Another long silence. Apologies!
Although, as fans of Bob Dylan will know, a silence does not mean there's nothing going on...
I recently re-read 'Chronicles' and the excellent biography by Suze Rotolo 'A Freewheelin' Time'. I thoroughly recommend both of these books and I will not comment on their content here. You must discover them for yourself.
The main joy of the last few weeks has been the arrival of the 8th Bootleg album - 'Tell Tale Signs'. This post is going to be my initial reactions to this new set of releases.
There is a wonderful collection of songs on this 2 disc set. They show a development from the late 1980s to the present day that provide a real insight into the creative process. They also elicit a new emotional understanding that I personally find quite moving. The regret and self-awareness can sometimes take the breath away and many of the songs are emotional without descending into the realms of schmaltz. The first time I listened to some of the tracks I was literally speechless and light-headed. Anyone who knows me will attest that the ability to render me speechless is indeed an achievement!
The highlights are numerous, but I will try to draw out some of the main points of the album. Many of the songs are early recordings of familiar album tracks, or later reworkings. It is amazing how a transposition to a new key, an instrument added, over-production taken away can lead to a whole new level of meaning in a song.
The first disc kicks of with an acoustic version of 'Mississippi' that elevates it from a very good song to one that immediately raced onto my list of top ten Dylan songs ever. Beautiful vocals, gentle and understated playing. Why that version didn't make it onto 'Love and Theft' is a mystery, although to be fair the musical style is different and would make for a less cohesive sound on L&T. There is another version on disc two to delve into as well... we all have our preferences!
There is a rendering of 'Most of the Time' that sounds more like 1965 than 1989 (less of the emotional subtlety and regret of the album version, this one is rather truculent in vocal style whilst retaining the false 'bravado' ).
'Marchin' to the City' is a fantastic 'gospel/blues' style song that begins softly and builds to a thrilling crescendo. The familiar tale of a man wronged is given dimension and there is the dual pleasure of amazing lyrics (a lot of which were preserved and reworked to become 'Til I Fell in Love With You') counterpointed by the chorus where the man is 'marchin' to the city' (presumably heaven) and 'the road ain't long'... the memories of the failed relationship as he reaches the end of his life. My favourite line from this song is the couplet:
'She looked at me with an irresistable glance
With a smile that could make all the planets dance.'
So simple and beautiful.
There are two versions of 'Dignity' here that are very interesting. One is a demo with Dylan on piano, raw and forceful, the other is a 'rockabilly' style cut with new lyrics in parts, including the personification of dignity as a woman. I really love this version!
'Huck's Tune' and 'Dreamin' of You' are both incredible. The former provides a clear and focused portrait of a man which is filled with memory and regret. The latter links clearly to the themes (which I have discussed before in other posts) of obsessiveness, mental instability, loss of faith and so on. This song was dissected to eventually become parts of several others on the 'Time Out of Mind' album.
The liner notes mention that 'Can't Escape From You' is unusual, and it certainly is. The Tom Waits-style vocals, the orchestration and the lyrical and melodic repetition enhance the feeling of melancholy, regret and loss. Lyrics such as 'The dead bells are ringing, my train is overdue / to your memory I'm clinging, I can't escape from you' are haunting and the song is another that gets under a person's skin and takes several times of listening to get a full appreciation (although it was one of the aforementioned songs that left me speechless on the first hearing).
I wish I had more time to go into detail. There are numerous live songs on the album. Blues, country, rockabilly, gospel, bluegrass, folk, rock... we have the full lexicon on display and can clearly identify the influences as Bob gives us a lesson on the history of twentieth (and twenty-first!) century popular music. Dylan's versatility, whether creating original songs or covering those of others, is breathtaking and deserves recognition.
This album needs to be experienced to be appreciated. It provides a modicum of understanding as to where Bob Dylan is coming from creatively - although only he knows where he is headed!
'Tell Tale Signs' should also be celebrated as a true example of the songwriting art as it allows us to see a little of the development of truly ennervating and original compositions.
There are more songs here to discuss... next time!
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Cold Irons Bound
I have been reading the book 'Troubadour' by Andrew Muir. It is a fantastic collection of thoughts and essays about Bob Dylan's music. I agreed with about 99% of what he said... and that is saying something because I am rather picky!
The small area where I tend to disagree with Mr. Muir is on the issue of the song 'Cold Irons Bound' from the album Time out of Mind.
