Отправлено: 25.05.11 10:44. Заголовок: Как уверяют - первая..
Как уверяют - первая статья о Бобе.
Bob Dylan, 1963
October 20, 1963
Reproduced below is the earliest article in the News Tribune’s files on Duluth and Hibbing native Bobby Zimmerman – better known as Bob Dylan.
There may have been earlier mentions, but this is the first article that was clipped and saved in the archive files – and it seems to be written for a general audience who might not have known who Bob Dylan was.
MY SON, THE FOLKNIK
YOUTH FROM HIBBING BECOMES FAMOUS AS BOB DYLAN
BY WALTER ELDOT of the News-Tribune staff
There’s an unwritten code in show business that people like to be deceived. Performers, therefore, must be legendized and molded into a public image that is often quite different from what they used to be.
It happened to Bobby Zimmerman from Hibbing – now widely known as Bob Dylan, 22, folk singer and songwriter.
His rise in barely three years has been almost as impressive as the considerable fortune he has already amassed, the character he has assumed, the reams of reviews and stories written about him, and his Carnegie Hall debut next Saturday.
Who and what is Bob Dylan?
"Bob Dylan is emerging as the big wheel in the current folknik spin," the trade paper Variety noted last month. "He’s scoring in the recording, songwriting and concert field and is considered by many guitar-hooters as the single most creative force on the folk scene."
A national folk song magazine referred to him as "the most prolific young songwriter in America today … His vocal style is rough and unpolished, reflecting a conscious effort to recapture the earthy realism of the rural country blues. It is a distinctive, highly personalized style combining many musical influences and innovations."
Reporting on the recent Newport Folk Festival, the magazine Newsweek wrote: "The queen of the folk is Joan Baez and at this festival she informally named a crown prince, the 22-year-old Bob Dylan, a slight, reedy balladeer and backwoods poet with fluffy hair, a scared look in his small eyes, and a cry of anguish in his big voice and his strong songs. The crowd applauded every time his name was mentioned. ‘The most important folk singer today,’ declared Peter Yarrow, or Peter, Paul and Mary. ‘I feel it but Dylan can say it,’ said Joan Baez. ‘He’s phenomenal.’"
McCall’s magazine, puzzled by his appeal, said he has "the style and voice of an outraged bear." Another national magazine described him as sounding like a TB patient singing behind the wall of a sanatorium.
Columbia Records, introducing his first album last year, called him "one of the most compelling white blues singers ever recorded," and added for another album last month: "Of all the precipitously emergent singers of folk songs in the continuing renaissance of that self-assertive tradition, none has equaled Bob Dylan in singularity of impact."
Yet his first album, last year, made no particular impact on the people who knew Dylan as Bobby Zimmerman. One local record dealer lamented: "I ordered a dozen albums but even his relatives won’t buy them."
People who knew him before he set out to become a folknik chuckle at his back-country twang and attire and at the imaginative biographies they’ve been reading about him. They remember his as a fairly ordinary youth from a respectable family, perhaps a bit peculiar in his ways, but bearing little resemblance to the show business character he is today.
Dylan’s career received a hefty boost when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his song "Blowin’ in the Wind," whose topical theme about racial equality helped to propel it into an immediate hit.
But Dylan is essentially a self-made creation, right down to the name which he borrowed from Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet whose writings he likes, and some of the things he does strictly for effect.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abe Zimmerman of Hibbing, say whatever credit is due is his alone.
"My son is a corporation and his public image is strictly an act," says his father.
He’s had no musical training to speak of – at least, his parents don’t speak of it. But they recall that he was always fond of poetry and started writing verses, which they have saved, when he was only eight.
Bob was born in Duluth in 1941 and attended Nettleton School, until his family moved to Hibbing where his father is a retail appliance and furniture dealer. Bobby completed high school in Hibbing and generally had a rather uneventful childhood.
He impressed his peers and adults alike as being intelligent but unsettled. Even his parents concede that they found some of his ways distressing.
That is not difficult to understand, for Bobby stems from a middle-class background in which much emphasis is placed on education and conformity and plans for a respectable career.
Bobby didn’t quite fit into that framework and preferred a more bohemian type of life. His parents say he frowns on being called a beatnik, and they don’t like that designation for him either. But he was in fact adopting some of the manners associated with beatniks – or folkniks – in an area where that makes a person stand out like a strange character.
His parents say they "always knew that Bobby had a real streak of talent, but we didn’t know what kind. We just could not corral it." Now, obviously, he seems to have done it all by himself.
After his graduation from Hibbing High School, Robert Zimmerman entered the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He was expected to concentrate on science, literature and art, according to his father, but he didn’t like university life and put up with it for barely one year.
Instead he took to playing his guitar-harmonica in a pizza house frequented by the college crowd. This appealed to him a great deal more than his studies or other campus activities.
He didn’t think much of the college crowd. Says his father: "He had as many friends as he wanted but he considered most of them phonies – spoiled kids with whom he didn’t feel he had much in common." He had that opinion especially of the students who lived or met at the Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity House. Bobby quit even before he was pledged.
Playing around Minneapolis, usually without pay, he began to develop his present stage character – with the folk-style attire and accent that go with it.
"That is," says his father, "what I found so disturbing – and still do. But it’s all part of the act."
Bobby started improvising songs, making up lyrics and using some of his old poems, accompanying his own style of vocals on his guitar and harmonicas.
That was three years ago. Just about that time his father decided to come to a definite understanding with him about Bobby’s future.
"He wanted to have free rein," says Zimmerman. "He wanted to be a folk singer, an entertainer. We couldn’t see it, but we felt he was entitled to the chance. It’s his life, after all, and we didn’t want to stand in the way. So we made an agreement that he could have one year to do as he pleased, and if at the end of that year we were not satisfied with his progress he’d go back to school."
It was eight months after that, says Zimmerman, that Bobby received a glowing "two-column review" in the New York Times. "So we figured that anybody who can get his picture and two columns in the New York Times is doing pretty good. Anyway, it was a start."
After leaving the University of Minnesota, Bobby made his way to New York. He claims he hitch-hiked and his father does not contradict that claim. "He got himself a ride to New York," says Zimmerman.
Bobby keeps in touch with his family in Hibbing and they have accepted him in his new role. But they stress that "we have absolutely no part in his affairs. Those are his own operation. He’s a corporation and he has a manager."
The Zimmermans are particularly proud that Bob will perform in Carnegie Hall on Saturday – and some of his family plan to be there.
The Zimmermans have another son, David, 17, a serious music student and fine piano player. He also has an excellent voice and occasionally performs as a volunteer cantor in the Hibbing synagogue, chanting the entire service with admirable intonation. David’s chanting, if one listens closely, sounds a bit like Bobby’s. It seems to come from the heart and reaches out to other hearts.
Отправлено: 26.05.11 10:21. Заголовок: И вот такое поздравл..
И вот такое поздравление о коммерсанта...
Певец протеста не в настроении
Исполнилось 70 лет Бобу Дилану, поэту и музыканту, заложившему основы протестного рока и всю жизнь стремящемуся избавиться от имиджа певца-бунтаря. Рассказывает БОРИС БАРАБАНОВ.
Накануне 70-летия прогрессивная международная общественность в который раз обвинила Боба Дилана в предательстве идеалов 60-х. Согласившись выступить в Китайской Народной Республике, он якобы согласился и на просьбу местных культурных чиновников выбросить из программы концерта песни протеста. То есть "Like A Rolling Stone" и "All Along The Watchtower" — о'кей, а "Blowin' In The Wind", пожалуйста, уберите. Но гораздо большего внимания достоин тот факт, что официальный главный поэт-песенник XX века не собрал в свой первый приезд в Китай аншлага на арене на 13 тыс. зрителей, а из тех, кто пришел, большинство составляли экспаты. Почти такая же разочаровывающая картинка, как в июне 2008 года в санкт-петербургском Ледовом дворце, с той только разницей, что из зрителей, пришедших в зал пекинской "Гимназии рабочих", 2 тыс. составляли сотрудники спецслужб. В следующем пункте турне Боба Дилана, Шанхае, анонсы его концерта проиллюстрировали фотографиями кантри-певца Вилли Нельсона.
