 'Cept You" is also an unearthed gem, would have worked well on Planet Waves.
Rating this kind of album is kind of hard, you definetly have to take a different approach. Considering the sheer amount of good material that will incur repeated listenings, I'll have to give it an 8. You just don't expect this much good material to be discovered on one of these things. That said, you'd have to uncover a "Like A Rolling Stone" level song for the first time on a set like this for me to give it a 9 or 10, and there ain't much chance of a song that good not seeing release for 30 years.
Disc 2 might be the most interesting (and the best). We learn that "Like a Rolling Stone" was a weird waltz-ish song, and "Takes a Lot" started out as even better than the released version. I love the break on there, and it's one of the few times Bob has ever rocked out. "Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence" and "If You Gotta Go" would have fit much better on "Bringing it All Back Home" in place of "Gates of Eden". "She's Your Lover Now" would be much better if it wasn't six minutes long (it's still good though). The rest of the songs here are good, except that ultra boring acoustic "Idiot Wind".
Disc 3 has some fascinating stuff on it. "Seven Days", the "Infidels" outtakes and "Series of Dreams" stand right out among crap like "Angelina" and "You Changed My Life". But the biggest surprise here (and probably in the entire Dylan catalogue) would be this version of "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky". Lyrically it sounds exactly the same, but musically it's a completely different song than track 8 on "Empire Burlesque". Another case of Dylan rocking out, the synths and females are replaced with Danny Federici and Little Steve (on piano and guitar I think). It's fucking great, and easily the best song he did in the 80's.
You know me well enough to know that I wouldn't give an eight to any ol' crappy record just to show respect to the artist. Bob honestly DESERVES an eight for this one. Mainly upbeat tracks of various old school styles, each and every moment is as charming, smooth, and roughly-crooned as anything recorded he during his illustrious "acoustic" era. The most interesting thing about the record, though, is that it brings up the question, "Did Bob get his style from this old music, or is he simply transforming the songs to fit his sound?" 'Cause darnaroonie, can you hear Blood On The Tracks in beautiful ditties like "Canadee-I-O" and "Jim Jones." Darnaroonie, you can. Darn.
I'm totally surprised, totally impressed, and totally proud of Mr. Zimmerman for realizing that an artist doesn't have to keep churning out new songs until he's 726 years old; it's perfectly alright for him to show his love for music by giving us a chance to hear the music he grew up with. That is, if he does it well. In the case of The Ramones's Acid Eaters, for example, it just doesn't work. Here, it does does does, oh how it does. Even with his sneezy ol' voice, he makes it darn clear that he digs the living darn out of these bluesy, poppy, long and lovely old tuners. Buy it! Then sit back, relax, and mellow out with Mr. Dill.
By the way, I almost didn't buy this one when it came out; I was naturally skeptical given Bob's previous five or six stabs at record-making.
And he's in excellent voice throughout this record, too! Bob sounds pumped and right into this project and it reflects in his performances. All kinds of energy in his rendition of "Step it Up and Go". But, my personal fav is "Tomorrow Night". Did anyone else who first heard this track ever imagine they'd hear Dylan crooning? Crooning!
The production is clean and highlights Bob's great acoustic playing and harmonica. Nice job Mr. Dylan. Highly recommended!
OK, so maybe they weren't PEOPLE. Maybe they were horses. What is this, botany class?
The best thing about this album is its cover. The second best thing is Dylan stayed away from the recording studio for four years. Served him right.
Plus, I'm offended by the wretched version of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" that's included. "Shooting Star" and "Dignity" kinda generate an involuntary twitch in my suck canal, too. And they've done away with that neat "diddy-diddy-doo-doo" guitar thing in "Desolation Row"! Bastards! Maybe his voice isn't the only problem.
And there's another thing!!!! Why the hell do those idiot audience members feel the need to all clap together the moment that they recognize what a song is????? And why does it take them an ENTIRE VERSE to recognize "Desolation Row"???? God, I fucking hate people with every ounce of my being!!!!!!
Also, Bob's voice has made another grand transformation, from the unlistenably nasal wheeziness we've grown to ignore to a bitter old phlegmy bluesman's growl. And it sounds forkin' GREAT, man! Do you think the success of The Wallflowers pushed him to this level of quality? Or his recent brush with unhealthiness? I don't know what it is, but dude - believe the hype. I wouldn't necessarily say "Bob's back in top form!" but I would definitely, without hesitation, say, "This is one of the most enjoyable albums I've heard in quite some time!" It's only got one or two weak tunes, and the rest are just straight-up jazzy dark blues utterings for old men and lil' babies. The lyrics aren't that great, but they're not bad either, by any means. And, regardless of all the great things you've heard about the epic "Highlands," it's no "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands Part Two." It's really just a long, long, long 12-bar blues tune. And, unlike the brilliant stories of young Dylan that took you on a visual journey every time you listened, "Highlands" is the story of an old man - long, boring and essentially pointless. Ha! Still catchy and fun to listen to anyway.
So let me reiterate - though I don't necessarily agree with the REASONS that critics loved this album so much (i.e. the lyrics, Bob's renewed songwriting talent, etc.), I definitely give it the thumbs up, and hope that Dylan continues to work with Lanois on fine projects in the future. Sure, Dan sucked on Oh Mercy, but this time around - hoo! He's captured the essence of '90s culture - pretend you're in the 70's. Good work, Danny!
Oh... and Bob too.
That way, I cannot determine what can be called "the best record of Bob Dylan". Blood On The Tracks? Maybe... but hey, are the songs on it REALLY better than on, say, Freewheelin'? Hardly. And Self Portrait? Is this a bad album? Yes - at first sight; but then again, it's the same Bob Dylan, is he not? Not that he's changed a lot over the years. The Beatles have changed - you couldn't believe Please Please Me and Abbey Road could have been written by the same person. The Stones have changed. A lot. The Who have changed. Everybody. But not Dylan. So what if the man traded his acoustic for an electric one day? Big deal. He's always been writing the same things - over and over again. And in that way Self Portrait or Shot Of Love are not much worse than Hardin' or Blood On The Tracks. They're all about the same thing, see. And it's all about Bob.
Somewhere in your reviews you accuse Dylan of his sudden adherence to Christianity. Come on now - he's ALWAYS been a religious person, and this is obvious since his very first records! Maybe his religiousness wasn't exactly Christian religiousness (which it was), but you cannot deny it. Bob never was an atheist or something. 'Tis no surprise for me, at all. Now if Mick Jagger... !!!!
In all, I would say that if one loves Bob Dylan, he should buy ALL of his records and not choose favourites. If one hates Bob Dylan - well, then he will not understand even a single thing about him. And he was never "infuriatingly banal", as you write in your Self Portrait review. Never! If you really think so, well... you've missed a big part of Mr Zimmerman's world.
Well, 4 me, if "Positively 4th Street" & "Tangled Up in Blue" were on this, I probly wouldn't need 2 hear NE other Bob stuff EVER....
I expect to get howled down for saying that, but I have now spent a year and a bit with this record, and don't say it lightly.
I wouldn't call this a "comeback"... how crass... you see, Bob Dylan is an artist. A real artist, (unlike most of the calculated unimaginative sample ridden money making record company puppets of today) and this record I believe is best listened to in a single sitting, as it really seems to be designed as a set of songs more or less dealing with the same issues song after song, ageing, lost love, regret, and (as has been the case on every record he has released) America as it was pre World War 2 (riverboats, gamblers, midnight trains, hobos etc).
Agreed that Daniel Lanois has a huge input to the sound (which I love).
I hope Dylan continues on this path, but as an artist, he will follow his muse, and I am interested to see what he comes up with.
There are many greater single songs on other albums, but this is the one that works as an album from start to finish.
What I'm saying is - I'm not afraid to admit that this artist almost totally blows.
I know I'll get a lot of flack for saying this, but Dylan just does nothing for me. He's not a great songwriter (three or so chords and repetetive melodies), he's not a great lyricist (check out Andy Partridge of XTC - he could kick Bob's smelly Zimmerman ass!), and he's certainly not even close to a good singer. Sure, he inspired a lot of people, including a heap of groups that I really like, but he really was doing nothing that's at all interesting. And even when he could write a tune that's catchy and well-done, he screws it up by dragging it on for five minutes, without even throwing in a middle 8 for good measure! Look at "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Ballad Of A Thin Man," for example. They're great at first, but then, after the third identical verse or so, the boredom factor kicks in - and quite hard, too.
Maybe you all like him for his lyrics. I don't know, but I find it kind of hard to listen to a guy's lyrics when he can't even sing clearly! Plus, I've read some of his lyric sheets (in a desperate attempt to find a reason people like him), and was struck by the distinct lack of memorable lines present. Someone out there find me a Dylan song with GOOD lyrics, and I'll gladly ridicule you for having such a naive defenition of poetry.
And wait a sec - people complain that Elvis Costello has an ugly voice, yet they love THIS GUY? My currently malfunctioning toilet sings better than Dylan! And could probably write music better, too! I imagine that "Flush!!!!!" has a better chance of getting to number one than anything off of Time Out Of Mind.
That being said, I love some of the man's work. The first Greatest Hits album is of jaw-dropping quality. A real stunner, along with a few of his later pieces. But, after hearing that, I was dissapointed to find that most of his other work is made up of pointless, repetetive, unmelodic rambling - even the short songs go on for way too long!
Give me Black Sea, Nevermind, A Night At The Opera, Imperial Bedroom, Us, Plastic Ono Band, or Life's Rich Pageant over this any day. Hell, give me that awful Tom Petty album, and I'll like it more than Mr. Zimmerman's "music"! Just don't sneak in that Blood On The Tracks crapfest - I've said it before, and I'll say it again - overrated!!!!!
Very sad. You know, when I'm contemplating other people's complaints about Dylan, I'm always hoping to find something original - and never find anything new. You could have thought of something more entertaining, Mr Greenstein, than complain of Bob's lack of good voice, un-understandable lyrics and derivative melodies - complaints that have been voiced probably millions of times by people whose fault is that they are just totally unwilling to get into Dylan's world. The amazing side of the whole story, for me, is that Dylan manages to be a great artist IN SPITE of all these things. He has a mysticism and a magnetism of his own that, unfortunately, isn't available for everybody - and yet can be understood by a majority of people who give a serious attempt at understanding Dylan music. Here, on this site, by flushing these insults at Dylan, you're basically either insulting millions of people or, rather, just showcasing the limitations of your own personality. Now I had no idea that I'd have to write these lines at the Prindle site, but let me just tell you what Dylan is all about. After this you may send me to hell as much as you want.
Dylan is not about creative, original melodies - he steals/borrows as many of them as possible, and later begins to recycle himself. He is not about any life philosophy - basically, he has none (and thus steers clear of pretentiousness and pomposity). And, of course, he is not about gorgeous singing (although you should check out some examples of his voice on Nashville Skyline and Selfportrait to see that he could if he would).
Dylan is all about The Small Guy. His closest analogy in British music seems to be Ray Davies whom you adore so much; but Ray was never as lyrically complex or deep as Dylan was almost from the very beginning. His songs are all about The Small Guy - the voice seems to tell you: 'hey, I can't sing, so I'm close to you!', his melodies seem to tell you: 'hey, I really can't write, so I'm even closer to you!', while his lyrics basically all deal with his (and everybody's like him) personal problems, confusions and inner changes. And by doing so, and adding a spoonful of inner Dylan magic which is non-describable, he is able to become more of a personal friend to you than anybody in rock music. He infiltrates your mind, seems to shake hands with you in mid-air. Put on an early Dylan record when you're depressed and it'll comfort you. Put on a later Dylan record when you're depressed and he'll share your troubles. Put on Blonde On Blonde when you're happy and you'll be happier.
'Naive definition of poetry', Mr Greenstein? Thousands of people have been writing theses on Dylan's poetry and taking lectures on them - you claim that your opinion is more worthy? Jeez, you're really embarrassing. Take just one more note, please: when you overthrow an idol, try to do it with at least a little respect. I enjoyed some of your reviews and comments on this site, but this message made me (and not only me, I dare say) lose any respect for your musical opinions that I ever had. OF COURSE you're entitled to your own opinion. But you're also entitled to good manners, and this is what I don't find here. Have a nice day.
I am not "totally unwilling to get into Dylan's world." I gave the guy many chances, where I listened to his records - Blood On The Tracks, Blonde On Blonde, etc. - and found that I didn't like them at all! I really wanted to like Bob Dylan, but eventually I realized that I was wasting my money on records that I didn't ever want to listen to!
And I don't see how the fact that lots of people complain about the same things as me makes my opinion any less valid! On the contrary - the fact that a lot of perfectly intelligent people agree with me should back up my argument quite a bit!
The silliest of your arguments (and, George, I love you as a person, but it is dang silly) is the "Dylan the Small Guy" excuse. By saying that he is an "everyman," does that give him an excuse for not being creative? There are plenty of "everyman" rock stars that were incredibly creative - Springsteen, Ray Davies, Elvis Costello... In fact, come to think of it...
How is Dylan any more "the small guy" than John Lennon or Paul McCartney? They're all just songwriters - I don't relate any more to Bob because he's American than I do to either of them! I happen to be a "small guy" (aren't we all, in this great big world?), and I have to say that I don't see anything in common between me and Dylan. If you're going to say that YOU admire him, go ahead - just think twice before you speak for all of the underdogs of the world.
And we have plenty of "small guys" who CAN sing and CAN write creative melodies - check Paul Simon. I mean, he's at least twice as small as Dylan!
AND... In defense of my condemnation of his lyrics - the fact that lots of scholars study his lyrics means NOTHING!!! In Nazi Germany, schools studied Hitler's writings. I know that's kind of a stretch, but since "trained scholars" looked at his work, then he must be a genius! Plus, I asked for examples - send me some!
Look, George - I don't want to be enemies. In fact, I'd much rather get along well, seeing as we like a lot of the same groups. I wrote those comments in an attempt to express MY veiws on Dylan, and guess I got a little carried away, accidently bringing his fans into the crossfire. I have nothing against Dylan fans - I'm very good friends with some of them - I just wanted to make it clear to people that there is another world out there of great music that is not in the mainstream of "classic rock." And, yes, Dylan is put into the "classic rock" grouping, though I find it every bit as ridiculous as I'm sure you will. Anyway, my hand is extended in a peace offering, so don't hate me! I'm just an ignorant "intellectual music" fan who doesn't like Bob Dylan! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Thanks for listening.
That said, you sir (and I mean this in the nicest way bennie boy) are a fucking cultureless boob.............I mean fuckin XTC's lyrics better than Dylan's lyrics? Come the fuck on!
Next up for Ben Greenstein: going to the beatles site and telling everyone that Dramarama and Flock of Seagulls could outwrite Lennon and McCartney anyday!
I'm just wondering-- do people who bash XTC's lyrics when Ben argues that Andy Partridge's are better than [any given artist]'s lyrics have ANY reference point other than "Dear God"? Obviously no one ever goes past the lyrics to that song since basically everything else Partridge ever penned contains about a trillion times more lyrical depth than that song (which, admittedly, contains quite cliched lyrics).
And really-- XTC equated with Dramarama and Flock of Seagulls? You have your priorities seriously messed up Mr. "HowlinTomFan,"; their music is VERY different from the various '80s one-hit wonder music being produced at the time. But oh, they made "Dear God"! The lyrics to that song suck, therefore everything else they ever wrote must suck as well!
"Cultureless boob"? How does it take more culture to appreciate Dylan than XTC? Everyone's heard of Dylan, for Christ's sake! It's not like you have to dig too deeply into culture to find him!
Oh and please, people, don't take this as a stab at Dylan; merely a defense of Andy Partridge elicited by the true "cultureless boob" on this page. I have nothing against Dylan, unlike Ben. Honest.
This guy single-handedly created the folk-rock genre, which for many is reason enough to hate him - but consider! No folk-rock = no psychedelic! No impenetrable lyrics set to oddly-paced blues riffs... No Byrds hence no Airplane or Dead which means no Doors... no Velvets ...and especially no Hendrix...