The straightforward approach is usually the best and most powerful way to present a Dylan song. The sound throughout 'Time Out of Mind' is soupy and littered with electronic faffing. I can certainly agree that Daniel Lanois' production (as on 'Oh Mercy') is not to everyone's taste - his heavy touch with echo and reverb detract from the simple emotion of Dylan's voice. However, I feel I must stand up and defend the song 'Cold Irons Bound' from any detractors.
The song has been criticized for being disjointed, and I believe that this was a deliberate move by Dylan to fit the themes of the album as a whole as well as the song. There is a repetitive, driving, harsh and fitful drum alongside a monotone tune that rarely varies. This too, I feel, is deliberate and fits well with the feel of the song.
The recurring themes of the album are all here - aging, death, vain love, mental illness and loss.
Loss is perhaps the most important theme. There is loss of self (we hear the protagonist is '...waist deep in the mist / It's almost like I don't exist' and that he is '...out of control / like the universe has swallowed me whole'). There is loss of love, loss of beauty... and a loss of certainty that is so unlike the cocksure young Bob Dylan of 1965 it makes one painfully aware of the life journey he has been through.
The most interesting loss to be considered is the possibility that this song, and the album as a whole, describes a loss of religious faith (or at least a questioning). The title of this specific song is poignant and one wonders where Dylan first heard it. There is a passage in the 'Book of Common Prayer' that describes people awaiting 'salvation' as '...wearied in cold and heavy irons... bound in the shadow of death' .
Potentially, Dylan could be referring to the poem by Rudyard Kipling, also called Cold Iron. The Kipling poem is about a rich Baron who foolishly challenges a king to a battle - the 'king' turning out to be Jesus - and the symbolism if the 'cold iron' shifts from representing cannon-balls and prison shackles to finally forming the iron nails that fastened Jesus to the cross. The 'king' forgives the Baron and the 'cold iron' which is 'master of all' leads to salvation.
Whichever way we consider the song, the repeated chorus shows the the song's protagonist still bound in these constricting irons and is 'twenty miles out of town'. Is he leaving or trying to get there? Trying to get to heaven? Trying to reach the 'highlands'? Are his shackles his own shortcomings? His past? His losses? His conscience? As with the best Dylan songs, we are left with more questions than answers.
In terms of the music production, Dylan's voice is somewhat lost in the melee of sound. I am unsure as to whether this was Lanois' over-exuberance or a deliberate ploy. I am not particularly enamoured of this production style. As always, though, Dylan's vocals are pure perfection!
I prefer the numerous live versions of the song. It creeps up on a person - like aging or confusion might. The disjointed images stay in the mind and haunt the memory. The despair, the romanticism, the attempts at being an upright citizen in the face of all these worldly temptations, and the almost metaphysical interplay between religion and physical lust.
The song is contagious - rough and touching simultaneously.
You can probably tell I really like it! Anyway, I hope this is the closest I ever get to dissecting a Dylan song on my blog. The analysis is usually something I do as a private activity!
The small area where I tend to disagree with Mr. Muir is on the issue of the song 'Cold Irons Bound' from the album Time out of Mind.
The straightforward approach is usually the best and most powerful way to present a Dylan song. The sound throughout 'Time Out of Mind' is soupy and littered with electronic faffing. I can certainly agree that Daniel Lanois' production (as on 'Oh Mercy') is not to everyone's taste - his heavy touch with echo and reverb detract from the simple emotion of Dylan's voice. However, I feel I must stand up and defend the song 'Cold Irons Bound' from any detractors.
The song has been criticized for being disjointed, and I believe that this was a deliberate move by Dylan to fit the themes of the album as a whole as well as the song. There is a repetitive, driving, harsh and fitful drum alongside a monotone tune that rarely varies. This too, I feel, is deliberate and fits well with the feel of the song.
The recurring themes of the album are all here - aging, death, vain love, mental illness and loss.
Loss is perhaps the most important theme. There is loss of self (we hear the protagonist is '...waist deep in the mist / It's almost like I don't exist' and that he is '...out of control / like the universe has swallowed me whole'). There is loss of love, loss of beauty... and a loss of certainty that is so unlike the cocksure young Bob Dylan of 1965 it makes one painfully aware of the life journey he has been through.
The most interesting loss to be considered is the possibility that this song, and the album as a whole, describes a loss of religious faith (or at least a questioning). The title of this specific song is poignant and one wonders where Dylan first heard it. There is a passage in the 'Book of Common Prayer' that describes people awaiting 'salvation' as '...wearied in cold and heavy irons... bound in the shadow of death' .
