Mr. Mod said I have the technology, so let’s try it out.
As a follow-up to the We Are The World thread of a few weeks ago, here’s Dylan rehearsing his part. In case you can’t make it through all 9-plus minutes (I thought it was fascinating but then I’m a Bobcat), d* If nothing else, do go to the 1:20 mark of this Best of the Making of clip to watch the stilted hug between Bob and Lionel Ritchie.
*[NOTE: The original full-length video was removed from YouTube!]
Before the Pearl Jam concert became my football game commercial flip of choice I was flipping to the classic Dylan documentary I’ve been known to rave about along with many others here, Don’t Look Back. Have any of you watched that thing since aging from 22 to 44? I appreciated how much of a dick Dylan was when I first watched it, and to some extent I still like seeing him in full-on dick mode, but I’m now an adult. Large chunks of the film are nauseating and embarrassing. How ’bout that scene in which he dresses down the blond, tortoise shell glasses-wearing “scientist?” Or the one above, with the guy from Time? On a developmental level, these are necessary stages in the modern notion of adolescence and young adulthood, but really, who’s Dylan think he is, Richard Lloyd? Two other questions emerged from the scenes I’d revisited after all these years:
The concert scenes are still strong, but I’m thinking we should file this documentary under Watch before you’re grown up.
Updated!
You all know more about this I’m Not There pseudo-bio-flick that Todd Haynes, I believe, has had in the works for a number of years. Buskirk knows everything there is to know about this film, I’d bet. I’ve been looking forward to it. I love Dylan, I love many of Haynes’ films, and I like the concept of having various actors play Dylan at various points in his life: Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Tom Arnold, Charles Grodin…
So Phawker drops this soundtrack album on us, and what’s a poor boy to do but blow off an evening with a Minute-by-Minute Review? Why don’t you turn on your love light and listen along with my thoughts as commentary? I’m not there, but if you’re lucky it may seem like I am.
Disc 1
1. “All Along the Watchtower” – Million Dollar Bashers, Eddie Vedder: What’s this, a Ricky Martin song? Oh, here’s Vedder, adding his one-dimensional, well-intentioned yarl to something that sounds as canned as a recent Santana album. Where’s Rob Thomas when you need him to throw down vocals on a backing track like this? Jeez, listen to the hand-cupping-the-ear harmony on the “two riders were approaching…” line, which he then has the bad taste to repeat a few more times with that cheesy harmony. All the while, pointless guitar solos howl, trying in vain to stand out from the mess of horns, Hammond organ, and lord knows what other muck.
2. “I’m Not There” – Sonic Youth: Is it integrity or mediocrity that keeps Sonic Youth sounding like a 1000-run pressing indie rock band on a self-financed label whenever they try to sing a simple song? This might as well be Galaxie 500’s first indie release, or a debut release by any of 50,000 bands that have followed in their wake. And I mean this as a relative compliment.
3. “Goin’ to Acapulco” – Calexico, Jim James: Yeah, the Jimmy Webb arrangement model…so cool, so hip, and so affordable when picking through used record bins. Good background music, but not too inspiring for writing these Minute-by-Minute reviews. Let’s break it up, boys…
4. “Tombstone Blues” – Richie Havens: Eh… All I can think about his how Havens wraps his thumb around the neck.
5. “Ballad of a Thin Man” – Stephen Malkmus, Million Dollar Bashers: Low expectations here. Unless I can let it wash over me, I usually find the original hard to listen to with all my attention. Malkmus can’t get away from the Dylan arrangement and phrasing, and although I like Malkmus, he’s no Dylan. Sorry, folks, I’ve got to hit Skip.
6. “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again” – Cat Power: What’s this, one of those tolerable Natalie Merchant tracks? How many negroes were called into service to make this recording more authentic? What’s the setting for that stock Steve Cropper Tasty Guitar Lick again? Actually, this went from being “enjoyable for a Cat Power recording” to unbearably overblown with the addition of the 7th or 8th layer of stock textures: Memphis horns, Steve Cropper-style guitar, two sets of organ fills, three sets of backing vocal parts… Natalie Merchant showed more restraint. The Blues Brothers showed more restraint.
7. “Pressing On” – John Doe: I’m afraid of what’s coming as I listen to this Jackson Browne-style piano intro. I see…Doe sings well and with passion, and the gospel backing singers give it all they’ve got. As the song builds, however, Doe starts to reach the threshold of Layered Authenticity Gimmicks, don’t you think? I’ll have to give that exact point at which one too many tasty guitar licks or Hammond organ fills is too much, but although I got all I could get out of this song a couple of minutes ago, I’ll press on. OK, finally over.
8. “Fourth Time Around” – Yo La Tengo: These guys, in their mellow Fakebook mode, are masters of the art of staying out of the way of a great song. So with a feint voice and a simple arrangement, they make this song work like a charm. I’m going to shut up and simply get into the music for the next couple of minutes…
9. “Dark Eyes” – Calexico, Iron & Wine: Well, this is a nice change of pace. I sense it’s going to go on much longer than I’d like. Calixico is like The Band of the Urban Outfitters set, no? Let’s move along, boys…
10. “Highway 61 Revisited” – Million Dollar Bashers, Karen O: What is this, Halloween? Why so closely ape the original arrangement and then throw in an occasional “Monster Mash” voice? She and these Million Dollar Bashers, whoever the hell they are, perform this track with all the enthusiasm of a sweet publishing deal and a freshly bought Fake Book. This really sucks. How the mighty have fallen that Dylan once felt the need to shame Donovan on film and now he’s signing off on a crap cover like this?
