Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I've followed the playlist and listened to some of it but now that it's complete will download it. Great work all around!!
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Bob Dylan -- Eephus's Reviews From Walking With His Beloved Dog Bosley During 2019: The Nobel Poet And A Fine Essayist With A Musical Corpus (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter rockaction
- Start date
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Yeah. Well said, rock.
I am still catching up on some of the posts I missed earlier, but I'm listening to Blonde on Blonde now.
Also, Eep - while I really like your artistic insight, it is the personal and Bosley that I most enjoyed.
Thanks for sharing.
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
Nobody asked (or cares) but I went with Honeycomb by Frank Black/Black Francis.Don't know what to listen to tonight
The tenuous Dylan connection is that it's the album Black recorded in Nashville with session musicians including Steve Cropper and Spooner Oldham, so it's kind of like his "Black on Blonde" LP. It sounds a lot more like Dylan like The Pixies.
Eephus
Footballguy
Introducing the Never Ending Thread where I'll listen to a Dylan connected album on the walk every night as long as Bosley is still willing.
Joan - Joan Baez (1967)
I'm pretty sure I've never listened to a Baez album before. If I have, it would have been back in high school. At the same time Dylan zigged from folk toward rock, Baez zagged toward being an art song chanteuse. The ornate arrangements suit her lovely soprano voice although at times they drown her out. I thought it succeeded best when she stuck to folk/country songs with minimal sweetening.
Song selection: The Lady Came From Baltimore written by Tim Hardin. There are no Dylan covers
Fun fact: The arrangements were done by Peter Schickele who shortly afterwards as P.D.Q. Bach became a big fish in the tiny pond of classical music comedy
I probably won't listen to this one again but I might be interested one of her folk records.
Joan - Joan Baez (1967)
I'm pretty sure I've never listened to a Baez album before. If I have, it would have been back in high school. At the same time Dylan zigged from folk toward rock, Baez zagged toward being an art song chanteuse. The ornate arrangements suit her lovely soprano voice although at times they drown her out. I thought it succeeded best when she stuck to folk/country songs with minimal sweetening.
Song selection: The Lady Came From Baltimore written by Tim Hardin. There are no Dylan covers
Fun fact: The arrangements were done by Peter Schickele who shortly afterwards as P.D.Q. Bach became a big fish in the tiny pond of classical music comedy
I probably won't listen to this one again but I might be interested one of her folk records.
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Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
Wasn't planning on posting tonight but our show got cancelled. Went with something connected to Dylan but that doesn't sound remotely like him
Goodbye to Language - Daniel Lanois (2016)
It's an album of instrumentals from the duo of Lanois on pedal steel and Rocco DeLucca on lap steel. Lanois' studio functions as an additional instrument processing the guitar sounds through various effects and tapes. The result is much different than the spacey folk that I'd heard previously from Lanois. The musicians create an ambient soundscape with snatches of melodies floating in, out and over a background of slowly evolving chords.
I've never been much for ambient music but lately have been listening to stuff by Eno, Harold Budd and classical composer John Luther Adams. The Lanois record is similar but retains more of an organic quality; the sound of fingers on strings sets it apart from electronica.
Song selection: The twelve songs flow into each another so it's hard to pick one out but Deconstruction caught my ear enough to check the song title.
This record isn't great for dog walking since there's no beat to speak of. But I'd definitely listen to it again while reading or chilling out. Like most ambient music, it has a tendency to drift into the background but one man's wallpaper is another man's canvas.
It was windy tonight. Bosley almost got blown over when a crosswind hit him when he was stumbling on a crack on the sidewalk.
Goodbye to Language - Daniel Lanois (2016)
It's an album of instrumentals from the duo of Lanois on pedal steel and Rocco DeLucca on lap steel. Lanois' studio functions as an additional instrument processing the guitar sounds through various effects and tapes. The result is much different than the spacey folk that I'd heard previously from Lanois. The musicians create an ambient soundscape with snatches of melodies floating in, out and over a background of slowly evolving chords.
I've never been much for ambient music but lately have been listening to stuff by Eno, Harold Budd and classical composer John Luther Adams. The Lanois record is similar but retains more of an organic quality; the sound of fingers on strings sets it apart from electronica.
Song selection: The twelve songs flow into each another so it's hard to pick one out but Deconstruction caught my ear enough to check the song title.