Семидесятилетнего Роберта Аллена Циммермана до сих пор не везде знают в лицо. Но интеллектуальная элита все равно считает, что он ей должен, причем в глобальном масштабе. Его видят в роли артиста, олицетворяющего протест на баррикадах с гитарой, хотя концерты он уже давно дает в комфортабельных залах, согнувшись над клавишными.
Словно предчувствуя юбилейную истерию, для исполнения на последней церемонии Grammy Боб Дилан выбрал песню "Maggie's Farm", которая в середине 60-х символизировала его желание обособиться, уйти от набивших оскомину ассоциаций с "протестным" фолк-движением. Это фактически сатира на американскую фолк-сцену, антитеза тезису "художник должен быть голодным". В конце концов, огромное количество песен Боба Дилана принесло ему тонны денег в версиях других артистов и в качестве абсолютных поп-хитов.
Однако "Blowin' In The Wind" все равно ничем не перешибить. Вот и китайцы ее боятся, а соотечественники до сих пор чтут как гимн движения за гражданские права. "То, что хриплый трубадур 60-х, певший о свободе, отправится в диктаторскую страну и откажется там от исполнения песен протеста, представляется мне предательством",— писала накануне гастролей журналист The New York Times Морин Дод. Престарелому барду даже пришлось оправдываться. "На концертах мы сыграли все те песни, какие хотели, и никто мне не говорил ни о какой цензуре",— писал поэт в своем блоге уже после того, как информационные агентства доложили о его вопиющем соглашательстве. Музыканта также обвинили в том, что он не встал на защиту художника Ай Вэйвэя, арестованного незадолго до начала гастролей. Ярлык "борец за гражданские права" прирос к господину намертво, так же, как к U2, во время приезда которых активнее всего обсуждалась не музыка, а роль Боно в защите Химкинского леса.
Бобу Дилану, по его словам, странно было обнаружить, что молодые китайцы, пришедшие на концерт, вообще не воспринимают его в контексте контркультуры 60-х, а, наоборот, с удовольствием слушают песни из последних четырех-пяти альбомов. На деле же художник ранга Боба Дилана должен благодарить Бога за то, что есть еще на планете места, где тебя любят не за то, что ты делал в середине прошлого века, не за то, что о тебе пишут газеты, не за то, чем ты угодил либералам или диктаторам, а за то, что ты делаешь прямо сейчас.
Отправлено: 30.05.11 09:45. Заголовок: Его ответ "керзо..
Его ответ "керзонам"
‘My protests are conveyed through my music'
“Protests need not always come out on the streets or shooting with the gun,” says Bob Dylan, the folk icon, as he answers a long distance call from California. “I appreciate and admire the folklore of this glorious sub continent that has one of the richest cultural heritages.” Last month saw his first performance in China, where he was earlier forbidden or never invited.
Speaking of his China tour, Bob Dylan grows excited. “This was the concert of a lifetime. I admired the Red Revolution and China is a nation to look up to.
When President Lyndon Johnson stated that he was moved to tears by Bob Dylan's numbers, he conveyed the feelings of countless people across the world. Elaborating on folk songs, Bob Dylan states, “A country or folk song is very different from a popular one. If the lyrics do not have the essence of the birth place's soil, wind and waters, it is not a folk song at all.”
Songs like Blowin' in the Wind, The times they are a Changin' and albums like “Things Must Pass” and “No Direction Home” are legendary favourites. Yet, he confesses, “My personal favourite is I will be working in Maggie's farm no more. Through this I brought out the plight of a deprived and exploited peasant in the American countryside who was ignored by Hollywood and the world. This song, I feel, is the hymn of farmers and peasants through the globe. Even Paul Robeson complimented me for my creation.”
More heart than craft
Of the current synthetic genre of music, Dylan says, “Synthetic music requires more heart than craft to be everlasting. But the majority of numbers don't appeal permanently as they lack simple emotions.” What did he think of the Beatles? “Their lyrics are said to be as popular as the Bible. They even outclassed their predecessors, Rolling Stones. Though I do not think along the same lines of all their songs, I must admit some of them like Yellow submarine, Michelle and I wanna hold your hand are fabulous. A second Beatles can never be born."
Bob Dylan confesses, “The greatest singer to musically convey the voice of people the world over is Paul Robeson. Sometimes I feel like a motherless Child is an evergreen number. The resonance in his voice is incomparable. Pete Seeager also was very effective in Where have all the flowers gone. I would be biased if I do not mention Dalia Lave, the greatest revolutionary female singer, who oozed emotions in her famous number My world can be yours.”
No comparisons
He does not believe in comparing himself with any of these greats and knows that his style and trend are unique and different. In fact Pat Boon once said if Bob Dylan rendered Anastasia it would have been far more effective than his own. Nancy Sinatra was keen to render a duet with the inimitable Dylan after he praised her haunting duet with Lee Hazlewood, Strawberries, cherries and angel's Kiss in spring.
The poetry of Dylan Thomas is the Bible for Bob Dylan, who feels that a combination of guitar, bass, drums and piano accompanied occasionally with horn sections and violins can create magical effects.
Recollecting his joint performance and appearance with George Harrison for his Bangladesh concert in 1971, Bob Dylan states, “I was determined to musically greet the survivors of a bloody battle and convey my musical condolences to those noble souls who lost their lives to liberate their nation. George Harrison was on an objective mission and how could I not support his cause?”
Grammy awards don't mean anything for this revolutionary singer. According to him, the content of a song is best with imagination and protest against all forms of despotism and wrongdoing.
He signs off, “The U.S. may be a super power but not all the wars it has fought are just; nor are all its policies. I am a writer, singer and musician and my protests are conveyed through my music.”
Отправлено: 07.06.11 09:15. Заголовок: Bob Dylan's Firs..
Bob Dylan's First Concert
It may not have been The Big Time, per se, but for Bob Dylan, it sure must have felt like it. On November 4, 1961, the 20-year-old folksinger ascended the stage of the 200-seat Carnegie Recital Hall armed with his guitar and a pocketful of new cover songs he'd just carved into memory. While he had performed at Greenwich Village's bigger venues like the Gaslight and Gerde's Folk City, the Carnegie Hall show constituted Dylan's very first actual live concert.
How It Fell Together
Career-wise, Bob was on a roll. Just six weeks earlier, entertainment writer Robert Shelton published a glowing review in the New York Times, touting Dylan as the next big thing in folk. Coincidentally, a day after the review appeared, Columbia Records A&R giant John Hammond Sr. signed the young singer-songwriter to a standard five-year recording contract with the label.
Meanwhile, star-maker Albert Grossman, then manager of Peter, Paul, and Mary, had been aiming to make Dylan the next addition to his managerial roster, which would one day include the likes of The Band and Janis Joplin. It was actually Grossman's comments that inspired Izzy Young to finance and organize the Carnegie Hall concert.
Izzy Young as Concert Promoter
If not for Dylan's early supporters and cheerleaders, he'd probably have never reached the heights of success as quickly as he did. Izzy Young was one of those mentors, and his encouragement helped boost Dylan's ego, giving him a push at that crucial early stage of his career. Back in the mid-'50s, Young was the founder of Greenwich Village's Folklore Center on MacDougal Street, a central meeting place where patrons could shop for folk records and instruments. More than a retailer, though, Young was the scene's historian and general go-to guy who kept the pulse of the scene and its gossip.
Naturally, as the Village's most pivotal hub, the Folklore Center was one of Dylan's first stops upon his arrival in the Village in January 1961. Young was a meticulous note-taker, and according to his journal, Dylan dropped in and played “Muleskinner Blues” on autoharp. However, it wasn't until the Shelton review appeared in the New York Times that Young took more than a passing interest in the folksinger.
But the real clincher—and what spurred Young into becoming a full-blown believer—was when Grossman commented, “I think Dylan can make it” in mid-October. Seeing the light, Young quickly assumed the role of Dylan's ad hoc “manager,” taking him to meet Moe Asch at Folkway Records in hopes of getting him a record contract, as well as securing Dylan's very first radio appearance—a two-song set on Oscar Brand's show, Folksong Festival, on WNYC, where Dylan performed Woody Guthrie's “Sally Gal,” and a traditional, “The Girl I Left Behind.”
