Bob Dylan corner

[Chuck Nessa]

If I didn't mention it earlier, I took a CTA bus ride with Bob and Albert Grossman to a club in Chicago's "Old Town" around 1966.

edit to say he mumbled in my ear for the whole ride and I didn't understand anything.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Chuck Nessa

[mikeweil]

10 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

If I didn't mention it earlier, I took a CTA bus ride with Bob and Albert Grossman to a club in Chicago's "Old Town" around 1966.

edit to say he mumbled in my ear for the whole ride and I didn't understand anything.

🤣

[danasgoodstuff]

On 4/29/2021 at 6:39 PM, mjzee said:

I remember the Greil Marcus review.  I read it when it came out, and I still think about it from time to time, especially the anecdote about Max Kaminsky.  Where I differ with Marcus is I think, at this remove, it's obvious there was a concept behind "Self Portrait," including the sweetening and background vocals.  I had hoped that Dylan and/or his liner notes writers would honestly discuss the creation of the album, and the way they reassessed it after its release.  "Another Self Portrait" and "1970" barely touch on that, instead trying to persuade that these sessions were really just a folk song revival.  I think there's a fascinating story waiting to be told about the intentions behind "Self Portrait," and by extension, the cultural nerve it touched.  One would think, now that Dylan is 80 and released his Sinatra albums (not to mention "Christmas In The Heart"), that he could finally fess up.

I was going to say 'not a chance', he's been avoiding anything like that for decades now, but that's just it - fessin' up and saying 'sure. that's exactly what I meant to do' (made Self-Portrait just to screw with people's idea of who he was) without any game playing might be the one thing left that would be surprising.  But what if he did and no one believed him?  That would be funny.

[mjzee]

My guess is Dylan intended "Self Portrait" to tell the hippies that the other half of the country (the people who liked country music, men with short hair, coiffed women) were not bad people, and that he identified more with the "straights" than with the hippies.  Hence the sweetening and the lack of a rock beat in these recordings.  This would be in congruence with his declaration in his memoirs that at this point in his life he wanted to be a family man and protector to his kids. 

The problem was that he didn't have the voice to make the concept succeed: he doesn't have a strong George Jones voice, he has a weak and warbly voice and constitutionally can't sing a line the same way twice - meaning he couldn't sound like a real country singer.  Instead of sounding like a working man, he sounded effete and like a dilettante.  It sounded jarring juxtaposed against the strings and Lawrence Welk voices.  The result was a mess, or in Greil Marcus's famous words, "What is this shit?"  

(The irony is that Marcus saw music almost exclusively through a sociological and progressive lens - music was only of use to him if it furthered progressive goals.  In other words, Dylan wanted to frustrate people exactly like him.  That's why I say "Self Portrait" touched a nerve: it worked.)

[jazzbo]

We're all different--SP was the first of his albums I bought and I have always liked it.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, danasgoodstuff said:

But what if he did and no one believed him?  That would be funny.

And what if nobody cared? That would be both funny and appropriate!

[danasgoodstuff]

7 hours ago, mjzee said:

My guess is Dylan intended "Self Portrait" to tell the hippies that the other half of the country (the people who liked country music, men with short hair, coiffed women) were not bad people, and that he identified more with the "straights" than with the hippies.  Hence the sweetening and the lack of a rock beat in these recordings.  This would be in congruence with his declaration in his memoirs that at this point in his life he wanted to be a family man and protector to his kids. 

The problem was that he didn't have the voice to make the concept succeed: he doesn't have a strong George Jones voice, he has a weak and warbly voice and constitutionally can't sing a line the same way twice - meaning he couldn't sound like a real country singer.  Instead of sounding like a working man, he sounded effete and like a dilettante.  It sounded jarring juxtaposed against the strings and Lawrence Welk voices.  The result was a mess, or in Greil Marcus's famous words, "What is this shit?"  

(The irony is that Marcus saw music almost exclusively through a sociological and progressive lens - music was only of use to him if it furthered progressive goals.  In other words, Dylan wanted to frustrate people exactly like him.  That's why I say "Self Portrait" touched a nerve: it worked.)

I don't think Bob wanted to be square, he wanted to be weird in a world in which other people weren't - nobodies weird if everybody is.

7 hours ago, JSngry said:

And what if nobody cared? That would be both funny and appropriate!

And highly unlikely.  If people were going to be stop care what Bob does or says, they would've done that already.

[JSngry]

Dylan's big with the under-60 crowd, is he?

[Guy Berger]

14 hours ago, jazzbo said:

We're all different--SP was the first of his albums I bought and I have always liked it.

It’s a nice one.

If we’re gonna trash a Dylan album, how about Desire?

[jazzbo]

It took me a long time but I really like most of Desire. Joey. . . no. I may never learn to like that song.

[Guy Berger]

2 hours ago, jazzbo said:

It took me a long time but I really like most of Desire. Joey. . . no. I may never learn to like that song.

Isis is great, I’d be fine with never hearing the rest again.  Joey is one of the most annoying Dylan songs I have ever heard

Edited May 26, 2021 by Guy Berger

[mjzee]

I loved Desire when it came out.  Would love to hear a good-sounding version of that album - the EQ is compressed because it had almost 30 minutes per side.  I also loved Hard Rain.  That was a great band, and Howie Wyeth was a perfect drummer for Bob.

[jazzbo]

IMO the Mobile Fidelity SACD is great sounding, really has me enjoying Desire more than I ever had before.

I do not dig Hard Rain. Drunken drugged sloppiness on that tour.

Edited May 26, 2021 by jazzbo

[mjzee]

Bob Dylan record returned to library 48 years after it was due

Bob Dylan’s “Self Portrait” album was ahead of its time – and 48 years overdue at an Ohio library.

