Columbia is now a subsidiary of Sony BMG, since 1988. The good part is that Sony has done some tremendous re-mastering of their Columbia catalogue... Of Dylan's early recordings, one of my favorites is... Bring It All Back Home. It has that Mercury/metalic sound Dylan said he loved when he was at his best... yeah, "Subterranean Homesick Blues"... "Maggie's Farm".... The album is like an infusion of adrenaline, with some great acoustic performances. It lifts you up.
Bob Dylan lovers of the World, Unite! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter hank solo
- Start date
If you have Bringing it All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde; along with The Bootleg Series Vol. IV, you've pretty much caught a revolution in a can.
CarversDog
RIP
What the hell is this "record store" oddity you speak of, Stickpin? Just ordered "Desire" and "Nashville Skyline" from Amazon ... along with the recently re-acquired BOTT, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" soundtrack, and "Dylan" remaster CD from Columbia, I thnk I pretty much have my Dylan fix complete(a craving that took roost after watching "I'm Not There" on Pay Per View a couple of weekends ago). Hey ... if anyone can burn me a copy or two of Dylan's Sirius radio show and mail 'em I would gladly pay postage. I've never heard the shows but I've read that they are phenomenal music history lessons.
Desire is great, although "Joey" has to be one of his more annoying tracks. Somewhere in my collection of Dylan recordings is mention of the tune or tunes left off Desire in favor of Joey. Good god, those tunes are so much better.
As for the record store concept, it fits right in with my lifestyle. No cable TV since 1993; for years I only had a VHS player, and I only have a DVD player now because my wife had one. I also hate listening to music unless I can totally immerse myself in it. Therefore, I almost never listen to music in the car, and I would never have an ipod or such thing. Headphones, seclusion and complete concentration...what was this thread about again?
I'm the biggest Dylan Fan your going to meet but i have to agree with you here. i have those alternative Desire recordings on C.D somewhere. anyone of those tracks would have been better. The only explanation i can give as to why Dylan left it on was to give the record extra play time. Saying that Dylan is infamous for inexplicably leaving tracks off records. case in point " Blind Willie McTell " . one of Dylan's greatest songs that didn't appear on an album until '91's bootleg series.
Dylan has been a staple for me since I heard a friends older sister playing it in around '65. he had very few weak songs through out the years, though you had to be a hard core fan to follow him thru all the changes in style. Dylan is just Dylan. but your'e right Joey was just bad, and in my opinion Hurricane was right there with it. I saw him live a couple of times and those were a couple of the worst concerts I have ever been to. both times he acted totaly dis-interested. bored. the second time he wore this huge cowboy hat and never once even looked up so you could see a face,. hell, I'm not even sure it was dylan! My x-wife and I used "forever young" as our wedding song, when he played it that night she didn't even reconize it. so much for touching moments. but still it was great just to see "the Dylan" and I'm glad that I was there. but yeah "joey and Hurricane are the worst!
chronic
old and in the way
I beg to differ. You Gotta Serve Somebody is the worst.
Gotta serve somebody is Dylan's 2nd greatest religious song after " every Grain of sand. In my opinion anyway. i have to respectfully disagree with the people who are bad mouthing "Hurricane". In the song Dylan shows his great story telling skills and the electric violin is nothing short brilliance. "Hurricane" is far from Dylan's greatest song but it is far from terrible. and please don't start a list of Dylan songs you hate it will break my Dylan worshiping heart.
mjp
Founding member
Which makes it his 3,429th greatest song overall.
that hurts man. I'm in no way religious and still like a lot of bob's Christian stuff. But you have to keep in mind I have a hard time bad mouthing any of Dylan's work. with the exception of a hand full of songs I love it all. just like with bukowski I'm completely obsessed .