This record isn't great for dog walking since there's no beat to speak of. But I'd definitely listen to it again while reading or chilling out. Like most ambient music, it has a tendency to drift into the background but one man's wallpaper is another man's canvas.
It was windy tonight. Bosley almost got blown over when a crosswind hit him when he was stumbling on a crack on the sidewalk.
Eephus
Footballguy
Tried to get too clever and paid the price
The Dylans - The Dylans (1991)
To be fair though, the band was trying to be clever themselves since nobody in the band is named Dylan. There's no other connection to Bob, except for a distant Byrdsiness on occasion. The more obvious reference points are The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets. I guess everybody was searching England for bands that sounded like the Madchester trendsetters and The Dylans were right down the A57 in Sheffield. The boys are pretty adept with melody although the hooks sound like they've been lifted from songs by other bands. Lyrically, they're definitely no Dylan.
Song selection: Planet Love because it has a video and the lyrics mention tambourines
Our walk was over before the album and I was dreading going back to listen to the rest. Fortunately, there were eleven minutes of remixes that I could skip.
The Dylans - The Dylans (1991)
To be fair though, the band was trying to be clever themselves since nobody in the band is named Dylan. There's no other connection to Bob, except for a distant Byrdsiness on occasion. The more obvious reference points are The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets. I guess everybody was searching England for bands that sounded like the Madchester trendsetters and The Dylans were right down the A57 in Sheffield. The boys are pretty adept with melody although the hooks sound like they've been lifted from songs by other bands. Lyrically, they're definitely no Dylan.
Song selection: Planet Love because it has a video and the lyrics mention tambourines
Our walk was over before the album and I was dreading going back to listen to the rest. Fortunately, there were eleven minutes of remixes that I could skip.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I've been enjoying the playlist. I've been a Dylan fan for a while but there were a few albums I never got around to like Saved and most of his 80s stuff (outside of Infidels and Down in the Groove) - the playlist gives a great retrospective on all his work.
Long Live Bosley!!
Eephus
Footballguy
**** Farina & Eric Von Schmidt - **** Farina & Eric Von Schmidt (1963)
Von Schmidt holds a unique spot in the Dylan annals as the first person to get a shoutout on record from Bob. On Dylan's debut album, he thanked Von Schmidt for teaching him "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" in the spoken introduction to the song. ****/Richard Farina was another NYC folksinger who married Joan Baez' sister Mimi Farina and is best known for his novel "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me" that was admired by no less than Thomas Pynchon. Farina died in a motorcycle accident in 1966 at age 29 shortly after his book was published
Early sixties folk loses much of its power outside of its original context but it was an important building block for Dylan's music. Like a lot of its contemporaries, the music of Farina and Von Schmidt sounds extremely dated today. It's the kind of music that would prompt John Blutarsky to smash a folksinger's guitar on the staircase. Von Schmidt is a particularly unconvincing blues singer. Farina's tenor fares better but neither can sell a song.
Fun Fact: Dylan plays harmonica on the album credited as Blind Boy Grunt.
Song selection: Overseas Stomp a fun little jug band number with a kazoo solo. I think Dylan/Grunt plays harmonica on it.
Won't listen to this one again.
Von Schmidt holds a unique spot in the Dylan annals as the first person to get a shoutout on record from Bob. On Dylan's debut album, he thanked Von Schmidt for teaching him "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" in the spoken introduction to the song. ****/Richard Farina was another NYC folksinger who married Joan Baez' sister Mimi Farina and is best known for his novel "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me" that was admired by no less than Thomas Pynchon. Farina died in a motorcycle accident in 1966 at age 29 shortly after his book was published
Early sixties folk loses much of its power outside of its original context but it was an important building block for Dylan's music. Like a lot of its contemporaries, the music of Farina and Von Schmidt sounds extremely dated today. It's the kind of music that would prompt John Blutarsky to smash a folksinger's guitar on the staircase. Von Schmidt is a particularly unconvincing blues singer. Farina's tenor fares better but neither can sell a song.
Fun Fact: Dylan plays harmonica on the album credited as Blind Boy Grunt.
Song selection: Overseas Stomp a fun little jug band number with a kazoo solo. I think Dylan/Grunt plays harmonica on it.
Won't listen to this one again.