The Concert
More than anything, the radio appearance was more of a plug for the upcoming Carnegie Hall concert slated for November 4th. Completely sold on Dylan's future, Izzy Young scheduled the concert, then laid out $75 to rent the hall, plus $35 for programs. At $2 per ticket, Young reckoned he'd have to sell half the seats to recoup his expenses. Anything over that would be profit. The show, however, proved to be a financial disaster; only 53 people showed up, a good percentage of those being Dylan's friends and cohorts who were issued comps.
By most accounts, it was a shy, nervous Dylan that took the stage, and his show deviated almost entirely from his normal set at Gerde's Folk City. Not yet the prolific songwriter he would soon become, his Carnegie Hall show consisted entirely of cover songs, including Woody Guthrie's “1913 Massacre,” and “Black Girl (In the Pines).” But more than anything, with studio time booked and his first-ever professional recording session looming just two weeks away, the concert became a live proving grounds for Dylan to try out some of the songs under consideration for his debut album. Three of the songs performed that night that would carry over to the November 20 session included “Pretty Peggy-O,” “Gospel Plow,” and “Fixin' to Die.”
While young may have jumped the gun, optimistically promoting a relatively major concert before Dylan had built a big enough name to fill a 200-seat venue, he only missed the mark by about a year. For the time being, Dylan would return to Gerde's Folk City, taking up a regular spot on the bill until the summer of 1962, when he would begin performing to larger audiences, opening for the likes of Pete Seeger at benefit concerts and soon bvecoming a headliner in his own right.
Dave Stewart To Release The Blackbird Diaries, Including Song Co-Written With Bob Dylan
Renaissance man Dave Stewart, who is a musician (ex-Eurythmics), producer, entrepreneur, author, filmmaker and philanthropist, is set to release The Blackbird Diaries on August 23rd. The album, released via Razor & Tie/Weapons of Mass Entertainment/Surfdog, will be Stewart’s first album of new original material in a decade.
An adventurous collection of songs, The Blackbird Diaries will feature duets with Martina McBride, Stevie Nicks, Colbie Caillat, and the Secret Sisters, along with a song that was co-written by Stewart and Bob Dylan.
The album is a novel mix of driving, unapologetic rock infused with blues licks and even some Americana, with lyrics that weave stories in the music. In an interview with Billboard, Dave said, “[The Blackbird Diaries has] got this weird mixture, like an Englishman landing in a country, blues, and rock atmosphere, but it has kind of a quirky side to it too.”
As a musician and producer, Dave Stewart has been incredibly prolific over the course of his career, amassing 100 million plus in album sales, many Grammy, European, and MTV awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Recently, he has produced and co-written albums with Joss Stone and Stevie Nicks helping found Superheavy, a supergroup with the likes of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley, and A.R. Rahman.
Отправлено: 17.06.11 10:29. Заголовок: Bob Dylan tour maps ..
Bob Dylan tour maps more U.S. dates for summer 2011
Bob Dylan is preparing for his usual summer tour across the United States. The iconic singer-songwriter will be back on the road starting next month with a 23-city national routing.
The coast-to-coast tour kicks off with a July 14 concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, CA, and continues through August 20, when Dylan will perform at the Waterfront Pavilion in downtown Bangor, ME.
Highlights of the summer 2011 tour calendar include performances on July 17 at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas, NV; July 26 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA; August 1 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN; and August 12 at the Bethel Woods Center in Bethel, NY.
Tickets are already available for select dates on the summer tour. Later dates on the itinerary are still in presales and have public onsales opening June 17 or after.
Ticket face values begin around $25 and reach up to the $60 range in most markets. Complete ticket onsale and pricing information is available on Dylan's official Web site.
This year's tour breaks from the tradition of Dylan's 2009 and 2010 summer ventures to visit U.S. ballparks.
The troubadour's 2010 summer tour featured a mix of both amphitheater and ballpark dates with support from John Mellencamp. Meanwhile the 2009 Ballpark Tour, featuring both Mellencamp and Willie Nelson, focused solely on minor leage parks and stadiums.
Bob Dylan - Summer 2011 Tour itinerary: (Dates are subject to change.) July 14 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl July 15 Costa Mesa, CA Pacific Amphitheatre July 16 Las Vegas, NV Pearl Concert Theater July 18 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre July 19 Tucson, AZ Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheatre July 21 Albuquerque, NM The Pavilion July 23 Thackerville, OK Winstar World Casino July 24 New Braunfels, TX Whitewater Amphitheatre July 26 New Orleans, LA Lakefront Arena July 27 Pensacola, FL Pensacola Civic Center July 28 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre July 30 Memphis, TN Mud Island Amphitheatre August 1 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium August 2 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium August 3 Toledo, OH Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre August 5 Kettering, OH Fraze Pavilion for the Performing Arts August 6 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica August 7 Rochester, MI Meadow Brook Music Festival August 9 Canandaigua, NY Constellation Brands - Marvin Sands PAC August 10 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain August 12 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts August 19 Gilford, NH Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion August 20 Bangor, ME Bangor Waterfront Pavilion
Отправлено: 27.06.11 14:37. Заголовок: Боб Дилан как объект..
Боб Дилан как объект символических инвестиций
Ян Левченко, PhD, профессор кафедры наук о культуре факультета философии Высшей школы экономики
Боб Дилан разменял восьмой десяток. Журнал "Тайм" в характерном цветистом духе назвал его "мастеровитым поэтом, едким общественным критиком и бесстрашным предводителем поколения контркультуры", а прямо к юбилею Дилана университеты Майнца, Вены и Бристоля устроили семинары по его творчеству. Издан бокс-сет ранних монозаписей (полная аутентичность "плохого" звучания), продолжается "Бесконечное турне" — проект, начавшийся в 1988 году (отыграно около 2300 концертов).
Британский журнал Mojo начал публиковать юбилейные материалы об артисте ровно за год до даты. Но нельзя сказать, что мир ликует и сотрясается. Теперь он это делает редко и по другим поводам.
Славу Боба Дилана вообще нельзя назвать громкой. Он все-таки не "Битлз", один вид которых ввергал сотни людей в коллективный транс. Культурная функция Дилана не в последнюю очередь обеспечивается его долгим историческим дыханием. В свои 70 лет он пребывает в проверенной форме — той, что была наработана еще полвека назад на полуподвальных подмостках Гринвич-виллидж. Даже искренность и страсть практически те же, лишь слегка тонированы опытом и печалью. В отличие от многих других долгожителей сцены, отчаянно длящих безвозвратную молодость, Дилан не обманывает время.
Приезжий одиночка
В отличие от своего кумира Дэйва ван Ронка, игравшего в клубе "Газовый фонарь" на Макдугал-стрит, Дилан был приезжим. Он прибыл в Нью-Йорк 24 января 1961 года из Иллинойса в товарном вагоне. Таково необходимое условие легендарной биографии, которую сам Дилан, пропустив вперед десятки профессиональных авторов, начал писать в 63 года. Провинциал с гитарой в непривычно заснеженном Нью-Йорке, в голове — пара собственных песен и сотни "народных". Тщедушный еврейский юноша в толпе музыкантов, примкнувших к "фолк-возрождению", инициатором которого еще в 1940-е выступил Вуди Гатри. На фоне новорожденного рок-н-ролла для тинэйджеров и би-бопа для интеллектуалов корневой фолк оставался культовым, но архаичным явлением со своей публикой, своими лейблами и своими радиопрограммами. Юноша Циммерман, взявший себе псевдоним в честь поэта Дилана Томаса, плоховато играл на гитаре, часто "давал петуха" на губной гармошке, а петь и вовсе не умел — чего-то гнусаво бубнил.
Условия для старта были никакие.
Однако именно в фигуре Боба Дилана молодая Америка нашла оправдание своей скуке, досаде, пассивному протесту. Ровесник войны, учившийся в школе при Эйзенхауэре, но получивший уроки пацифизма от больного отца и дядьев-фронтовиков, Дилан воплотил желание перезагрузить жизнь и начать с нуля. Поколению послевоенного бэби-бума был нужен кто-то искренний, стеснительный, погруженный в себя, читающий и слушающий все подряд, рассеянный, слегка безответственный. Требовался кто-то, кому можно было доверять, как себе.
"Битлз", написавшие за 10 лет карьеры 137 песен, из которых больше половины — гениальные, были экзотичными англичанами. Но главное заключалось в том, что это все-таки была группа, чей образ складывался как целое, которое всегда больше, чем сумма частей. Дилан был один и мог служить понятным образцом, не нуждающимся в дополнениях. Он был моложе и злее менестрелей белого кантри, тоньше и задушевнее героев рок-н-ролла, суше и литературнее рабочих черного блюза. Дилан вселял надежду, что с гитарой и гармошкой управится каждый.