Potentially, Dylan could be referring to the poem by Rudyard Kipling, also called Cold Iron. The Kipling poem is about a rich Baron who foolishly challenges a king to a battle - the 'king' turning out to be Jesus - and the symbolism if the 'cold iron' shifts from representing cannon-balls and prison shackles to finally forming the iron nails that fastened Jesus to the cross. The 'king' forgives the Baron and the 'cold iron' which is 'master of all' leads to salvation.
Whichever way we consider the song, the repeated chorus shows the the song's protagonist still bound in these constricting irons and is 'twenty miles out of town'. Is he leaving or trying to get there? Trying to get to heaven? Trying to reach the 'highlands'? Are his shackles his own shortcomings? His past? His losses? His conscience? As with the best Dylan songs, we are left with more questions than answers.
In terms of the music production, Dylan's voice is somewhat lost in the melee of sound. I am unsure as to whether this was Lanois' over-exuberance or a deliberate ploy. I am not particularly enamoured of this production style. As always, though, Dylan's vocals are pure perfection!
I prefer the numerous live versions of the song. It creeps up on a person - like aging or confusion might. The disjointed images stay in the mind and haunt the memory. The despair, the romanticism, the attempts at being an upright citizen in the face of all these worldly temptations, and the almost metaphysical interplay between religion and physical lust.
The song is contagious - rough and touching simultaneously.
You can probably tell I really like it! Anyway, I hope this is the closest I ever get to dissecting a Dylan song on my blog. The analysis is usually something I do as a private activity!
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Pulitzer Prize!
'DYLAN WINS PULITZER PRIZE
Bob Dylan was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize on Monday, April 7, making history as the first rock and roll artist to be honored. Singer, songwriter, author, musician, and poet, was recognized for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.'I am a very happy Bobcat today!
Bob Dylan has been raising awareness of issues, making people think and creating musical excellence for five decades... and it is about time he was recognised!
I am still waiting for him to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
I noticed that in the above list of his achievements (copied from a press release) they did not mention that he is also an excellent artist and sculptor.
Is there nothing the guy can't do?!
A pat on the back? A legacy to be proud of?
For this week it is...
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
One who sings with his tongue on fire...
Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.
There is a link on bobdylan.com to an essay about the oral tradition of literature and the beauty of Bob Dylan's voice. It is a very interesting piece - badly written in parts - but expressing what those of us who are moved by Dylan have known for so long. Check it out by following the 'Links' thread on the official website.
I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I have friends who do not like Dylan. They say they don't 'get' him (what's not to get?!!) and that his voice is terrible. Some say they 'don't understand what he is saying' and I want to howl at the moon in despair!
What I would say in response to those people is that Dylan's diction is darn near perfect on his studio recordings. End of story. Any mistakes (usually left in purposefully) only add to the poignancy of the recordings - the fun, the human lack of perfection, the spontaneity.
I really do not understand why anyone would have difficulty with that. Perhaps what they mean is that his voice is not computer-generated smooth. Perhaps they mean that the lyrics are not superficial or instantly understandable and need some thought. Who knows what they mean? They make no sense to me...
Bob Dylan - and I am going to nail my colours to the mast quite firmly here - has a most beautiful voice. In the oral tradition of story-telling, the multiplicitous semi-autobiographical masking of reality in role-playing and reinvention... Dylan crosses genres with ease and his voice is the key. As I once said in this blog, you cannot just read Dylan's lyrics. His performance art needs to be heard and experienced. It transcends the page and written word.
Dylan shifts rhythm and cadence; he emphasises different words, stresses syllables, lilts and falls, even completely misses notes or forgets words in his live performances... and yet, those mistakes can be the moments of the greatest feeling.
There is a fire and power in the way Dylan sings that really makes a person connect. In the absence of him being there in person, his voice puts us in his presence. I think that is why, probably to Dylan's own frustration, people feel like they know him when they don't. We all have a role to interpret the versions of truth and multiple personalities we are presented with - the confusion of pronouns and the variety of masks. That gives the listener a vested interest in the music. We are no longer passive. And it is the power of the voice that keeps us involved - it keeps us guessing and questioning our understanding.
In later years, Dylan's voice is aged and broken, but still containing the deep beauty maturity brings. It rolls across the apocolyptic wasteland of Ain't Talkin' with the gravitas and dignity of a world-weary elder statesman of the damned.
I have yet to hear a performer whose voice can more perfectly understand and convey regret and pain, fun and sarcasm, speculation and knowledge, truth and fiction... the value of a silence and the meaning in a sigh or breath.
That is where his true level of 'genius' shines through. The world will never see a performer like him again.
Oh, and Bob Dylan has a great ability to sing in tune. Gee, the guy can cough, sneeze and laugh in tune!