CarversDog
RIP
I love "Hurricane" particularly, as melancholic notes, as a masterful demonstration of Dylan's storytelling capabilities. Alas, I must agree that "Joey" strikes a WTF? chord with me as well. That was Scarlet Rivera, by the way, who played that beautiful electric violin on "Desire". I know this is heresy but, for my money (since I've thoroughly re-examined both albums over the last week) "Desire" is a far superior album to "Blood on the Tracks", though only by a nose, "Joey" notwithstanding.
Slow Train Coming
melancholic,
Slow Train Coming is one of my favorite Dylan albums. Here's Dylan passing through his period of, of all things, his bible studies. He fell in love with Jesus or whatever, got something out of it that some of his listeners don't appreciate or will ridicule - but I always felt there was great sincerity to every one of these songs. (When he sings "I believe in You!" I believe he meant it earnestly at the time even though his Christianity was only a passing phase.) The album as a whole is full of spiritual longing and searching, so Dylan must have felt that he needed some answers and he found some here, and later went through a gospel period as well.
Overall in Slow Train... there's intensity, a bit of whimsy ('Man Gave Names...'), and something prophetic about where the human species is headed. (I agree with him: there's a slow train of reckoning coming 'round the bend for humanity.) I also like the line where he gets into the fire and brimstone of "fathers turning their daughters into whores," a metaphor for the false materialism of the age; and it's true that we all have "to serve somebody," a song about choice in life.
For me, Dylan has the same creative genius that he always had, though this album was rejected by the public anyway. It was a concept project that held together beautifully if one can accept where he was coming from spiritually. It still remains of my favorites -- full of his usual truths about life but set in a dramatically different context or taken from a religious angle -- or perhaps more apt, taken creatively from a dramatically different angel.
melancholic,
Slow Train Coming is one of my favorite Dylan albums. Here's Dylan passing through his period of, of all things, his bible studies. He fell in love with Jesus or whatever, got something out of it that some of his listeners don't appreciate or will ridicule - but I always felt there was great sincerity to every one of these songs. (When he sings "I believe in You!" I believe he meant it earnestly at the time even though his Christianity was only a passing phase.) The album as a whole is full of spiritual longing and searching, so Dylan must have felt that he needed some answers and he found some here, and later went through a gospel period as well.
Overall in Slow Train... there's intensity, a bit of whimsy ('Man Gave Names...'), and something prophetic about where the human species is headed. (I agree with him: there's a slow train of reckoning coming 'round the bend for humanity.) I also like the line where he gets into the fire and brimstone of "fathers turning their daughters into whores," a metaphor for the false materialism of the age; and it's true that we all have "to serve somebody," a song about choice in life.
For me, Dylan has the same creative genius that he always had, though this album was rejected by the public anyway. It was a concept project that held together beautifully if one can accept where he was coming from spiritually. It still remains of my favorites -- full of his usual truths about life but set in a dramatically different context or taken from a religious angle -- or perhaps more apt, taken creatively from a dramatically different angel.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
When living in Florida, my Mom brought my sister and me to camp out for Dylan tickets. I remember my twin sister at 5 years old wowing the crowds waiting for tickets with her spot-on version of "Freight Train Blues". Of course half of them were baked, but it still must have been funny.
Bill
Bill
I love Desire and I love Joey and I love Sara and I love One more cup of coffee ...
mjp
Founding member
Great song. Available on the wonderful 3 disc Biograph set if you don't want to buy a Christian Rock album to hear it.
A terrible song and terrible advice.
I listened to him and those nice ladies singing, "You're gonna have to serve somebody" over and over ad nauseum in that song and finally I relented and said, "Okay Bob, I trust you, I have to serve somebody. But who?" And all he could tell me was, "it may be the devil or it may be the Lord," but neither of those are viable options (being imaginary and all), so I was back to square one.
Stupid bearded fucker and his lousy Minnesota advice. Last time I try to live my life according to the words in a Dylan song, I'll tell you that.
