Posted on 09/25/2005 3:47:51 AM PDT by dennisw
Edited on 09/25/2005 10:11:40 AM PDT by Lead Moderator. [history]
About an hour into Bob Dylan: No Direction Home, Joan Baez—in an interview that will be edited by your PBS station—recalls an invincible young Dylan imagining what they'll be saying about him in the future: "A bunch of years from now, all these (expletive deleted) are going to be writing about all this (expletive deleted) I write, and I don't know where the (expletive deleted) it comes from and I don't know what the (expletive deleted) it's about, and they're going to write about what it's about." Here we are. This documentary comes complete with a Starbucks tie-in, an Apple logo, and a celebrity director's credit. That director is Martin Scorsese, who has surely coveted access to this footage—donated by D.A. Pennebaker, Murray Lerner, and others—having already shot Dylan as the pièce de résistance to his documentary about The Band, The Last Waltz. But before you get too excited about this crossroads meeting, viewer, beware: This project was co-produced by Dylan's manager Jeff Rosen. Scorsese was brought in well after Rosen had already conducted the interviews and approved the material. What will all these assholes be saying about Dylan? In this "Martin Scorsese Picture," whatever the Dylan people want.
We'll take it gratefully, of course. No Direction Home is framed by footage from a 1966 European tour in which Dylan was hounded by the folkie furies for plugging in with the Hawks, who later became The Band. (This footage is from Pennebaker's never-released and seldom-seen Eat the Document.) As the documentary opens, we see Dylan performing the classic rock warhorse "Like a Rolling Stone." The record had already been a No. 2 single, but it was still a rock 'n' roll Rite of Spring, too raw
I have not heard that version. I will try to look it up. Thanks
My problem with todays Bob Dylan is his voice. It's terrible either on purpose or from years of cigarettes. His band is always the best and so is the music. I rather listen to him on record than to see him in person butcher his oldies.
The last two nights PBS shows were great. The interviews with his old buddies from Greenwich Village. The England '66 performances were immaculately restored. Play effing loud, baby!
You must bear in mind he likes to make offbeat remarks to surprise people so they can't pigeon hole him. He's always been like that
I like any Dylan tune the Byrds do better than the way Dylan did it. I like the McGuinn 12 string jingle jangle and Gene Clark's voice and the harmonies with David Crosby
When I first listened, his voice was distracting. But, I have gotten used to it and have actually come to appreciate it as it is now. I have come to like his 21st century voice.
Do yourself a favor and buy "Love and Theft." It contains some of his best songs ever. "Mississippi," "Floater," and "High Water" are up there with his best. I'm listening to "Lonesome Day Blues" right now. Amazing. Just amazing. He's never been better.
"Heeeeeeeeey Mr. Tambourine Man..." < sung w/clothespin on nose> Sorry, I can't get past that.
read Chronicals, Volume 1
The footage from the 60's was incredible . . . Dylan was dissing the press, dissing the leftist peacenik crowd, dissing the "folk" music establishment and even dissing his fans . . . but I don't know if any of them realized it, he was so perfectly deadpan . . .
I found the comments of Joan Baez particularly revealing as to Bob's connection with the radical left - basically she said "he was never with us" . . .
BD said something to the effect that the question was ridiculus, why would you ask an entertainer about such a complex subject? Entertainers are not equipped to address those types of issues said BD.
it was refreshing candor.
The point is that the author is hand-wringing BECAUSE Dylan isn't a bloviating, frothing-at-the-mouth-liberal as he no doubt hoped.
And you are wrong about only boomers caring about boomers. In fact you couldn't be MORE wrong. This economy is being driven by boomers. The health care industry, the recreation industry, and; who do you think is buying all those SUVs?
Are you one of those jealous young punks under 35?
Bob Dylan was with the left back in his early years but he never got in as deep and crazy as a Joan Baez. When he wanted out of the protest singer niche, the true believer leftists were mighty peeved. For BD his career and poetry always came first.
I never liked BD until he went to rocking electric.
Senior year of High school, we had to do a paper on our favorite poet. I chose Dylan
No, I'm an informed boomer.
She wrote Diamonds and Rust I believe. Pretty good song. Come to think of it She wrote it about Dylan
Your loss.
I saw this documentary and developed a STRANGE NEW RESPECT for Bob Dylan. And what did he do that was so horrible? Yeah, he offended the dopey folk song "purists" like that idiot Pete Seeger by playing an electric guitar but is that really so bad? Also, if you SAW the documentary, Dylan did NOT get involved with the leftwing protests. He just played his music and figured it was enough to entertain people.
Bob Dylan : Bringing it All Back Home. That's my favorite. Was that his first electric album? I'm not sure.
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