Bob Dylan

Chives · 10-17-2012, 06:37 PM

Nothing is a masterpiece to me on first listen, so maybe I'll change my mind later. I'll have to listen to it a bit more to have a real say.

Next on my list (maybe for next week) is Under The Red Sky. I've noticed two things about this album so far:

1) I've never heard anybody ever mention the album
2) I wasn't able to locate the album in a lossless format, only mp3

Neither of which I see as a particularly good sign, but after that it seems like mostly interesting albums up until the present. I'm actually sort of excited to hear his Christmas album when I finally get to!

blastingas10 · 10-17-2012, 07:05 PM

It's definitely one to skip, I'll say that much.

Chives · 10-17-2012, 07:10 PM

Skip isn't in my vocabulary! Perhaps I need to visit "Dylan & the Dead" as well?

blastingas10 · 10-17-2012, 07:18 PM

Haha if you're going to listen Under the Red Sky you might as well listen to Dylan and The Dead. I much prefer the latter, especially Jerry's guitar playing on "all along the watchtower".

Chives · 10-17-2012, 08:24 PM

I honestly would consider it except that I have no experience with the Grateful Dead at all and I don't want that album to be the introduction. Hardly seems fair!

On the topic of stuff I've missed chronologically, I've missed all of the live Dylan stuff (minus a couple that are in the Bootleg Series) and the "Dylan" album that didn't seem like a proper work. Other than that, I think I've got about everything. Does Dylan have many songs you can only find as singles or b-sides? (besides Positively 4th Street)

blastingas10 · 10-18-2012, 12:51 AM

There are tons of Dylan songs out there that I haven't been able to get ahold and I'm sure very few people have. The full basement tapes, for one. There were a lot more songs than the ones that made the official release. I have a Dylan book that has a whole section about rare Dylan recordings. Another book you may want to look into is a book called "revolution in the air" by Clinton Heylin. It goes over every one of the first 300 Dylan songs known to exist. This includes songs that are only known to exist due to people who witnessed him perform these songs in person when he first moved to New York City, songs that were never recorded. There's the "mackenzie tapes", songs that were recorded on the Mackenzie's (a couple that he stayed with when first arriving in NYC) tape recorder. These have been auctioned off to someone, can't remember who. This probably isn't the type of thing you were talking about, but all i know is there has to be tons of Dylan songs out there that are not circulated and are just kept in private collections.

Have you heard the song "I'm not there"? I believe it was first released on the soundtrack for the movie of the same title. It's a great song that I really enjoy even though the lyrics can't even be comprehended at times.

PS: chives, why don't you go check out the Neil young thread in the classic rock section. I'd like to get your opinion on the Neil/bob debate going right now.

Chives · 10-18-2012, 06:37 AM

I've heard the "complete" basement tapes before, ripped from a boot. When you have that much time to just soak in the atmosphere of it all, it's really great. Really they just need to dedicate a series in the Bootleg Series to the Basement Tapes and get a complete, official release over with because it's too important not too!

That book about rare Dylan recordings sounds fascinating! What's it called? If copies are available readily I might want to order one. After I finish Chronicles, at least.

I hate to disappoint but I've never listened to Neil Young before! Actually, that's not true...I think I've listened to "After the Gold Rush" once but I hardly remember it.

blastingas10 · 10-18-2012, 10:54 AM

Well looks like you may have another artist to tackle after you're done with Dylan

How many songs were on this "complete" basement tape? I've heard that they recorded at least around 100 songs. I would like to get my hands on what you have.

The one book is called "revolution in the air" by Clinton Heylin. The other is called "dylan visions, portraits and back pages". It's a mojo book. It's really a cool book. It has tons of great pictures in color, it's sort of like a biography. It features little pieces where other musicians talk about Bob. And of course the section about rare Dylan recordings. I would highly recommend it.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is by Leonard Cohen. I believe they were eating lunch in France and Bob asks him how long it took him to write the song "halleluja". Cohen replies, "about a year". Then Cohen asks Bob how long it took him to write "I and I". Bob replies, "about an hour". Then Leonard remarks that he "almost fell out of his chair" when Bob said that, and Bob just laughed.

The other one by Clinton Heylin is pretty long, I've only got to about page 100 so far. It's probably the most in depth book over Dylan songs that you'll find, considering it goes into detail about each song.

Chives · 10-18-2012, 12:47 PM

My basements tapes boot download has 108 tracks in it. Its called "A Tree With Roots" or something along those lines.

I did consider doing a chronological listening of Young's work at one point but I decided it was overely ambitious for an artist I hardly knew. I'm working myself through quite a few discographies/near discographies currently, so ill hold off for now but I might give gold rush another listen. If I do, ill drop some thoughts off in the appropriate thread.

I'm very interested in both those books. Ill look into them after chronicles!

blastingas10 · 10-18-2012, 03:55 PM

Yes, "a tree with roots" that's what I was looking for at one point. Where did you find it?