Far superior by a nose, huh? ;)
I could agree with that. Tunes like "Sara," "Black Diamond Bay," "Oh Sister," "One More Cup of Coffee," and "Hurricane (I think it's a great song)" are more consistent than "Blood on the Tracks". But BotT does have "Idiot Wind," which is one of his best songs ever. Just look at how much Dylan's attitude toward his estranged wife changed in a short period of time between "Idiot Wind" and "Sara."
CarversDog
RIP
I suppose the chill she gets up her spine every time she hears "Idiot Wind" is comparable only to Yoko Ono's reaction whenever she hears "Happiness is a Warm Gun" ...
I love the song but every time I hear it, his palpable bile and contempt just creeps me out to no end.
I love the song but every time I hear it, his palpable bile and contempt just creeps me out to no end.
Interesting. I've always thought of it as "howling vitriol," but I suppose "palpable bile and contempt" is equally descriptive. :D In either case, I just love his bare honesty, even if it is irrational and somewhat discomforting.
Just for the hell of it, I'm not sure anyone has mentioned these two tunes:
Desolation Row
Visions of Johanna (live acoustic versions)
I know it's been discussed elsewhere whether his lyrics are truely poetry or not, but these two are chock-full of imagery. Fantastic songs as well.
Just for the hell of it, I'm not sure anyone has mentioned these two tunes:
Desolation Row
Visions of Johanna (live acoustic versions)
I know it's been discussed elsewhere whether his lyrics are truely poetry or not, but these two are chock-full of imagery. Fantastic songs as well.
mjp
Founding member
A lot of his songs must creep you out then. Dylan was/is an angry fucker. See; Idiot Wind, Positively 4th Street, Masters Of War, The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, Like A Rolling Stone, etc., etc., etc.
When Dylan is (was?) great, he is really, really great. And when he sucks, he sucks pretty bad. But I admire his kind of "all or nothing" approach. And you can rest assured that if you don't like something he does, he doesn't really care, and you can just wait a couple of years and he'll be doing something else anyway. When someone has 50 albums to their credit you have to expect low spots, detours and sour notes.
CarversDog
RIP
You've got a lot of nerve/To say you are my friend ...
Yeah, vicious and angry. I don't think I stated myself clearly (seems I do that here quite often) ... Dylan's use of vitriol is jarringly effective, perhaps more effective than any other contemporary musician I can think of (well, there is that rendition of "My Way" by Sid Vicious) but I can only take Angry Bob in small doses yet when I'm in the mood for that sort of musical catharsis, no one does it better, IMHO.
Okay, I'm going to go put Positively 4th Street on now ...
Yeah, vicious and angry. I don't think I stated myself clearly (seems I do that here quite often) ... Dylan's use of vitriol is jarringly effective, perhaps more effective than any other contemporary musician I can think of (well, there is that rendition of "My Way" by Sid Vicious) but I can only take Angry Bob in small doses yet when I'm in the mood for that sort of musical catharsis, no one does it better, IMHO.
Okay, I'm going to go put Positively 4th Street on now ...
If visions of Johanna and desolation row are not poetry i don't know what is. the acoustic version of visions from the Manchester free trade hall is one of my favorites and desolation row is a timeless classic. many people consider desolation row to be a modern interpretation T.S Eliot's the waste land. But as far as I'm concerned it far better than the waste land land and anything else Eliot wrote.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
great lyrics, poetic lyrics, but not poetry.
That's spot-on. One of the best example is that famous bit right before "Rolling Stone" at the Manchester Free Trade Hall, May 17, 1966, when he berates the audience member and then turns to his band and says "play it fuckin' loud!" The vitriol in that version is so bad I have to clean my CD player every time I play it.
I've long said that Dylan was the first punk rock musician. Not that the music he played was anything what we now refer to as punk rock, but he was punk. He looked his establishment right in the face and gave them a musical "Fuck You." Gotta admire his determination and conviction.
One thing about Dylan that really confounds me is they way he talks about certain songs. I mean, he denies that Positively 4th Street was written in response to the criticism of his switch to folk rock, yet it was recorded a mere four days after the 1965 Newport Folk Festival controversy (with Pete Seeger trying to cut the power cables), and the message is pretty clear.