Lennon would have followed... who? Herb Alpert? as his muse...hence no Sgt. Pepper's... no "Day in a Life"...
No oddball juxtaposition of Beat poetry and electrified folk-funk hence no Patti Smith... no Henry Rollins...
No Dylan means no Fall, no Clash... Maybe Brian Wilson would have taken up the slack - which would make an interesting alternative history and maybe that wouldn't be so bad - but without Dylan we, for damn sure, would not be listening to the music that we actually have. Everything that is worth listening to has been touched by this guy: Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop...
Even stuff that is not really worth listening to... no Dylan = no "Alternative" (with the exception of the 57 varieties of Techno, which are also not really worth listening to - but you can't blame Bob for that.)
And for damned certain: no Dylan - no Wallflowers...
My point is that Dylan is not just another recording artist anymore than Elvis was. Whatever your opinion of the man and his talents, he deserves his due.
And as for argument that that he can't right decent melodies and simply repeats a musical phrase ad nausea. Whilst being patently bollocks, even if it was true all I would say is 'Get thee to The Fall page and lean your three R's' (Repetition Repetition Repetition).
Paul Simon???? How about that.....He likes the man who rips off other people's culture when he runs out of ideas, as if he ever had any. His condescending showboating with africans is reprehensible. He doesn't belong on a stage with anyone, let alone folks who have a beautiful tradition and then watch it butchered before their eyes and ears by an american celebrity. There's a lot of that going on. When are folks gonna realize that fusion works about one per cent of the time, and only when the content is 99% of the culture that is being ripped off for personal gain.
And as for the rest of these arguments, i definatly agree its all a matter of taste. If Ben wants to say Andy Partridge is better then Dylan, thats his opinion. No one has the right to tell him he is wrong, except maybe if he refuses to respect Dylan for being so influencial and what not (which Ben didnt seem like he was doing, but still, he probably was). I love both XTC AND Dylan, and i think they shouldnt be compared, since they are both great in their own genres and styles, and i think its idiotic for some people here to blatently put down XTC just because someone said they personally didnt like Dylan. Thats just plain stupid. A lot of people do the same thing on this site to Prindle as well, putting him down, calling him names because of his opinion that they disagreed with, and its pathetic that people are that moronic. This site is supposed to help people with buying or listening to music in general, not to fight against it. Music is all a matter of taste, and personal opinion (although you should respect artists like The Beatles or Dylan at least for what they've done to music), and it doesnt make you more "classy" or "artistic" to like Dylan. But anyway, thats my 2 cents...
Give the Beatles a million years and they never would have come up with anything close to "It's alright Ma, I'm only Bleeding." And please remember, the Beatles were trying to write like Dylan on their RUBBER SOUL album. Dylan never tried to write like the Beatles. That's right brother - She loves you, yeah fuckin yeah, yeah.. Ob-la--de-Ob-la-frickin-da.. Goo Goo Ga joob.. Na,na,na,na,na,na - na,na,na,na - Hey Joob...
I wasn't saying the Beatles were better or that Bob Dylan tried to write like the Beatles....you stupid poop head! I'm sorry, that last sentence was uncalled for. Just forget the "you stupid poop head" part....you stupid poop head!
thank you scot livingston for the lengthy document on dylan. to all faggots like greensteen, go suck 50 cent's cock! 50 is as ugly as my cock! do not sell out, cocksucuking faggots! anyway them faggots are making me testy! okay no more fag talk. loving bob dylan is like watching an underrated classic like the majestic, cactus flower, butterflies are free, with yummy goldie hawn! ooooooooooo yea! lovely beautiful shimmering golden goldie hawn. her underwear! ooooooo! glory, awakenings. anyway is till say dylan is the best songwriters outta everybody! not a cliché!
Back to Bob (if you don't like him find another site, we're just not interested). As I see it there are three kinds of Bob: Bob the critic (times changing, answer blowing, masters war), Bob the lovesick (if you see her, dirge and ... lovesick) and Bob the weirdo (thin man, wheels on fire and Franky & Judas). Some albums mix these diferent Bobs more than others. Time out of mind is disproportionally lovesick, even the weirdo-songs all have a lovesick element. Luckily we left Bob the critic behind in the sixties. In my eyes Blowing and Times changing (songs for hippies) are what I wanna hold your hand and Please please me were for the Beatles.
Where Love and Theft finds a relaxed elderly singer lingering over the facts of life (some memories you can live with, some of them you can't), Time out of Mind features a desperate man struggling in every song (no place left to turn, nothhing left to burn). Even in Blood on the Tracks the man just doesn't sound this destitute.
I'm seeing Bob coming friday in Rotterdam for the first time in my life. Some new angles to his songs and constructive criticism is welcome. A rat race between Bob and XTC I could do without (wouldn't be close call by the way).
In comparison to Dylan's other late career releases, I'd consider the songs on here to be stronger than Oh Mercy, and essentially equal to Love & Theft. I'd consider the best of Love & Theft (Mississippi and High Water) to be stronger than the best of Time Out Of Mind (Love Sick, and Cold Irons Bound) but that's just a personal preference. It's really hard to choose between the two.
Dylan's become a bit more plain spoken in his old age, no longer invoking poetic imagery as often as he did in his youth. It works with his age though, and his sound. Bob sounds tired, too tired to skirt around what he wants to say. He's love sick, and that's exactly what he tells you. Perhaps the only exception is in the album's closer, "Highlands," which features some of the conversational language of his younger days. Actually, I find that 16 minute long juggernaut to be one of the weaker tunes on the album. But some will enjoy hearing Dylan being playful again.
Aside from the tracks I've already mentioned, I also give "Million Miles," "Can't Wait," and "Tryin' To Get To Heaven" high marks. "Can't Wait" in particular resonates. Bob sounds impatient, aware of the fact that he doesn't have the time to wait around much longer.
Overall, I give this album a 7, same as Love & Theft. I've been listening to it a lot recently, and am tempted to give it an 8, but I pride myself on having a fairly steep ratings system (why I, or anyone else should care, I don't know). So a 7 it is, for the album that gave Dylan a good release in 4 consecutive decades.
I tried to fit a "Soy Bomb" joke in here, but couldn't find a place that made sense, so I'll put it here. Remember when that guy with SOY BOMB written on his chest ran onto the stage during the Grammy's while Bob was playing "Love Sick" and started doing some weird, spastic dance? I sure do! That was wild! Didn't seem to faze Bob a bit though. He gave one glance at him and kept doing what he was doing. I forget what that guy was trying to teach us about Soy though. Should we free the soy? Save the soy? Eat more soy? Less soy? He should have been more specific. This was also the album that Bob licensed songs to Victoria's Secret from. Now, this is just my opinion, and as a man, it could be skewed. But I imagine that when a woman sees a commercial for underwear, the withered face of a '60s songwriter doesn't entice her to buy. At least not Bob's withered face. Maybe David Crosby. Women love him.
Yeah, I'd say "Head out of ass" is the most appropriate title for this album. I'm sure the world was not expecting much from the Bobinator, so I'm sure this must have shocked the shit out of everyone when this came out. Not me of course, this album came out when I was five and this was actually the first Dylan album I remember hearing (or at least hearing about). So I had to endure all those (allegedly) subpar albums after hearing this one. To get this out the way, this is my favorite of his since "Blonde on Blonde". Yes, I like it that much. Every song is a winner. Even "Highlands" is pretty good. My least favorite song of here of course, but fuck it, that's like the only bad thing I can say about this. My favorite song here is "Trying to Get to Heaven" (what a beautiful song), followed closely by "Make You Feel My Love" (fuck you Adele and Billy Joel) and "Cold Irons Bound". I'll give this a well deserved 9.
On the cover, it's not quite as cool as the one for the previous studio album, but it's still pretty fucking cool.
Actually, I'm exaggertating. A couple of these songs sound like they could have come from Blood On The Tracks-era Dylan ("Mississippi" and "Sugar Baby") and a few others are sort of Chuck Berry-style blues rockers, though they honestly sound more like the early '50s r'n'b music that probably influenced Mr. Charles Barris, host of the Gong Show, than it sounds INSPIRED by your "Maybelline" and your "My Ding-A-Ling." So keep your head in the past and it's not unpossible to enjoy the living, breathing cuntflaps out of this collection of wonderful good time music! SO MUCH FUN! You'll grab your baby and shake a rug at the groovin' brush strokin' drummin' and the sound of a happy old man playing music for the grandkids.
Wow. "Sugar Baby" is a beautiful song. Just thought I'd mention that.
So that's two really, REALLY good Dylan albums in a row -- actually FOUR, if you count the two covers albums. Speaking for myself, I'm astonished that this album is so tremendously entertaining. And not even just entertaining, but CATCHY! Even the songs that seem a little limited by genre specificity at first soon hit home with awesome melodic breaks, harmonizing organ tones in the background and/or surprisingly singalongable vocal melodies. It sounds not a whit like Time Out Of Mind, but is just as much a winner.
What the hell was that noise?
AUGGHHH!!! IT'S A PAIR OF LIVING, BREATHING CUNTFLAPS THAT I HAVE ENJOYED OUT OF THIS ALBUM!!!! THEY'RE GOING TO SWALLOW ME ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
ve. That was stupid. Somebody rewrite this ending. I don't care who. As long as you've got a big juicy cock I can suck on.
Rewrite that part too.
Leif garret: What was that noise???
Buddy Holly: I don’t know but it came from the basement!
Michael Stipe: Guys, I’m really scared I think we should call the
Authorities.
Freddy Mercury: Shut the fuck up Stipe! And for the love of GOD, grow some
Testicles.
John Lennon: Leave him ALONE FREDDY!
Freddy Mercury: [To Lennon] you want a piece of me you semen-craving, black
boy?
Leif garret: GUYS! We HAVE to focus on the issue here.
Michael Stipe: I say we call Authorities.
Freddy Mercury: I say we call you’re MOTHER for another HANDJOB! What do you
think if that Limp wrist?
Leif Garret: Well I’m going down to the basement.
Michael Stipe: NO, Leif, DON’T! you will get hurt!
Leif Garret: It’s raining men stipe.
Michael Stipe: I know. I just… care about you....
Leif Garret: {Puts hands on stipes shoulders} It will be ....o k
(the all travel down to the basement holding hands)
well, Basically to make a long story short Leif Garret gets addicted and busted for heroin a couple times, Freddy mercury dies of Aids, John Lennon gets Brutally stabbed to death, Buddy Holly dies in a fatal plain crash and Michael Stipe CONTINUES to torcher people with his dreadful radio friendly music a happy ending indeed for the entire crew.
Sure it won't change the world like the first two (but Bob's already done that at least once) and it won't give the same buzz to the alt.rock nerds who think that if they talk about Harry Smith to the politically active chick in their English class she'll blow them (she's never heard of Harry Smith, or "Mojo" for that matter), but for the rest of us this is simply a masterpiece.
A long elegy for his mother. A playful meditation on "Saviours"...
Some of Dylan's best songs ever played by his best studio ensemble since The Band and no Daniel Lanois to fuck the sound.
Beautiful.
Yes, bob has created a history of music that is the 'same'.
Every musician that was ever anything finds their niche. He's damn good at what he does. he is the best songwriter and the best at piercing our souls than anyone. He is what we can't be, which is why we talk about him. Stop making a fool of yourself and be positive!
by Scot P. Livingston
I first became aware of Bob Dylan in the late eighties. I'm sure my parents must've been aware of him, and maybe even liked him back in the day, but I certainly don't remember hearing them played around the house. They mostly listened to musical theatre. As a result, when I was a teen I could enjoy The Beatles without the stigma of knowing that my parents liked them too (even though they probably did). All through high school and junior high all I listened to were Weird Al and The Beatles. And seeing as George was my favorite Beatle, when I heard about the Traveling Wilburys project and rushed out to buy it even though I had never heard of any of the other guys before. Immediately I fell in love. By the end of the summer I had accumulated Jeff Lynne's Armchair Theatre, Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever, and Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy! (if I hadn't hated "Not Alone Anymore" I probably would've ended up with Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl too). I loved the album - but unlike my Tom Petty fixation, it never went farther than that. Until about five years ago, upon my request, a friend of mine got me Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. I, II & III. I first noticed it during "Subterranean Homesick Blues". I got it. I understood the appeal of his Bob-ness. Around this time I started a new job as a security guard, and the bank where I went to cash my checks was right across the street from a Tower Records. And at the Tower Records they were getting rid of all of their old cassettes - 3 for ten bucks. So every two weeks I'd walk in there flush with cash and buy another trio of Dylan albums for my car (which only had a tape deck). I had done no reading on the life and times of Dylan, so I had no idea who these albums were seen or thought of or in which order they came in chronologically. And with really no liner notes to speak of (not that I should be reading that while I'm driving anyway), I just sort of absorbed Dylan's entire oeuvre randomly and simultaneously. But I still loved it. Well - most of it. Finally out of curiosity I read a few books of criticism of Dylan (most notably Clinton Heylin's works) and some of the mountains and mountains of stuff posted on the web. And I was pretty shocked to find that everything that I particularly liked on those tapes was the stuff that everyone else thought was sub-standard, while most of the stuff given the masterpiece designation I felt was overdone. I wasn't disagreeing with the majority intentionally (like I am often wont to do). I still thought of myself as a Dylan fan. I had all of the albums right? Where did I go wrong? So this is what I think, hopefully it'll encourage others who aren't familiar with his catalog to give it a shot - and those who think they are, to give some stuff a second look.
Now, most people think of Bob more as a lyricist than a melody-maker. Whether we're talking about his more straightforward protest songs or his later drug-fueled mishmash of metaphors, Bob's words are complex, layered, and sometimes undecipherable. They're the meat of his songs. His melodies are usually stolen from some forgotten 16th Century Scottish ballad. His chords progressions are usually just 3 or 4 chords repeated over and over. He rarely writes a separate section for the chorus, much less a bridge. But personally that's what I really look to Bob for. I know his lyrics are brilliant. I'm not arguing with that. Of all the lyrics I've ever heard, his are sometimes some of the best. It's just that I don't care that much about the deeper meaning of the words. It's the music that really sells what might otherwise be pure gibberish. Sure, his songs are fairly simple and unschooled, sometimes little more than just a riff. But there's something particularly powerful and sincere in his insistence in playing them. It's almost Punk. So to my ears, something with fairly simple or stupid words ("Wiggle Wiggle" or "Wigwam") is much more interesting than his great epics ("Desolation Row", "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands", "Joey", "Brownsville Girl" and "Highlands"), which tend to be the same three chords for eleven-plus minutes.
Bob Dylan
Popular perception holds that Bob Dylan is first and foremost as a brilliant songwriter, an adequate guitar player, and a horrible singer. So it's kind of a surprising to most people to hear that his first album as a complete unknown was composed almost completely made of covers. Only two originals ("Song To Woody" and "Talkin' New York") are included. Clearly, Columbia thought that had something in this twenty year-old's voice and guitar picking. Not to mention his taste in traditional material. In fact the two originals are some of the weakest tracks on here. Both "House Of The Rising Sun" and "Man Of Constant Sorrow" are on here years before they became hits for The Animals and O Brother, Where Art Thou, respectively. Even though Bob himself didn't actually write them his ear is impeccable. Another great song (that still could be re-discovered and turned into a hit is) "In My Time Of Dyin'" which is also notable for being the first and only time we get to hear Bob's amazing/primitive slide guitar playing. Why?!? Bob Dylan is really more of a Blues album than Folk (witness songs like "Highway 51", "Fixin' To Die", and "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"). Bt was a good thing that, at that time, most people classified the album as Folk. Which during its big early 60s boom was mired in Ivory league intellectual-ism, bright harmonies and the squeaky-clean image of say the Chad Mitchell and Kingston Trios. None of them injected such humor as Bob into these old songs that were then considered somewhat untouchable (see "Pretty Peggy-O", "Freight Train Blues" or "Talkin' New York"). Which makes the two originals, as unimpressive as I think they are, that much more important. He was putting himself back into the process, returning it to the rough-hewn self-made form of Woody Guthrie. And in the process making the term folksinger to mean something closer to solo-singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar rather than someone who actually just sings and plays the kind of songs passed on down by the oral tradition.