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Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
Levon Helm and the RCO All-Stars - Levon Helm (1977)
Helm and The Band supported Dylan on and off from 1967 to 1974. This was his first solo album after the breakup of The Band. He assembled a formidable crew of musicians consisting of Booker T. and the MGs, Paul Butterfield and Doctor John along with assorted horns and backup singers. It sounds promising on paper but doesn't quite measure up on record for some reason. It lacks the loose feel of the best albums by The Band and Levon's singing and drumming sometimes gets overwhelmed by the arrangements.
Song selection: Sing Sing Sing is a swinging New Orleans blues number by Earl King. It's the closest Levon comes to sounding like The Band so it gets the call.
The same group recorded a live album on New Year's Eve 1977. I have a feeling I should have listened to that one instead.
Nothing much new with Bosley. There's a homeless painter who always hangs out in a doorway on Hayes St. He paints pieces of scrap wood with palette that's dominated by light and medium blue. I assume he sells the paintings but I've never seen him do so even though he's very prolific with new works almost every day. I see him all the time in the neighborhood day so I usually say hi or give him a nod. Tonight we had the longest conversation we've ever had, one-sided though it was. He started off talking about how people nowadays don't understand Bob Seger and segued in to how Ann Arbor has become posh like San Francisco. As I was walking away, he pointed out a storefront across the street and mentioned it's an exact replica of the Holiday Inn in Ottawa. I was almost as confused as Bosley.
ETA: I listened to the album again while writing this up. It's really not as bad as I made it sound above.
ETA: ...except the Chuck Berry cover which is just dismal
Helm and The Band supported Dylan on and off from 1967 to 1974. This was his first solo album after the breakup of The Band. He assembled a formidable crew of musicians consisting of Booker T. and the MGs, Paul Butterfield and Doctor John along with assorted horns and backup singers. It sounds promising on paper but doesn't quite measure up on record for some reason. It lacks the loose feel of the best albums by The Band and Levon's singing and drumming sometimes gets overwhelmed by the arrangements.
Song selection: Sing Sing Sing is a swinging New Orleans blues number by Earl King. It's the closest Levon comes to sounding like The Band so it gets the call.
The same group recorded a live album on New Year's Eve 1977. I have a feeling I should have listened to that one instead.
Nothing much new with Bosley. There's a homeless painter who always hangs out in a doorway on Hayes St. He paints pieces of scrap wood with palette that's dominated by light and medium blue. I assume he sells the paintings but I've never seen him do so even though he's very prolific with new works almost every day. I see him all the time in the neighborhood day so I usually say hi or give him a nod. Tonight we had the longest conversation we've ever had, one-sided though it was. He started off talking about how people nowadays don't understand Bob Seger and segued in to how Ann Arbor has become posh like San Francisco. As I was walking away, he pointed out a storefront across the street and mentioned it's an exact replica of the Holiday Inn in Ottawa. I was almost as confused as Bosley.
ETA: I listened to the album again while writing this up. It's really not as bad as I made it sound above.
ETA: ...except the Chuck Berry cover which is just dismal
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Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
On the whole, I enjoyed the live album more than the studio. It seemed to have more energy, and I tend to prefer good live cuts in general.
There are a few new songs, and the one that I enjoyed most was Got My Mojo Working. It is a "jam" (9:00 min) compared to the original, but I like bloat. Plus, the Voodoo is swell.
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Eephus
Footballguy
It's time for a tribute album 
Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One (2012)
Herein 24 assorted B- and C-listers from the 2012 Indie music scene cover songs from Dylan's albums of the 1980s. It's a genius concept because most of his seven albums of the decade had questionable production decisions. Tribute albums are always a grab bag but I'm banking on a handful of nice versions.
The runtime is 103 minutes so this one will take a few days.
The early standout is Craig Finn's cover of Sweetheart Like You (off of Infidels) that reminds me a bit of Springsteen.
Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One (2012)
Herein 24 assorted B- and C-listers from the 2012 Indie music scene cover songs from Dylan's albums of the 1980s. It's a genius concept because most of his seven albums of the decade had questionable production decisions. Tribute albums are always a grab bag but I'm banking on a handful of nice versions.
The runtime is 103 minutes so this one will take a few days.
The early standout is Craig Finn's cover of Sweetheart Like You (off of Infidels) that reminds me a bit of Springsteen.