If you listen to his duet with Johnny Cash on Girl From the North Country there is a case in point. I have always loved Johnny Cash's voice - it is rich and warm and he was also one of the greatest performers. However, in my opinion Dylan's voice is far more emotive. He is also far more able to improvise a tune and experiment. Their voices actually compliment each other really well in a duet, but the difference is so obvious. Johnny Cash's voice might be more 'easy' to listen to, and have a more mainstream appeal, but I back Dylan on versatility and expression every time.
And yes, I know I am a sychophant and hero-worshipper! I can't help it - the man moves me.
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.
There is a link on bobdylan.com to an essay about the oral tradition of literature and the beauty of Bob Dylan's voice. It is a very interesting piece - badly written in parts - but expressing what those of us who are moved by Dylan have known for so long. Check it out by following the 'Links' thread on the official website.
I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I have friends who do not like Dylan. They say they don't 'get' him (what's not to get?!!) and that his voice is terrible. Some say they 'don't understand what he is saying' and I want to howl at the moon in despair!
What I would say in response to those people is that Dylan's diction is darn near perfect on his studio recordings. End of story. Any mistakes (usually left in purposefully) only add to the poignancy of the recordings - the fun, the human lack of perfection, the spontaneity.
I really do not understand why anyone would have difficulty with that. Perhaps what they mean is that his voice is not computer-generated smooth. Perhaps they mean that the lyrics are not superficial or instantly understandable and need some thought. Who knows what they mean? They make no sense to me...
Bob Dylan - and I am going to nail my colours to the mast quite firmly here - has a most beautiful voice. In the oral tradition of story-telling, the multiplicitous semi-autobiographical masking of reality in role-playing and reinvention... Dylan crosses genres with ease and his voice is the key. As I once said in this blog, you cannot just read Dylan's lyrics. His performance art needs to be heard and experienced. It transcends the page and written word.
Dylan shifts rhythm and cadence; he emphasises different words, stresses syllables, lilts and falls, even completely misses notes or forgets words in his live performances... and yet, those mistakes can be the moments of the greatest feeling.
There is a fire and power in the way Dylan sings that really makes a person connect. In the absence of him being there in person, his voice puts us in his presence. I think that is why, probably to Dylan's own frustration, people feel like they know him when they don't. We all have a role to interpret the versions of truth and multiple personalities we are presented with - the confusion of pronouns and the variety of masks. That gives the listener a vested interest in the music. We are no longer passive. And it is the power of the voice that keeps us involved - it keeps us guessing and questioning our understanding.
In later years, Dylan's voice is aged and broken, but still containing the deep beauty maturity brings. It rolls across the apocolyptic wasteland of Ain't Talkin' with the gravitas and dignity of a world-weary elder statesman of the damned.
I have yet to hear a performer whose voice can more perfectly understand and convey regret and pain, fun and sarcasm, speculation and knowledge, truth and fiction... the value of a silence and the meaning in a sigh or breath.
That is where his true level of 'genius' shines through. The world will never see a performer like him again.
Oh, and Bob Dylan has a great ability to sing in tune. Gee, the guy can cough, sneeze and laugh in tune!
If you listen to his duet with Johnny Cash on Girl From the North Country there is a case in point. I have always loved Johnny Cash's voice - it is rich and warm and he was also one of the greatest performers. However, in my opinion Dylan's voice is far more emotive. He is also far more able to improvise a tune and experiment. Their voices actually compliment each other really well in a duet, but the difference is so obvious. Johnny Cash's voice might be more 'easy' to listen to, and have a more mainstream appeal, but I back Dylan on versatility and expression every time.
And yes, I know I am a sychophant and hero-worshipper! I can't help it - the man moves me.
Trouble...
I had to fly into town last week. The weather was terrible and it was a real white-knuckle ride. Anyone who has had a bumpy trip on an Otter plane will know what I mean. The pilot was excellent, but it was pure mind-over-matter when it came to me not losing my lunch!
I kept myself together by listening to my iPod. I was listening to 'Trouble' from Shot of Love. Boy, that's not a song to listen to when on a dodgy plane trip over the Pacific Ocean:
Trouble in the water
Trouble in the air
Go all the way to the other side of the world
You'll find trouble there...
I have to fly again tomorrow, then fly home again next week. I have my Gravol. I have my iPod recharged. I heard that Bob Dylan has a pilot's licence. I wonder whether he can fly an Otter or a Beaver? Anyway, he will be with me in spirit as I take to the skies. However, I think I might choose something a little more upbeat for the next flight. It might be time to rehash New Morning or Nashville Skyline. I might even challenge the world with a gritty turn at Modern Times (parts of that album are the musical equivalent of a two-fingered salute to the universe!).
