Dylan Ping
Posted on 03/09/2009 3:57:08 PM PDT by pissant
I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver/And I'm reading James Joyce/Some people tell me I got the blood of the land in my voice," Bob Dylan sings in a leathery growl, capturing the essence of his forthcoming studio album — raw-country love songs, sly wordplay and the wounded state of the nation — in “I Feel a Change Coming On," one of the record's 10 new originals.
Set for late April, the as-yet-untitled album arrives a few months after Dylan's outtakes collection Tell Tale Signs, and it “came as a surprise," says a source close to Dylan's camp. Last year, filmmaker Olivier Dahan, who directed the 2007 Edith Piaf biopic, La Vie en Rose, approached Dylan about writing a song for his next feature. Dylan responded with “Life Is Hard," a bleak ballad with mandolin, pedal steel and him singing in a dark, clear voice, “The evening winds are still/I've lost the way and will." (The song appears in the film My Own Love Song, starring Rene Zellweger.)
Inspired, Dylan kept writing and recording songs with his road band and guests, with Los Lobos' David Hidalgo rumored on accordion. Dylan produced the album under his usual pseudonym, Jack Frost.
The disc has the live-in-the-studio feel of Dylan's last two studio records, 2001's Love and Theft and 2006's Modern Times, but with a seductive border-cafe feel (courtesy of the accordion on every track) and an emphasis on struggling-love songs. The effect — in the opening shuffle, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," the Texas-dancehall jump of “If You Ever Go to Houston" and the waltz “This Dream of You" — is a gnarly turn on early-1970s records like New Morning and Planet Waves.
Dylan makes references to the national chaos, as on the viciously funny slow blues “My Wife's Home Town" ("State gone broke, the county's dry/Don't be lookin' at me with that evil eye"), culminating in the deceptive rolling rock of “It's All Good." Against East L.A. accordion and a snake's nest of guitars, Dylan tells you how bad things are — “Brick by brick, they tear you down/A teacup of water is enough to drown" — then ices each verse with the title line, a pithy shot of sneering irony and calming promise. “You would never expect the record after Modern Times to sound like this," the source says. “Bob takes all of those disparate elements you hear and puts them into a track. But you can't put your finger on it — 'It sounds exactly like that.' That's why he's so original."
And Trying to Get to Heaven, Not Dark Yet, and Highlands (all from TOOM)
I like Dylan’s own production. less cluttered, IMO. Though both albums you mention are very good.
New Dylan Bump!
Not Dark Yet....depressing and just about right for the times.
I also like Two Soldiers...It’s all over now Baby Blue
Thnks fer da ping. I had read rumors. Good to he some confirmation. And good to get in before the drive-bys show up with their tired old crap.
Exciting. If this follows his last three in quality than it will be one of the best of the year.
Yeah, that whole album (TOOM) is dark, but that cut in particular.
hopefully, he sold a few Caddy's too.
Oh yeah. Forgot about that. Good for him
Thanks for the ping. This is the first I’ve heard of this.
Looking forward to it.
The last three or four albums are the very best of his career in my opinion.
Amazingly, it appears that it is impossible for Dylan to put out a bad album. Even the "bootleg" series of recordings are first rate and as for the much maligned "Self Portrait" of 1970 - there is a lot to like about that recording as well.
In his post Blood on the Tracks period ('74 onward) I'm not a fan of Down in the Groove ('88) or Under the Red Sky ('90). ...but even those albums contain a few good songs.
Infidels (1983) would've been one of Bob's very best had he included the great songs from that same recording session that didn't see release until The Bootleg Series ('91). ...and those tunes are "Foot of Pride" and "Blind Willie McTell -- two of Dylan's absolute masterpieces. Can't fathom how he could've left those off the original release.
I would vote 'Blood on the Tracks' as my personal favorite. Dylan has now been around so long that they may qualify as an "early" work, but certainly not "earliest".
Yes, nothing except his latest works!
I was actually thinking of you the other night. I was in a Dylan mood and pulled out my DVD of the 'Bob-fest' and watched a good portion of it for about the umpteenth time!!
Thanks again and hope you are doing well.
is that Vincent Price cooking up the homeowners yappy little dogs?
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