Bob Dylan: 'Mr. Tambourine Man' turns 79 today

We remember Robert Zimmerman, who was born in Minnesota on this day in 1941. We know him as Bob Dylan.

As far as I know, Dylan has been quiet lately. He seems to be enjoying retirement and having the rest of us listen to his songs. (By the way, May is another anniversary of Dylan's second album, the one that included "Blowing in the wind.")

Dylan did win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Eventually, he accepted the award, but his trip to Stockholm was typical Dylan, as I recall reading in The New Yorker:

When he finally showed up in Stockholm, during an April tour stop, to receive the Nobel medal, he looked more like a cat burglar than a laureate, sneaking into the private prize hand-off through a service door, wearing a hoodie, leather jacket, and gloves.

Maybe he should have done a solo rendition of "Boots of Spanish Leather" with that outfit! On second thought, maybe he should have asked Joan Baez to do it.

I never really liked Dylan singing his own songs, although "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Like a Rolling Stone" are obvious exceptions. Nobody can sing those two songs like Dylan. I love The Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man," but Dylan is Dylan.

Some of his performances,particularly the early ones,were good...but not great.His style was certainly an "acquired taste".But as a songwriter...in his early days...he was a genius,an absolute genius.

Tambourine Man,done by both the Byrds *and* Judy Collins,are classics.My Back Pages by the Byrds...ditto.And of course there were others.

I read once that in writing Tambourine Man he was influenced by a film called La Strada...which is my favorite film of all time.All the more reason to see it as my favorite song of all time!

I, too, thought I didn't care for Dylan's singing style until I heard other venerated artists trying to sing his songs, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, as just two examples. Recently I was gifted with a "greatest hits" CD of Dylan. Listening back to back, I see what a genius he is and was.

Here's one thing he has been doing in retirement:

Bob Dylan – Iron Works – Mood Swings -36 Photographs

Another side of Bob Dylan: Iron sculptor

https://www.needsomefun.net/bob-dylan-iron-works-mood-swings/

That reminded me of and was like a memory lane trip through my old 1776 Dairy Farm barn in New England.
I recognized many items, tools, gears, sprockets and pullys from vintage farm equip.

Interesting stuff although I am not a fan of trashing antiques to make art.
To each is own

Dylan was and is an American original. He seems to elicit strong feelings pro and con, but he also probably is just puzzled by that. Anyone who has an interest in him should by all means watch “No Direction Home” a lengthy documentary/interview/bio by Martin Scorsese. BTW Dylan is still putting out studio albums.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/la-strada-1994

from link:

When Fellini died, the critic Stanley Kauffmann wrote: ... “During his lifetime, many fine filmmakers blessed us with their art, but he was the only one who made us feel that each of his films, whatever its merits, was a present from a friend.”

I’ve often wondered if La Strada wasn’t the true beginning of the women’s movement...

When Leon Russell got discouraged over his aging (to the point of becoming a bit neurotic), Dylan talked him off his couch and back on tour for a spell. Leon passed away last year, but he had a few gravelly notes left in his voice, and was still master of the keys and how a song should sound.

I hope someone can do the same now for Dylan.

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