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
This is a longer one. Beginning it now. I can't say that I recognize any of the artists - I like that.It's time for a tribute album
Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One (2012)
Herein 24 assorted B- and C-listers from the 2012 Indie music scene cover songs from Dylan's albums of the 1980s. It's a genius concept because most of his seven albums of the decade had questionable production decisions. Tribute albums are always a grab bag but I'm banking on a handful of nice versions.
The runtime is 103 minutes so this one will take a few days.
The early standout is Craig Finn's cover of Sweetheart Like You (off of Infidels) that reminds me a bit of Springsteen.
I'll wait for you to finish before I chime in.
rockaction
Footballguy
Fudge. I tried to adjust for brevity and have gotten all the links stuck in spoiler tags. I am going to have to leave it that way and should have just...
It's been a long day. Fudge.
Anyway, all reviews are in the spoiler tags still, I just don't know how to remove them now.
It's been a long day. Fudge.
Anyway, all reviews are in the spoiler tags still, I just don't know how to remove them now.
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Yep. Bruce alrighty.
Thnx, but, I don't know how to see them ...
Are they visible on your screen?
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
WAIT! I see them now. Thnx.
rockaction
Footballguy
Okay, I was able to get original formatting for the Dylan albums. The others will be TK (there's only about five or six) after I talk about it and hear back from Eephus.
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
I replied via PM. There's really no need to link any of the post-Dylan stuff. Now I'm just riffing while walking the dog.
Eephus
Footballguy
I listened to Mojo and the song that followed. Like the studio album, it's OK but not transcendent.
It gets you thinking about what makes a band more than the sum of its parts. The Band had it, whatever it is but Levon and the All-Stars don't.
Eephus
Footballguy
Here's Johnny Cash's version of The Lady Came From Baltimore.
ETA: and Bobby Darin's for good measure
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Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
I won't disagree. As a Dr. John fan, I did "favorite" GMMW, but the rest will never be listened to again.
On your point about "what makes a band ..." - I have been thinking a bit on that in regards to visual art lately. I don't have an answer yet - there is something magic about it.
Time/place/personal interactions ... they all have such an influence, it is hard for me to untangle. L&tAS have talent - in loads, but ...
That is something I like about this thread. Often, the "why/how/what" is as interesting as the art itself.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
The easy answer is that The Band lived, played, screwed, drank, doped their way together across a continent for years. Levon and The All Stars didn't. Plus, it was the late '70s and I doubt most of those folks were their best selves. Levon's records toward the end of his life were much tighter.
I think another interesting take on your statement above is if it ended after "band" with a "?"
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Eephus
Footballguy
Man of Constant Sorrow said:
I'm picturing Levon, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson shooting The Last Waltz interview segments with Scorsese.Uruk-Hai said:
The director asks them what makes a band which sends Robbie into some long convoluted response. Levon interrupts him with something like "that's rock 'n roll". Camera cuts to Manuel rolling his eyes and laughing maniacally. And scene.
Eephus
Footballguy
Night #2 of the 80s Dylan tribute album.
Tribute albums usually play on your preconceptions from the original material. But the songs here are much more obscure than the ones covered on I'm Not There or most other Dylan tributes. I think that's mostly a good thing except when it isn't. There's not much you can say about compilations
Highlight for tonight was a song I couldn't place at first called Series of Dreams. It turned out to be an outtake from Oh Mercy that was released via the Bootleg Series in 1995. The thing that struck me in the cover was how the singer's voice was similar to the tone Dylan was going for circa 1969-71. The band is called Yellowbird and I'll seek them out if I remember to. The video of Dylan's version is superb.
Boz had a good night tonight. He had a little spring in his step and did better on the stairs than he's done recently.
I foolishly chose the Deluxe Edition which has seven bonus cuts. I'll finish those next time.
Tribute albums usually play on your preconceptions from the original material. But the songs here are much more obscure than the ones covered on I'm Not There or most other Dylan tributes. I think that's mostly a good thing except when it isn't. There's not much you can say about compilations
Highlight for tonight was a song I couldn't place at first called Series of Dreams. It turned out to be an outtake from Oh Mercy that was released via the Bootleg Series in 1995. The thing that struck me in the cover was how the singer's voice was similar to the tone Dylan was going for circa 1969-71. The band is called Yellowbird and I'll seek them out if I remember to. The video of Dylan's version is superb.
Boz had a good night tonight. He had a little spring in his step and did better on the stairs than he's done recently.
I foolishly chose the Deluxe Edition which has seven bonus cuts. I'll finish those next time.
