The Last Temptation of Dylan- Watching the new documentary.

slate ^ | Posted Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 | David Yaffe

[dennisw]

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

[Moby Grape]

"I think it is important to note that he has given little if any support to the left since 1965"

You are very right...In fact, the song "Neighborhood Bully" is a pro-Israel song, and in the Slow Train Coming album, Dylan laments to influence and power of the oil producing states..

[Jack Black]

Unless you know this personally, the claim means nothing.

Listen to his records. Among them: Infidels, Mercy, Slow Train Coming. It wasn't a phase, it was a seemingly permanant change in his outlook that has been reflected in his music for 20 years now. Along the way he's written some very powerful music. Like other professionals I think it is proper to judge him by his work.

[Jack Black]

When You Gonna Wake Up - Bob Dylan

God don't make no promises that He don't keep.
You got some big dreams, baby, but in order to dream you gotta still be asleep.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

Counterfeit philosophies have polluted all of your thoughts.
Karl Marx has got ya by the throat, Henry Kissinger's got you tied up in knots.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

You got innocent men in jail, your insane asylums are filled,
You got unrighteous doctors dealing drugs that'll never cure your ills.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

You got men who can't hold their peace and women who can't control their tongues,
The rich seduce the poor and the old are seduced by the young.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

Adulterers in churches and pornography in the schools,
You got gangsters in power and lawbreakers making rules.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

Spiritual advisors and gurus to guide your every move,
Instant inner peace and every step you take has got to be approved.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

Do you ever wonder just what God requires?
You think He's just an errand boy to satisfy your wandering desires.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

You can't take it with you and you know that it's too worthless to be sold,
They tell you, "Time is money" as if your life was worth its weight in gold.

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

There's a Man up on a cross and He's been crucified.
Do you have any idea why or for who He died?

When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

[scott says]

Thank you for putting forth a nice "defense" of Bob, as if he or his fans need to be defended.People who don't like the music or singing have an opinion that I can understand, but anyone who thinks Bob is a 60's lefty anti war protester does not have a clue. On his 1966 tour, when he played in Paris he went out and found a HUGE American flag and used it as his backdrop on the stage because he knew the French " disliked" americans. He was asked to join an anti war protest in the late 60's and he called the marchers " a bunch of low life scumbags".
I could go on and on. As a sign of appreciation I would like to offer you some live Dylan cds---check out my profile page for list.I do this because I appreciate other "conservatives" who get it.I'm not kidding you- I have the best Dylan bootleg cds, have the best contacts and can get any show that is in circulation...

[scott says]

DYLAN PING

[nuconvert]

For anyone travelling to London in the next 2 weeks or so.......


Upcoming official Dylan exhibition in London


Bob Dylan as seen through the lens of important music photographers like Don Hunstein (photographer of Freewheelin' cover) is featured in an upcoming exhibition from 15th Sept to 16th Oct at Proud Galleries Camden in London. The exhibition will feature over 100 images, many from private collections and never before published. It is authorised by Dylan himself.
They'll also have a preview running of the new Scorsese film "No Direction Home", the documentary of Bob Dylan in the 1960s which will be aired and released on DVD in September.

http://dylan.purecult.net/

[rhombus]

The more times change, the more they remain the same.

Prophet is a bit much anyone to claim even for such "pearls of wisdom" as above.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Dylan is to pop music what Bach is to classical. He will be played and admired and his songs will be covered for the next 200 years.

Musically, the relationship between Dylan and Bach is like that between a middle-school science teacher and Einstein.

 

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Anyone who reads the words to "Saved" can have no doubt about Bob Dylan's Christian walk.


SAVED


I was blinded by the devil,
Born already ruined,
Stone-cold dead
As I stepped out of the womb.
By His grace I have been touched,
By His word I have been healed,
By His hand I've been delivered,
By His spirit I've been sealed.
I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved,
Saved,
And I'm so glad.
Yes, I'm so glad,
I'm so glad,
So glad,
I want to thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord,
Thank You, Lord.
By His truth I can be upright,
By His strength I do endure,
By His power I've been lifted,
In His love I am secure.
He bought me with a price,
Freed me from the pit,
Full of emptiness and wrath
And the fire that burns in it.
I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved,
Saved,
And I'm so glad.
Yes, I'm so glad,
I'm so glad,
So glad,
I want to thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord,
Thank You, Lord.
Nobody to rescue me,
Nobody would dare,
I was going down for the last time,
But by His mercy I've been spared.
Not by works,
But by faith in Him who called,
For so long I've been hindered,
For so long I've been stalled.
I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved,
Saved,
And I'm so glad.
Yes, I'm so glad, I'm so glad,
So glad, I want to thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord,
Thank You, Lord.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I saw Dylan in concert three times two years ago...He opened those concerts with "I AM THE MAN THOMAS", an old blue grass song about Christ showing his wounds to Thomas...He also performed two of his other songs from his Christian albums; "I BELIEVE IN YOU" and "SOLID ROCK".

Thanks. That answers a question some of us were wondering recently.

[toddlintown]

"Bob Dylan = Joan Baez = Martin Scorcese = all the other subverted and, ultimately, wasted talent of my g-g-generation."

Liberal morons, all of them. BTW, I haven't understood a word Bob Dylan has spoken since 1989, but apparently Tom Petty does.

[scott says]

This is one of my favorite Dylan songs-
http://bobdylan.com/songs/whenhe.html

[DarkSavant]

I admit I don't think much of most of his music, but I do respect him as an individual.

[Michael.SF.]

Dylan's songs often sound VASTLY better at the hands of other artists.

I concur 100% with that statement. I am a big fan of Dylan, but have never said he was a good singer, nor do I particularly like his voice. But it is his words that often times speak volumes.

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Forever Young - Rod Stewart
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds

Those are three that come off the top of my head, there are many others.

[Michael.SF.]

Excellent comments.

[Michael.SF.]

Thanks for the ping Scott!

[Itaintwhy]

Footage from that show in Paris with the American flag as a backdrop ends the documentary. There's some marvelous performances featured throughout, though too many mindless interviews with equally mindless "associates" (Ginsberg, Baez, Pete Seeger) ultimately distort Dylan's story & weigh down the show.

A friend and fellow freeper runs a Dylan oriented website called Right Wing Bob - http://www.rightwingbob.com. You and others may appreciate it.

[scott says]

I think its a matter of hearing Dylan when he is in fine forum. I have recordings when Bob is performing brilliantly-nothing like you probably have heard. Commercial releases are pretty lame presentations of his work.

[nuconvert]

And a good one it is. But it's impossible to pick one favorite.
Maybe sometime we'll have a "What are your 5 favorite Dylan songs" thread. Even that will be hard. Okay maybe we'll allow 8. ;~ )

[dennisw]