69 Things to Love About Bob Dylan.

Started by ducktrapper, November 25, 2010, 01:18:36 PM

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Quote from: Walkerman on March 28, 2011, 02:53:18 PM
"Bob's still going strong"

He's going strong like the stones are going strong...based upon his past catalog and a lack of current talent in the music world.
When was the last time a bunch of current artists recorded one of his new songs?

They're probably recording them as we speak. I have a pretty fair collection of Dylan covers and  cover albums. Let's consider that fact. Which recording artist has, never mind more covers of their songs, more cover albums  of their songs than Dylan? At a glance I have seven and I'm aware of several more.     

Quote from: ducktrapper on March 28, 2011, 03:36:58 PM
They're probably recording them as we speak. I have a pretty fair collection of Dylan covers and  cover albums. Let's consider that fact. Which recording artist has, never mind more covers of their songs, more cover albums  of their songs than Dylan? At a glance I have seven and I'm aware of several more.     

When was the last time someone had a hit with a Dylan song on the order of Blowin in the Wind or Tambourine Man?

All Along the Watchtower - Lenny KRAVITZ was pretty big and Knockin on Heaven's Door  by Guns'n Roses  without even thinkin :smile:

Oh and I always liked Pearl Jam - Masters of War  tho don't think The Duck is too happy with that one :? :beer

Larrivee Electrics - My Dream then and Now!!!!!<br /><br />Forum IV     00-03MT       #4      (Treasured)

Quote from: Walkerman on March 28, 2011, 04:36:27 PM
When was the last time someone had a hit with a Dylan song on the order of Blowin in the Wind or Tambourine Man?

That's not how I judge an artist but Garth Brooks had pretty big hit with "To Make You Feel My Love" awhile back.



Quote from: JOYCEfromNS on March 28, 2011, 05:50:34 PM
All Along the Watchtower - Lenny KRAVITZ was pretty big and Knockin on Heaven's Door  by Guns'n Roses  without even thinkin :smile:

Oh and I always liked Pearl Jam - Masters of War  tho don't think The Duck is too happy with that one :? :beer



My point exactly....how old are those songs?
I never said Dylan didn't write a lot of great songs....but Dylan was largely a protest singer/writer in a era when protest reigned supreme...anti-war-segregation-government etc.  I just think that by and large, the times have passed him by....

Smoke a fattie, and you can read a lot of his lyrics and have either a great discussion or a big giggle.  Without the smoke, you got to just scratch your head at a lot of the stuff he wrote.

"The pumps don't work, cause the Vandals took the handles"............it's either realllllllllllly prescient, or awfully stupid.

Given all of the above, the 60's just wouldn't have been the 60's without Dylan.  If I had to pick just one song, and one version, as the greatest of all time, it would have to be "Like a Rolling Stone" performed by Dylan, original album version.

What are we arguing about again :?  :?   :smile:
Larrivee Electrics - My Dream then and Now!!!!!<br /><br />Forum IV     00-03MT       #4      (Treasured)

Quote from: Walkerman on March 28, 2011, 07:11:13 PM

Smoke a fattie, and you can read a lot of his lyrics and have either a great discussion or a big giggle.  Without the smoke, you got to just scratch your head at a lot of the stuff he wrote.

"The pumps don't work, cause the Vandals took the handles"............it's either realllllllllllly prescient, or awfully stupid.


"Smoke a fattie,,,," I must admit there are times that I miss those days.  :blush:

"The pumps don't work, cause the Vandals took the handles"............    sounds like street eboneze vulgarity.
A Hebrew, under the Spell
Pain is a good thing

Quote from: JOYCEfromNS on March 28, 2011, 08:09:22 PM
What are we arguing about again :?  :?   :smile:

Old man rants aren't really arguments. There are subtle differences.

Quote from: ducktrapper on March 28, 2011, 03:36:58 PM
They're probably recording them as we speak. I have a pretty fair collection of Dylan covers and  cover albums. Let's consider that fact. Which recording artist has, never mind more covers of their songs, more cover albums  of their songs than Dylan? At a glance I have seven and I'm aware of several more.     

Some of you might hate him, but Bryan Ferry from 2 years ago has a great whole album of Dylan covers called "Dylanesque"  but nothing much on it from the past 30 years of Dylan's stuff maybe just one number?
If it sounds good, it is good.