11. “One More Cup of Coffee” – Calexico, Roger McGuinn: McGuinn’s always struck me as perhaps the first person in rock who needed a wedgie, and this performance confirms that the wedgie is still long overdue. He became religious, or got back to his Christianity, at some point, right? Was that the day he realized he’d achieved what he achieved in The Byrds thanks to not only the grace of God but the stronger supporting voices of his original bandmates? This reminds me, I was in a record store tonight and I was shocked to see a Best of Leo Sayer CD. “Who would have thought that Leo Sayer warrented transfer to CD” I thought to myself, “and who would buy this CD?” I have similar thoughts about those who would purchase a solo Roger McGuinn recording.
12. “Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” – Mason Jennings: This is fine and performed with taste and a feel for the song. It’s a relief not to hear a track here without the addition of Al Kooper-style noodling, muddy horns, and backing vocals.
13. “Billy 1” – Los Lobos: These guys are real pros in the best sense of the word. This has a great, easy feel, like a well-worn catcher’s mitt, like something Doug Sahm would have done, like something Dylan himself would dig.
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I found this while searching for something else on YouTube, and was absolutely mesmerized. The lyric, the impassioned delivery, the shit-hot backing band (that manages to make a five minute-long, three-chord workout seem too short)… just fucking brilliant. So tell me: where can I find more Dylan like *this*?
Before he departed for his summer place in the Hamptons, rock impresario and noted tastemaster/messiah Clive Davis left behind a memo for you to finish. It’s the usual — you know, his “fill in the blanks” number. Normally, as you know, Clive just pulls one of these out of his desk drawer and fills in the missing words — and that’s all we need to really kick-start a washed-up rocker’s career. This time, though, Clive just didn’t have the time. Can you help?
MEMORANDUM
TO: Bob Dylan
FROM: Clive Davis
RE: Your Career/”Relevance”
Bob, per our last discussion about your desire to become “really relevant” again — I think we can help. As you know, J Records has a line on some of the youngest, hippest talent out there, and I think a liberal sprinkling throughout your next record might help. Specifically, I recommend:
1. Getting __________________ to handle production duties. I really think his chart-proven approach to ________________ will help open the public’s ears to what you have to say.
2. Try something new in terms of your “look.” For one thing, ditch the _________________! The kids just aren’t buying that shit anymore — instead, I want you to _____________________.
3. These days, relevance happens as a result of novel in-studio partnerships — you know, like Santana and what’s-his-name a few years back. Talk about relevance — that number was in every fucking elevator in Manhattan for MONTHS. Here are two partners I’m suggesting for you on this new LP, and the reason why I think they’d really kill for you, sales-wise:
a.) ______________________
b.) ______________________
4. One last thing: you need to face facts — your “message” is falling on deaf ears out there. What today’s record buyers want is ________________ — and lots of it. So our first order of business will be to __________________ — no ifs, ands or buts.
I think that covers it — we can talk pre- and post-launch PR later. (Heads-up, though: I got two words for you, and one of them is “Idol.”) Let me know your thoughts, and… go open a new bank account to put all that glorious new money in!
Love ya,
CJD
As long as I’ve read about rock music, much has been made of Bob Dylan’s going electric and its polarizing effect on the folk faithful…as if anyone has cared since about 2 weeks after the early ’60s folk movement began to putter out. What I’ve never heard is the other side of the story: What did rock fans think of his move to the electric world? Shortly after turning electric, Dylan would become almost as big as The Beatles, which would have made him as big as if not bigger than God. Do any of our older Townspeople recall a feeling of “It’s about effin’ time you crossed over!” Has anyone read of such a feeling in the air? I would think someone would have been psyched that his great tuneage and boss Look had finally entered the rock realm.
I’m tying this into my thoughts in yesterday’s Dugout Chatter on feeling that you might love an artist if only you could get your head around the genre within which said artist worked. Someone may have mentioned Dylan if not for the folky part, and this is 43 years after the guy crossed over to rock!
Let me know if this “other perspective” on Dylan’s going electric has ever been documented or felt. Obviously, he became much more popular after having plugged in. Had I been of age back then, I like to think I would have welcomed his crossover. That folk stuff was holding him back. The hell with it! What took you so long, Bob?
Here’s top News story from Bob Dylan’s official website. Emphases added by us, because we don’t want The People to miss out on this historic opportunity!
Here is your chance to own a piece of American music history: an original handbill from Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Review.”
Bob Dylan wanted to “take the music to the people” and that is exactly what he did in 1975. Joined by Joan Baez, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Bob Neuwirth, he posted handbills only a couple of days before each show, letting folks know the “Rolling Thunder Revue” was playing in their town. The shows were held at small local venues and solely advertised via these handbills. Now you can own one! This auction is for one ORIGINAL “Rolling Thunder Review” handbill, 22 inches by 14 inches, on textured parchment. (The thickness & color of a manila envelope.) Stop dreaming…and start bidding!