Просто народный
Ранняя слава свалилась на него тяжким бременем. Время, тоскующее по новым героям, выбрало Дилана, возвестив о смене эпох. Он олицетворял "другую" Америку, чем малокультурный Элвис Пресли, — городского интеллигента, выскочку с томиком стихов, мечту антисемита. Шестидесятые были тем редким в новейшей истории временем, когда ставка была сделана на "других" — на молодежь, субкультуры, оригинальность и эксцентричность. Как истинный представитель этой генерации, Дилан постоянно сомневался и в муках рожал великолепные альбомы, отбиваясь от обвинений в предательстве. Сначала от "истинных" поклонников кантри, потом от антивоенных активистов, ошибочно принявших его за свой рупор, потом от рокеров, посчитавших его своим после "электрических" пластинок эпохи Вудстока.
В первом томе мемуаров "Хроники" Дилан писал, что всегда был просто фолк-музыкантом, который "вперялся в серую дымку застланными слезами взором, сочинял песни, что парили в светящемся мареве". Он знал, что сквозь него проходит какая-то энергия, но не хотел быть ничьей совестью. И вообще, эру молодежного бунта сделали газеты, которых Дилан опасливо сторонился уже после первых успехов.
Абсурдная ответственность
Точнее всего характер Дилана был диагностирован в байопике Тодда Хейнса "Меня там нет" (2007), где музыканта сыграли сразу 4 актера — Хит Леджер, Кристиан Бэйл, Ричард Гир и даже Кейт Бланшетт, которой удалось лучше всех воплотить кучерявого невротика в темных битниковских очках. Действительно, Дилана никогда нет там, где все его ищут. Он мог быть и фанатичным пророком, и обдолбанным хулиганом, и добропорядочным буржуа с машиной в кредит. Все это реальные американцы, чьи образы оформились не без влияния Дилана же. Кто из них ему ближе, спрашивать бесполезно.
В 1962 году Дилан написал "Дуновение ветра" (Blowin' In The Wind), где ответ на все "проклятые" вопросы знает только ветер. Подобные банальности пользуются спросом у искателей правды, которых развелось в шестидесятые годы под флагом движения хиппи. Дилан признавался, что его испугал масштаб молодежного движения. Вести за собой такую ораву — это даже не ответственность, это просто абсурд. Но писать другие песни он так и не научился, и его еще долго принимали за трибуна, пророка и не пойми чью совесть.
Боб Дилан подарил своим соотечественникам союз героизма и обыденности, когда-то казавшийся неожиданным. Любая исключительность должна быть переводима на доступный язык, и Дилан странен ровно настолько, чтобы его понимали. Ирония Дилана никогда не бывает (само)убийственной, таких заносов он себе не позволяет. У него есть ярко выраженная модернистская миссия по преображению мира — в данном случае, посредством музыки. Ненадолго это удалось — лет на пять, не меньше. Когда в начале 1960-х вся Америка вдруг запела "Времена — они меняются" (The Times They Are A-Changin'), автор песни считал себя блаженной пифией, устами которой говорит история. Сейчас, после череды вкусовых перерождений, увлечения религией и даже магией, воспитания детей, бесконечных поездок на мотоцикле и 36 студийных альбомов Дилан бросил думать об истории. Есть "новые времена" (так называется его самый успешный альбом нулевых), и меняются они постоянно. Дилану же нравится оставаться.
Писатель с роковыми последователями
Дилан первым начал делать многие вещи, которые без него, конечно, как-нибудь придумались бы, но теперь из песни слов не выкинешь. Под его влиянием "Битлз" начали курить марихуану и впадать в самосозерцание (в просторечии — зависать). С тех пор принято считать, что алкоголь — это или для гопников, или старомодно, а вот трава — это да, настоящее искусство. После того, как изобретенный Диланом нервный политизированный кантри-рок породил новую музыку Нового Света от Creedence и Нила Янга до The Doors и Lynyrd Skynyrd, избыточно говорить о влиянии — скорее, о точке зрения Дилана, с которой можно рассматривать американскую музыку второй половины XX века. Что примечательно, без особого участия с его стороны. Увы, но и последыши рок-революции не могут избавиться от этого наваждения. Лайам Галлахер, обзывающий Дилана последними словами, и Пит Доэрти, открыто черпающий в нем свое нездоровое вдохновение, сидят в одной лодке. И даже Алекс Тернер, годящийся Дилану во внуки, может не волноваться насчет происхождения своих текстов. Аудитория Arctic Monkeys, как правило, не знает, кто такой Дилан, а старшее поколение не слушает рок для тинэйджеров. В чем Дилан преуспел много меньше, так это в литературе. Почетную степень Принстонского университета он получил за carminibus canendi (исполнение песен), а не за роман "Тарантул" или стихи, в которых Томас Стернз Элиот дерется на капитанском мостике с Эзрой Паундом. Да, а в 1997 году Дилан был номинирован на Нобелевскую премию по литературе.
Читатель из дома престарелых
В отличие от Джона Леннона, который даже английской поэзии нонсенса предпочитал собственные абсурдистские стишки, Дилан читал много и охотно. Разумеется, без всякой системы — эти штучки он оставлял интеллектуалам. В мемуарах Дилан сетует, что для знакомства со всеми необходимыми книгами нужно сразу заселяться в дом престарелых. Зависая в квартире нью-йоркских друзей, Дилан листал "По ту сторону принципа удовольствия" Зигмунда Фрейда, но, узнав, что это чтение рекламных агентов, больше книгу не открывал. "Шум и ярость" Фолкнера не пошла, но стало ясно, что это сила. Отдельной полкой стояла русская литература. Редкий американский рокер опознает имя Пушкина — гений русского культуртрегерства за границей никогда не был интересен. Дилан утверждает, что читал его "политические стихи" (оду "Вольность"? "К Чаадаеву"?) и знает, что приятель неосторожно поучаствовал в дуэли. Напротив, Толстой и Достоевский — почти американские писатели. В имении одного из них Дилан катался на хозяйском велосипеде, а другого вспоминал, когда в 1970-е пришлось писать пластинки, чтобы расплатиться с кредиторами.
Круг молодого певца
Джоан Баэз — фолк-певица, некоторое время была невестой Дилана, но впоследствии обрела себя на поприще идейно однополой любви. Ее аранжировка народной песни "Дом восходящего солнца" (1962) породила волну подражаний, неутихающую до сих пор.
Аллен Гинзберг — один из лидеров так называемого "разбитого поколения" в литературе, или битников, оказал мощное влияние на поэтическую манеру Дилана, признал в нем ученика и единомышленника, а начиная с личной встречи в декабре 1963 года, числил в друзьях.
Карен Долтон — единственная девушка с гитарой в "Кафе Чего?" (The Cafe Wha?), куда Дилан попал зимой 1961 года. "Сексуальная, долговязая и хмурая", по восхищенным воспоминаниям Дилана, мисс Долтон предвосхитила сценический образ Джоан Баэз.
Дэйв ван Ронк — "левый" поэт-марксист, локальная знаменитость блюзовой сцены Гринвич-виллидж, гуру Дилана, чья нарочито грубая вокальная манера нашла отражение во влиятельной школе "белого" блюза, позднее нашедшего вторую родину в Британии.
Пит Сигер — белый менестрель-фольклорист, поразивший воображение Дилана в 1963 году на фестивале в Ньюпорте. В 1959 году песня Чарльза Альберта Тиндли "Мы все преодолеем" в его исполнении была объявлена гимном Движения за гражданские права.