Quote from: Walkerman on March 28, 2011, 07:11:13 PM
My point exactly....how old are those songs?
I never said Dylan didn't write a lot of great songs....but Dylan was largely a protest singer/writer in a era when protest reigned supreme...anti-war-segregation-government etc.  I just think that by and large, the times have passed him by....

Smoke a fattie, and you can read a lot of his lyrics and have either a great discussion or a big giggle.  Without the smoke, you got to just scratch your head at a lot of the stuff he wrote.

"The pumps don't work, cause the Vandals took the handles"............it's either realllllllllllly prescient, or awfully stupid.

Given all of the above, the 60's just wouldn't have been the 60's without Dylan.  If I had to pick just one song, and one version, as the greatest of all time, it would have to be "Like a Rolling Stone" performed by Dylan, original album version.

For me, it isn't the protest songs of that make Dylan great, it's the material on 3 mid-to-late 60s albums - Bringing it all back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde. Although there is incisive social commnetary on these albuma, the style is much more surrealistic than protest. And on many songs, I think he does something that's quite rare for a rock/pop performer - he writes lyrics that stand up as poetry, aside from whether we hear the music or not, although it's mostly better when we do hear the music.

Quote from: bearsville0 on March 28, 2011, 11:15:28 PM
Some of you might hate him, but Bryan Ferry from 2 years ago has a great whole album of Dylan covers called "Dylanesque"  but nothing much on it from the past 30 years of Dylan's stuff maybe just one number?

Fine CD. I also have Tim O'Brien's Red on Blonde, Joan Baez Sings Dylan, Coulson Dean McGuninness Flint's Lo and Behold, Gotta Serve Somebody - The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan, Tangled Up in Blues - Songs of Bob Dylan/This Ain't No Tribute, A Nod To Bob - Alt Artists Tribute to Bob on his 60th Birthday, I'm Not There - Soundtrack, Masked and Anonymous soundtrack. Quite a few covers.
The thing is, with Dylan being as influential as he was and is, young bands are covering covers of covers and copying copies of copies to the point where the influence is ubiquitous. (How's that for not graduating kindergarten?). 

Quote from: ducktrapper on March 29, 2011, 05:54:17 AM
Fine CD. I also have Tim O'Brien's Red on Blonde, Joan Baez Sings Dylan, Coulson Dean McGuninness Flint's Lo and Behold, Gotta Serve Somebody - The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan, Tangled Up in Blues - Songs of Bob Dylan/This Ain't No Tribute, A Nod To Bob - Alt Artists Tribute to Bob on his 60th Birthday, I'm Not There - Soundtrack, Masked and Anonymous soundtrack. Quite a few covers.
The thing is, with Dylan being as influential as he was and is, young bands are covering covers of covers and copying copies of copies to the point where the influence is ubiquitous. (How's that for not graduating kindergarten?). 

So, when was the last time someone actually had a "hit" with a Dylan song?

Quote from: Walkerman on March 29, 2011, 10:05:31 AM
So, when was the last time someone actually had a "hit" with a Dylan song?

Well I couldn't say about "hits", I mean who has hits today other than Gaga and Britney, but judging by the I'm Not There soundtrack, there's still a lot of Dylan covering going on.