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob rarely does the same thing twice (well - he rarely does the same thing three times in a row), and here on his second album he's already changing things around. Gone are most of the covers (only "Corrina, Corrina" remains). Instead we get a lot of Bob Dylan in his own words. In fact two of the songs include his name in the title ("Bob Dylan's Blues" and "Bob Dylan's Dream"). And furthermore The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is a good album. He manages to create a fairly wide diversity of styles with his limited instrumental palette of voice, guitar, and harmonica. Although there is one song one here, "Corrina, Corrina", which features outside musicians - upright bass and brushed drums - for the first time (unless you count the deleted single "Mixed-Up Confusion") already showing Bob's frustration with that limitation. While the album is best known for its finger-pointing protest songs ("Blowin' In The Wind", "Masters Of War", "Oxford Blues", and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"), there's a lot more to it than that. There are a couple of great touching sad songs (the classic "Girl From North Country" and "Don't Think Twice"). And there's also a lot of fun goofy songs that are as well remembered - "Talkin' World War II Blues", "Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance", and "I Shall Be Free". There's also a couple examples of a common Bob Dylan M.O.: a standard 12-bar blues progression that he plays like he invented it, as a vehicle for some of his wild and wooly words: "Bob Dylan's Blues" and "Down The Highway".
The Times They Are A-Changin'
While most Dylan fans seem to prefer The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan to its consistently dour follow-up, I actually like The Times They Are A-Changin' better. Sure, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan does feature a lot more diversity of styles, the almost constant barrage of "protest" songs makes Bob's activism seem like less of a pose. Besides, putting the lyrics aside (as I tend to do), the subject matter must've spurred Bob into writing a much stronger set of pieces from a musical standpoint. "Ballad Of Hollis Brown" and "Boots Of Spanish Leather" are better than anything on its predecessor. Besides, not all of the songs are about causes. "One Too Many Mornings", "Boots Of Spanish Leather", and "Restless Farewell" could all probably count as love songs. Although I will agree that there isn't much on here that's upbeat (either lyrically or musically), I think that it's a much more heart-rending and powerful album for it. Besides there is some optimism in the title track and "When The Ship Comes On" and some humor in "With God On Our Side". It's not completely bleak. Really, my biggest complaint comes from "With God On My Side". First of all - it tends to drag on a little long for a song with only one guitar and no new parts. It also features something that crops up a lot on these early Dylan albums. He seems completely unsure what kind of accompaniment he wants on the guitar. Sometimes he's got this wild strumming on the triplets, but when he gets tired and can't keep up he switches to just hitting the downbeats. It's very distracting whenever it happens. Luckily, we don't hear much more of it after "with God On Our Side".
Another Side Of Bob Dylan
Another Side is right. Two albums of finger-pointing songs and Bob's already bored again and ready to move on. Although many critics tend to think of Another Side Of Bob Dylan as an electric album without the electric instruments, since the words have a lot more in common with Bringing It All Back Home or Highway 61 Revisited than they do with The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan or The Times They Are A Changin'. But really it's another acoustic album. And of Bob's first four solo acoustic albums, this is my least favorite. I'm not sure why I don't like it more. It features some of the last of Bob's out-and-out funny songs (only "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" really remain until the Traveling Wilbury days), and a lot of them ("Motorpsycho Nightmare", "All I Want To Do", and "I Shall Be Free No. 10"). He's once again attempting to expand his range with the piano-playing "Black Crow Blues". It's not that I'm upset that his lyrics have abandoned the sloganeering of Woody Guthrie for the rambling of Jack Kerouac. It's just that funny songs aren't as funny; the love songs aren't as touching. The music isn't as interesting. "My Back Pages" and "It Ain't Me, Babe" are good songs, but these performances are so uninspired that it'd take other performances (by Bob not the Byrds or the Turtles) to really show them off. "Chimes Of Freedom" is just annoying. Really, my favorite song on here is the one that everyone (including Bob himself) seems most embarrassed by: "Ballad In Plain D". First of it's a great title. The main reason I think everyone doesn't like it is because it's too personal, too mean, reveals too many details. They probably are, but I don't really mind. Not being the kind of person who digs through Bob's garbage to find out more about his private life, I couldn't tell. Really they only part of Dylan's personal life is the part he puts down on record. The rest is really none of my business - or even interest.
Bringing It All Back Home
It's kind of disappointing that Bob hedged his bets and didn't make this album all-electric. Although the fact that he chose to put the acoustic songs on side 2 rather than first side or mixing them together sort of undercuts whatever kind of compromise he was trying to make with the die-hard folkies he was leaving. Who knows? This is one of my all-time favorite Dylan albums. Bob's idea of rock'n'roll is certainly just loud, slightly sped up 12-bar blues with some strange words on top. There's "Maggie's Farm", "Outlaw Blues", "On The Road Again". "Subterranean Homesick Blues" takes the 12-bars and stretches it into 24 or so to fit in all of his fun (if not terribly meaningful) words. Clearly the rest of band - who play enthusiastically and with great talent, don't have any idea when the next chord is coming. Listening to all of the attempt to keep up (or at least catch up) with Bob makes this some great rough-hewed risky rock that demands as many repeated listenings as something as exquisite and intricately constructed as say Pet Sounds. And not that side 2 is just a bone thrown to his old audience. "Gates Of Eden" and "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" are two of Bob's best songs ever. And both featuring single solitary one-note blasts from the harmonica at the end of each verse to remind of you of what Bob used to do - and to let you know how much different this is. Not that Bringing It All Back Home is perfect. (No Dylan album is perfect. Each has a couple of stinkers and at least one or two moments of genius. The only question is how much of each - and how good are the rest.) Neither "She Belongs To Me" nor "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" (which is a great title) do much for me. Maybe I've just heard it too many times from the Byrds - and William Shatner - to really appreciate it, but I always thought that "Mr. Tambourine Man". And is it just me, or is the second guitar that is noodling around in the background of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" completely unrelated to what's going on in the rest of the song and slightly out of tune? Whatever it is, it ruined "It's All Over Now" for me forever. Still, a great album.
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited is not nearly as good as Bringing It All Back Home but still an amazing album. More fun up-tempo blues numbers: "Tombstone Blues", the title track, "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry", and "From A Buick 6" (two more great titles!). "Like A Rolling Stone" deserves its reputation as an all-time rock'n'roll classic. Bob is stretching with "Ballad Of A Thin Man" and it works. Creepy and funny, it's my favorite song on the album. Side two is a problem though. Other than the title track, it's filled with somewhat tedious, mid-tempo, too long excuses for clever lyrics: "Queen Jane Approximately", "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and "Desolation Row". "Desolation Row" even features the return of that incessantly jamming slightly off-key guitar from "It's All Over Now". Sure, nothing could be as good as it, but highway 61 Revisited is still a worthy follow-up to Bringing It All Back Home.
Blonde On Blonde
Why this album is considered the height of Bob's mid-60s electric trilogy is beyond me. (Why these three albums are considered his only really good sustained period escapes me too). Blonde On Blonde is nowhere near as good as Bringing It All Back Home or Highway 61 Revisited, just much longer. The tedious songs ("(Sooner Or Later) One Of Us Must Know", "Visions Of Johanna", "Temporary Like Achilles") are growing greater both in number and in length. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" takes up one whole side and forces the whole thing into a double album. Even the title of "Stuck Inside Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" is too long. And yet the rocking blues songs are getting scarcer. Only "Pledging My Time", "Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat" and "Obviously 5 Believers" (the three best songs on here) from the whole 2 record set. The more balladic love songs are getting better. "I Want You" and "4th Time Around" are better than "She Belongs To Me" or "Love Minus Zero". "Just Like A Woman" is just okay. With much more room to stretch out and show off his range, the only really different or experimental cut on here is the drunken Salvation Army band of "Rainy Day Women #13 & 35", another song deserving its lauded reputation. Not that I don't like Blonde On Blonde but really, I put on the double-album Self-Portrait far more often.
The Basement Tapes
Much like Blonde On Blonde, I don't get the appeal of this double-album either. First of all I don't understand why they have to sell this on two CDs. At 76:41 it could easily fit onto one. Blonde On Blonde and Self-Portrait are both sold as single discs. And The Band's songs ("Orange Juice Blues (Blues For Breakfast)", "Yazoo Street Scandal", "Katie's Been Gone", "Bessie Smith", "Ain't No More Cane", "Rubin Remus") do not belong here. Neither historically nor thematically. They're part of some other album. And they're not nearly as good. Even the two Band songs that Dylan wrote ("Long Distance Operator" and "Don't You Tell Henry") are misplaced. For me a song Dylan sings but did not write has a lot more business being on a Bob Dylan album than a song Bob Dylan wrote but someone else sang (except maybe "All The Tired Horses"). If you took off these songs, you'd have plenty of room on the disc for such legitimately released Basement material as Biograph's "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)" and The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3's "I Shall Be Released" and "Santa-Fe", as well as such illicit songs as "I'm You Teenage Prayer", "Sign On The Cross", "Get Your Rocks Off", "All You Have To Do Is Dream" and the superb "I'm Not There (1956)". While the entire 5-disc bootleg The Genuine Basement Tapes (which I have not actually listened to) seems a bit much, it's probably a better representation than the officially released 1975 version. But song selection is hardly the worst problem with The Basement Tapes. While Bob's motorcycle accident did afford him the excuse to stop touring and slow down his lifestyle, it was not responsible for the "amnesia" that gripped Bob around this time, causing him to lose the ability to unconsciously write the kind of songs that fueled his electric heyday. In fact, if anything, the songs on The Basement Tapes certainly do sound like a piece of and further continuation of the "wild mercury sound" of its predecessors. Both in terms of the free-associated imagery in the lyrics and in the Blues-y Americana of the music, it certainly has a lot more in common with Blonde On Blonde than John Wesley Harding. The main difference between the two albums is that Blonde On Blonde was recorded in a real studio, with real quality recording equipment, and sympathetic professional Nashville session musicians. The Basement Tapes was recorded on some crappy tape recorder, in the basement of some farm, with the sloppy spotlight-stealing showboating of the Band. There are some great (written) songs on this album, but you can hardly hear them under the murk of the tapes and the omnipresent backing vocals. Really, compare The Basement Tapes versions of "Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)", "You Ain't Going Nowhere", or "I Shall Be Released" with the versions Bob recorded in 1971 with Happy Traum for the Greatest Hits, Vol. II compilation. They're so much better, cleaner, and more audible. A record isn't just a performance; you have to be able to hear it. And while Bob may not have consciously went into The Basement Tapes project with the idea of ever releasing this material, and with the legends surrounding these sessions, it was probably inevitable that it would've leaked, he should've thought twice about the actual record that he did put out eight years later.
John Wesley Harding
And once again Bob's shifted gears on us. Gone are the electric guitars that so inflamed the Newport audience. At the height of psychedelia, Bob the rebel comes out with what in the 90s would be considered an Unplugged band. Also the tenor of the lyrics has changed. Instead of the random fleeting images of Blonde On Blonde, we have a set of fairly literal straightforward story-songs, the original definition of ballad. Regardless of how interesting or dull the events described, you could always tell exactly what was going on. Oddly enough, the one song with the most surreal lyrics, "All Along The Watchtower" was also the biggest hit (not for Dylan, but Jimi Hendrix). This time around Bob is only using a bass and drums in addition to his acoustic guitar and harmonica. Only while Bob's earliest albums, which didn't even have that rhythm section, managed to sound interesting and diverse, this new arrangement strangles and limits Bob. While Bob would make this line-up work to great effect on Blood On The Tracks, here it has a very static and dull quality musically. Most of the songs are kind of hard to tell apart from each other: the title track, "As I Went Out One Morning", "I Am A Lonesome Hobo", "Dear Landlord", "Drifter's Escape", "I Pity The Immigrant", "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine". As for "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest", goes on way too long, particularly if you find the lyrics to be unimpressive. By the time the Pete Drake shows up for the last two songs (even though usually I think of the pedal steel guitar and the audio equivalent of a headache), it's almost a relief to get some more scope. A couple of songs are worth mentioning. "All Along The Watchtower" manages to be just as wild and heavy as Hendrix's version, even without all the distortion and effects. "The Wicked Messenger" (my personal favorite) is just a simple riff, repeated with such single-mindedness that it becomes something much more impressive. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" could be seen as an interesting one-off genre experiment if it weren't for the album that follows.
Nashville Skyline
Apparently Bob's balladeering, acoustic trio phase only lasted the one album, John Wesley Harding, and once again it's off to something new. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" wasn't a fluke, it was an omen. Here Dylan's trying his hand at making music as a business. Even though at this point he's a happily married family man, Bob's songs celebrating love found ("Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You", "To Be Alone With You", "Peggy Day") sound no more intimate and personal than the songs lamenting love lost ("I Threw It All Away", "Tell Me That It Isn't True"). He's trying to emulate the Tin Pan Alley, Brill Building, and Nashville's Music Row School of songwriting. Detached, popular, mechanical. The thing that makes the album work is how bad he is at being this kind of songwriting hack. His earnestness at trying to write a good, commercial, popular song is almost enduring. Musically - well, I really don't like country music, but I don't mind it so much here. Sure, the duet with Johnny Cash ("Girl From North Country") takes one of my favorite Dylan tunes and drains most of its beauty. Dylan also showcases his first instrumental, "Nashville Skyline Rag". While normally I would laud such a move, this ditty is little more than a jam - which since it's being performed almost entirely by session musicians, shows off little originality or insight. The tune "Country Pie" is so off its attempts to describe domestic bliss that it almost seems like one of Bob's weirder Blonde On Blonde kind of moments. It's my favorite on the album. The other real classic is "Lay Lady Lay" with it's unusual cowbell/bongo percussion, subverts the otherwise stereotypical country sound, helping make it stand out all the more. I've got to say that it's sub-30 minute running time also makes this trip into the actual Nashville sound that much more endurable.