Советское прошлое
В 1978 году красивый 22-летний Михаил Науменко позировал с книгой Дилана в одной руке и плечом Бориса Гребенщикова в другой для кустарной обложки магнитоальбома "Все братья — сестры", с которого началась вторая волна ленинградского рок-н-ролла. Это был пижонский жест: книжка не просто англоязычная, но с именем культового героя. Без Дилана группе "Аквариум" пришлось бы идти по другому пути, о чем с уверенностью неофита напишет маститый Андрей Вознесенский в связи с выходом первой официальной пластинки "Аквариума" в 1986-м. Возможно, под впечатлением от встречи с американским героем, что состоялась за год до того в Переделкине, — Дилана повезли показать прирученного бунтаря советской поэзии. Американскую знаменитость нехотя признавали в советской империи — помнили его появления на разных сборищах, которые при желании можно было принять за антивоенные. В замшелые советские годы комсомольский журнал "Ровесник" смело относил Дилана к числу прогрессивных певцов, на самом излете эпохи уступив этот вышедший в тираж эпитет пионерскому журналу "Костер". В 1980-е Дилана слушали мало, хотя супергруппа "Traveling Wilburys" с его участием попала в эфир центрального телевидения. Впрочем, что значит мало, если последние советские хиппи повывелись только в эпоху рыночных реформ?
Отправлено: 28.06.11 12:13. Заголовок: Боб продолжает свой ..
Боб продолжает свой бесконечный тур после празднования юбилея.
Bob Dylan set list - London Feis 2011, Finsbury Park, June 18, 2011
Jun 18, 2011 London, England London Feis 2011, Finsbury Park
SET LIST 1 Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking 2 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 3 Things Have Changed 4 Tangled Up In Blue 5 Summer Days 6 Simple Twist Of Fate 7 Cold Irons Bound 8 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 9 Highway 61 Revisited 10 Forgetful Heart 11 Thunder On The Mountain 12 Ballad Of A Thin Man // 13 Like A Rolling Stone 14 All Along The Watchtower 15 Blowin' In The Wind
Отправлено: 01.07.11 09:53. Заголовок: How to be forever yo..
Ещё две книжечки о Бобе.
How to be forever young
Two more contributions to the volumes greeting Bob Dylan's 70th highlight the great man's genius for constant change
The Ballad of Bob Dylan Daniel Mark Epstein Souvenir Press, £20
The Mammoth Book of Bob Dylan Edited by Sean Egan Robinson, £7.99
The Ballad of Bob Dylan is an minutely detailed biography, written by a musician who was part of the original Greenwich Village folk scene. The book has an easy pace that weaves intricate detail with quotes from performers who knew and played with Dylan.
You may not really be bothered about which high D note Dylan adds to his G chord to make it chime, but the author's account of watching him sing The Times They Are A-changing in 1963 is intense and intimate. There is even a scene where Epstein's younger sister gets lost in the crowd trying to get Dylan's autograph and Dylan himself rescues her. This kind of personal perspective continues throughout.
Happily, the book is laced through with Dylan's lyrics. While many of these are now taken for granted as part of the vernacular, Epstein makes you appreciate anew just how many memorable words have flowed out of just one man. The words, both revealing and mysterious, are made magic by unexpected joinings, and made powerful when put to song.
Here's just one sample, from Mr Tambourine Man: "Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind/Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves/The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach/Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow/Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free/Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands/With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves/Let me forget about today until tomorrow…"
Dylan's creative restlessness is as legendary as his songs. He never sings a song the same way twice, and he goes to great effort to keep all his musicians destabilised so they sound fresh. And Epstein shows why smashing preconceptions and exploding genres is as natural to Dylan as getting out of bed.
The book watches Dylan creating his own myth of growing up out west in a carnival and riding freight trains, whereas he really grew up as Bobby Zimmerman in a respectable middle-class Jewish home in the Midwest. Myth and reality converge when he goes to New York to visit his hero, the firebrand, leftist folk singer Woody Guthrie.
Epstein also shows that, while Dylan's image is always that of a loner, he has always been plugged into a larger community of musicians and mythmakers, starting with Woody Guthrie's family. His songs are taken from a magpie's collection of inspirations, from the 1930s blues of Reverend Gary Davis to American Civil War newspapers to Anglo-Saxon poetry. Dylan was ever hungry for the arts, and hoovered up every work in sight, from El Greco to Leroi Jones and Bertolt Brecht, soaking in more and more information from his mentors and muses.
He admires many musicians and keeps careful track of who's good at what. When he needs good bluegrass or gospel or country players, he knows who to call. He does have a cruel streak. He was tormenting his old friend, the blues player Dave Van Ronk in a bar one night until Van Ronk stood up and said, "Dylan, if you're so rich, why ain't you smart?" and left. But all is forgiven years later when Van Ronk and many others who weren't as successful as Dylan, including a disabled childhood friend, are invited to go on a long rock 'n' roll circus tour together.
As you ride through Dylan's decades of changes, lovers and bands, a satisfyingly clear portrait emerges from the shadows, ever sharpening the focus on the most cleverly elusive artist in the age of media saturation.
While Ballad is about the artist and how he created his art, The Mammoth Book of Bob Dylan is a collection of journalistic criticism, edited by Sean Egan. Egan's reviews are a little dry at times, but the book is saved by fascinating and hilarious anecdotes from fans, players and journalists who met Dylan, including entertaining interviews and funny tales about baffled reporters coming up against a man who could always keep 10 steps ahead of them.
Отправлено: 06.07.11 10:06. Заголовок: Bob Dylan and The Ba..
Bob Dylan and The Band: The Making of The Basement Tapes
When it was released in 1975, the official album was only the tip of the iceberg—a mere 24-song sampler of Bob Dylan's most prolific year as a songwriter. Whether it was simply a loose months-long jam session or—as some argue—an epic submersion into the primordial marrow of America's ancient folk tradition, The Basement Tapes will forever stand as one of the most obscure, yet important chapters of Dylan's career.
Dylan's Folk Scholarship
Although Dylan made a name for himself as a folksinger-songwriter in the early 1960s, his knowledge of folk music was superficial at best. Oft-described by his Greenwich Villager contemporaries as a “sponge” when it came to learning new songs, his sponge-manship was limited to technique.
Between 1961-66, Dylan's life was a whirlwind—a blur of activity that allowed no time to actually pause and absorb the rich roots, the lore, the purest American-ness of his chosen medium. He felt the archaic pulse—which is good enough to make brilliant music—but he'd only scratched the surface of its meaning. It wasn't until the The Basement Tapes era of 1967 that Dylan, at 26 years old, began to seriously and consciously plumb the mines of American folk and blues, tapping the true essence of the musical traditions he'd been stealing from and modifying.
Forever after, this Basement Tapes foundation would serve as Dylan's career anchor—a sanctuary of muses and inspiration that he would add to and tap into again and again for the duration, beginning with 1975's Rolling Thunder Revue, and later with the folk cover-albums Good As I Been to You and World Gone Wrong (1992-93), and into the new millennium with his Sirius/XM program, Theme Time Radio Hour.
The Sessions
In July 1966, after returning to his Woodstock refuge following a grueling world tour with his new electric backing band The Hawks, an exhausted Dylan had his legendary “nearly fatal” motorcycle accident. Seizing the opportunity to “get out of the rat race,” Dylan canceled all future plans—including a full fall tour—and went into seclusion for eight years. But despite outward appearances that Dylan's life had ground to a halt, as a songwriter, the following year became the most productive of his career.
To be closer to Dylan, The Hawks—consisting of Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson (and later in the sessions drummer Levon Helm)—had recently relocated to nearby West Saugerties into a house dubbed Big Pink. In the spring of 1967, while writing new material for his forthcoming album John Wesley Harding, Dylan began visiting the band for a few hours everyday for informal jams in the basement, where the musicians had set up a basic studio with three mikes and a seven-inch reel-to-reel tape recorder operated by Hawks organist Garth Hudson.
When exactly the Basement Tapes sessions began and ended has been one of those great rock mysteries. In the official album's liner notes, music writer Greil Marcus wrote “Between June and October,” however, he revised those dates in his 2001 book The Old Weird America to “early summer 1967... off and on through the rest of the year and into the next.” But regardless of that trivia, with no mission other than to get together and play, and no intention to ever release any of the songs recorded, the sessions became a time for pure creation that ranged anywhere from tomfoolery to absolute intensity—and moments pure sublimity.
The Outcome
From songs like Johnny Cash's “Big River” and Ian Tyson's “Four Strong Winds, to off-the-cuff performances like “Clothesline Saga” (a spin on Bobbie Gentry's then-hit “Ode to Billie Joe”), the bulk of the sessions were spent either improvising or doing covers of folk ballads and country standards. Meanwhile, Dylan seized the opportunity to teach the Hawks the songs he'd cut his teeth on back in the early Village days, generating a new appreciation for traditional American music in these hardcore Canadian rockers.
