One of our evenings in Fuerteventura we were sitting round on the patio, playing cards, drinking some wine and watching it go dark. Eliza said she didn't know any Bob Dylan. I started playing some through my phone, starting with Tangled Up In Blue, a song I never get tired of, Dylan zig- zagging his way through his real or imaginary past with enough killer lines to write several films around. From there I picked my around some late 60s and 70s songs, eventually arriving at this one...
There is something about Dear Landlord (from 1968's John Wesley Harding) that is unfathomable, so rich and mysterious it's completely unknowable. Dylan plays piano and sings while Charlie McCoy and Kenny Buttrey (bass and drums respectively) follow him (but lead at the same time). The playing is simple and melodic and mesmeric- Dylan's musicianship isn't seen as his biggest talent but his piano playing on Dear Landlord is superb. Lyrically, there is debate that the landlord is God or maybe Albert Grossman or perhaps a totally abstract landlord. Who knows? It doesn't matter.
Dylan's 70s are a mish mash but much better than his 80s. Planet Waves and Desire are both good with several stand out songs. Blood On The Tracks is rightly legendary. New Morning has its moments, definitely. Self Portrait a few gems in the among the WTF? songs. On social media Davy H, the man who used to write the much missed Ghost Of Electricity blog recommended this to me, from 1978's Street Legal, late 70s apocalyptic, south of the border, Old West, Biblical, mythic country rock, a song I've overlooked before
6 comments:
Is Eliza now a convert?
'Desire' is my personal favourite from the 1970s, but always liked 'Street Legal' as well. Things started getting a bit patchier after that.
I am very pleased to report I have not been subjected to bossa nova versions of Dylan songs in any cafes I frequent here
Blood on the tracks is Dylan's peak of the 70's followed by Desire and Street Legal. And in this row I can follow his musical development. And as you say, Senor is an overlooked gem.
Not sure she's a convert CC but she didn't tell me to turn it off either. Planting seeds and all that.
Dylan's 80s are a blog post in themselves. I speak as someone who once owned a copy of Down In The Groove. Its always interesting when 60s acts albums get re- appraised. There are Rolling Stones albums that used to get short shrift but are now seen as good Stones albums and the cut off keeps moving. It used to be cannon that the last great Stones album was Exile (still my view for what its worth) but there are lengthy arguments now for Goats head Soup and Black and Blue and Some Girls etc. Pretty soon 80s Stones album will enter the fray. That never seems to happen to Dylan's 80s.
I await an update George.
You could put together a great 'Best of 80s Bob' compilation - Brownsville Girl, Jokerman, Tight Connection etc - but it would probably be a single album not a boxed set.
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