10-17-2012, 06:37 PM	#551 (permalink)
Chives Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 299	Nothing is a masterpiece to me on first listen, so maybe I'll change my mind later. I'll have to listen to it a bit more to have a real say. Next on my list (maybe for next week) is Under The Red Sky. I've noticed two things about this album so far: 1) I've never heard anybody ever mention the album 2) I wasn't able to locate the album in a lossless format, only mp3 Neither of which I see as a particularly good sign, but after that it seems like mostly interesting albums up until the present. I'm actually sort of excited to hear his Christmas album when I finally get to! __________________ [My last.fm] [My Tumblr]

10-17-2012, 07:10 PM	#553 (permalink)
Chives Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 299	Skip isn't in my vocabulary! Perhaps I need to visit "Dylan & the Dead" as well? __________________ [My last.fm] [My Tumblr]

10-17-2012, 08:24 PM	#555 (permalink)
Chives Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 299	I honestly would consider it except that I have no experience with the Grateful Dead at all and I don't want that album to be the introduction. Hardly seems fair! On the topic of stuff I've missed chronologically, I've missed all of the live Dylan stuff (minus a couple that are in the Bootleg Series) and the "Dylan" album that didn't seem like a proper work. Other than that, I think I've got about everything. Does Dylan have many songs you can only find as singles or b-sides? (besides Positively 4th Street) __________________ [My last.fm] [My Tumblr]

10-18-2012, 12:51 AM	#556 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	There are tons of Dylan songs out there that I haven't been able to get ahold and I'm sure very few people have. The full basement tapes, for one. There were a lot more songs than the ones that made the official release. I have a Dylan book that has a whole section about rare Dylan recordings. Another book you may want to look into is a book called "revolution in the air" by Clinton Heylin. It goes over every one of the first 300 Dylan songs known to exist. This includes songs that are only known to exist due to people who witnessed him perform these songs in person when he first moved to New York City, songs that were never recorded. There's the "mackenzie tapes", songs that were recorded on the Mackenzie's (a couple that he stayed with when first arriving in NYC) tape recorder. These have been auctioned off to someone, can't remember who. This probably isn't the type of thing you were talking about, but all i know is there has to be tons of Dylan songs out there that are not circulated and are just kept in private collections. Have you heard the song "I'm not there"? I believe it was first released on the soundtrack for the movie of the same title. It's a great song that I really enjoy even though the lyrics can't even be comprehended at times. PS: chives, why don't you go check out the Neil young thread in the classic rock section. I'd like to get your opinion on the Neil/bob debate going right now. Last edited by blastingas10; 10-18-2012 at 02:01 AM.

10-18-2012, 06:37 AM	#557 (permalink)
Chives Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 299	I've heard the "complete" basement tapes before, ripped from a boot. When you have that much time to just soak in the atmosphere of it all, it's really great. Really they just need to dedicate a series in the Bootleg Series to the Basement Tapes and get a complete, official release over with because it's too important not too! That book about rare Dylan recordings sounds fascinating! What's it called? If copies are available readily I might want to order one. After I finish Chronicles, at least. I hate to disappoint but I've never listened to Neil Young before! Actually, that's not true...I think I've listened to "After the Gold Rush" once but I hardly remember it. __________________ [My last.fm] [My Tumblr]

10-17-2012, 07:05 PM	#552 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	It's definitely one to skip, I'll say that much.

10-17-2012, 07:18 PM	#554 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	Haha if you're going to listen Under the Red Sky you might as well listen to Dylan and The Dead. I much prefer the latter, especially Jerry's guitar playing on "all along the watchtower".

10-18-2012, 10:54 AM	#558 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	Well looks like you may have another artist to tackle after you're done with Dylan How many songs were on this "complete" basement tape? I've heard that they recorded at least around 100 songs. I would like to get my hands on what you have. The one book is called "revolution in the air" by Clinton Heylin. The other is called "dylan visions, portraits and back pages". It's a mojo book. It's really a cool book. It has tons of great pictures in color, it's sort of like a biography. It features little pieces where other musicians talk about Bob. And of course the section about rare Dylan recordings. I would highly recommend it. One of my favorite quotes from the book is by Leonard Cohen. I believe they were eating lunch in France and Bob asks him how long it took him to write the song "halleluja". Cohen replies, "about a year". Then Cohen asks Bob how long it took him to write "I and I". Bob replies, "about an hour". Then Leonard remarks that he "almost fell out of his chair" when Bob said that, and Bob just laughed. The other one by Clinton Heylin is pretty long, I've only got to about page 100 so far. It's probably the most in depth book over Dylan songs that you'll find, considering it goes into detail about each song.

10-18-2012, 12:47 PM	#559 (permalink)
Chives Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 299	My basements tapes boot download has 108 tracks in it. Its called "A Tree With Roots" or something along those lines. I did consider doing a chronological listening of Young's work at one point but I decided it was overely ambitious for an artist I hardly knew. I'm working myself through quite a few discographies/near discographies currently, so ill hold off for now but I might give gold rush another listen. If I do, ill drop some thoughts off in the appropriate thread. I'm very interested in both those books. Ill look into them after chronicles! __________________ [My last.fm] [My Tumblr]

10-18-2012, 03:55 PM	#560 (permalink)
blastingas10 Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 2,126	Yes, "a tree with roots" that's what I was looking for at one point. Where did you find it?