I hadn't listened to Mr. Z in awhile but getting back into him, gradually. I was asked the other day the question of why I think he is such a great songwriter and why not someone like Tom Petty. Well, I submit to you the following song - it came off the largely forgettable album, "Knocked Out Loaded". Yet this one song is something that Tom Petty or anyone else would kill to say that they wrote such a masterpiece. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qn8nqL5efmA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> 11 minutes of unbelievable goodness...also listen to "Every Grain of Sand", "Blind Willie McTell", "Carribbean Wind", "Sara", "Something There Is About You", etc.
I have actually been into Dave Van Ronk lately. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3qzPjztRAoY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I "discovered" him after reading about how Dylan had been mentored by him.
I know it's not popular to say you like a popular song from a catalog (lol) but I absolutely love "Tangled up in Blue" It's so perfect and lyrically epic.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VMZCUqN3MmM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I'm down with Dylan thread...
good stuff - i "discovered" fred neil the same way you came across this guy. dylan was a protege to him too. love this guys voice. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PeBPb_1RKLc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Early one mornin’ the sun was shinin’ I was layin’ in bed Wond’rin’ if she’d changed at all If her hair was still red Her folks they said our lives together Sure was gonna be rough They never did like Mama’s homemade dress Papa’s bankbook wasn’t big enough And I was standin’ on the side of the road Rain fallin’ on my shoes Heading out for the East Coast Lord knows I’ve paid some dues gettin’ through Tangled up in blue She was married when we first met Soon to be divorced I helped her out of a jam, I guess But I used a little too much force We drove that car as far as we could Abandoned it out West Split up on a dark sad night Both agreeing it was best She turned around to look at me As I was walkin’ away I heard her say over my shoulder “We’ll meet again someday on the avenue” Tangled up in blue I had a job in the great north woods Working as a cook for a spell But I never did like it all that much And one day the ax just fell So I drifted down to New Orleans Where I happened to be employed Workin’ for a while on a fishin’ boat Right outside of Delacroix But all the while I was alone The past was close behind I seen a lot of women But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew Tangled up in blue She was workin’ in a topless place And I stopped in for a beer I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face In the spotlight so clear And later on as the crowd thinned out I’s just about to do the same She was standing there in back of my chair Said to me, “Don’t I know your name?” I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath She studied the lines on my face I must admit I felt a little uneasy When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe Tangled up in blue She lit a burner on the stove And offered me a pipe “I thought you’d never say hello,” she said “You look like the silent type” Then she opened up a book of poems And handed it to me Written by an Italian poet From the thirteenth century And every one of them words rang true And glowed like burnin’ coal Pourin’ off of every page Like it was written in my soul from me to you Tangled up in blue I lived with them on Montague Street In a basement down the stairs There was music in the cafés at night And revolution in the air Then he started into dealing with slaves And something inside of him died She had to sell everything she owned And froze up inside And when finally the bottom fell out I became withdrawn The only thing I knew how to do Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew Tangled up in blue So now I’m goin’ back again I got to get to her somehow All the people we used to know They’re an illusion to me now Some are mathematicians Some are carpenters’ wives Don’t know how it all got started I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives But me, I’m still on the road Headin’ for another joint We always did feel the same We just saw it from a different point of view Tangled up in blue - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is definitely an outstanding songwriter. One of the best, if not THE best, to ever do it. I just wish somebody else would have sung them.
Most of his songs have been having said that his music and his band mates are highly underrated in comparison to his song writing skills
Nearly everytime someone did, Bob's version was better... Not including Jimi... Like A Rolling Stone and Knockin On Heaven's Door are far FAR better with Bob singing them, and it isn't remotely close...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFxwq33rVAs&feature=related Such a legit movie. Bob did the entire soundtrack, and it is ridiculously good...
Meh, I'm not a fan of Knockin' on Heaven's Door regardless of who is singing it. I'll definitely agree with you on Like a Rolling Stone, though.
That is part of the charm of Dylan, though. Yes, he doesn't have a great singing voice but neither does someone like Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. You just get used to it. He always surrounds himself with some of the best musicians in the biz, though. I will say that I have a tough time listening to his recent stuff due to his voice being pretty much shot.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5_swaxOidGU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I'm having a hard time believing someone could not like this, but different strokes I guess. So powerful, especially If you have seen the film...
I'm not a fan of it because it's boring and repetitive. It's one of those songs that every time I hear it, I'm kind of into it at the start but by the 2nd verse I just can't wait for the next song. Anyways, here's an example of a great song by Bob Dylan that was done better by someone else: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5yIxRSXK1eE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Stevie Wonder's version is great too. Just my opinion, of course.
Well I am really biased here but outside of Jimi Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watchtower" (which Dylan himself praised as better than the original), I would have to say that The Byrds were the definitive artist or group at performing Dylan songs. The Band probably too although they did a lot less than McGuinn and company.
it's amazing how many songs you run into that are bob dylan re-makes. Hendrix-All Along The Watchtower The Byrds-Mr. Tambourine Man, (though they did many dylan covers) Manfred Mann- Quinn the Eskimo Leon Russell-A Hard Rains a-Gonna Fall i'm sure there are more...just off the top of my head, those covers actually made the songs more popular really. i hear those on tv/radio a lot
Has grown on me every year for the last 15+. My personal faves: 1. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_1D5Zm6iEog" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> and 2. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aG_XJKtT1jM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