Self-Portrait
Although Bob has certainly released albums that in popular and critical perception were worse than Self-Portrait (Knocked Out Loaded, Down In The Groove, even 1973's Dylan album) none have receive the amount of derision and scorn. Why exactly? Of all of Bob's musical U-turns that could've turned into career suicides (going from covers to originals, going from protest to personal, going from acoustic to electric, going from rock star to recluse hermit and then returning as a country gentleman) this was the only one that didn't bring him for fans that he alienated in the process. It was the first move he made that didn't seem wise in retrospect. Plus the title, Self-Portrait, certainly promised a far more in-depth and personal view of the artist than it delivered. But I think the thing that still bugs Dylan fans about Self-Portrait is the big question that hovers over the entire album: Why'd he do it? Was recording an album almost entirely of covers a big F.U. to Albert Grossman who he was suing for control of his songwriting royalties? (Much like Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music). Or even a big F.U. to all of those rabid fans who were dissecting even the trite clichés of Nashville Skyline hoping for a deeper meaning? Much like the motorcycle accident, a way/excuse to slow down the star-making treadmill he was trapped on. Or had the "amnesia" set in and this was the best that Bob could do? He has claimed that Self-Portrait was in his own way his "bootleg" record. What did he mean by that? It's not like this was previously unreleased (legally) material that he put out, like The Bootleg Series or even The Basement Tapes, he deliberately recorded this to sound like a bootleg that didn't exist. Considering that the big Bob bootleg at the time was The Great White Wonder, which mixed 1961 Dinkytown recordings with 1967 Woodstock demos, he might have meant that Self-Portrait was just as jumbled, schizophrenic and incompatible with itself. For those looking for something Bob's lyrics, this double album was certainly a disappointment. He didn't even write 2/3rd of the songs. And those he did write were either really sloppy live versions from the Isle of Wight Festival of previously released songs, or songs with no words ("Woogie Boogie", Wigwam") or only two lines repeated ad infinitum ("All The Tired Horses"). Really the only new lyrics on here belonged to "Living The Blues" and "Minstrel Boy". But I like it. It's one of my all-time favorite Dylan albums. Of course, that may just be my tendency to root for the underdog. Plus the fact that I was not around to be disappointed during its initial release. But really it's not that bad. If you look at it right. Don't think of it as an accurate, in-depth look into Dylan's whole life. Rather see it as a blurry snapshot from a day in the life. Singing along to a couple of pop tunes on the radio that he kind of likes ("The Boxer", "Early Morning Rain"). Remembering some old tunes from his past growing up in the 50s ("Blue Moon", "Let It Be Me"). But mostly some older folk tunes that he discovered later and inspired him in the early days playing ("Copper Kettle", "Belle Isle", "Little Sadie", "Alberta #1" & "#2"). Even trying to figure out the chords to one of them ("In Search Of Little Sadie"). Goofing around outside the studio making music, ala _The Basement Tapes_ ("Woogie Boogie", "Minstrel Boy"). Trying to figure out some words ("Wigwam") or at least the next line ("All The Tired Horses") of some new songs he's just started writing. Going to his day job singing songs he doesn't really feel connect to anymore (the live versions of "She Belongs To Me" and "Like A Rolling Stone" with the forgotten lyrics). It's almost Dylan's most recorded record (at least until _Empire Burlesque_). Unlike all Dylan albums up to this point (and most after) which sound like they were recorded in under a week with a new group of under-rehearsed musicians learning the songs for the first time. This album features what is Dylan's first vocal overdub, when he harmonizes with himself (almost) on "The Boxer". And while there are some definite recording tricks and time taken on this album there is still a certain amount of the usual sloppiness on the album (like the unmistakable error that ruins the otherwise perfect "Days Of 49"). But it's like he's taken these little doodles on crumpled up napkins and put them into these ornate gilded frames. Much the same way Phil Spector's production transformed the Beatles' Get Back project into the perplexing Let It Be. Definitely not what anyone wanted or expected at the time. In some respects, it was so weird, that every album that got decent critical or popular acclaim after it (New Morning, Blood On The Tracks, Infidels, Oh Mercy!, Time Out Of Mind) were considered comebacks.
New Morning
To my ears, New Morning always sounds a bit like Nashville Skyline ... only without the country. No fiddles or pedal steels, but it's still Bob trying once again to work in the songwriter-for-hire mode. Sure two of the songs are lyrically little more than veiled anecdotes from Bob's life (meeting Elvis in "Went To See The Gypsy" and getting an honorary doctorate in "Day Of The Locusts"). But for the most part this is Bob writing outside of himself. He's doing work for other writers and projects ("Three Angels" and "Father Of Night" from the nowhere near completed Devil and Daniel Webster musical). On my two favorite songs off this album, he's showing off his range and versatility with a schmaltz-waltz that would be perfect for the Lawrence Welk show ("Winterlude") and then switching directly into Jazz ("If Dogs Run Free"). Even the Blues (which Dylan had often played with and stretched into his own image) is given a fairly straight run-through with "One More Weekend". He's even trying to write straight-ahead pop songs like the title track, "The Man In Me", and "If Not For You" (which sounds like it should be a hit for Olivia Newton-John... and it was). While New Morning is not nearly as brave or interesting as Self-Portrait or even Nashville Skyline, it's a solid, fun, and occasionally weird album.
Dylan
Although an album of outtakes from Self-Portrait (all covers) was certainly considered by most to be the worst idea imaginable, it didn't anger die-hard Dylan fans as much as Self-Portrait simply because, they knew Bob wasn't to blame for this. Dylan was in fact released apparently by Columbia without Bob's permission as a form of revenge for (temporarily) signing with David Geffen's Asylum label. There wasn't that question of "what was Bob thinking?" hanging over this album, making it much more forgivable and much less interesting. In fact, since this is the only album in the oeuvre that Bob hasn't officially released on CD (although it's still available on cassette), it's often considered fairly apocryphal to the official canon. However it clearly wasn't enough of a thorn in Dylan's side to keep him from returning to Columbia, where he remains to this day. It is also, despite sounding very similar in tone and (non-) authorship, most of these track are not from the Self-Portrait sessions. Just compare the la-la-la's on "The Man In Me" and it's impossible to deny that these songs were recorded during New Morning. While Dylan has denied that the all-original New Morning was recorded as a response to the critical hammering that Self-Portrait took (and the fact that he recorded most of New Morning before Self-Portrait's release does bear this out), the fact that he pulled all of the covers songs that were going to make up a large portion of that album may have been an indication that he was listening to what his fans wanted instead of trusting his own instinct. Because Dylan isn't bad. It's not great. It's not even as good as Self-Portrait, but it's pretty good. It takes a lot of guts to cover not one but two Elvis songs ("A Fool Such As I" and "Can't Help Falling In Love") - especially if one isn't known as a vocalist and interpreter of other people's material. It is kind of odd that he chose to re-write the one line from which Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" in which the title actually appears. He had no problem singing from or even writing from the woman's point of view before ("House Of The Rising Sun", "North Country Blues"). I guess singing that you had an "old man" doesn't necessarily mean one is female. The version of "Spanish Is the Loving Tongue" is often derided for being cheesy and lounge-like. Its worst crime seems to be failing to be the solo piano version that appeared as the B-side to "Watching The River Flow". Personally, while it may not be as intimate, it's far more cohesive, interesting and fun to listen here. Overall, it's a fun weird goofy album, even if "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" drags on a bit too long. It definitely deserves to be released on CD, although it appears unlikely (at least until after Dylan croaks).
Greatest Hits, Vol. II
Generally, I don't pay much attention to compilation packages. While they are a good way of introducing a neophyte to an artist, generally they don't represent the artist's most interesting work... namely the kind of stuff that isn't a greatest hit. It's through one's flaws and failures that one really gets to know what makes someone tick. Besides, if you happen to have a different taste or sensibility than the majority, your favorite songs from an artist may have no relation to those that sold the largest number of 45s. And usually the weakest track on any compilation is the one new (or previously unreleased) track used to force the completist collector who insists on owning everything. Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. II is worth mentioning (unlike Vols. I and III) because of the four sides of vinyl, one whole half-record of new material is presented here. Besides if you add the two singles released at the same time, "George Jackson [Big Band Version]" and "Watching The River Flow" (which is also included on Greatest Hits, Vol. II) and their B-sides "George Jackson [Acoustic Version]" and "Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" and the one outtake from the "George Jackson" sessions included on The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3, "Wallflower", you've got enough for a whole album. In fact if you put all A-sides the stuff that Leon Russell produced on one side, and all of the B-sides with the Happy Traum duets on the other, you've got a half-electric, half-acoustic LP much like Bringing It All Back Home. And for my money, one great (purely hypothetical) album. Why Dylan chose to spread this out over a couple of singles and a compilation is hard to say. It was in the middle of a relative dry spell for Dylan - he could've used a stopgap. Remember when the year and a half between Blonde On Blonde and John Wesley Harding was considered sacrilegious? Nowadays, we don't even expect a new album from Dylan (or anybody else) for three or four years. And as compilations go it fairly interesting. Most of Bob's actual hit hits were included on Greatest Hits, Volume I. So instead we've got songs like "My Back Pages" and "All Along The Watchtower", which were hits but not for Bob, included with songs that the fans seem to really like ("Stuck Inside Mobile", "Tom Thumb's Blues") that were never even released as singles. Interesting.
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Most people see Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid as nothing more than a really long super-maxi-single for "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" with several unnecessary re-mixes of the B-Side, "Billy". While it's hard to argue that there are any other songs on this album (or any other album by Dylan or not) as good as "Knockin'", if you're only interested in Bob for his words you're going to miss a whole lot here. It is easily Bob's most instrumental heavy album (and since it's really a soundtrack, that's too be expected). Most people can't even really tell these songlets apart. Which means they miss all the fun goofy humor in the banjo-laden "Turkey Chase" (my second favorite song on the album). And of the songs that do have words, you get three different vocal versions of "Billy" (numbered 1, 4 and 7 for some reason) as well as another instrumental. Sure, all three offer up pretty close to identical lyrics - all which are little more than dumbed-down Cliff's Notes versions of the plot of the movie. Musically they do each convey a subtly different mood. Okay, "Billy" is not a particularly great song, but despite its reputation as an all-time classic, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" actually is. And regardless of Eric Clapton or Axl Rose's attempts to steal this song, the Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid version remains the definitive one. Sure, this album is a lost great classic, but it's certainly worth more than just that one song.
Planet Waves
I've got to admit, I really don't like Planet Waves. For one thing I'm not a big fan of The Band. I've not particularly liked any of the stuff they've done as a group. Robbie Robertson always seemed like a smug, condescending, pretentious rock-star (like Sting or Phil Collins). Back when they were just a band and not The Band, they were good for what Dylan was doing on tour in 1966 (namely loud), but there's a reason why he always ended up using the Nashville session players on his album. (The fact that drummer Levon helm was too chicken to endure the boos of Tour '66 is another stroke against them). Their playing has always been as subtle as a sledgehammer. But it's not entirely The Band's fault that I don't like this album. On Planet Waves, Bob finally achieves what he was aiming for on Nashville Skyline and New Morning; he becomes a completely detached, uninvolved songwriter. But where those two discs were charming in the sincere ineptitude, this one actually pulls it off slickly - much to its detriment. And as a result songs like "Tough Mama", "Hazel", "Something There Is About You", "You Angel You", and "Never Say Goodbye" are almost impossible to tell apart. It'll become a bad habit that'll pop up again and again in Bob's career. The opening number holds some promise. The Cajun Zydeco of "On A Night Like This" promises more of the weird genre experimentation of New Morning's "Winterlude" and "If Dogs Run Free", but never follows up on it. "Going Going Gone" is in fact a really good song, but you can hardly tell over The Band's showboating. (Although I like most of At Budokan, the version of "Going, Going Gone" on there proves it could be much much worse). "Forever Young" ends Bob's tradition of adding more than one version of the same song to the same album ("Alberta" and "Billy"). While the slower second version is pretty darn good (and proof that Rod Stewart is a thief), the fast version makes the song seem almost as forgettable as the rest of the album. Compare "Dirge" with the similarly arranged (just piano and acoustic guitar) "Blind Willie McTell" from The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3, and see how distracting Robbie Robertson is in comparison to Mark Knopfler. His little scratching the string thing is all over here and really annoying. Even without The Band, "The Wedding Song" sounds about as tacked on as it really was. Not that the album is painfully unlistenable or anything. With a musician as talented as Bob Dylan, even when he's coasting there's bound to be a certain amount of quality to endeavor. It's just that there's a real lack of anything interesting or risky going on here.
Blood On The Tracks
I know it seems like I'm just disagreeing with the commonly held Dylan perceptions on just about everything. But I'm not doing it just to be contrary. Case in point: I, like most everybody else, actually like Blood On The Tracks. I've never heard the original New York pressing, but for my money the Minneapolis tracks fit in and work perfectly. In fact, I can't even tell which ones were re-recorded. I know most people like to look at this album as an emotionally raw and painful, if cathartic, album of heartbreak (much like John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band.) But if you don't pay to much attention to the lyrics, it's a fairly upbeat, up-tempo collection of songs. Particularly bouncy are the two songs with some of the most maudlin words: "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" and "If You See Her, Say Hello". "Meet Me In The Morning" is yet another one of Bob's re-interpretations of the 12-bar Blues format. In fact, even the lyrics to "Lily Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts" are light-hearted. Really, only "Idiot Wind" and "You're A Big Girl Now" are particularly slow, sad, or are in a minor key musically. While "You're Big Girl Now" is one of my favorite songs on the album, I never quite understood what the big deal about "Idiot Wind" was. It's a good song, but really the weakest one on this collection. And it does just go on and on. "Tangled Up In Blue", "Shelter From The Storm", and "Simple Twist Of Fate" are all bona-fide classics. "Buckets Of Rain" not so much. And while overall this is an unarguably great collection of songs, I don't find myself listening to it that often. Clearly it's not because the subject matter strikes a nerve. I don't know - maybe it's just too perfect and there are not enough weird fun little flaws to get caught up in. Still I always do enjoy it on those rare occasions when I do play it.
Desire
Most of Bob's albums up to this point (except for Self-Portrait) sound like the rehearsal tapes of Bob's new backing band warming up for a tour. It's just one group of musicians trying to learn a new batch of songs quickly. And whatever you think of that particular group of musicians (Nashville's finest session men, Mike Bloomfield and Company, The Band formerly known as the Hawks), that's all your going to get on that album. But rarely has a group of musicians so strongly imprinted a Dylan album as the ones on Desire. If you don't like Emmy Lou Harris's vocals and Scarlet Rivera's violin, you might as well turn this album off now, there's nothing on it you'll like. Even the best songs ("O Sister", "One More Cup Of Coffee") are sometimes hard to distinguish from the rest of the album. Lyrically, the songs have a very cosmopolitan, international flavor to them (thanks in most part to Bob's only long term collaborator, Jacques Levy). Musically there are some moments in here where Bob shows off a bit of sophistication (the double-time in "Romance In Durango" for example), but it's mostly just typical high-quality Bob. While the Rolling Thunder sound does get a bit grating at times, both "Sara" and "Isis" are particularly strong - perhaps just because they manage to stick out. "Hurricane" actually is a good song regardless of whatever factual errors the lyrics may or may not contain. "Joey" on the other hand... while I'm often in disagreement with the rest of Dylan aficionados over Bob's over ten minute epics, at least here everyone sees my point: it's boring. It goes on too long. It'd be a fine song if he just cut like seven verses out of it. Why they can only see it in "Joey" and not "Sad Eyed Lady of the Highlands" or "Lowlands" is beyond me.
Street Legal
While most of Bob's big band sound is in tact from Desire, trading the violin for the saxophone and Emmy Lou's lone back-up vocals for a trio of female gospel singers suddenly turns the ragged gypsy caravan into a slick Vegas production. I've always been really conflicted about Street Legal. On one hand you've got this brave new experimental band giving the songs a wide variety of possible sounds. On the other, the LP was recorded almost as muddily and murkily as The Basement Tapes leaving most of the subtle nuances buried in the mix (subsequent attempts to re-mix the album have produced no effect audible to my ears). On the plus side you've got three of my all-time favorite Dylan tunes: "Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)", "New Pony", and "Changing Of The Guards". "New Pony" even shows a return of Bob writing an entire song around one simple magnetic riff, something we haven't heard since "The Wicked Messenger" on John Wesley Harding. However, the other two-thirds of the songs on there are as unremarkable and forgettable as Planet Waves. The band on this album is great. I don't know why it gets knocked as too show-biz-y. I even liked their live At Budokan album. I generally don't pay much attention to live albums (If the songs are too close to the original arrangements, then why not just listen to the original. If the songs are too far off of the arrangements, then they just seem sacrilegious). But the constant way that Bob and his quote-unquote Vegas band deconstruct and rearrange the most notable songs from Bob's catalog is both fascinated and brave, if not always successful ("Going, Going, Gone"). I find myself listening to Street Legal a lot - if just out of curiosity, though not usually enjoying it as much as I think I should.
Slow Train Coming
This album bugged out a lot of people, particularly when it first came out, almost solely because of its unremitting message. But really if you ignore the lyrics, there's a good record in here. Not great but good. And as the fear that Bob has totally lost his mind and will be doing nothing but singing Jesus songs for the rest of his life, this album's stature has grown. Clearly, whether you agree or even care about what he's singing about, he really means it. Personally I don't care if the lyrics are about sins, salvation and Satan or if they're about hoboes, immigrants and landlords. I'm only interested in the music. And musically, it's a lot more consistent than Street Legal. Although there aren't any songs as good as the three good ones on that record, overall it's much better. Clearly "New Pony" has re-inspired Bob to write more songs around a single riff. "Gotta Serve Somebody", "Slow Train", "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking" and "When You Gonna Wake Up?" all follow this formula. They're best songs on this album. The slower numbers, "Precious Angel", "I Believe In You" and "When He Returns" are powerful, but not nearly as impressive. Also included is a whole new category for Dylan, Kid's songs. Since the first songs most of us ever learn are Bible songs, it does make since. "Man Gave Names To All The Animals" is silly and fun (which is nice on such an otherwise heavy record). And "Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)", with it's extra beat added every fourth measure (going from 4/4 to 5/4) is one of the most musically complicated things Bob's written since the jazz chords of "If Dogs Run Free" or the constantly shifting keys of "In Search Of Little Sadie". Overall Slow Train Coming is a pretty good album, and despite being a fairly staunch atheist, I enjoy listening to it.