I'm not ready to try to get to heaven quite yet...
I kept myself together by listening to my iPod. I was listening to 'Trouble' from Shot of Love. Boy, that's not a song to listen to when on a dodgy plane trip over the Pacific Ocean:
Trouble in the water
Trouble in the air
Go all the way to the other side of the world
You'll find trouble there...
I have to fly again tomorrow, then fly home again next week. I have my Gravol. I have my iPod recharged. I heard that Bob Dylan has a pilot's licence. I wonder whether he can fly an Otter or a Beaver? Anyway, he will be with me in spirit as I take to the skies. However, I think I might choose something a little more upbeat for the next flight. It might be time to rehash New Morning or Nashville Skyline. I might even challenge the world with a gritty turn at Modern Times (parts of that album are the musical equivalent of a two-fingered salute to the universe!).
I'm not ready to try to get to heaven quite yet...
New Morning
Was there ever such hope and promise? 'So happy just to see you smile underneath this sky of blue'...
Well, no blue skies here today. Today the rain has washed away the morning frost and I am hoping the wind holds off as I am due to take the float plane to town tomorrow...
New Morning is a lovely album. If you have never heard it, give it a try. I have been listening to it a lot lately. I need the hope and promise it brings. If I had the time, I would give you a run-down of the songs... I think there is a good case for just listening and absorbing without preconceptions. All I can say is that this album calms a raging soul and gives optimism in the darkest times.
I must just point out that you haven't lived (!) until you hear the way Dylan delivers the lyrics of 'If Dogs Run Free' :
My mind weaves a symphony and tapestry of rhyme.
Oh, winds which rush my tale to thee
So it may flow and be,
To each his own, it's all unknown,
If dogs run free.
Take the time to breathe and enjoy the best of life.
Well, no blue skies here today. Today the rain has washed away the morning frost and I am hoping the wind holds off as I am due to take the float plane to town tomorrow...
New Morning is a lovely album. If you have never heard it, give it a try. I have been listening to it a lot lately. I need the hope and promise it brings. If I had the time, I would give you a run-down of the songs... I think there is a good case for just listening and absorbing without preconceptions. All I can say is that this album calms a raging soul and gives optimism in the darkest times.
I must just point out that you haven't lived (!) until you hear the way Dylan delivers the lyrics of 'If Dogs Run Free' :
My mind weaves a symphony and tapestry of rhyme.
Oh, winds which rush my tale to thee
So it may flow and be,
To each his own, it's all unknown,
If dogs run free.
Take the time to breathe and enjoy the best of life.
Girl From The North Country
I may have been quiet these past few months, but I have not forsaken Mr. Dylan - or is it that unwittingly he has not forsaken me?
I have moved. Moved country. Moved job. Moved life. Been moved. Moved on. Moved over. Motion and more motion in the midst of this standing still.
I have fulfilled my dream in one sense - I am no longer a city girl. I am a Girl of the North Country. My short hair is beginning to lengthen and curl. The snowflakes fall and fall and fall, the winds hit heavy and I am wearing my coat so warm...
And still Bob Dylan is with me. I find comfort in his words and music. There is turmoil and there is isolation. There is change and there is consistency. My husband is consistent and strong beside me. Dylan is my constant other.
I was listening to Nashville Skyline on my iPod yesterday. Then my husband put Street Legal on the stereo in the evening. It might have been the juxtaposition of those two albums that set my mind reeling and thinking... but I will save my thoughts.
In the meantime, I will allow the snow to smother my senses and paint my darkest worries a clean white.
I have moved. Moved country. Moved job. Moved life. Been moved. Moved on. Moved over. Motion and more motion in the midst of this standing still.
I have fulfilled my dream in one sense - I am no longer a city girl. I am a Girl of the North Country. My short hair is beginning to lengthen and curl. The snowflakes fall and fall and fall, the winds hit heavy and I am wearing my coat so warm...
And still Bob Dylan is with me. I find comfort in his words and music. There is turmoil and there is isolation. There is change and there is consistency. My husband is consistent and strong beside me. Dylan is my constant other.
I was listening to Nashville Skyline on my iPod yesterday. Then my husband put Street Legal on the stereo in the evening. It might have been the juxtaposition of those two albums that set my mind reeling and thinking... but I will save my thoughts.
In the meantime, I will allow the snow to smother my senses and paint my darkest worries a clean white.
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