http://www.amazon.com/Im-Not-There-Various-Artists/dp/B000VS6P9Q

Disc One1."All Along the Watchtower" – Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers
2."I'm Not There" – Sonic Youth
3."Goin' to Acapulco" – Jim James and Calexico
4."Tombstone Blues" – Richie Havens
5."Ballad of a Thin Man" – Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers
6."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" – Cat Power
7."Pressing On" – John Doe
8."4th Time Around" – Yo La Tengo
9."Dark Eyes" – Iron & Wine and Calexico
10."Highway 61 Revisited" – Karen O and the Million Dollar Bashers
11."One More Cup of Coffee" – Roger McGuinn and Calexico
12."The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" – Mason Jennings
13."Billy 1" – Los Lobos
14."Simple Twist of Fate" – Jeff Tweedy
15."Man in the Long Black Coat" – Mark Lanegan
16."Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)" – Willie Nelson and Calexico
[edit] Disc Two1."As I Went Out One Morning" – Mira Billotte
2."Can't Leave Her Behind" – Stephen Malkmus and Lee Ranaldo
3."Ring Them Bells" – Sufjan Stevens
4."Just Like a Woman" – Charlotte Gainsbourg and Calexico
5."Mama You've Been on My Mind" / "A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" – Jack Johnson
6."I Wanna Be Your Lover" – Yo La Tengo
7."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
8."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" – The Hold Steady
9."Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" – Ramblin' Jack Elliott
10."The Wicked Messenger" – The Black Keys
11."Cold Irons Bound" – Tom Verlaine and the Million Dollar Bashers
12."The Times They Are a-Changin'" – Mason Jennings
13."Maggie's Farm" – Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers
14."When the Ship Comes In" – Marcus Carl Franklin
15."The Moonshiner" – Bob Forrest
16."I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" – John Doe
17."Knockin' on Heaven's Door" – Antony & the Johnsons
18."I'm Not There (1956)" – Bob Dylan and The Band
[edit] iTunes bonus tracks1."Main Title Theme (Billy)" – Calexico
2."One Too Many Mornings" – Joe Henry
3."What Kind of Friend Is This" – Lee Ranaldo and Stephen Malkmus
[edit] Rhapsody bonus tracks1."Trouble in Mind" – Bob Dylan
2."Bunkhouse Theme" – Calexico

Quote from: ducktrapper on March 29, 2011, 10:24:16 AM
Well I couldn't say about "hits", I mean who has hits today other than Gaga and Britney, but judging by the I'm Not There soundtrack, there's still a lot of Dylan covering going on.

http://www.amazon.com/Im-Not-There-Various-Artists/dp/B000VS6P9Q

Disc One1."All Along the Watchtower" – Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers
2."I'm Not There" – Sonic Youth
3."Goin' to Acapulco" – Jim James and Calexico
4."Tombstone Blues" – Richie Havens
5."Ballad of a Thin Man" – Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers
6."Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" – Cat Power
7."Pressing On" – John Doe
8."4th Time Around" – Yo La Tengo
9."Dark Eyes" – Iron & Wine and Calexico
10."Highway 61 Revisited" – Karen O and the Million Dollar Bashers
11."One More Cup of Coffee" – Roger McGuinn and Calexico
12."The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" – Mason Jennings
13."Billy 1" – Los Lobos
14."Simple Twist of Fate" – Jeff Tweedy
15."Man in the Long Black Coat" – Mark Lanegan
16."Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)" – Willie Nelson and Calexico
[edit] Disc Two1."As I Went Out One Morning" – Mira Billotte
2."Can't Leave Her Behind" – Stephen Malkmus and Lee Ranaldo
3."Ring Them Bells" – Sufjan Stevens
4."Just Like a Woman" – Charlotte Gainsbourg and Calexico
5."Mama You've Been on My Mind" / "A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" – Jack Johnson
6."I Wanna Be Your Lover" – Yo La Tengo
7."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
8."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" – The Hold Steady
9."Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" – Ramblin' Jack Elliott
10."The Wicked Messenger" – The Black Keys
11."Cold Irons Bound" – Tom Verlaine and the Million Dollar Bashers
12."The Times They Are a-Changin'" – Mason Jennings
13."Maggie's Farm" – Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers
14."When the Ship Comes In" – Marcus Carl Franklin
15."The Moonshiner" – Bob Forrest
16."I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" – John Doe
17."Knockin' on Heaven's Door" – Antony & the Johnsons
18."I'm Not There (1956)" – Bob Dylan and The Band
[edit] iTunes bonus tracks1."Main Title Theme (Billy)" – Calexico
2."One Too Many Mornings" – Joe Henry
3."What Kind of Friend Is This" – Lee Ranaldo and Stephen Malkmus
[edit] Rhapsody bonus tracks1."Trouble in Mind" – Bob Dylan
2."Bunkhouse Theme" – Calexico


So, let me see if I have this right...you're using the fact that a biographical film about Bob Dylan has a bunch of his songs in it as proof that his songs are still being covered.....interesting.

Quote from: Walkerman on March 29, 2011, 11:34:59 AM
So, let me see if I have this right...you're using the fact that a biographical film about Bob Dylan has a bunch of his songs in it as proof that his songs are still being covered.....interesting.

I figure 35 or so covers must mean something. Many of these are newer popular groups, no? 