Saved
Most people see Saved and Slow Train Coming as two sides to the same coin. And while they may share a common lyrical focus, for my money Slow Train Coming has a lot more in common with its predecessor, Street Legal, than it does with Saved. Looking past the words, Slow Train Coming's songs sound a lot Street Legal's. They're basic pop-rocks songs with the same basic arrangement of horns and backing singers. Sure you've got Jerry Wexler doing a much better job recording it, and Mark Knopfler adding some more zing on the guitar, but really it always sounded like Bob just added the word Jesus to whatever songs he was working on at the time of his conversion. Really, Saved is the first of the quote-unquote born again albums that really sound like it. The music here is Gospel. I don't get why Slow Train Coming is always more respected than Saved either. I mean if the Jesus words bother you, you're not getting much help from either album. I think at the time, Slow Train Coming was seen as a weird one-off diversion, but the fear with Saved was that this would be all that Bob would sing about from here on out. Plus with the music so clearly Gospel, it's harder to pretend that the lyrics aren't really so dogmatic. I think the two are just about equal in terms of quality. I love the extended genre exercise into the Gospel milieu. The title track, as well as "Solid Rock" really rock out. "A Satisfied Mind" is a slip, but a brief one. "Covenant Woman" is really the only bad song on here. It's a solid uncompromising album.
Shot Of Love
Shot Of Love is one of Dylan's most confused, schizophrenic albums (the all-over-the-map Self-Portrait was at least done deliberately). I'm not just talking about the half-secular half-sacred lyrics. While the personnel remains fairly consistent throughout the album, the feel, the producer, and even the studio seems to change from song to song. Other than Street Legal, this is the album I'm most undecided about. There are some great songs one here. Shot Of Love continues in the vein of Slow Train Coming and Saved in that the title track is one of the best songs on the album. "In The Summertime" and "Every Grain Of Sand" are two of the strongest of the slow ballads during the whole born-again period. "Trouble" is another great, but sadly forgotten, song composed almost entirely from a single riff. "Dead Man, Dead Man" chugs along with a modest aplomb. "Heart Of Mine", "Property Of Jesus" and "Watered Down Love" just lay there limply. The worst song on here though - by a wide margin - is "Lenny Bruce". Forget the fact that the lyrics give no indication why such a non-Christian kind of man should be so lionized by the same guy who wrote "Property Of Jesus". According to this song, Lenny's greatest accomplishment was just being misunderstood by his peers and persecuted by the government. The same reason Bob idolized (and wrote songs for) Joey Gallo, or Billy the Kid, or Rueben Carter and George Jackson. Actually, if all it takes to gain Bob's admiration is to be wrongly accused and punished, then Dylan's Christian conversion makes a lot more sense. But putting the horrible lyrics aside, "Lenny Bruce" is still a long boring annoying song. And while Bob has a habit of changing his mind at the last minute on his albums (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Blood On The Tracks), his decision to add the B-side "The Grooms Still Waiting At The Altar" to line-up several years after the fact, is kind of cheating. But it does make a big difference. Now the balance of the album is finally tipped towards the good songs. And "Groom", another simple riff-song, is one of Bob's best. It's almost impossible to think of Shot Of Love without it.
Infidels
While no work of art should be judged on the basis of what it isn't, no album is more defined by what isn't on it as much as Infidels. At first this was a good thing, because what isn't on it are any songs with an overtly Christian message. Except for "Man Of Peace" which everybody chose to ignore (maybe the blatantly pro-Israel "Neighborhood Bully" canceled it out). But as reports surfaced of even greater songs being recorded and not released on this record, its reputation sank. While there are rumors of superior versions of almost every album Bob recorded languishing in the vaults, from the most beloved (the original pressing of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, the New York version of Blood On The Tracks) to the most despised (the Argentinean misprint of Down In The Groove with "Important Words" on it) none have suffered so much in comparison to what it could have been as Infidels. And it's not hard to see why. Not only is "Foot Of Pride" easily the equal of anything on that album, but "Blind Willie McTell" is as superior to the rest of Infidels as "Knocking On Heaven's Door" is to the remainder of Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid. Although, I suppose it could always be worse, the few good songs on Infidels could've been replaced with "Julius And Ethel" or "Death Is Not The End" or "Lord, Save My Child". In fact "Blind Willie McTell" and "Foot Of Pride" manage to be some of the best things on The Bootleg Series 1-3 on which they finally do appear. "Blind Willie McTell" is now played live far more often than anything that did end up on the album (which didn't even get the same sort of historical revisionism that added "The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar" do Shot Of Love). But, what of the actual album that was released? "Sweetheart Like You", "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight", "Neighborhood Bully", and "Man Of Peace" are all about as unremarkable and pedestrian as anything on Planet Waves. "License To Kill" actually is a good song, but I had no idea until I heard Tom Petty singing it at the 30th Anniversary Celebration. This version does it no justice. Regardless if you agree with the politics behind the rather trite and simplistic lyrics of "Union Sundown" it is actually fairly good rocking tune from a musical point of view. The only track on here that can go toe-to-toe with "Foot Of Pride" (if not "Blind Willie McTell") is "I And I". I have no idea what it's about, but I like it. I don't know why "Jokerman" was picked to be the single, and is still used in all the subsequent compilations (Greatest Hits Vol. III, The Essential Bob Dylan). The whoa-oh-oh-ohs that Bob sings before the title are not only completely off, which isn't a horrible or surprising sin for Bob, but it doesn't even sound like he's missing the same notes each time. Maybe he's going for that kind of vocal extemporizing I don't even like in the R&B singers who can really do it. Whatever it is, it ruins the song for me. And like the rest of Infidels, it's a disappointment.
Empire Burlesque
Usually the nicest thing anyone can say about Empire Burlesque is that the songs would've been pretty good without Arthur Baker's production. In fact, bootlegs of pre-Baker-ized tunes would fetch a pretty penny. But personally, I think the synthesizer-laden sound actually adds a lot to the album. Maybe it's just because I was ten and totally unaware of the album when it first came out, that I am able to see it as not so much of a crass commercial attempt to jump on the latest fad. For me the cheesy '80s production is no more anachronistic that his '60s sound. Of course, his '60s sound wasn't exactly the dominant style of the period, especially the anti-psychedelic John Wesley Harding. But that's what makes this album so fascinating, never had Dylan tried so hard (and failed) to pander to his audience. Check out the Miami Vice threads on the cover. It certainly shows the most time and care spent in the studio since Self-Portrait. Just take a look at "When The Night Comes Falling From the Sky" (my favorite track on here). Now compare it to the E-Street Band backed version on The Bootleg Series 1-3, which is far closer to the kind of arrangement you would expect from Bob, without being nearly as good. But thanks to Arthur Baker, the song becomes far more memorable and fascinating (and not just like a car crash that you can't help but look at). Just listen to those octagonal electronic drums! You can also do a side-by-side comparison of "Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)" with the earlier unreleased "Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart". In my mind, there's no contest. One of the biggest disappointments of Infidels was despite having Sly and Robbie produced by Mark Knopfler, you don't really get a Reggae-Dire Straits sound. It just sounds like any other Dylan album. At least he's trying something new here. I love "Tight Connection", "Seeing The Real You At Last", "Clean Cut Kid", "Trust Yourself", "Something's Burning, Baby" and "When The Night Comes Falling". And I don't know how much I would've without Arthur Baker. They are kind of part of the Planet Waves mold. Only the slower songs "I'll Remember You", "Emotionally Yours", and "Never Gonna Be The Same Again" suffer from this high-paced sleek design. Actually the biggest drawback to the album is everyone's sole favorite, "Dark Eyes". In returning to the solo acoustic guitar format, it reminds most people of Bob's entire back catalog - something no one Dylan album can stand up to - instead of forcing the listener to accept the "new" Dylan. "Dark Eyes" hedges Bob's bets, and Empire Burlesque suffers because of it.
Knocked Out Loaded
While Empire Burlesque wasn't a failure in my mind, it was not a success commercially - which is what it seemed like what it was aiming for. So for the next two albums Bob gives up on trying to record an album as a single entity. Both Knocked Out Loaded and Down In The Groove are more like of compilations of various recording sessions from a broad time period, rather than one group musicians recording one album in one week. Not even Shot Of Love (which at least kept a consistent core of musicians even as it rotated through the studios of L.A.) sounds this patchwork. But like the deliberately bootleg sounding Self-Portrait, it was definitely intentional, and it works (although not nearly as well). Of the two albums, Knocked Out Loaded receives the most scorn - with the biggest exception. Everybody likes to think of Knocked Out Loaded as nothing more than a really long single for "Brownsville Girl" with a lot of really bad B-sides to ignore. Which is too bad, because personally, "Brownsville Girl" is the worst moment on the album (other than the children's choir that pops up on "They Killed Him"). Much as the solo acoustic guitar of "Dark Eyes" undermined the rest of _Empire Burlesque_, so does the epic length of "Brownsville Girl" remind fans of Dylan's earlier style and works against the rest of the album. Only, where "Dark Eyes" merely tainted as an added on tag, "Brownsville Girl" dominates, consisting of nearly a third of Knocked Out Loaded's thirty-five minute running time. Frankly I find "Brownsville Girl" not only lacks the musical sophistication to justify its eleven minute length, but the lyrics themselves seem to be over a dozen verses about a guy trying to remember the name of some movie. But people focus on that song and erroneously compare the rest of the album to it. When in fact the rest of the album holds up quite well on it's own. Not that the album's great, but it's nowhere near as bad as everyone makes it out to be. "You Wanna Ramble" and "Got My Mind Made Up" are my two favorite songs on here. Shuffling up-tempo rockers of the kind that Bob really should record more of. Sure, "They Killed Him" deserves it horrible reputation. If Kris Kristofferson only wrote three verses there is no need to have Bob and the back-up singer and that eardrum-splitting children's choir each take a turn to sing all of them in various combinations. This album features the highest number of co-authors of any album since his collaboration with Jacques Levi on Desire. Not only did he write songs on here with Tom Petty, Carole Bayer Sager, and playwright Sam Shepard, but Bob also wrote "Steel Bars" with Michael Bolton, "Heartland" with Willie Nelson, and "Waiting For The Morning Light" with Kiss's Gene Simmons around this time, none of which he ever recorded. Clearly Bob was hoping to find someone new to write with, but the two solo originals ("Maybe Someday" and "Driftin' Too Far From Shore") though are truly forgotten gems that would not have embarrassed Empire Burlesque or Infidels. "Under Your Spell" is still a little unformed, but the mandolin and steel drum arrangement of "Precious Memories" gives it a very nice feel without specifying any genre (Appalachian-Caribbean?). Give Knocked Out Loaded another listen, this time skipping "Brownsville Girl" and see if there isn't something there.
Down In The Groove
The second (and final) album during this piecemeal phase is often derided as Self-Portrait part two. And while it's a sad state of affairs that the original Self-Portrait engendered so much shock and outrage at the time of its release, while Down In The Groove received only a disappointed shrug of the shoulders, what this album really is closer to is Knocked Out Loaded without the "Brownsville Girl". Both feature the (unique for Dylan) co-writers. Both feature their share of covers. Both have a couple of originals thrown in. Both have an entirely different group of musicians backing him on each song. Both are filled out with outtakes from previous albums: "Brownsville Girl" was originally slated for Empire Burlesque while "Death Is Not The End" was recorded during the Infidels sessions. "Shenandoah" is Down In The Groove's "Precious Memories". "Let's Stick Together" sounds so much like "You Wanna Ramble" that it's surprising that they weren't cut at the same sessions. If nothing else Down In The Groove proves that Knocked Out Loaded's sound and methodology wasn't a fluke. "When Did You Leave Heaven" shows the Empire Burlesque synthesizer sound working on a traditional song. While "Sally Sue Brown" doesn't take full advantage of the members of The Clash and The Sex Pistols playing on it, it's still a walloping good time. The two collaborations with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter are also pretty rocking. It's too bad that "Silvio" is the only one people are really familiar with (appearing on Greatest Hits, Vol. III as well as numerous live shows), because "Ugliest Girl In The World" is just as good. The lyrics manage to be simultaneously insulting and flattering to its object of desire, plus it the first time Bob's tried to this funny since Another Side Of Bob Dylan. In fact, it's those fun upbeat tunes that really make the album. Only the slower songs (like "Death Is Not The End") don't work as well. "Ninety Miles An Hour (Down A Dead End Street)" and "Rank Strangers To Me" all sound like the freely improved intros to some other song. I keep waiting for the drums to kick in and the real tune to start, but it never does. If these songs had been replaced by some of the other upbeat songs for movies he did at this time ("Band Of the Hand (It's Helltime, Man)" for the movie Band Of The Hand and the version of John Hiatt's "The Usual" he recorded for his own starring vehicle, Hearts Of Fire) as well as the cover of "Important Words" that mistakenly got stuck on copies of the album released in Argentina, well then Down In The Groove would've been something to really write home about.
Oh Mercy!
Once again Bob switches tracks on us. And much like I hated to agree with the popular consensus about Blood On The Tracks, I've got to admit I really like Oh Mercy!. Of course the fact that this was the first Dylan album I ever bought (okay... permanently borrowed from my father) may have something to do with it. Sure "Man In The Long Black Coat" threatens to bring up comparisons to his earlier work in much the same way "Dark Eyes" or "Brownsville Girl" did, but luckily the song is strong enough to stand on its own - and the atmospheric touches Daniel Lanois added, help it seem like less of a throwback. Aside from that song, my other two favorite numbers on here are "Political World" and "Everything Is Broken". Two up-tempo rockers based on simple blues riffs that help keep this album from being a complete refutation of the two albums that came before it. Personally my least favorite tunes are the ones that everyone else liked: the slower material like "Where Teardrops Fall", "Ring Them Bells", "Disease Of Conceit", and "Shooting Star", but they're not bad. Every Dylan album has its ups and downs, but it's really the quality of the songs in the middle ("What Was It You Wanted", "What Good Am I?", "Most Of The Time") that really make the album work as a whole.
Under The Red Sky
While it may not be as good as Oh Mercy!, I don't understand why Under The Red Sky has such a bad reputation. Sure those looking for lyrical profundity are going to be disappointed. Almost all of the songs feature the title phrase, or some variation thereof, repeated at the beginning of each line (or every other line). Even the title track features each couplet sung twice once right after the first time. Only "Born In Time" and "TV Talkin' Song" avoid this kind of repetitiveness. But really, it's Bob's most silly, fun, straightforward, rocking album ever. "Wiggle Wiggle" may inspire even fewer people to do a Dylan dance that "The Wilbury Twist", but still the idea is too funny! And having Slash play on it cinches the deal. I think "Unbelievable" was an inspired choice for the single, and I'm kind of disappointed that the title track was used instead on The Greatest Hits, Vol. III. "Under The Red Sky" may feature a great George Harrison guitar solo, but it is not only the slowest song on here, but other than "2 X 2", the only slow song on the album. It's not very representative. "God Knows" sounds like it's going to be another song composed entirely of an intro (much like those on Down In The Groove) so that when the real tune does belatedly kick in, it's a bit of a surprise as well as a relief. "TV Talkin' Song" may be Bob's most musically unsophisticated, featuring only one chord, but it's played hard and strong and isn't very long, so it's hard to quibble. While not perfect, this is the kind of album that I really wish Bob would make more of. Unfortunately the reception to this album was so chilly that Dylan radically changed gears again.