Howard Simon finally returned his borrowed copy of Dylan’s quirky double LP to the Heights Libraries, where he checked it out as an eighth grader in 1973.

...

The album wasn’t in the best shape when he borrowed it and it hasn’t gotten much more “wear and tear” in the decades since he took it out, he said.

“This is true primarily because ‘Self Portrait’ is among Dylan’s least-loved albums … and the library’s copy has spent most of these many decades in my collection quietly sandwiched between its predecessor and successor releases (“Nashville Skyline” and “New Morning,” respectively), which were, and remain, far more listenable,” Simon wrote.

He included a $175 check to the library as atonement for what he called a minor transgression “given the weakness of the album.”

[JSngry]

Now, what will the library do with it?

[Brad]

The “greatest live act” that Bob Dylan ever witnessed

[Gdgray]

Watched Bob Dylan’s Odds & Ends twice on Amazon Prime in last day. The majority of film I’ve seen before but just enough new to me to make it interesting. A lot from the various Bootleg promo’s. Al Kooper , David Bromberg, John Hammond and the dude that ran the sound for 1966 tour had interesting observations. My big take is I need to pull out Self Portrait and give deep listen. Something about those songs. Definitely a one off IMO.

[jazzbo]

Today Bootleg Series Vol. 16 has finally been officially announced.

 

Bob Dylan: Springtime In New York, The Bootleg Series Vol. 16, 1980-1985

 

Track listing for the deluxe 5 cd set:

DISC 1

1. Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) – Rehearsal
2. To Ramona – Rehearsal
3. Jesus Met the Woman at the Well – Rehearsal
4. Mary of the Wild Moor – Rehearsal
5. Need a Woman – Rehearsal
6. A Couple More Years – Rehearsal
7. Mystery Train – Shot of Love outtake
8. This Night Won’t Last Forever – Rehearsal
9. We Just Disagree – Rehearsal
10. Let’s Keep It Between Us – Rehearsal
11. Sweet Caroline – Rehearsal
12. Fever – Rehearsal
13. Abraham, Martin and John – Rehearsal

DISC 2

1. Angelina – Shot of Love outtake
2. Price of Love – Shot of Love outtake
3. I Wish It Would Rain – Shot of Love outtake
4. Let It Be Me – International 7″ Single B-side*
5. Cold, Cold Heart – Shot of Love outtake
6. Don’t Ever Take Yourself Away – Shot of Love outtake*
7. Fur Slippers – Shot of Love outtake
8. Borrowed Time – Shot of Love outtake
9. Is It Worth It? – Shot of Love outtake
10. Lenny Bruce – Shot of Love alternate mix
11. Yes Sir, No Sir – Shot of Love outtake

DISC 3

1. Jokerman – Infidels alternate take
2. Blind Willie McTell – Infidels outtake
3. Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight [version 1] – Infidels alternate take
4. Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight [version 2] – Infidels alternate take
5. Neighborhood Bully – Infidels alternate take
6. Someone’s Got a Hold of My Heart – Infidels outtake
7. This Was My Love – Infidels outtake
8. Too Late [acoustic version] – Infidels outtake
9.Too Late [band version] – Infidels outtake
10. Foot of Pride – Infidels outtake

DISC 4

1. Clean Cut Kid – Infidels outtake
2. Sweetheart Like You – Infidels alternate take
3. Baby What You Want Me to Do – Infidels outtake
4. Tell Me – Infidels outtake
5. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground – Infidels outtake
6. Julius and Ethel – Infidels outtake
7. Green, Green Grass of Home – Infidels outtake
8. Union Sundown – Infidels alternate take
9. Lord Protect My Child – Infidels outtake
10. I and I – Infidels alternate take
11. Death is Not the End [full version] – Infidels outtake*

DISC 5

1. Enough is Enough [live] – Slane Castle, Ireland
2. License to Kill [live] – Late Night with David Letterman, March 22, 1984
3. I’ll Remember You – Empire Burlesque alternate take
4. Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love) – Empire Burlesque alternate mix
5. Seeing the Real You at Last – Empire Burlesque alternate take
6. Emotionally Yours – Empire Burlesque alternate take
7. Clean Cut Kid – Empire Burlesque alternate take
8. Straight A’s in Love – Empire Burlesque outtake
9. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky [slow version]– Empire Burlesque alternate take
10. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky [fast version] – Empire Burlesque alternate take
11. New Danville Girl – Empire Burlesque outtake
12. Dark Eyes – Empire Burlesque alternate take

 

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by jazzbo

[felser]

I'm in for the 2cd distillation.  Assuming "Sweet Caroline" won't make the cut for that.

[Gdgray]

Dylan is one of those artists like Miles that I like to pick up the bootleg sets in vinyl and CD. However on the fence with Springtime in NY …….thinking about 4 lp set from third man and 2 lp set from Dylan site. Gives you all but 4 songs from 5 cd set. The Trouble No More vinyl really surprised me  with the sound and performances so my expectations are based on that. 

[jazzbo]

[mjzee]

I still want to know the story behind the photos on the inner sleeve of Street Legal.

[mjzee]

On 7/22/2021 at 10:35 AM, jazzbo said:

ImportCDs has this for $93.36.

[jazzbo]

Good price.

[jazzbo]

In this interview about the upcoming (next week!) box set Berkowitz mentions that he is in the studio working on a Miles Davis set (at the very beginning of the interview and the very end). No real details but still. . . cool.

https://timcumming.wordpress.com/2021/09/11/bob-dylans-bootleg-series-producer-steve-berkowitz-speaks/