Bob Dylan corner

[ghost of miles]

I devoted almost all of Tuesday’s show to the jazz artists and the standards mentioned in “Murder Most Foul,” ending with the song itself. Show started late because of the governor’s daily press conference, and I kicked off with a couple of Red Norvo tracks in honor of his birthday before moving on to the Dylan playlist:

The Jazz and Popular Song Playlist of “Murder Most Foul”

[JSngry]

Did you build a Chrysler while the records played?

[felser]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

We will build your cars.

Forgot about his superbowl commercial, good stuff.

[JSngry]

Yep! Saved the company! Hope he does as well saving America!

[felser]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

Yep! Saved the company! Hope he does as well saving America!

 

[JSngry]

Yep! That did the trick!

[Guy Berger]

I finally got around to listening to SELF PORTRAIT - it’s quite enjoyable, despite the bad rap.

[medjuck]

I always liked it too.  Made me a pariah with some Dylan fanatics but I wasn't a big fan until then.  

[felser]

Self Portrait continued what Nashville Skyline had begun, the lowering of expectations.  No one could have been expected to continue at the level of Bringing It All Back Home , Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, and Dylan chose not to try.  I agree Skyline and Portrait are enjoyable on their own terms, but it's a much more minor enjoyment than the landmark albums that preceded them.  I like New Morning even more than those two.

[jazzbo]

Over time I've come to appreciate all Dylan, and to like later Dylan more than the earliest. Self Portrait was the first album of his I bought, and then I bought Vol. 2 of Greatest Hits and liked the tracks with Traum best.

[medjuck]

3 hours ago, felser said:

Self Portrait continued what Nashville Skyline had begun, the lowering of expectations. 

Probably true but I wasn't familiar enough with the earlier records to know that.  Worked my way backwards from there and saw him for the first time when he toured with The Band in '74. 

[Guy Berger]

11 hours ago, felser said:

Self Portrait continued what Nashville Skyline had begun, the lowering of expectations.  No one could have been expected to continue at the level of Bringing It All Back Home , Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, and Dylan chose not to try.  I agree Skyline and Portrait are enjoyable on their own terms, but it's a much more minor enjoyment than the landmark albums that preceded them.  I like New Morning even more than those two.

I would differentiate between the two.  Nashville Skyline is a classic, full of outstanding music.  Self Portrait is “just” enjoyable.

[jazzbo]

I feel totally the opposite! Nashville Skyline does very little for me.

[Brad]

11 hours ago, Guy Berger said:

I would differentiate between the two.  Nashville Skyline is a classic, full of outstanding music.  Self Portrait is “just” enjoyable.

I haven’t listened to Nashville Skyline in years, probably since I lived in Nashville in the mid 70s, but it did have some wonderful songs, as I remember. I don’t even have the album anymore. Can’t say I’m the biggest Dylan fan though, although I do have a couple of his early albums. 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Brad

[felser]

Another new Bob Dylan cut distributed this morning!  He's really inspired right now.

 

[medjuck]

And yet another one:  

There's a new two cd/Lp release coming in June. 

[felser]

For the first time in 20 years (since the mighty 'Time Out of Mind'), I can enthusiastically say I'm "in" for new music by him.  I've faithfully picked up the archive releases, and eventually gotten around to the new stuff one way or another (except the Sinatra covers).

[jazzbo]

I'm not a Sintra fan but I lioke those albums. Just pre-ordered the new one ... 2 cd version shown on amazon.

[felser]

27 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

I'm not a Sintra fan but I lioke those albums.

Good to know.  I've not actually heard anything from them.  But I have vivid memories of the Christmas album (which is like the greatest Dylan parody imaginable, except it's a self-parody), and feared they would strike the same chord.

[jazzbo]

Well, I like a lot of the Xmas album. The accompaniment on that is great music!

But the Sinatra albums are much better in my opinion. I enjoy the first most.

Edited May 9, 2020 by jazzbo

[felser]

My apologies if this has been discussed in the past - what do people consider to be the essential books about Dylan?  I just finished the Griel Marcus "Dylan 1968-2010" collection of his writings on Dylan, and have read the Robert Shelton "No Direction Home" and Dylan's own "Chronicles" and have the "Lyrics 1962-1985" book.   And I have a couple of others laying around - "The Bob Dylan Scrapbook", "The Bob Dylan Companion", Hajdu's "Positively 4th Street", Heylin's "Behind The Shades (Revisited)" , Ricks's "Dylan's Visions of Sin", all collected in used/outlet book store shopping trips through the years.  And I have McGregor's "Retrospective" on the way.  And several videos including the deluxe "Don't Look Back" and the Scorsese "No Direction Home", which I have watched.  What am I missing that I need?  Which of the unread ones I have are or are not worth my time?   BTW, love the new "Rough and Rowdy Ways"!

Edited July 9, 2020 by felser

[jazzbo]

Hey John, you have and have read more about Dylan than I. I've read some of what you have and have come to the conclusion. . . we'll never really know what I'd really like to know about Dylan, and there's so much myth-building and appropriation and camoflauge in what we do have that the rest is just better left to my imagination and my own interpretation. I think "Positively Fourth Street" was the most revealing to me and a springboard to understanding his methodology of obscuring and trickily revealing his facts and personality . . . .

 

 

[felser]

4 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

Hey John, you have and have read more about Dylan than I. I've read some of what you have and have come to the conclusion. . . we'll never really know what I'd really like to know about Dylan, and there's so much myth-building and appropriation and camoflauge in what we do have that the rest is just better left to my imagination and my own interpretation. I think "Positively Fourth Street" was the most revealing to me and a springboard to understanding his methodology of obscuring and trickily revealing his facts and personality . . . .

 

 

Thanks Lon, the Scorsese and "Don't Look Back" really show that also.  I realize I am largely taken with the myth, and the reality may be deflating.   

[jazzbo]

I don't think you have to worry. . . the reality is extremely elusive.

[JSngry]

46 minutes ago, felser said:

I realize I am largely taken with the myth, and the reality may be deflating.   

Taken with or taken in by?

Either way, a quintessentially American place to be...and yet we love!