Man of Constant Sorrow
Footballguy
This is my "go-to" response in most scenarios. Can't say that it works well, but it is fun.
Since I am not familiar with these artists, I am not sure if the similarity in voicing is natural or intentional mimicry. If/when you dig into them, let us know if they always sound like Bob. I do like this song, but on the whole, I actually enjoyed the ones that were more original a little better. I can't really say why, yet. Maybe I'll think of something later.
That makes me feel better, as my night wasn't too great. I had R. Woods against C. Carson. I'm down pretty big going into Sunday.
Eephus
Footballguy
Finished off the Dylan 80s tribute last night after a day at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Bosley was alone in the house for seven and a half hours. I cut out early on St. Paul and the Broken Bones in order check on the dog. He was asleep in his bed and hadn't messed the house. We were able to walk around the neighborhood and meet Mrs. Eephus at her bus stop back from the festival.
I wasn't expecting much from bonus tracks on a tribute album. Somebody decided they didn't make the original cut for the CD, which wasn't exactly a high bar to clear. But I thought The Low Anthem's version of Lenny Bruce was more than good enough to make the album. Dylan's original on Shot of Love was pretty good but the stately piano and winds arrangement here gives the song more of a funereal quality.
I wasn't expecting much from bonus tracks on a tribute album. Somebody decided they didn't make the original cut for the CD, which wasn't exactly a high bar to clear. But I thought The Low Anthem's version of Lenny Bruce was more than good enough to make the album. Dylan's original on Shot of Love was pretty good but the stately piano and winds arrangement here gives the song more of a funereal quality.
Eephus
Footballguy
The line between Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen doesn't pass too far from Dylan.
We Shall Overcome (The Seeger Sessions) - Bruce Springsteen (2006)
Even though most of the stories about Newport are myths, Seeger and Dylan had definite differences of opinion about the direction of folk music. Springsteen started his career as one of many "New Dylans" thanks in part to the John Hammond CBS connection. The Boss occasionally covered Dylan live beginning with his Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom days.
Like a lot of American men of a certain age, Springsteen signifies to me. I listened to this one when it came out but we never bonded. Picking it up again I remember why. The whole Sessions Band thing is sub-optimized for live performances. I'm sure the shows on this tour were a lot of fun but that spirit doesn't quite make it on record. The big folk band arrangements overwhelm the charm of the songs. The banjo player gets more solos than Little Steven has taken in 40 years. Springsteen affects this weird accent where he sings his vowels through his nose. It's kind of Dylanesque or more accurately, like Woody Guthrie.
It was worth a shot but I should have picked The Ghost of Tom Joad. My song selection is that old chestnut Froggie Went A Courtin'. Fortunately the horn section was out having a smoke when this was recorded. Dylan covered the same song on Good As I Been To You and I like his version better, especially the way he sings the many "uh huhs" in the lyrics.
Boz is fine.
We Shall Overcome (The Seeger Sessions) - Bruce Springsteen (2006)
Even though most of the stories about Newport are myths, Seeger and Dylan had definite differences of opinion about the direction of folk music. Springsteen started his career as one of many "New Dylans" thanks in part to the John Hammond CBS connection. The Boss occasionally covered Dylan live beginning with his Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom days.
Like a lot of American men of a certain age, Springsteen signifies to me. I listened to this one when it came out but we never bonded. Picking it up again I remember why. The whole Sessions Band thing is sub-optimized for live performances. I'm sure the shows on this tour were a lot of fun but that spirit doesn't quite make it on record. The big folk band arrangements overwhelm the charm of the songs. The banjo player gets more solos than Little Steven has taken in 40 years. Springsteen affects this weird accent where he sings his vowels through his nose. It's kind of Dylanesque or more accurately, like Woody Guthrie.
It was worth a shot but I should have picked The Ghost of Tom Joad. My song selection is that old chestnut Froggie Went A Courtin'. Fortunately the horn section was out having a smoke when this was recorded. Dylan covered the same song on Good As I Been To You and I like his version better, especially the way he sings the many "uh huhs" in the lyrics.
Boz is fine.
Eephus
Footballguy
We followed bloodlines tonight
Seeing Things - Jakob Dylan (2008)
Jakob was born in 1969, the fourth child of Sara and Bob Dylan. His parents divorced when Jakob was seven but they remained on good enough terms to raise their children. It must have been a double-edged sword for Jakob when he chose to follow the family business but he managed to achieve commercial and artistic success with the Wallflowers in the 90s.