My duet picked up a couple more Dylan songs recently and played them out this week. Buckets of Tears and You're gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.  A couple weeks ago we started doing Sylvio.
I picked up Blood On The Tracks in of all places, the grocery store. (Had record since about the day it came out)  There are so many great Dylan song's and I'm hesitant to say this but I guess Blood on the tracks has a lot of the songs that hit me the hardest. I have to be careful when putting it on! I had to pull off the road last week while listening. I'm serious.
  The 2 songs we picked are nice little fun songs but some like You're a big girl all the way, If you see her say hello, simple twist of fate, those songs all stick a fishing hook type probe straight into heart and twist. The type of Dylan songs I appreciate but don't particularly do it for me is like Jack of Hearts. I like the feel of it and everything but I like the imagry mixed in with down to earth at the same time. I'm guessing he had something in mind himself besides bustin money out of a wall but he leaves it so open that each listener can invent the meaning themselves. I think that's the whole point actually. Listener has to think or just naturally applies thier life to a song like that and many others, and so it has special meaning to each listener. That's a good trick. I think it's also the reason wacko's thought, think, Dylan was superman and had all the answers of the universe. No he's just an incredible song writer.
Idiot wind, well great lines in it and if I were ever in the mood to say screw the world, and blame the world it would be great but I usually take the blame for being the idiot myself.
The rest of the songs are gems to me. 
10-1614 more than a number, it's body and soul.

Quote from: flatlander on April 16, 2011, 07:24:43 AM
My duet picked up a couple more Dylan songs recently and played them out this week. Buckets of Tears and You're gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.  A couple weeks ago we started doing Sylvio.
I picked up Blood On The Tracks in of all places, the grocery store. (Had record since about the day it came out)  There are so many great Dylan song's and I'm hesitant to say this but I guess Blood on the tracks has a lot of the songs that hit me the hardest. I have to be careful when putting it on! I had to pull off the road last week while listening. I'm serious.
 The 2 songs we picked are nice little fun songs but some like You're a big girl all the way, If you see her say hello, simple twist of fate, those songs all stick a fishing hook type probe straight into heart and twist. The type of Dylan songs I appreciate but don't particularly do it for me is like Jack of Hearts. I like the feel of it and everything but I like the imagry mixed in with down to earth at the same time. I'm guessing he had something in mind himself besides bustin money out of a wall but he leaves it so open that each listener can invent the meaning themselves. I think that's the whole point actually. Listener has to think or just naturally applies thier life to a song like that and many others, and so it has special meaning to each listener. That's a good trick. I think it's also the reason wacko's thought, think, Dylan was superman and had all the answers of the universe. No he's just an incredible song writer.
Idiot wind, well great lines in it and if I were ever in the mood to say screw the world, and blame the world it would be great but I usually take the blame for being the idiot myself.
The rest of the songs are gems to me.  

I agree BOTT is a superb song collection, performed impeccably. Like you and me, and I suspect Mr. D. knows full well, the idiot wind blows from all our mouths.
What do you think of the controversy of his not playing Maureen Dodd's set list in China?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/opinion/10dowd.html?_r=1

Here is Sean Wilentz's smackdown of that spectacurly idiotic column.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/04/the-real-dylan-in-china.html

and another

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/04/literary-smackdown-bob-dylan-in-china.html

Another thing to love about Bob Dylan? His starting his Chinese shows with Gonna Change My Way of Thinking.

Don't have time to repond to all those but Dylan, is gonna do whatever he feels like, or decides, and that's that.
I thought the few comments I heard on news about China tour were funny. I mean if nothing else Dylan does represent to me doing things your own way.

10-1614 more than a number, it's body and soul.

Two things surprised me about Dylan in China:

Why would anyone care what Maureen Dowd has to say? She has been so consistently annoying that I didn't think anybody bothered to read her anymore.

Secondly, why would anybody bother going to see Bob Dylan anymore either unless it was a small club type of gig where I would expect him to at least have picked a decent backup band.
If it sounds good, it is good.


Quote from: bearsville0 on April 16, 2011, 06:24:55 PM

Secondly, why would anybody bother going to see Bob Dylan anymore either unless it was a small club type of gig where I would expect him to at least have picked a decent backup band.

He's traveled with basically the same awesome band for around 15 years I believe.

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