No matter what anyone says i still believe that Dylan could have been a very successful written word poet. and trust me for the most part i don't like rhyming poetry. But for Bob Dylan I make an exception. Songs such as visions of Johanna are, as far as I'm concerned, on the same level as any of the so called "great" poetry of the last century.
I have read tarantula and it was not not released for a reason at the time of writing . it is a work that Dylan was under pressure to finish. He turned in a weak manuscript that the publishers deemed unfit for publication and they were right, it was released later simply to make some money of Dylan freaks like me. It is a stoned out mess filled with in-jokes and sad attempts a humor. and it was released as novel not as a collection of poetry. Dylan at this worst, really.
Well, after Joey, of course. ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by chronic
...I just think You Gotta Serve Somebody was a terrible song.
Or... as John Lennon would say: Serve yourself (Youtube link)
Black Swan
Abord the Yorikke!
Gates of Eden amazed me once more last week ,out of the blue.
I love Bob Dylan ,but not always in the mood.
A flashing, on and off, god to my generation.
Vicious and angry yes.
It's alright ma (I'm only bleeding).
Maggie's farm and Like a Rolling Stone were anthems . Also still listen to his very early accoustic stuff.
Ballad of a thin man once stopped me , frozen to the bones.
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYlhw3g4P8&feature=related
He lost me when he was saved but I guess he needed that, just like we take detours to find ourselves later with more crap in our bags.
Unfortunately travelling light gets harder with time.
I love Bob Dylan ,but not always in the mood.
A flashing, on and off, god to my generation.
Vicious and angry yes.
It's alright ma (I'm only bleeding).
Maggie's farm and Like a Rolling Stone were anthems . Also still listen to his very early accoustic stuff.
Ballad of a thin man once stopped me , frozen to the bones.
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYlhw3g4P8&feature=related
He lost me when he was saved but I guess he needed that, just like we take detours to find ourselves later with more crap in our bags.
Unfortunately travelling light gets harder with time.
I'm part-way through it (I'm usually part-way through about 8 or 10 books at any given time), and it's a very good read, yes.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
I'm also part-way through with it and so far I find it interesting in places. I'm glad I bought it.
Anyone read the Dylan bio by H***** S*****? I think it's an ok bio.
Last edited by a moderator:
the many moods of Bobby D -
this thread reminded me of some great dylan stuff i saw recently on youtube so i dug them up - i'm sure anyone interested has already seen these but wtf
cab ride with john lennon (bombed) - so funny him trying not to puke
[This video is unavailable.]
interview arriving in sweden (prickly)
[This video is unavailable.]
hanging with fans in hamilton filming movie (friendly!)
[This video is unavailable.]
this thread reminded me of some great dylan stuff i saw recently on youtube so i dug them up - i'm sure anyone interested has already seen these but wtf
cab ride with john lennon (bombed) - so funny him trying not to puke
[This video is unavailable.]
interview arriving in sweden (prickly)
[This video is unavailable.]
hanging with fans in hamilton filming movie (friendly!)
[This video is unavailable.]
I don't have the album in front of me, but didn't Dylan work with a co-writer on some of the tracks on desire? maybe a Jaques somebody? or maybe I'm all wrong on this, but I seem to recall.... and while on the subject I think that his "Planet Waves" album was really good and almost always overlooked.
CarversDog
RIP
If I am responsible for resurrecting this Dylan worshipping thread via the "What are you listening to now?" thread, I humbly apologize. Suddenly we have become bob.net
Yeah, in places. in other places I thought it was a terrible hard thing to read. almost elementary. But I do hope that there is a volume two soon.
Bukfan
"The law is wrong; I am right"
Yes, You're right! Dylan co-wrote all the tracks with Jacques Levy, except for "One More Cup Of Coffee" and "Sara"...
Last edited by a moderator:
Similar threads