Seeing Things was his first solo album after the band went on hiatus. It was produced by Rick Rubin in his signature minimalist style. It's interesting that Bob never worked with Rubin, even when Rubin was president of Columbia Records but late-career Bob likes creative control of his records. By the time this record was made, the singer/songwriter genre wasn't as popular as it was when Jakob was a kid but there's something timeless about an artist and his or her acoustic guitar.
Jakob's album is quite good. The simple settings with the occasional second guitar, drums and background singers accentuate his pleasant soulful voice. As a songwriter, he's not his dad but the tunes and lyrics flow nicely. My favorite song is the album closing This End of the Telescope, an elliptical song that wouldn't sound out of place on one of Bob's albums.
I missed the whole Wallflowers thing in the 90s and doubt I've ever listened to a full Wallflowers/Jakob Dylan album until tonight. Seeing Things isn't enough to make me a big fan but I'm glad I listened to the record.
Seeing Things - Jakob Dylan (2008)
Jakob was born in 1969, the fourth child of Sara and Bob Dylan. His parents divorced when Jakob was seven but they remained on good enough terms to raise their children. It must have been a double-edged sword for Jakob when he chose to follow the family business but he managed to achieve commercial and artistic success with the Wallflowers in the 90s.
Seeing Things was his first solo album after the band went on hiatus. It was produced by Rick Rubin in his signature minimalist style. It's interesting that Bob never worked with Rubin, even when Rubin was president of Columbia Records but late-career Bob likes creative control of his records. By the time this record was made, the singer/songwriter genre wasn't as popular as it was when Jakob was a kid but there's something timeless about an artist and his or her acoustic guitar.
Jakob's album is quite good. The simple settings with the occasional second guitar, drums and background singers accentuate his pleasant soulful voice. As a songwriter, he's not his dad but the tunes and lyrics flow nicely. My favorite song is the album closing This End of the Telescope, an elliptical song that wouldn't sound out of place on one of Bob's albums.
I missed the whole Wallflowers thing in the 90s and doubt I've ever listened to a full Wallflowers/Jakob Dylan album until tonight. Seeing Things isn't enough to make me a big fan but I'm glad I listened to the record.
Eephus
Footballguy
Wherein a 21st century folkie supergroup reinterprets lyrics found in Dylan's dry cleaning
Lost On The River - The New Basement Tapes (2014)
I listened to this a few times when it came out and never gave it a second thought until now. We only made it about 2/3rds through tonight so impressions can wait but it's easier to locate the thread if I bump it every night.
Lost On The River - The New Basement Tapes (2014)
I listened to this a few times when it came out and never gave it a second thought until now. We only made it about 2/3rds through tonight so impressions can wait but it's easier to locate the thread if I bump it every night.
rockaction
Footballguy
Love the song at the link.
Eephus
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
Oh, it went to "Kansas City," but maybe that's cause I had just YouTube searched the group and that was the first video that came up?
Dunno. The link went to Spotify and Kansas City (the third on the list) as that song. I gathered it was Mumford from Mumford and Sons. Dug the song, regardless.
eta* My cursor must have gone there or something. Looks like Down On The Bottom is the actual first song.
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Eephus
Footballguy
Johnny Depp plays guitar on Kansas City
I'm not sure what to make of The New Basement Tapes. I want to finish it off tonight and return to a few songs from the first pass.
rockaction
Footballguy
Could have sworn it was him in the video, but shrugged that off as unlikely, though he's pretty unmistakable.
I was going to preface my comment that I'm not much on giving a critical ear to this type of music; I'm more of a mass market target. No, really.
eta* Married To My Hack could have been a great Dylan song, but that's all I can hear when I listen to it. Is him doing it.
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Eephus
Footballguy
Finished this tonight, a couple hours later than usual due to the Nats-Dodgers thriller. The New Basement Tapes project was assembled by T-Bone Burnett to perform songs written around unpublished Dylan lyrics from 1967.
Last week we went back and forth a little about what makes a band a band. This record could be exhibit A. The five members (Jim James, Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, one of the Mumfords and the singer from Dawes) sing their own songs which ends up sounding more like a various artists compilation than a supergroup. It's not bad but it's uneven and lacks flow. One big problem is the voices of the singers don't blend together well. Harmonies can be a magical thing that make a song soar but this sounds more like the encore of a benefit concert.