Good As I Been To You
Once again, Bob tries something new. Or rather, something old - really, really old. Another collection of traditional folk tunes with just the acoustic guitar, harmonica and voice, it makes everything that came after his 1962 debut, Bob Dylan until now seem like a diversion. A long and pleasant diversion, but still just a detour from Dylan's main calling: folksinger. And what of the grammatically incorrect Good As I Been To You? Where John Wesley Harding showed off his harp playing and New Morning demonstrated his piano playing ability, here Bob gets to spotlight his fingerpicking prowess. Compared to his debut, his improvement as a guitar player is not only stunning, but also surprising since we've never heard anything like it on any of his previous efforts. But the biggest difference between this album and his first is in song-selection. While history could eventually prove me wrong on this, the songs Bob dug up for this album are not nearly as good as the ones on Bob Dylan (why, I heard some character on the Showtime series Dead Like Me singing "In My Time Of Dyin'" just last night). There's not nearly the range - none of the songs are as goofy and funny as "Pretty Peggy-O" or "Freight Train Blues", and whereas he added his own personality and wit to those song, on this album he's much more of a strict historian, performing these traditional ditties the way they are meant to be sung. While there are many great tracks on this album ("Blackjack Davey", "Sittin' On Top Of The World", "Step It Up And Go" and "Tomorrow Night" are my favorites), overall the album is too monotonous to be truly enjoyable. Really the song that stands out the most is the closer, "Froggie Went A-Courtin'". For the first time since Slow Train Coming, Bob's doing children's songs. He also recorded a version of "This Old Man" for the charity album For Our Children around this time. Maybe someday he'll do a whole kids' album. That would be great, but Good As I Been To You is an album that was probably a lot better for Dylan to make than for us to listen to.
World Gone Wrong
While Bob often goes through these phases that last two or three albums, never has one album sounded so much like another as World Gone Wrong does to Good As I Been To You. It's another solo acoustic album of old folk tunes. Really everything I said about one also applies for the other. Rumor is that World Gone Wrong is bluesier while Good As I Been To You is more folksy, but I'll have to double-check that. I have a hard time telling them apart. It's too bad that their combined running time doesn't allow you to put both albums on one single CD-R. It would make a good Self-Portrait part IV (part one being New Morning and Dylan, part two would be Knocked Out Loaded and Down In The Groove). "Love Henry", "Blood In My Eyes" and "Tow Soldiers" are the best tunes on here. There's nothing as interesting as "Froggie Went A Courtin'", but the literal knocking on the guitar during "Broke Down Engine" is priceless. World Gone Wrong does earn some points for being shorter and having those deliriously non-illuminating linear notes. The biggest drawback to this album being: that he's already done it.
Time Out Of Mind
Bob's had a lot of comebacks. He's comeback from periods of waiting (the motorcycle crash that preceded John Wesley Harding, the break from touring or even releasing anything other than soundtracks and compilations before Planet Waves) periods of supposed weakness (the early '70s albums that came before Blood On The Tracks, the mid-'80s albums that pre-dated Oh Mercy!) and even periods of weirdness (New Morning breaking from the shadow of Self-Portrait, Infidels breaking from the dogma of the born-again albums). But certainly no Dylan album has had to make a return to the public consciousness of all three: the wait (the four years since Bob's last album, seven since the he last penned an original song), the weirdness (the two acoustic folk albums) and the weak (the critically reviled Under The Red Sky). All of that coupled with the fact that Bob nearly died during the release of Time Out Of Mind made this album a slam-dunk with the critics and fans when it came out. And as much as I hate to be seen as a follower - they're right: Time Out Of Mind is a great album. Plus its title taken from "Accidentally Like A Martyr" by Warren Zevon. "Dirt Road Blues", "Can't Wait" and "Million Miles" once again find Bob subverting the 12 bar blues paradigm. "Love Sick" and "Cold Irons Bound" are both scary cool tunes of which Daniel Lanois can really sink his teeth into. "Make You Feel My Love" is the kind of song you'd expect Billy Joel or Garth Brooks to think would make a big hit if only someone with a decent voice were singing it, completely ignoring the fact that it's the grit in Bob's voice that gives this otherwise syrupy song its power. Even the slower songs ("Standing In The Doorway", "Trying To Get To Heaven", and "'Till I Fell In Love With You") are as good as their counterparts on Oh Mercy!. Really the first hour of the album is one of my favorites, but then Bob has go into the 16 minute "Highlands", making Time Out Of Mind as long as the double-record Blonde On Blonde. And of all the Dylan epics, it's my least favorite. There are some good lines in here talking to the waitress, but we've got ten verses or so before we even get to the diner. The music in background is as uninteresting and repetitious as anything Bob's done. Just skip that song, and you've got Oh Mercy! part II.
Love & Theft
Love & Theft is to Time Out Of Mind what Under The Red Sky is to Oh Mercy!: a fun, goofy follow-up to a dark, murky, serious Daniel Lanois produced comeback. Although the perception of it has waned a little since, I don't know why Love & Theft was so hailed at first while Under The Red Sky was so reviled. Perhaps the four years (instead of one) that separated Love & Theft from its predecessor gave rise to fears that Time Out Of Mind was going to be Bob's last big hurrah. Maybe producing it himself with his touring band instead of using flavor-of-the-month Don Was and his stable of rock stars, helped lower expectations a bit. Who knows? I liked it when it first came out - and I still like it. Lyrically it's his funniest since Another Side Of Bob Dylan. Knock-knock jokes? Booty call? Hunting bare? "Throw your panties over board"? "I'm sitting on my watch so I can be on time"? "Call down to room service/ Said send up a room"? I know Bob's words don't usually affect me that much, but this is great stuff. And musically - it's all over the map (crooners, blues, '50s rockers), but thanks to the touring band backing him, it's still cohesive. Most of the songs are more versions of the 3 (or less) chord blues ("Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee", "Summer Days", "Lonesome Day Blues", and "Honest With Me"). Yet, "Moonlight" and "Bye And Bye" use some the most complicated jazzy chords since "If Dogs Run Free" from New Morning. And to keep the album from getting too monotonous, the occasional accordion, banjo or violin just shows up. As hard as it may be to believe, Bob's latest really is one of his best.
And that's where we are now. While the Never Ending Tour continues to live up to its name, Bob's only been releasing albums every four years lately. Which should mean something in 2005, but expecting Bob to keep doing what he's been doing is foolish. Hopefully there'll be a new record soon, though. As great as Dylan is as a live artist (I've seen him a couple of times, so I know it's true) you only get that Bob for one night. The only way a kid like me, who was born while Dylan's brother was busy convincing him to re-record his second or third comeback, is going to get to experience the Bob of his heyday 60s or mercurial 70s is on vinyl (or CD). And as uncomfortable as Bob seems to be in the studio environment, these are the only permanent snapshots we get of an artist constantly in motion.
You can also view this at http://www.geocities.com/mcramahamasham/bob.htm to see it with all the italics and pics and stuff.
That said, I haven't read a word of his reader comment. I'm just impressed with its length. One of these years, I will read it, and so should everyone else.
You kick ass, Scot Livingston. Seriously. Keep blessing us with your ass- kickage.
Please be advised that the opinions on this DVD are completely independent. This DVD is not authorised by Bob Dylan, his managers, Columbia Records or any other companies associated with the release, publishing or ownership of Bob Dylan's music. This is why there's hardly any Bob Dylan footage or music in the 2-hour documentary at all. But who in Sam Hill buys a Bob Dylan DVD to listen to Bob Dylan!? I'll tell you who - people with no imagination!
This DVD has no right to be as compelling and fascinating as it is. You're supposed to laugh at DVDs like this and go, "Ha! They're trying to rip me off by selling me a Bob Dylan DVD with no Bob Dylan music in it!" But the thing is -- there's no Bob Dylan music in a book about Bob Dylan either, and you've bought plenty of those so shut your (lovely, sultry) ass. This is a critical examination of the man's work, meant to be enjoyed by people who already KNOW the man's work and don't need to have their hand held like a little boy at Disneyland, dying of a heart defect after stepping off that ride that keeps killing everybody.
And even though you don't hear much from "Zim The Shim" himself, you hear from a lot of people who have both studied his work at length and collaborated with him over the years, including writers and critics who prophesize with their pen Clinton Heylin, Nigel Williamson, Patrick Humphries, Al Aronowitz and Derek Barker, as well as Desire co-songwriter Jacque Levy, Desire gypsy violinist Scarlet Rivera, Rolling Thunder Revue bandleader Rob Stoner, Self-Portrait/New Morning guitarist Ron Cornelius, Blood On The Tracks musicians Eric Weissberg and Kevin Odegard, long-time Dylan collaborator Bruce Langhorne, Isle of Wight Festival organizer Ray Foulk and celebrity stalker A.J. Weberman. As Jacques Levy and Al Aronowitz both DIED during the filming of, and AS A RESULT OF, this DVD, it would only be the nice thing to do to buy yourself a copy. Besides, all proceeds go to charity.
(Disclaimer: no proceeds actually go to charity)
And about that whole "Hey! Where's the Bob Dylan?" issue. The DVD DOES feature tons of interesting photos of the man, as well as a few rare pieces of footage that are sure to interest you, including his duet with Johnny Cash on The Johnny Cash Show, his awkward performance at The Isle of Wight Festival, the original movie trailer for Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid, and a taped phone conversation with his obsessed nemesis Weberman (whom he finally beat up after catching the asshole digging through his garbage one too many mornings).
(and a thousand miles behind)
(no wait, he never would have caught him if he were that far back)
(actually, maybe he had a jet ski. He could have caught him with a jet ski.)
(no wait - he lived on land. A jet ski wouldn't have done him any good.)
(unless he had a flying jet ski!)
So if you've ever wondered, "Was Dylan actively aware of how tremendously he 'lost it' in the late '60s?" or "I wonder what Dylan was really like after he became a legend -- how did he operate in the studio and treat his fellow musicians and such?" or "How can I acquire a flying jet ski?," this is the DVD for you. I don't want to give away the ending, but apparently he was really lazy in the studio and just tried to teach everybody the songs as quickly as possible, record them one time each, and move on. You'd never guess that such a work ethic would result in timeless masterpieces like Self-Portrait and Street Legal but sometimes we all get surprised sometimes.
The Bottom Line is this: Bob Dylan looked really, really Jewish in the late '60s. It's hilarious! He had this short little beard and wore his eyeglasses everywhere. Like a little Jewish man, running off to play with his dreidel.
With Modern Times, the 65-year-old legend foregoes the predictable "songs that actually go together" route, instead smacking your ears to and fro with 4 uptempo generic 12-bar r'n'b/blues songs, 3 romantic oldtimey honeydrippers, 1 Leonard Coheny minor-key song of bitterness, 1 smoky bar early Tom Waitsy ballad, and 1 choppy folk song. It's a very guitar-focused record (starring FOUR guitarists, often all in the same track!), with only an occasional boogie-woogie piano or sultry violin/cello/viola added for sweetness' sake. And his voice? As clear and sweet as a brisk spring day, covered in tar!
But the really strange thing about the CD is the liner note reading: "All Songs Written By Bob Dylan." Seriously!? Bob Dylan wrote "Rollin' And Tumblin'"? The Jewish Robert Zimmerman put pen to paper and came up with "When The Levee Breaks"? America's Favorite Folk Singer protested out the "Boom Boom" riff that drives "Someday Baby"? Eric Burdon will be simply agog at this news!
Mmm, I could go for some eggnagog right about now.
Also - and I realize this is pretty much a given with Bob Dylan, but I'll reiterate it here anyway - the songs are too fucking long and they never, ever, ever change. Sure, "Rollin' & Tumblin'" is a shuffling, rollicky good time.... but for SIX MINUTES!? Maybe for TWO, yeah, but after that it starts feeling a little, you know, BORING and STUPID. In fact, the shortest of these ten tracks -- the little baby of the pack, the teeny fly-by-night pop tune -- is FOUR MINUTES AND FIFTY-FIVE SECONDS LONG. Look, here's my Bob Dylan impression: "Hay look at me! I'm in Yes! (*plays Tales From Topographic Oceans in its entirety, but with no changes*)."
I apologize for that 80-minute impression.
But then I started thinking, "Hey, come on Mark. Admit it -- you enjoy listening to this CD." And it's true! The r'n'b songs, though generic, are guitarfull and smiley on the ears; the oldtimey romancers, though repetitive and overlong, are still beautiful pieces of nostalgia; and the three remaining tracks are lyrically brilliant, melodically affecting, and interestingly annoying respectively, even if I didn't say in which order I was talking about them. Furthermore, the mix is wonderfully live-sounding and raw, he sings the lyrics as melodically as he can, and there is thankfully no attempt at all to keep up with the "Modern Times" of the title (musically at least).
On the lyrical foot, the bluesers mostly discuss bluesy issues, the oldtimers mainly sing of love, and the others dwell on longing, poverty and anger. Here are a few particularly striking passages:
"Now I'm all worn down by weeping/ My eyes are filled with tears, my lips are dry/ If I catch my opponents ever sleeping/I'll just slaughter 'em where they lie" (in fact, this whole song -- "Ain't Talkin'" -- is remarkably evocative and worth listening to closely)
"More frailer than the flowers, these precious hours/That keep us so tightly bound/You come to my eyes like a vision from the skies/And I'll be with you when the deal goes down" ("When the deal goes down" a metaphor for "Dying of natural causes at a delightful old age," you figure!?!?)
"Beyond the horizon, behind the sun/At the end of the rainbow life has only begun/In the long hours of twilight 'neath the stardust above/Beyond the horizon it is easy to love" ("Beyond the horizon" code for "Being old and facing mortality as I, Bob Dylan, am in real life" perhaps!?!?)
"I'm wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be/I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee" (where the hell did that come from!?!?!)
"All the ladies in Washington scrambling to get out of town/Looks like something bad gonna happen, better roll your airplane down" (a 9/11 reference maybe?!?!)
The lyrics to "The Levee's Gonna Break" (Hurricane Katrina, eh!?!?!)
"Well, the place I love best is a sweet memory/It's a new path that we trod/They say low wages are a reality/If we want to compete abroad" ("NAFTA"? Did somebody say "NAFTA"?)
Mmm, I could go for a Nafta Grape right around now. Or Orange? Do you have Orange?
My bottom word is that, regardless of a few over-traditional 'compositions,' Bob Dylan's ninth-inning hitting streak continues. Keep it up, Ol' Zim The Pim!
One warning, though -- the opening track is the most derivative and tiresome song on the entire disc, so don't just give up on the whole CD if you hate it. If W. Axl Rose were still with us today, he'd agree with me that "All you need is just a little patience."
Then he'd squirt another gallon of Restalin into his face.
Favorite lyric:
Sometimes I wonder
Why you can't treat me right
You do good all day
And then you do wrong all night
Anyway, this album has a lot of similarities with "Love and Theft," which is kind of weird in itself: since when does Dylan put out 2 similar albums in a row? OK, so those two acoustic albums in the early 90’s were pretty similar, and Knocked Out Loaded and Down in the Groove were similar in their overproduction, lackluster songwriting and sheer incoherence. But, anyway, when Dylan is good and actually writing his own sings, he rarely puts out two similar albums in a row. This album, however, like its predecessor, is rootsy up the yin-yang, with nothing that sounds like it’s influenced by anything put out in the last 30 years. Also like the last one, it’s warm, well-played, funny as hell and yet pretty sad at the same time. Actually, that’s the main difference: this album is definitely darker than its predecessor.
Another thing that’s like Love and Theft, though: I enjoyed the first few listens, but was kind of underwhelmed. Both records really need a lot of time, and repeated listens will reveal more and more over time. By this time, I’m really starting to love it. Yeah, the songs are kind of long, but this is Dylan, after all--he was putting out multi-verse epics back in 1962, fer crissakes. But, the important thing is that just when you start to think the song is wearing its welcome, he comes up with another engaging line, and I’m suddenly glad that the song hasn’t ended yet. Really, these songs don’t SEEM long to me.