All told, in the six or seven months that encompassed the sessions, the musicians produced more than 100 songs ranging from half-minute fragments, to zany throwaways, to fully realized originals. Other songs included Curtis Mayfield's “People Get Ready,” John Lee Hooker's “I'm in the Mood,” traditional songs like “Going Down the Road” and “Coming Round the Mountain,” and even “Flight of the Bumble Bee.”
Despite the no-expectations atmosphere of the sessions, a 14-song demo called “The Basement Tape” was released with some of the original performances, including “The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)” (which became a #10 hit first for Manfred Mann in 1968), “Too Much of Nothing,” first recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1967, and “You Ain't Goin' Nowhere,” recorded by the Byrds.
The Official Album
In 1968, renamed “The Band,” the Hawks would reach rapid fame as America's foremost “country rock” band, and their debut album, Music from Big Pink, would prominently feature some of the cream of the Basement Tapes sessions, including, "This Wheel's on Fire" (purchase/download) and "Tears of Rage" (purchase/download).
Meanwhile, it didn't take long for the demo—meant to stay behind industry doors—to trickle into the public domain and become Dylan's most heavily bootlegged recordings of all time. But despite that saturation, with the world still high on the 1974 comeback album Blood on the Tracks, when Columbia released the official album The Basement Tapes in 1975, it quickly blazed up the charts into the top ten.
Featuring 24 tracks from the sessions, as Greil Marcus wrote in the liner notes, “As Dylan and The Band trade vocals across these discs, as they trade nuances and phrases within the songs, you can feel the warmth and the comradeship that must have been liberating for all six men... the open spirit of the songs is as straightforward as their unmatched vitality and spunk.”
Although more of unreleased tracks from the sessions have made it onto official releases over the years, the most recent unearthing from the Basement Tapes vaults was the song “I'm Not There,” which also which Todd Haynes used in the title of his 2007 film by the same name. Recorded in one take, and never performed again, until now the song was the most obscure track from the sessions.
Отправлено: 13.07.11 09:11. Заголовок: Rumor - Bob Dylan to..
Rumor - Bob Dylan to tour Europe with Mark Knopfler, announcement soon
According to John Baldwin's Desolation Row Information Service, Bob Dylan's fall tour itinerary of Europe is almost final, and he may be touring with his former collaborator Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame):
We’ve been telling you for some time that there will be an Autumn Tour of Europe. What I can say now is that the tour has been finalized and the Promoters are just waiting for Dylan’s people to give their approval before an announcement can be made – just in case they or Mr. Dylan might object to some aspect of the arrangements. I expect to get the full details this Friday or next Monday. They want to get tickets on sale ASAP. What I can tell you is that the tour will start early October and finish mid-November. Dylan will be touring with another big name. I can’t say who without breaking confidence but our friends at ISIS believe that this might be Mark Knopfler (I’ll neither confirm nor refute this). The UK Promoter has said that fan access to a ticket allocation will be available and I expect to be running that as usual.
The rumor over at Isis is that it will be a "double-header" tour. The Dylan fanzine has learned that Knopfler has postponed the planned mixing of his new album until the new year because "something has come up".
Among the countries mentioned for the tour are United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy.
Knopfler participated on session for two of Dylan’s most acclaimed albums, 1979’s Slow Train Coming (as guitarist) and 1983’s Infidels (guitarist and co-producer).
Despite Knopfler’s disappointment with Dylan’s final version of Infidels, they shared the stage twice in 1986 down in Australia - Once at a Dylan gig with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, then later at a Dire Straits concert.
Отправлено: 14.07.11 09:52. Заголовок: Bob Dylan: A Legenda..
Bob Dylan: A Legendary Fashion Inspiration
Bob Dylan is one of those rare, iconic performers who has played a truly instrumental (pardon the pun) role in how the world views both music and fashion. In terms of influence, Dylan is up there with the Madonnas, Michael Jacksons and Kurt Cobains of the world. While they are all incredibly talented musicians, each of them have also single-handedly inspired some of the biggest fashion trends our era has ever seen.
Today, as the world celebrates Bob Dylan's 70th birthday, it's only fitting that we honor him with a Dylan-inspired style tribute. It's the least we could do for the man who brought us wayfarers, fitted blazers, skinny pants and so much more, making androgyny acceptable and cool for all of us girls. Click through for some of our favorite pieces to help you get in touch with your androgynous side.
Отправлено: 18.07.11 09:45. Заголовок: Bob Dylan in Vegas -..
Bob Dylan in Vegas - A reader's review
Today we have a review from Bob Dylan Examiner reader Ana Morris:
I just got back from the gig at The Palms and am feeling the blues. Just because I may not see him again for another whole year. The waiting, the build up, then ... it's over. But his image is burned into my eyes. He looked even younger than last year. He wore the black hat with the flat brim and a light red feather. Black suit with thin white stripe and black and white spats which are actually boots ... I got a glimpse.
He was also messing with his pants a lot, putting his hand in his white belt and moving his jacket around. His dancing and moves were too hot for me. I had to scream a few times. Seriously he seems to be getting younger. He looked about 40.
My seat was right in front of the stage 3 rows back. At first we were standing in our seats rockin', but sorry to say Bob's audience were mainly geriatrics who wouldn't stand up, and were complaining so the whole audience was forced to sit until the encore. That was very difficult.
The awesome set included "Things Have Changed" which he sang so beautifully it broke my heart. "Forgetful Heart" made me cry, literally ... the harmonica break just tore me up. Charlie (Sexton) was in great form, although he looks really skinny, more than usual, even not well. He was playful, at one point he rolled on his back on the floor.
Dylan changed up the lyrics a bit on "Simple Twist of Fate". "Rolling Stone" and "Blowin' in the Wind" were thrilling. He sang "Watchtower" like it was the first time he ever sung it.
Sitting in my seat to "Highway 61" and "Thunder on the Mountain" was truly torture. I just love to dance at a Dylan gig, so I felt cheated by The Palms. I had asked them if we can stand in our seats. They said "yes" but so many geriatric lazy fans - who wouldn't stand up - complained. Still, it was wonderful, I was only 10 feet away quite a lot of the time. Right in front of him. His vibe is so sweet, his voice sometimes that growl just went right through me. On "Highway 61" and a couple of other tracks they used an echo which seemed to just echo his deepest voice. I can't explain but it was so awesome.
We will be playing Dylan music (a lot) at Freedom Festival for Wild Horses, Bonnie Springs, Las Vegas, on 1st October. Hope to see you there.
Here's the set list:
1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat 2. It Ain't Me, Babe 3. Things Have Changed 4. Tangled Up In Blue 5. Beyond Here Lies Nothin' 6. Sugar Baby 7. Summer Days 8. Simple Twist Of Fate 9. Highway 61 Revisited 10. Forgetful Heart 11. Thunder On The Mountain 12. Ballad Of A Thin Man (encore) 13. Like A Rolling Stone 14. All Along The Watchtower 15. Blowin' In The Wind
He rocked "Summer Days", and "Sugar Baby".
Thanks, Ana . . .
For the record:
Tour debuts: "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" and "It Ain't Me, Babe".
Songs dropped from previous show: "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking", "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall", "High Water (for Charlie Patton)", and "Tryin' To Get To Heaven".
Songs not played at previous show: "It Ain't Me, Babe", "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat", and "Simple Twist Of Fate"
Отправлено: 25.07.11 11:43. Заголовок: Bob Dylan in Thacker..
Bob Dylan in Thackerville, Oklahoma - Things haven't changed much
July 23, 2011 Thackerville, OK WinStar World Casino SET LIST
Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue Things Have Changed If You Ever Go To Houston Beyond Here Lies Nothin' Tangled Up In Blue Summer Days Visions Of Johanna Cold Irons Bound Sugar Baby Highway 61 Revisited Simple Twist Of Fate Thunder On The Mountain Ballad Of A Thin Man // Like A Rolling Stone All Along The Watchtower
The Thackerville show was very similar to Dylan's previous concert in Albuquerque, New Mexico:
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 2. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 3. Things Have Changed 4. If You Ever Go To Houston 5. Beyond Here Lies Nothin' 6. Tangled Up In Blue 7. Cold Irons Bound 8. Visions Of Johanna 9. Summer Days 10. Sugar Baby 11. Highway 61 Revisited 12. Simple Twist Of Fate 13. Thunder On The Mountain 14. Ballad Of A Thin Man (1st encore) 15. Like A Rolling Stone 16. All Along The Watchtower (2nd encore) 17. Forever Young
Note 16 of the songs (everything except the second encore of "Forever Young") were performed at both shows, although in a slightly different order.
