Supposed to be the first time he's done such an interview for many years. I'm sure Batman Jones is watching. Other Dylan fans should check it out.
Well, my knowledge of Dylan and his work is pretty moderate. I always saw him as being up on a mythic pedestal, a legendary artist/activist. Seeing him say that people were interpreting things from his music that he didn't intend was kind of strange, particularly songs that are always talked about as defining a generation or a movement. I'm not sure what I think right now.
The full interview was actually 90 minutes. They edited the hell out of it. Would love to see the whole thing. This is Dylan's biggest year in forever. The book, the Scorsese documentary, the Todd Haynes (Happiness) movie and two new albums. Great time to be a Dylan fan.
I'm watching the Simpsons and on tonight's ep, an old highschool friend of Marge's (voiced by Kim Cattrall) is in town to cover the filanderous Mayor for Global News Network. After she has dinner over at the Simpson's house, they watch her news show and she does an interview with Bob Dylan. What a coincidence.
hey Batman, Happiness was directed by Todd Solondz, but this film,"I'm Not There: Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan" looks like its gonna be good, i got a few good laughs out of the interview, i like how he humbled himself saying he could never make the caliber of songs he made back in the 60's, he said they were like "magic", i liked that
I watched the interview and I too liked what he said about not being able to write the songs the way he used to do. Also found it interesting how he mentioned that he knew it was his "destiny" to become a star.
Nice to see him humble, but I'm having a hard time thinking of any of the 60s/70s megastars who have had a better recent run of production that Big Zimm.
An excellent interview. I also liked how he said he wouldn't be able to write his early songs again, how they just happened. Dylan is a breath of fresh air, that's for sure.
I have been reading Chronicles:Volume 1 and listening to Live 1964 lately. his early years fascinate me.
I'm a huge Dylan fan, but his early records pretty much bore me to no end. They are all really good records with he exception of his first, but they just don;t move me like the big 3 do. For me Dylan really starts to hit his stride on "Bringing It all Back Home", and he hit his absolute peak with "Hwy 61" and "Blonde on Blonde". The next two records are good, but he didn't make another great record until "Blood On The Tracks" and "Desire". My favorite release is probably the Bootleg Series Vol. 4.
Dylan's early stuff is, without a doubt, his best stuff. Just him, his guitar and harmonica. "Freewheelin'" may be the greatest record anybody EVER made. "Another Side of Dylan" is probably my favorite release by Dylan with "Live 1966" disc 1 right behind it. I found Dylan's comment about "Destiny" fascinating. John Lennon said the same thing about himself. John said he knew, at a young age, he was going to something special, and wondered why no one else saw it.
110th: Thanks for the correction. I don't know how I got them mixed up. What else has Haynes done? Higgs: Give the first album ("Bob Dylan") another listen. It kills. And he didn't make another like it til Good As I Been to You and the even better World Gone Wrong. His passion for those old songs is totally infectious. Does some of his best singing and playing on those three records, decades apart from each other. And I disagree there's nothing great between the 'big three' and Blood on the Tracks. John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline and New Morning are all fantastic records, but Planet Waves is a masterpiece. Finn*: I love those other early ones too. But I'll take Before the Flood over 66 for a Dylan/Band tour. Not a popular opinion, but there it is. Just Like A Woman and It's Alright Ma never sounded so good and the Don't Think Twice on there is the only one I ever want to hear. I'm going to have some huge Dylan news for the fans on the board sometime soon. It's killing me I can't share it, but I can't yet. RMT: you'll be especially pleased.
BJ: Velvet Goldmine and Far From heaven are his most well known... the suspense is killing me! what, is he playing Houston soon? I know we have said it before here, but i truly believe starting at the beginning of his catalogue in chronological order is the best way to soak in some Bobby D. one of my faviorite Dylan songs is the underrated ballad "Song for Woody" from his self titled debut. Dylan arrived in New York City and had a record deal with Columbia Records within months! he played Cafe Wha? and Gaslight and invaded the folk scene. he knew he was destined for stardom amazing...
It's better than that, x110. Sorry, but I can't say a thing about it yet. I will when I can. I think you're right that Dylan's best appreciated in order. My favorite stuff from the debut's the covers though. Gospel Plow, See That My Grave is Kept Clean, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, Freight Train Blues, etc. He used to play the hell out of that guitar.
What did everyone think about Dylan admitting that he "intentionally" made some bad records? I have always read that the Self-Titled album was a "throwaway" album (I don't own it as I was afraid to pick it up due to this "rumor").
Manny: In the book he implies that Self Portrait was a throwaway, not the self-titled one. Self Portrait came out in the early seventies, about ten years after "Bob Dylan." I'm almost sure he was lying about Self Portrait too though. He does that a lot. SP was broadly panned, but I think it's gorgeous. Dylan had stopped smoking and was in fine, syrupy voice (same as Nashville Skyline with Lay Lady Lay), doing mostly covers of songs like Blue Moon, The Boxer and Early Morning Rain. I love it, whether he was joking or not. Either way, you should definitely pick up the self titled debut.