The first "side" (or the first 5 songs) is pretty good. I too was a bit negative about "Thunder on the Mountain" at first, but now it seems like a perfect combination of goofiness and ominousness. "Spirit on the Water" is tender, sad and lilting. "Rollin’ and Tumblin,’" a fast shuffling blues number, has great energy and playing--the most effective blues number on the album in that regard. "When the Deal Goes Down" is the album’s first masterpiece--a truly moving lyric backed by a haunting melody, and perfect, tasteful playing and singing. "Someday Baby," the third blues number, is a bit generic, but there’s still plenty of humor, a good groove, and some more malevolent singing from Mr. Goodvoice.
It’s the second "side," though, that really makes this album an essential Dylan release. "Workingman’s Blues" is one of the catchiest songs he has ever written, and the pretty melody is a great contrast with singing about the "buying power of the proletariat." "Beyond the Horizon" is another one of those lovely, lilting, timeless and totally ancient-sounding tunes like "Po’ Boy" from the last album. "Nettie Moore" is classic lump-in-the throat number, with Dylan sounding like he’s singing from the grave--funny how he can put lines like "The world has gone black before my eyes" to such darn effective melodies. "The Levee’s Gonna Break" is another obvious blues rip off, but well done and timely, with more crack playing from his excellent band. If Led Zeppelin could steal it and credit it to themselves, why not Dylan? Finally, "Ain’t Talking" would have fit in nicely on Time Out of Mind--ominous, hopeless, threatening--"I’m trying love my neighbor and do good unto others--but oh mother, things ain’t going well." And yet, the music, with that violin and the creepy little guitar riffs, is beautiful.
One thing about this album: I’ve actually had to resist playing it as much as I want to, because the melodies are so catchy that they get stuck in my head, and I can’t sleep. By THAT yardstick, it’s one of the best Dylan albums ever: I have to make myself not play it.
So, is there anything NEGATIVE I can say about this album? Well, the overall sound, while really excellent and well-played, is a bit polite and mannered for my tastes. The 4 blues numbers could have been a mite more distinctive, but that problem decreases more and more on repeated listenings. And, yeah, to be honest, he probably could have chopped off some of the less essential verses and made the songs a bit more manageable in terms of length.
But, really, this album couldn’t be anything less than an 8 in my book, and is probably a 9. Then again, there are several Dylan albums I’d give a 10 to, but this one is no slouch. I’m still trying to figure out whether it’s as good as the last two, or a just a bit weaker, but it’s an excellent work regardless.
He's doing incredible concert after concert. And unlike the Stones, he makes GOOD records, and unlike McCartney, can SELL them!
Modern Times isn't quite up to the standard he set for latter-day excellence with Love & Theft, but still,
it's a good album, without qualification (like "good for an old man" or "good for a relic").
It does kind of suck that he appropriated Rollin' and Tumblin and some lyrics as his own; I try to excuse that as part of the folk tradition, but still don't feel right about it.
How about the album cover? It's an old NY photo (Ted Croner’s “Taxi, New York at Night," 1947) that was used a few years back on a cover (Hedgehog) by Luna! Not really Bob's fault, I reckon. The Dylan album designer said he'd never seen Luna's e.p.
What I wish he'd do is a whole album of rockers like the opening tracks from his last two albums. Or that cover of Born To Be Wild he threatened to do, decades ago!
Then there's the usual country boogie/12 bar blues stuff he's been doing since side one of BIABH and you either like those or you don't and usually I like 'em. These are okay, nothing great but nothing too bad either, some good lines here and there. But I'm NOT into this Bing Crosby shtick and those are the songs where this one really starts to grate on me. If the ones on "Love & Theft" were like "Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now" then the ones here are treading dangerously close to "Love Walks In" territory in terms of roteness. That's bad.
But still it's Dylan and it is cool to have him around and I'll probably eventually love this album at some point but right now this seems like the weakest of the modern trilogy. 7/10 seems about right.
Best line: "I can't go back to Paradise no more/I killed a man back there."
The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 - Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006 - Columbia 2008
Hey pecker, what's up? This is Tim "Ripper" Owens, former lead singer of Judas Priest. You probably know me from such kickass classic Priest tunes as "Burn In Hell," "Machine Man" and "You've Got Another Thing Coming (Live)." Listen man, I just picked up your new album Tell Tale Signs and I gotta tell ya, dude: GREAT job. However, I gotta tell ya something else, in addition. Dude, your singer blows.
Don't get angry. I know you guys are buds and shit, but this guy just isn't 'cutting it' anymore, if you know what I mean. I was expecting more beautiful crooning like "Lay Lady Lay" but I put the thing in the thing and was like, "What's wrong with this pecker? Did he swallow an ashtray or some shit?" That doesn't reflect on your songwriting; hell you're probaly as great as always. And it's cool that this double-CD has early demo versions and/or live versions of four Love & Theft songs (one TWICE! I counted), three Oh Mercy songs, and two each from Time Out Of Mind and Modern Times. It's even wicked doper that the other 18 songs are unreleased and soundtrack rarities. I gotta give you props on that, pecker.
So here's what I'm gonna do. As you know, I've been really busy with Iced Earth, Beyond Fear and Yngwie Malmsteen since the Priest decided to scab it up with a gayfer, but I'm willing to come on over there and become your lead singer. I envision the new Bob Dylan sound as a 'grungier Dio,' and I've already written a great new song called "Blood Stained Decapitated Brain Meat in Hell" that I think rivals your own "Most Of The Time" for beautifulness, your own "Huck's Tune" for loveliness, your own cover of "32-20 Blues" for hilarious violentness, your own "God Knows" for bouncy uptempo John-Lennon-style pop rockiness, and your own "Cross The Green Mountain" for worried mood, intelligence and song length (8:14 indeed, my good Epicster!).
See you Wednesday, Bob Dylan!
Best,
Ripper Owens
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To whom it may concern named Bob Dylan,
This letter is in regard to Tim "Ripper" Owens' recent assertion that he is the new lead singer for Bob Dylan. Excuse me for intruding for I mean not to argue with your personnel decisions, but let me just say that there's a reason that Tim is called "Ripper." It's because he constantly "rips" his underwear off onstage and twirls his phallus around like a windmill or oscillating fan.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am none other than the great "Blaze" Bayley Alexander Cook, former lead singer for Iron Maiden. I realize I need no introduction as you certainly know me from such Maiden classics as "Man On The Edge," "The Angel and the Gambler" and "Run To The Hills (Live)." As such, I'd like to offer my services to you as Lead Singer, Bob Dylan.
I've heard your latest release, The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 and must hand it to you: the songs are exceedingly lengthy! Unfortunately, you don't seem to grasp the concept of 'dynamics.' Although 20 of your 27 latest tracks exceed the 4-minute mark - and most actually range around 6 minutes - very few of them feature the light/dark, fast/slow, instrumental/vocal, Dionysian/Apollonian dichotomies that mark true works of extended genius (e.g. "The Clansman," "Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger," "The Number Of The Beast (Live)"). Instead, you and the rest of your band seem to just play one simple chord sequence over and over and over again, benumbing the brain and blinding the faculties.
I beg of you -- allow me the chance to become your new lead singer and take Bob Dylan to the next level. I envision the new Bob Dylan sound as bold, bombastic Broadway metal with giant operatic manly vocals. I've already written a 14-minute song called "Look For The Fortunes Of The Lord On The Cross" that I think is far superior to your latest middling batch of compositions -- particularly your pissy Lennon-style blues-rocker "Can't Wait," abysmal '50s boogie take of "Dignity," meandering adult contemporary ballad "Ring Them Bells" and truly grotesque country waltz duet "The Lonesome River (With Ralph Stanley)."
I appreciate your continued patronage of my work,
Blaze Bayley
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Hay Corn On The Cob Dylan!
Listen up. I've been a fan of your great music since I was just a kid (36), and now they tell me you're letting "Blaze" Bayley sing for you! Dude, that's BS. I don't know if you know this, but the reason they call him "Blaze" is because he sets peoples' dogs on fire. Trust me man, he is the WRONG GUY for you. If you're really looking for a new singer, the man you want is I.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Gary Cherone, former lead singer of Van Halen. I'm sure you know me from such classic VH tunes as "Without You," "Fire In The Hole" and "Jump (Live)." And you're in luck, Mr.ister. Van Halen is currently touring with a replacement singer because of a canker sore I suffered in 1999 so I'm all free to come sing for you! I envision the new Bob Dylan sound as 'me trying to sound even raspier than Sammy Hagar,' and I've already written a spectacular new power ballad called "Year To The Hole Without The Ballot Or The Primary" that I think stands up to anything on your sexy new album Rare And Unreleased. One thing though: your melodies and chord changes are exceedingly simplistic and repetitive. I wanted you to know that I like that, and if I could help to make them even more predictable and tiresome, then it will be a happy day in the Cherone household.
Thanks,
Gary Cherone
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Mr. Dylan,
My name is Glenn Hughes and I used to sing for Black Sabbath. I was on Seventh Star, which led impressed critics to praise my "Overblown operatic big hair mid-80s laughable throwaway shitvoice." Things have been tough here with the recession and all, and I could really use the work if you have room for a back-up singer or a houseboy or really anything at all.
Also, I noticed that "Tell Ol' Bill" is a Tom Waitsy shambling sea shanty, "Born In Time" is a '70s Eaglesy country-rock ballad, "Everything Is Broken" has a bass line reminiscent of but happier than that of "Brand New Cadillac," "Marchin' To The City" is soul-blues, "Series Of Dreams" sounds like U2, "Can't Escape From You" is a '50s-style piano ballad, and "Miss The Mississippi" is a ballad with ukulele, horns, harmonica and many other things. Were these decisions on purpose? I ask because these pieces don't sound like your normal "Bob Dylan" songs and would have made good album tracks. I also wrote a new song called "I'll Suck Anybody's Dick For A Buck And A Quarter" that would be a good match for this diverse new material of yours. It's just me screaming and crying, generally in the fetal position.
Please look into your heart and take pity on Glenn Hughes,
Glenn Hughes.
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Hey Mark,
Hope you enjoy all these emails I found in Bob Dylan's Recycle Bin. Let me know if I can help you out with anything else.
Best,
Alan Jules Weberman
"Feel like a ghost in love," he sings and man, does it pack a chill.
Yeah, much of this is monotonous. Just gotta make your own mix here
We heard you need a new singer. But all these other guys are losers. We (Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, Joe Lynn Turner, Goran Edman, Mike Vescera, Mats Leven, Doogie White, Ron Keel and Graham Bonnet) are the men for the job. We have all fronted for Yngwie Malmsteen (hell, three of us were the singer for Rainbow too) and we all know how his songs are the ultimate tests for singers. You may know us based on awesome classic vocal masterpieces such as "Evil Eye", "Incubus", "Black Star", "Overture 1383", "Overture 1622", "Trilogy Suite Op. 5", "Krakatau", "Far Beyond the Sun (Live)", "Guitar Solo", "Cantabile (Op.10 No.3 RV428 'Il Gardellino')", "Instrumental Institution" and of course the whole album "Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra".
We have already written a new song for the new incarnation of Dylan called "Always Look for Quantity over Quality" which will go to show that having 9 singers is far superior to the 4-5 singers you had in the Traveling Wilbury's.
With the economy the way it is, we will do the job for the price of one guy!
Please call us now.....
I used to be a Presidential Candidate for the United States. Well, since I was voted down, I'm looking for a new career. You may know me for my instant classic song "Bomb Bomb Iran". It's gotten over a 1 million views on YouTube and been on every TV network known to mankind - an artist can't buy that kind of coverage.
I suggest since I'm the world's most famous Beach Boys parody cover artist (screw Weird Al) that we release a whole album of such songs. I've already got some parodies already written: "Deregulate, Deregulate, Deregulate", "Do You Wanna Reach (Across the Aisle)", "Be True To My Friends", "Good Suspensions", and "Maverick Girls".
I hear that Sarah Palin plays a mean flute. I'm sure that she has time to tour with us. Plus she'll bill her travel to the State of Alaska and get the Republican party to buy her clothes.
Yours Truly,
John
"Henry, why can't you pee on a pole like a good dog would.... instead of peeing on a good dogwood like a Pole?"
WHEE! Not only was it a fantastic play-on-words, but did you catch that Polack joke at the end? I NAILED 'em!!!
As for Together Through Life, here are some highlights from a FaceBook thread I started a few nights ago after some vodkas had tickled my brain. By the way, if you don't want your name here, let me know and I'll remove it. Thanks!
Mark Prindle thinks that everyone raving about the new Dylan album should try listening to it while imagining it as a Jim Belushi album. It's a generic piece of shit. Get over his history and accept that there is not a single creative idea on this record.
May 10 at 9:36pm
Andrew F. Moncrieff at 9:40pm May 10
Yeah but it's not as bad as his last few
Gus Ingebretsen at 9:52pm May 10
Generic maybe, but I wouldn't call it a piece of shit... Probably would give it a 6 on your scale.
Tad Baierlein at 10:03pm May 10
Can't say I've heard the album all the way through, but the couple of non-"It's All Good" cuts that I have heard are pretty lame (and "It's All Good" is basically a pretty good Modern Times track).
Josh Rouan at 10:15pm May 10
I think we need to dispose of the idea that an album needs "creative ideas" in order to be good. "Together Through Life" was cut in a very short time. Think of it like a modern "Nashville Skyline." Short, nothing magnificent, but a fine little record.
Mark Prindle at 10:20pm May 10
Josh - if we dispose of that idea, what do we have left? This new Green Day album is awesome! Wow, Britney's latest is a fine little record! That second Lindsay Lohan album was cut in a very short time, thus it's good! Come on, man. How can you seriously enjoy ANY of those Dylan songs all the way through? Every track is ONE generic part repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over.
Ex Enn at 10:32pm May 10
That's how I felt about Modern Times, but after a few listens I could pick out a song or two.
John Pennoyer at 10:33pm May 10
At least it's not Slow Train Coming. You must admit that I have a valid point.
Brock Audibert at 10:38pm May 10
I think the album is solid. Not a masterpiece but a strong set of songs, 7/10 for me. Also, i love Slow Train Coming, 9/10 for me.
John Pennoyer at 10:41pm May 10
At least the christian thing was new, to return to mark's point. it just seems to me like naming animals is a rather trivial exercise. but he did surprise a lot of people with that album. he deserves some credit for that.
Drew Koehn at 10:53pm May 10
Bob is being contro through mediocrity; dashing all expectations yet again, in what's supposed to be his late renaissance. I'd say its composition amounts to him sitting comfortably on his back porch, diddling away on his guitar; not givin' a shit. But the Back Porch Diddlings of the Gods.
6/10 at best... see him through a mother's eyes, on this, of all days. Accordion, man! Horns!!!
Matthew Ward at 11:01pm May 10
"Lack of creative ideas," even if true, does not mean that it's equivalent of disposable pre-packed shite like Britney. I haven't heard the album enough yet to judge it, but I will say one thing: some of the lyrics are so funny that it made me laugh out loud. Also, I'm really not sure if I've personally heard quite that mix of blues and Tex-Mex before. So far, it sounds like it MAY be a good album to me.
Tom Andrukevich at 11:01pm May 10
The length of the recording process is not criteria used for review or to gauge the listening experience.
Josh Rouan at 11:08pm May 10
Tom - agreed. However, the story behind the record gives insight into its lack of pretension. While the length of time spent recording isn't really relevant, knowing how long it took is one way of getting at what the record is - as Drew above says, sitting on his back porch, not giving a shit.
Josh Rouan at 11:55pm May 10
Actually, let me go back on what I said. Perhaps it should be considered similar to The Dylan/Cash sessions (though I realize Mark did not really care for those, either).