Of course changes in the setlist should have no baring on the quality of the performances. It's just interesting that Dylan has chosen to repeat this setlist almost exactly from the previous night after a history of variety in songs performed throughout the so-called "Never-Ending Tour."
When Dylan played Israel last month, he repeated the setlist from his show in London two days before. Dylan had been changing sets list regularly - sometimes drastically - at every show since playing Berkeley, California, on May 7 and 8, 1992.
Отправлено: 28.07.11 09:53. Заголовок: Bob Dylan’s Grandson..
Bob Dylan’s Grandson Pursues Career as a Rapper
By pursuing a career as a rapper, Bob Dylan‘s grandson Pablo Dylan is marching to the beat of a slightly different drummer, and he’s got an interesting perspective on his famous grandfather, too.
“I mean, really, my grandfather, I consider him the Jay-Z of his time, and he definitely has a legacy that a lot of people look up to,” Pablo Dylan tells AllHipHop.com. “He feels strongly about my music and I love him to death.”
Pablo’s career draws further influence from his dad, Jesse Dylan, who is known for directing music videos for a wide array of musical artists, including Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Lenny Kravitz, as well as his film work, for movies like ‘Kicking and Screaming’ (with Will Ferrell) and ‘American Wedding.’
Dylan is about to turn 16 and names ‘The Eminem Show’ by Eminem as an important early influence on his music.
Despite his famous lineage, he wants his music to be judged on its own terms. Having recently released his first mixtape, ’10 Minutes,’ Dylan is proud of his accomplishment. “It was meant to show people what I have been working for, and how I really want to differentiate myself from everyone else,” explains Pablo. “This project is all the hard work from being a little kid messing around on the piano up until now.”
He has a lot of respect for what his grandfather has brought to his world and says, “Everyone around me influences me, and I have learned so much from him just listening to his records, but I hope his music continues to live on through what I continue to do the rest of my life.”
Отправлено: 09.08.11 09:45. Заголовок: Bob Dylan Review 07/..
Bob Dylan Review 07/08/11 – Rochester Hills, MI
As a Dylan advocate (you might at times have said “apologist”) I sometimes fear my legitimate praise of the great man will be perceived as mindless fawning.
So let me first complain about the last show I’d seen at the Kitchener Aud (terrible acoustics) with a bunch of Greatest Hits enthusiasts, and poor Bob looking almost bored to tears. Even at this type of vaguely disheartening show I’d rationalize: “Well it looked like he was having a good time.” I was saying this because he bobbed his knees a few times. And because at previous shows I’d seen he’d looked like he was having a downright bad time.
Well, last night in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Bob looked (not just to me but to even a neutral observer) like he was having a fucking hell of a time. I think the biggest improvement is that Bob’s new configuration of switching from organ, to centre-stage crooning to playing guitar really mixes up the dynamic.
Previously, when all Bob did was plunk away on his circus organ (sometimes called the “instrument of torture”) things began to sound dreadfully similar and it could lull you to sleep, even if there were some grand moments. It also led to a lot of sing-songy shouting that disappointed the people who wanted the songs to sound at least something like the songs they love.
But, now, for the handful of songs played on the IOT you get a great attack between the organ and Charlie Sexton’s subtle, exquisite guitar slinging. In the past there had been accusations among knowledgeable fans that Bob was drowning Charlie out.
But it’s when Bob is crooning that his shows are now the most fun. During his early 60s appearances in Greenwich Village some compared him to Charlie Chaplin because of the comical way he’d look nervous and uncomfortable before tearing into some ballad that held the room in the palm of his hand. Also maybe because he is really short and cartoonishly cute in appearance.
Well, now the Chaplin comparison has come full circle as Dylan seems to, more than ever, embrace the role of comedian. He prances about in a way so comical that I couldn’t help pointing it out to the somewhat aggravated “long-time-listeners-first-time-attendees” beside me.
These people were also trying to have a kind of religious experience with Bob but a kind that wasn’t quite up to date. The woman was interested in my tips about what to expect. But her companion, after delivering a non-sensical speech about Blowin’ in the Wind that kept coming back to his condemnation of marijuana-smoking, was shushed by his more-savvy companion, so he eventually became insecure and boorishly yelled at me to leave them alone in stereotypical American nastiness, for which his date later apologized, referring to him as “her friend” as though she wanted precious little to do with him after his dickish outburst.
As I have a sensitive psychic constitution this rattled me for the remainder of the show. Also, because the premiere area under the pavilion is seated, it’s a totally different vibe than standing general admission which encourages dancing (and in my case, a Bob-inspired duck walk). When I was yelling out the encouragement I felt Bob deserved I was generally perceived as a lunatic.
That brings me to my main point. In the past I’ve had a theory that when an audience is rocking, Bob gives them what they deserve, but when an audience is passive Bob phones it in to a degree. This might explain why the shows in Europe and abroad are consistently better than the ones in America. Last night he fought through that beer-drunk passivity and just did what he does best now.
It’s my opinion that songs two through four are usually the highlight of any Dylan show. And the last time I saw him, once those were over it was a long slow death march through Highway 61, Thin Man, etc.
Last night was a totally even show, consistently good from top to bottom. Those aforementioned songs that I usually skip when listening to bootlegs are becoming nightly highlights. It could also be that they’re meant to be heard live where the power of the band really comes across. But more so than usual, the band was drum-tight on those songs.
The addition of Mississippi allows Bob to play with the lyrics to one of his most beautiful songs in the way he’s been doing with Visions of Johanna and Desolation Row for the last few years.
For some this is, to quote one message board commentator, “pissing on the Mona Lisa,” but for others, going to a Bob show and hearing one of these lesser played masterpieces is, like, a reason for living. I can attest to that somewhat extreme statement. The night previous I’d been at a wedding, and, as usual, due to my proclivity for hard drinking and the sensitive psychic constitution mentioned above had made a sort of minor scene. So I was hungover, plagued by guilt and a Kierkegaardian “sickness unto death,” and in this sorrowful condition, watching and hearing Bob healed and nourished me in ways that would only sound silly to anyone but a fellow Bob freak.
Back to the music: When this boot comes out…pay particular attention to the clipped yelling on Things Have Changed. Clipped yelling is what people have grumbled about for years. Some idiots have even called for him to quit because of it. Maybe that lit a fire under Bob. Because this is a new kind of clipped yelling that even the Greatest Hits fans can’t help but be amused by.
Отправлено: 12.08.11 10:13. Заголовок: Bob Dylan: Different..
Bob Dylan: Different but the same review
Musical legend delivers with favorites. Leon Russell proves he’s still got it.
BRAD PATTON Times Leader Correspondent
SCRANTON -- For more than 20 years, Bob Dylan’s concerts have been a lot like Forrest Gump’s fabled box of chocolates: You never what you’re gonna get.
Since his so-called “Never Ending Tour” began in June 1988, every show features a different setlist, altered arrangements and a varied vocal approach. Sometimes his classic songs are so radically rearranged, it takes even the most diehard Dylan fan two verses and a chorus to identify them.
While that may have kept some people away from his performance at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Wednesday evening (it was definitely the venue’s smallest crowd of the season), it’s also what makes his shows so much fun.
Dylan, the 1982 Songwriters Hall of Fame and 1988 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and who turned 70 in May, played keyboards for most of the night Wednesday, kicking off his set with a raucous version of his 1965 hit “Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35.”
He followed it up with an equally fine rendition of “It Ain’t Me Babe,” and kept playing well-known songs from his storied repertoire including “Things Have Changed” and a stunning “Tangled Up In Blue” in the early part of his show.
Dylan was backed by an impressive, highly adaptive five-piece band consisting of Charlie Sexton (guitar), Stu Kimball (guitar), Donnie Herron (multiple instruments including pedal steel, mandolin and banjo), Tony Garnier (bass) and George Recile (drums).
