Jump to content

Bob Dylan corner


mjzee

Recommended Posts

this all comes up as I am trying to finish up my rock and roll history (1950-1970); here's one section on Dylan, who I do think ran out of ideas in about 1968 -

1968 is a funny year to have chosen. Most people who only like his early stuff would have said '66. I think al he did between 66 and 68 was John Wesley Harding and the basement tapes. And surely you find some merit in Blood on the Tracks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 940
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Link to the archived downloads of Bob's Theme Time Radio Show, season two.

http://dsp.vscht.cz/pavelka/TTRH/ttrh02.html

Apologies if this has already been posted.

I love these shows. I don't think Dylan writes them though he's a good DJ. BTW they often use relevant but unidentified jazz as background music when he talking. E.g. When Classic Rock was the theme a lot of the songs were about rocks and stones and at one point they played Strayhorn's Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this all comes up as I am trying to finish up my rock and roll history (1950-1970); here's one section on Dylan, who I do think ran out of ideas in about 1968 -

1968 is a funny year to have chosen. Most people who only like his early stuff would have said '66. I think al he did between 66 and 68 was John Wesley Harding and the basement tapes. And surely you find some merit in Blood on the Tracks.

The motorcycle accident is a somewhat compelling dividing line. Dylan almost seemed superhuman in the period right before that accident. Afterwards, he continued to make fine music, but the white hot inspiration that brought the 1-2-3 punch of Bringing it All Back Home-Highway 61-Blonde on Blonde never really returned. That said, I agree that Blood on the Tracks contained some quite exceptional material.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this all comes up as I am trying to finish up my rock and roll history (1950-1970); here's one section on Dylan, who I do think ran out of ideas in about 1968 -

1968 is a funny year to have chosen. Most people who only like his early stuff would have said '66. I think al he did between 66 and 68 was John Wesley Harding and the basement tapes. And surely you find some merit in Blood on the Tracks.

I think that the dividing line should be drawn right after The Basement Tapes and John Wesley H.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...

On the Outside Looking In

Bob Dylan’s Journey Through Hollywood

By Jesse Jarnow

Bob Dylan was already rather fond of self-reinvention when, in early 1964, he arrived in Hollywood, metaphorically, via the photography of Barry Feinstein. There, for a moment, and only a moment, he transformed into the poet that people frequently still want him to be. “Hollywood Foto-Rhetoric: The Lost Manuscript” — the recently released book in which Dylan’s words accompany Feinstein’s early 1960s work — is the remarkable document of that moment.

In large regard, “Hollywood Foto-Rhetoric” (Simon & Schuster, 2008) is journalism. Dylan and Feinstein are merely correspondents reporting on the end of the golden era of Hollywood from the perspective of the emerging world in which they are participants. By ’60s standards, their scope is modest. But the book is also art, directly executed and informed by a new worldview with complex roots perfectly exemplified by Dylan himself.

For more:

http://www.forward.com/articles/14938/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I just noticed this really odd little thing. Below is the cover of Planet Waves, released in Jan 1974. Cover painting by Dylan. Look at the guy he painted in the upper right corner:

51DDyqI3NeL._SS500_.jpg

Now look at the picture of Bob that's on the back cover of Love And Theft, released in 2001:

4c3e124128a008af33af2010.L.jpg

Eerie, huh?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bob ran out of ideas in 1968? I'll go along with that, as long as we make an exception for "Nashville Skyline," "New Morning," "Planet Waves," "Before The Flood," "Blood on the Tracks," "Desire," the Rolling Thunder Review, "Street Legal," "Slow Train Coming," "Saved," "Shot of Love," "Infidels," the Infidels era material on "The Bootleg Series" ("Foot of Pride," "Blind Willie McTell," "Lord Protect My Child," etc.) "Oh Mercy," "Under the Red Sky," "Good As I Been To You," "World Gone Wrong," "Time Out of Mind," "Love and Theft," and "Modern Times." Oh, and the material on the most recent volume of the Bootleg Series. As long as we make exceptions for all that, I'll go along with you, Allen....

:g

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

How's that for irony? I'm reading Alex's post while listening to SELF PORTRAIT for the first time in my life.

And probably last time. :bad:

Clearly, this is a case where I should've just taken everyone's word for it. I mean, I generally can find something (anything) to like about even the worst records (siddown, Skid; I know where you're going with this!). Can't do it on this one.

Yeesh! At least Costello's "Goodbye Cruel World" was listenable.

BLEEAAHHH!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How's that for irony? I'm reading Alex's post while listening to SELF PORTRAIT for the first time in my life.

And probably last time. :bad:

Clearly, this is a case where I should've just taken everyone's word for it. I mean, I generally can find something (anything) to like about even the worst records (siddown, Skid; I know where you're going with this!). Can't do it on this one.

Yeesh! At least Costello's "Goodbye Cruel World" was listenable.

BLEEAAHHH!!!!

LOL!!! You should hear "Dylan," which consists of... outtakes from Self Portrait!!

dylan.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Y'all hear about Dylan proposing that he lend his voice to somebody's GPS?

Yeah, just in case you don't know where Highway 61 or Desolation Row are.

No.... no.... no.... :rofl:

How's that for irony? I'm reading Alex's post while listening to SELF PORTRAIT for the first time in my life.

And probably last time. :bad:

Clearly, this is a case where I should've just taken everyone's word for it. I mean, I generally can find something (anything) to like about even the worst records (siddown, Skid; I know where you're going with this!). Can't do it on this one.

Yeesh! At least Costello's "Goodbye Cruel World" was listenable.

BLEEAAHHH!!!!

LOL!!! You should hear "Dylan," which consists of... outtakes from Self Portrait!!

dylan.jpg

YeeaaahhhhhI'll take your word for it on this one!

Edited by Big Al
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Dylan" is impossible to find for a sane price...

In fact, I think there's plenty of nice stuff on "Self Portrait" - I'd love to hear that whole gig w/The Band, that's for sure!

I've heard it - it's really fun and lively. It's much, much better than the two excerpts on Self Portrait would have you believe. There's a great, high-energy performance of "Highway 61," for example - who was it who compared the vocals to a Mexican mariachi band?

Chalk it up to Bob to pick one of the day's worst performances ("Like A Rolling Stone") for inclusion on Self Portrait. He probably did it for the shock value - hearing him sing it with his Nashville Skyline voice, dropping a stanza, and flubbing the words.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

My wish list for future Bootleg Series issues:

1) Warfield Theatre, SF, 1979: The "Born Again" series of shows. Dylan's preachifying included.

2) 1961 - 1962: The Minneapolis tapes, Riverside Church broadcast, etc.

3) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tour, 1985. Can include their smokin' set at Farm Aid.

4) The full Basement Tapes.

5) Late '80's on tour: the G.E. Smith band.

And on DVD:

6) Eat The Document

7) Renaldo and Clara (original uncut version)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...