John Mcferrin at 11:57pm May 10
"Josh - if we dispose of that idea, what do we have left? This new Green Day album is awesome! Wow, Britney's latest is a fine little record! That second Lindsay Lohan album was cut in a very short time, thus it's good"
I haven't heard the Dylan album yet, so I can't comment on that, but I do have to say that this argument doesn't work. Saying "An album doesn't need creative ideas to be good" is not logically equivalent to saying "These albums without creative ideas must be good." The equivalent statement to the former is "The quality of an album is dependent upon other factors in addition to the level of creative ideas," and this allows somebody to in turn say "This new Green Day album is a pile of shit for reasons aside from the level of creative ideas."
Philip Maddox at 12:07am May 11
I actually didn't like either Love And Theft or Modern Times very much... there just didn't seem to be anything very noteworthy about them, which is why I'm not too interested in getting the new one. I'm guessing it'd be just another album that would sit on my shelf that I would never actually play.
Emily Bartlett Hines at 12:11am May 11
I don't wanna doubt that this album is indeed crappy -- but is "creative ideas" or lack thereof really what distinguishes good records from bad? After all, crap like Britney Spears -- mainstream chart pop or whatever -- doesn't suffer from lack of "creative ideas," but has tons of 'em. Weird-ass song structures, instrumentation, vocal effects, anything novel-seeming that people can dream up. That genre of music is always eager to incorporate new technology, & as a result its sound changes much faster than that of the more "credible" rock music I like. (Granted, all the bands I listen to sound like the Flamin' Groovies.)
Of course one can argue that these innovations are stupid, & hence don't count as "creative ideas." But it seems like cheating to redefine "creative ideas" as just the stuff one likes. & a band can kick ass while sticking pretty closely to an established style, can't they?, in a Motorhead-y sort of way.
Mark Prindle at 12:24am May 11
Emily, I disagree. Motorhead distinguishes themselves from lesser bands by coming up with great new riffs every time out. They have the same sound, but really catchy new songs. That's why Motorhead's last album, to me, was a let-down. It DIDN'T. I've already given Bob Dylan the benefit of the doubt three times in a row (particularly "time out of mind" which is NOTHING but 12-bar blues), but this new one offers nothing at all but a guy playing an accordion. No other aspect of the music is worth listening to.
Mark Prindle at 12:25am May 11
Matthew - there are no funny lyrics on this record. Most of it is about how sad he is about his loved ones dying. What lyric did you find "funny enough to laugh about"?
Mark Prindle at 12:26am May 11
John - so what is your argument? What's the difference between a shitty Dylan album and a shitty Green Day album?
Michael McDonell at 12:42am May 11
Good call, Mark. Don't cave in to fans and their foolish adoration! Fans are by far the least sceptical about 'their artist''s music. And it's good to be sceptical!
Emily Bartlett Hines at 1:09am May 11
Oh I think you're right about that. I hope it shall never be said that we disagreed about the genius of Motorhead. But someone who wanted to complain could argue that they failed to have enough "new ideas" b/c they never changed their sound or general approach over the years. Conversely, someone who likes that Dylan album probably thinks they hear some unique details within the songs -- an interesting lyric, vocal phrasing, melody or whatever -- that makes them interesting within the context of a limited format.
Anyway my only real argument is that "creative ideas" can be crappy, and that works & genres that put a lot of emphasis on "new ideas" (mainstream chart pop/r&b/whatever) can be much WORSE than ones with a very limited range of ideas.
William Cleveland at 1:15am May 11
stop yelling at your readers! (sob)
Josh Rouan at 7:49am May 11
It is indeed good to be skeptical, and I don't think those of us who care for the new record are simply adoring Dylan. There are Dylan albums I really dislike (sometimes entire decades of Dylan albums), and the last couple of times I've seen him live the shows were sub-par. With that said, the reason I like the new record could be that it's the first since "Time Out Of Mind" that I've given a lot of time. I listen to tracks 2-4 on "Love and Theft" quite a bit, and "Modern Times" did nothing for me - I've maybe listened to it once all the way through. I bought this record it expecting it to be fairly blah. Instead I found it to be enjoyable, if rather un-inventive. To each his own, I guess. OK I'll bow out of this one now.
John Mcferrin at 9:05am May 11
"John - so what is your argument? What's the difference between a shitty Dylan album and a shitty Green Day album?"
Well, I think you misread me. I actually do think that creative ideas are at least pretty important in determining the quality of an album, and it's possible that I'll be disappointed in this Dylan album once I hear it. I'm only commenting on the logical form of the argument you made. You argued in essence that "An album doesn't need creative ideas to be good" is somehow equal to "Albums without creative ideas must be good." In formal logic terms, if we say "A" represents "album is creative," and we say "B" represents "album is good," then "An album without creative ideas can be good" is represented by "~A->B," and "An album without creative ideas must be good" is represented by "B->~A"; these two statements are not logically the same thing.
In other words, there's an argument to be made in favor of what you're saying; it's just that this isn't it.
Mark Prindle at 2:20pm May 11
Sorry if I seemed belligerent. I was pretty drunk last night. Not sure why the quality of the new Dylan CD seemed so important at the time!
Josh Rouan at 3:20pm May 11
your belligerence is one of the reasons we all like your site so much though!
Will York at 5:06pm May 11
I think the real groundbreaking idea in this comment is the suggestion to "imagine the album as a Jim Belushi album." It is kind of a mind-blowing idea and one that can be widely applied. Imagine 'Tarkus' as a Jim Belushi album, or 'Bitches Brew,' or 'Reign in Blood.'
Mark Prindle at 5:09pm May 11
Will - "Reign in Blood" would be the best Jim Belushi album EVER!
Will York at 5:35pm May 11
It would also make a good Bruce Willis album (better than 'Return of Bruno' at any rate).
So as you can see, my opinion of Together Through Life is not held by everyone and all. But I'm telling you, his last three albums had hooks galore. I get Time Out Of Mind's "Love Sick" (and its eerie bass line) stuck in my head probably more than any other Bob Dylan song. Love And Theft was a fun jaunty old-timey album of the sort he'd never done, with adorable old-timey hooks. Modern Times wasn't quite as melodically strong, but it had some great energy and at least a few catchy tunes. This new one, on the fourth hand, features - at its best - a basic guitar lick or accordion phrase repeated 500 times in a row.
As Matthew Ward stated in the Facebook discussion above, the record has the feel of a "mix of blues and Tex-Mex" -- or, as I wrote in my notes, it "feels like a street cafe with cobble stones and a gypsy." The songs are primarily shambling 12-bar blues, boogie and ballads - but with the addition of Los Lobos' accordion player. (Tom Petty's Mike Campbell plays guest guitar as well, but I never would've guessed had I not read it somewhere). And please understand -- none of the songs are embarrassing or misguided like so much of his '80s work; they're just predictable, cliche'd and unfathomably repetitive. Seriously, every song has one part that they play over and over and over and over (or, alternately, "ad infinitum") until there is absolutely NO WAY to enjoy it anymore!
Take "If You Ever Go To Houston," for example. It has a lovely, Springsteen-reminiscent ballad-pop accordion melody that cockles the heart and heartens the cock with its friendly phrasing. But the song consists of that accordion line being played NINETEEN TIMES IN A ROW without a single change!!! For nearly SIX MINUTES, it's just ONE FUCKING PART over and over again! How do his musicians even have the patience to play one simple part that many times in a row? And every song follows this pattern! I suppose this has been a problem with Dylan's work for some time, but I'd swear that Love And Theft and Time Out Of Mind at least threw in a chorus or bridge every once in a while. No such wild experimentation this time.
And listen, I'm not just some yahoo; I own every Bob Dylan album since his debut, 1985's Empire Burlesque. So I've seen his ups, downs, lefts and rights throughout the years. And I'm not saying that Together Through Life will ever be considered a gastrointestinal mishap like Self-Portrait or Down In The Groove or something, nor does it deserve to. However, I also don't think that anybody who purchases it will find themselves listening to it at all even six months from now. There are just too few noteworthy ideas on it. Even the lyrics (co-written with baseball great Robert "Catfish" Hunter) are just a bunch of Rhymin' Simon la-de-da's about the importance of love, with the striking exception of "Forgetful Heart," which if I interpret the words correctly, is about losing a loved one to Alzheimer's.
But you know who's going to suffer most from this record? Not me. After all, when I complete this review, I never have to listen to it again. No, the real victims here are the Bob Dylan tribute bands. What are Ypsilanti, MI's Hard Rain Revue going to do with material like this? Do you honestly think that Ray de Salchicha is itching to lend his keyboard magic to an instant throwaway like "Jolene"!? Hell no! He'd sooner cut off his own hands! And what about bassist Studwell Donne? You think when he's up there onstage shoutin' out the classic lyrics of "Outlaw Blues" and "Positively 4th Street," he's thinking to himself, "Man! I cannot wait to wrap my voicebox around the one vocal note of 'It's All Good.'"? Because he's not. I assure you he's not. But enough about Ypsilanti, MI's Hard Rain Revue.
In conclusion, do you honestly think that when they were recording their CD Ypsilanti Skyline at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Sunday, March 29, 2009, Hard Rain Revue rhythm guitarist M. Hizzy was thinking to himself, "I am so angry at this band for being too lazy to learn 'Beyond Here Lies Nothin' because I've been all around the world and there has never been a song like that one."? NO! Of course he wasn't! Get real! Get with the program!
P.S. Or what about lead guitarist D-Money? When you look into your Crystal Ball to tell his future, do you seriously see him saying, "Let's see, guys - let's start with 'Tangled Up In Blue,' then move on to 'Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine),' then maybe 'All Along The Watchtower' and 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' -- oh no wait! I screwed up! The immortal Bob Dylan classic 'Shake Shake Mama' has to go in here somewhere or there will simply be an audience riot!" Come on, get the dumbness out of your ears! That'll never happen!
NOTE TO MARK FROM PUBLISHER - ERASE BEFORE POSTING: Mark, Hard Rain Revue drummer Papa Sah-less called requesting drum charts for Together Through Life in its entirety. The band has decided to replace their entire set due to Together Through Life holding the number one spot on the Billboard 200 for a record 55 weeks on the strength of its hit singles "Life Is Hard," "My Wife's Home Town," "This Dream Of You," "I Feel A Change Comin' On," "Beyond Here Lies Nothin," "If You Ever Go To Houston," "Jolene," "Forgetful Heart," "It's All Good" and "Shake Shake Mama".
Also, I fucked your wife.
You just criticized a guy for doing something that you gave another band a 10 for. Here is a list of ridiculously self-contradicting things...
I'm really, really disappointed with Together Through Lice, Bob's least interesting album since Under The Bed: Sky. It sounds thrown together, possibly because it was thrown together. I'm pleased he doesn't feel he has to make a huge "artistic statement" every time he makes an album (and no one can say he hasn't earned the right to take it easy in his old age). But apart from a couple of songs on Modern Times ("Nettie Moore" and "Workingman's Blues #2"), he's gone nowhere new or interesting since Love & Theft. The old-timey thing is starting to grate a little, too. After years of moving forwards, it's odd how he seems to have chosen a previous musical era that he likes and decided to stay there.
Here are some options for next time around. Please read these carefully and specify which you would like Bob to pursue. In about a year's time, I will contact his record company and inform them how this survey panned out. They can then notify Bob as to what 'the public' really wants:
1. Bob could get into the Human League, Kraftwerk and OMD and make a synthpop masterpiece with New Romantic leanings
2. Bob could engross himself in US punk and make a Ramones-type LP with no song longer than 2 minutes 30 seconds (the tapes could be sent to P.Spector so that he could produce the album from his prison cell)
3. Bob could go down the Neil Young "fork" in the "road" and ask heavenly choirs to back him on made-up-on-the-spot songs with primarily eco concerns
4. Bob could make a Tapestry-type solo-at-the-piano singer-songwriter album - produced by Eno
5. Bob could make an art-noise improv colloboration with Thurston Moore, consisting of one track of ear-splitting feedback (and accordion) spread over a punishing 68 minutes
6. Bob could make a minimalist concept statement composed of 45 minutes of complete silence, called The Unplayed Harmonica
7. Bob could embrace jazz fusion, take up the sax and record a honking, stonking skronk-out with a bunch of session noodle pals
8. Bob could record a spoken-word album in which he tells jokes, reads out recipes, recites bits of the Bible and recalls amusing incidents from his childhood
9. Bob could carefully craft 10 pleasing songs whose lyrics, music and arrangements reflect his growing years and wisdom and how he feels about the state of the world at this moment in time
10. Bob could release yet another old-timey collection of thrown together, over-long songs based on simple blues structures
Which would you prefer? Please participate! Place your response in this space below:
FRANCISO'S FAVORITE FOLK SINGER, BOB DYLAN! Unfortunately, when he fell down the chimney, he swallowed ten pounds of ash and landed on his throat. But don't think THAT'LL stop him! This is a man who loves his Christmas carols alright, and the whole family will be listening to his godawful pained scratchy hoarse raspy death rattle Louis Armstrong iron lung voice singing along with The Christmas Album For The Whole Family Christmas Album for the next 15 songs and 42 minutes!
But the good thing is -- the unbelievable dichotomy between Bob's shit voice and the squeaky clean backup vocals and musical accompaniment is so Ho-Ho-Horrible that it's Ho-Ho-Holarious! Granted, you have to like Christmas music in the first place (as I do) or it's going to be a painful and miserable experience for you. But if you get a seasonal kick out of Holiday classics like "Here Comes Santa Claus," "Winter Wonderland," "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," Christmas In The Heart is bound to strike your funny bone in a way that Dylan surely couldn't have intended. But with song after song of Bob trying DESPERATELY and PASSIONATELY to get his charred, raw voicebox to sing all the correct notes (to a degree never even attempted on an original Dylan LP), they might as well have named it A Golden Throats Christmas!
Which brings up a queer query: why does Bob try so hard to sing these songs as well as he can? He's certainly never given a wingding about his vocals before, but here -- particularly in range-scaling songs like "Do You Hear What I Hear?," "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" and "The First Noel" -- he sounds like he'd be willing to rip his throat out and hold it up in the air in order to reach the high notes. Odd? Hells yes, it's odd! His voicebox clearly has no idea how to deal with such high notes, and bellows out a strange "Tom Waits gasping for breath" noise unheard of on a Dylan record to this juncture. So what is going on? Is he really such a huge fan of Christmas carols that he absolutely refuses to half-ass them? For that matter, is he even still a Christian anymore!?
Regardless, it's this unique mixture of good old-fashioned clean-as-a-whistle Christmas music and Bob's big-hearted but halfway-to-vomiting vocals that make the record such a bizarre 'outsider' novelty treat. Had he simply rasped along to a strummy acoustic and harmonica, it might sound more 'normal,' but it'd also probably be boring. Christmas In The Heart may be horrifying and ungodly, but it's certainly not boring!
Three additional highlights include:
- Dylan singing the first verse of "O Come All Ye Faithful" in LATIN! REAL LIVE LATIN!
- A wonderfully speedy punk polka barrelhouse accordion version of Mitch Miller's "Must Be Santa"
- An adorable pedal steel-enhanced loop-de-doo called "Christmas Island" (originally by the Andrews Sisters, I'm led to believe)
I'll warn you: some of these cheery chestnuts are absolutely destroyed by Bob's sickening throat cancer retching (If you can make it through "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Silver Bells" and "The Christmas Song" without grabbing a Sucret, congratulations on the broken ears). But I'll not allow anyone to say that he isn't giving 100% of himself to these songs. This is honestly as good as he can sing. He wasn't exactly Bob Fancyvoice in his 20's -- and now he's 68!
In summation, I should point out that Bob is donating all his royalties from this CD to homeless/hungry charities. And if nothing else, he's at least got his songs back down to a reasonable length; only 3 of these 15 songs exceed 3:00! Hopefully he'll remember this lesson the next time he records a 'real' album.
Well, that and "make sure your song has a melody before you press 'record'."
13 years and you are still able to pen a new review every bit as hilarious as your old ones. At first I didn't even know Bob Dylan had a Christmas album coming out, but after having fits of ho-ho-hos reading your review, it's now downloading to my hard drive as I type. And I never ever listen to Christmas music, unless it's by like The Residents or something. I hope it's as hilarious as you made it sound!
Mark, you are a funny man.
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