Dylan played electric guitar on two songs Wednesday – “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” from his latest album (2009’s “Together Through Life”) and “Simple Twist of Fate” from 1975’s acclaimed “Blood on the Tracks.” He peppered a few songs with his trademark harmonica, saving his most expressive playing for the main-set closer “Ballad of a Thin Man.”
The small but appreciative crowd showered the reluctant legend with hearty applause during his two-song encore of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along The Watchtower.” For the record, only four of his 15 songs on Wednesday were different from the set he played in Canandaigua, N.Y., on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s show began with a 45-minute opening set by fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell, whose career has been on an upswing since the 2010 release of “The Union,” an album of duets with Elton John.
Russell, who at 69 still has his long white hair and beard and is still a masterful piano player, began his portion with “Delta Lady,” the hit he wrote for Joe Cocker. Russell then played songs from all of rock’s Mount Rushmore besides Dylan – Chuck Berry (“Roll Over Beethoven”), The Beatles (“I’ve Just Seen A Face”) and the Rolling Stones (a full length “Wild Horses” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” as part of a medley). No matter what he sang, they all ended up sounding like vintage Leon Russell.
Dylan and Russell will be at the Bethel Woods Center in Bethel, N.Y., on Friday and at Philadelphia’s Mann Music Center on Aug. 17. The next concert at the Toyota Pavilion is country star Jason Aldean on Aug. 25.
The mood permeating the grounds of the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Wednesday night was decidedly relaxed and appreciative of a night of quality musicianship during the Bob Dylan concert.
At 7:45, opener Leon Russell walked quietly onstage, and with a little wave, sat behind his keyboards and jumped into his nearly 50-minute set. Hidden beneath his trademark Stetson hat and long white beard, the architect of "the Tulsa Sound" delivered a strong arrangement of jaunty bluesy songs, including "Sweet Little Angel" and "Back to the Island." Upbeat covers of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and The Beatles' "I've Just Seen a Face" got every toe in the pavilion-only show tapping.
During "Delta Lady," Russell let his fingers race along the keys in a succinct but impressive solo. Dismissing his backup band temporarily, Russell belted a heartfelt version of the ballad "A Song For You," from his debut self-titled solo album, one of his best-known compositions.
Rejoined by his band, a cover of the Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" mashed with The Temptations' "Pappa Was a Rollin' Stone" lifted the mood back up effortlessly. A speedy cover of "Paint It Black" roused a cheerful round of applause from the audience, and segued into a bluesier version of "Roll Over Beethoven."
Introduced as the "Poet Laureate of Rock 'n' Roll," Dylan took to the stage at 9 sharp to delighted screams from thousands of fans. The diminutive legend rasped through "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Things Have Changed" with the aid of an understated, though capable, backing band.
With every breath into his harmonica, the veteran singer-songwriter garnered a fresh wave of cheers from the adoring crowd. "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Beyond Here Lies Nothin' " came next, and Dylan switched instruments for the third time in 30 minutes to sit down with his guitar.
"Mississippi" placed him back behind his keyboards, where he seemed most comfortable. "Summer Days" injected a feelgood number into the mix, and "Desolation Row" unfolded at its own pace, telling a full story, which is what Dylan has proved to be a master at in his decades-long career. "Highway 61 Revisited" thumped along with a healthy dose of soul, and had every head bopping back and forth.
Devoid of massive sets, props or pyrotechnics, unlike every other concert of the season, Wednesday's show was all about the music - and the men who delivered it in an earnest and skilled way.
Отправлено: 16.08.11 10:57. Заголовок: New vinyl reissue of..
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ew vinyl reissue of Bob Dylan's 'Oh Mercy,' and the story of the cover art
One of Bob Dylan's most acclaimed albums, 1989's Oh Mercy, is being reissued on vinyl tomorrow, August 16.
Interestingly, it is being released not on Sony or Sundazed, but 4 Men with Beards, a San Franscisco-based label that specializes only in vinyl reissues. While there is no confirmation on the Runt website, Amazon lists the release date as tomorrow.
4 Men With Beards has an amazing catalogue so far, with music ranging from late 1960s Atlantic Records soul classics to the Velvet Underground, the Slits, Big Star, Flipper, and Funkadelic. On August 23, the label is also expected to reissue Leonard Cohen's Death Of A Ladies' Man, which features Bob Dylan on one track.
This is the blurb for Oh Mercy on the 4 Men With Beards website:
Artists Name: Dylan, Bob Title: Oh Mercy (180 Gram Vinyl) Format: LP Label: 4 MEN WITH BEARDS
Bob Dylan's 1989 release Oh Mercy is often considered a comeback record for him and for good reason, it is his strongest album of the decade along with Infidels released earlier in 1983. The swampy, organic and hazy atmospheric production is courtesy of Daniel Lanois and was influenced by the location of the recording, New Orleans, and the local musicians who played on it. By this time Dylan had rediscovered his song writing chops and the record is uniformly strong featuring stand out tracks such as Ring Them Bells, Most Of The Time, Man In The Long Black Coat and Shooting Star. Oh Mercy placed at #15 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 1989 and reached #6 in the U.K. and #30 on the Billboard chart capping off the decade on a positive note. 180 gram vinyl.
Lanois was chosen as producer after a suggestion by U2's Bono, and would return to work on 1997's Time Out Of Mind.
The cover artwork was picked by Dylan as he passed a mural that caught his eye while biking to the studio. The piece was called "Dancing Couple," and it was signed "Troksky."
Remerro Trotsky Williams probably didn't realize the effect Dylan already had on him when he was younger. Trotsky grew up in Washington, D.C., and the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom changed his outlook:
"I learned that differences in acceptance could be attributable to color ... and my journey for balance and harmony [in my life] began."
The march is most well known for Dr. Martin Luther King's' "I Have A Dream" speech, but Dylan performed at the event as well.
The artist's life changed again when Dylan wanted artwork by Trotsky to be used as an album cover. According to a 1989 article in People magazine:
... Bob Dylan sent agents scurrying to locate the creator of a mural he'd spotted on a building in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen district. Signed "Trotsky," the painting, a colorful acrylic-on-brick of a dancing couple, adorns the side of the Kowk Wah Chinese Restaurant at Ninth Avenue and 53rd Street. When Dylan wanted to photograph it for the cover of his 35th Columbia Records album, Oh Mercy, Columbia minions went in search of the artist ... with a contract for more than $5,000.
Weeks later, Trotsky was located with the help of a local community group. "There I was in early July, returning from landlord-tenant court, completely exhausted, and the phone rings," says Trotsky, 36, who owed back rent on his ramshackle $369-a-month studio near his mural. "I answered with a whine." And utter disbelief when told of Dylan's intent. "I said, 'You're full of it,' " he recalls...
Flirted with now by agents and galleries—"I'm hot right now and I love it," he says—Trotsky enjoyed an audience with his benefactor at a Dylan concert in July. "He told me my painting blew him away," says the artist. "He was also concerned that I liked the title of the album to go with my artwork. That was very nice."
Trotsky was also quoted as saying, "I was just about to give up and move to Atlanta or Istanbul, and I get this phone call: 'CBS (who owned Columbia Records pre-Sony) calling - We want to use one of your paintings for the Bob Dylan LP,' and I say, 'You're kidding; this is some cruel joke; go away, but give me your number, and I'll call you back.' I called back and it ended up being the real thing."
According to Trotsky, Dylan asked him for advice when they finally met. "He said, CBS was scared the title Oh Mercy sounded religious. I said Oh Mercy had guts and feeling, and it matched the art."
A few months after the album's release, Trotsky was diagnosed with HIV. "I never thought I'd still be alive in 2007," he said four years ago. "HIV has astonished and confounded me, my work and my friends in uncounted ways [and that's not a bad thing]."
ALBUM INFO:
Political World Where Teardrops Fall Everything Is Broken Ring Them Bells Man In The Long Black Coat
Most Of The Time What Good Am I? Disease Of Conceit What Was It You Wanted? Shooting Star
Produced by Daniel Lanois Recorded by Malcolm Burn with Mark Howard Mixed by Malcolm Burn / Daniel Lanois Studio Installation by Mark Howard Mastered By Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York Street Art by Trotsky Album Design by Christopher Austopchuk Type Design by Mark Burdett Photo: Suzie-Q
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Отправлено: 24.10.09 01:38. Заголовок: ЛЕНТА НОВОСТЕЙ БОБ ДИЛАНА - 3
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