None of the songs are particularly Dylanesque but that's just an observation, not a criticism. The arrangements and recording technique steer clear of trying to recreate the vibe of the original Basement Tapes. One thing I loved about our dive through the Dylan catalog was every night there was a line or verse that snapped me out of the monotony of dog walking. These definitely aren't A-game lyrics but you can't really blame Dylan since he didn't see fit to record them in the first place.
I liked the Marcus Mumford songs the best which surprised me because I've never rated his band at all. Giddens has one stunning song "Spanish Mary" and I like James' "Down on the Bottom" as well. Taylor Goldsmith's songs are the worst but I'm not a Dawes fan. Tonight's song selection is Stranger, a Mumford with a fuzzy guitar and a fiddle that includes this Dylan gem:
I wanna tombstone pearl handle revolver
Don't wanna meet a pale man with a halo in his hair
Never fall in love with a stranger
But sometimes I simply do not care
Boz is doing better in the cooler weather.
Eephus
Footballguy
Cheated tonight
The Waterboys - 2019 Tour Setlist
I'm a nerd so when I'm going to see a band (especially one where I'm not familiar with their full body of work), I check Setlist.fm beforehand and make a playlist of the songs they're playing. The Waterboys have been playing a pretty fixed list this tour with a couple of additional covers thrown in.
Mike Scott's look has obviously been influenced by Dylan but I find Scott's lyrics to be more literal that Dylan's generally are. The strangest album in the Waterboys catalog is the one where he wrote songs to Yeats verse but he's not singing anything off of that this time through. Tonight's song selection is the most Dylanesque sounding song in their set Still A Freak, a bluesy rocker with an organ that sounds like 1966 Dylan.
Boz was having some problems with his hind legs slipping from beneath him on our hardwood floors. I'm probably going to have to get him some booties for around the house. We'll see how he takes to them. Hopefully it'll be like the goggles.
The Waterboys - 2019 Tour Setlist
I'm a nerd so when I'm going to see a band (especially one where I'm not familiar with their full body of work), I check Setlist.fm beforehand and make a playlist of the songs they're playing. The Waterboys have been playing a pretty fixed list this tour with a couple of additional covers thrown in.
Mike Scott's look has obviously been influenced by Dylan but I find Scott's lyrics to be more literal that Dylan's generally are. The strangest album in the Waterboys catalog is the one where he wrote songs to Yeats verse but he's not singing anything off of that this time through. Tonight's song selection is the most Dylanesque sounding song in their set Still A Freak, a bluesy rocker with an organ that sounds like 1966 Dylan.
Boz was having some problems with his hind legs slipping from beneath him on our hardwood floors. I'm probably going to have to get him some booties for around the house. We'll see how he takes to them. Hopefully it'll be like the goggles.
Eephus
Footballguy
The other two guys in the thread title have new material out on the streaming services.
There are two Marvin Gaye songs from a 1972 concert in DC. It sounds like it came from a two track soundboard source and the drums sound like crap. Marvin is in good voice though.
Van Morrison has a single teasing his new album at the end of the month. Van's original composition "Days Gone By" segues into Auld Lang Syne at the end in case you missed the point of the song. Van's voice has held up much better than Dylan's (or Gaye's for that matter) but he's not the master of phrasing the Dylan has become.
There are two Marvin Gaye songs from a 1972 concert in DC. It sounds like it came from a two track soundboard source and the drums sound like crap. Marvin is in good voice though.
Van Morrison has a single teasing his new album at the end of the month. Van's original composition "Days Gone By" segues into Auld Lang Syne at the end in case you missed the point of the song. Van's voice has held up much better than Dylan's (or Gaye's for that matter) but he's not the master of phrasing the Dylan has become.
rockaction
Footballguy
I started a thread about Bob Dylan with a question about which record of his I should buy. Discussion was had, suggestions were given, critical analysis brought to the fore, and eventually It evolved into Eephus reviewing every Bob Dylan album released, listened to while he takes his a nightly walk with his elderly dog Boswell. Links to reviews are in the OP. There was a brief hiatus in reviews where we discuss Marvin Gaye and Van Morrison, then it was largely back to the nightly sojourns.
Now Eephus is jazz scatting, reviewing albums with Dylan links.
It's cool. Read some. Stick around.
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