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Post by mightyjack on May 19, 2007 11:53:57 GMT -5
First things: Whats an appreciation? It's a thread for fans, not haters. It's not Pollyanna, we can talk about our dislikes here, and have our disagreements as well. But I really want to foster a positive vibe with these types of threads. I love music, love to talk about what I love about it rather than bitch about what I hate. If you wanna hate on Bob, make another thread please. Or, wow, here's a concept. Why not make a thread where you talk about what you enjoy instead? I know it's a wild concept... Let the appreciation begin! Bob Dylan is the single most influential American artist in contemporary music. And no, I'm not going to add my usual IMHO - It's a fact. And he touched artists from all styles of music. From a kid weened on the blues in Seattle, to 4 lads from Liverpool, to a psychedelic garage band in Texas. What most musicians say of Bob, is that he freed them. In Folk and the Blues, songwriters wrote about their lives all the time. But in rock in was mostly fluffy love songs. Lennon talked about what a release it was to discover Dylan and realize that he could stretch his lyrical muscles as well. Bob opened Rocks eyes and let 'em see an open road with no barriers. If you could imagine it, you could play it, write it, record it. Not bad for a kid from Minnesota, strumming away folk tunes on an old guitar, playing poorly on a harmonica, singing with that expressive voice (Also an old Folk device, the voice was an instrument, and just like a guitar man would bend strings, a folk singer would bend his vocals in a matter of speaking)
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Post by mightyjack on May 19, 2007 11:58:35 GMT -5
Dylan favorites list... I'll get into details later, but first, just the list.
Favorite Album Bringing it all back home
Favorite song Tangled up in blue
Favorite covers All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix One Too Many Mornings, The Beau Brummels
Favorite Lyrics So many, so many. But here's just one that has cut into me recently.
NEVER SAY GOODBYE (Words and Music by Bob Dylan)
Twilight on the frozen lake North wind about to break On footprints in the snow Silence down below.
You're beautiful beyond words You're beautiful to me You can make me cry Never say goodbye.
Time is all I have to give You can have it if you choose With me you can live Never say goodbye.
My dreams are made of iron and steel With a big bouquet Of roses hanging down From the heavens to the ground.
The crashing waves roll over me As I stand upon the sand Wait for you to come And grab hold of my hand.
Oh, baby, baby, baby blue You'll change your last name, too You've turned your hair to brown Love to see it hangin' down.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 19, 2007 15:09:56 GMT -5
MJ, don't forget that this is a discussion board. You can't demand that people who disagree with you stay out of your thread. So I hope you can be good-humored about it (if not thick-skinned).
But I'll honor your request and say nothing; except that I can appreciate the fact that Dylan was an influence on many artists I like.
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 19, 2007 15:40:56 GMT -5
Mr. Atari, if you start a Rush Appreciation thread I promise to stay out of it. But in this thread I'm like a kid in a candy store! I loves me some Zimmy! In grade school I was a Beatles fan. Going into high school I discovered Neil Young. And soon after a friend turned me on to Dylan. I took to Dylan's music like a duck to water. Oh, he can be frustrating. He doesn't pander. But for me there's just a real honesty in his music. Some people like him as a songwriter but would rather hear others do his songs but I like the Bobster himself.
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 19, 2007 15:43:27 GMT -5
Hey Mighty Jack, what's your take on The Basement Tapes?
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TomServo69
Moderator Emeritus
Gone but not Forgotten
Nothing ever changes........
Posts: 5,467
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Post by TomServo69 on May 19, 2007 16:15:40 GMT -5
I enjoy Bob Dylan's songwriting capabilities. He's a great songwriter. I also love the song "Hurricane".
There. I can be nice.
Servo
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 19, 2007 16:22:35 GMT -5
You're a true gentlemen Servo. And now there's no need for you to come back here. See ya later!
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Post by mightyjack on May 19, 2007 16:23:02 GMT -5
MJ, don't forget that this is a discussion board. You can't demand that people who disagree with you stay out of your thread. So I hope you can be good-humored about it (if not thick-skinned). But I'll honor your request and say nothing; except that I can appreciate the fact that Dylan was an influence on many artists I like. I'm not demanding a bloody thing (Really, I'm not). I've simply made a teeny, tiny reasonable request and hope that people will show some class and maturity and honor that request. You wanna bash him, make a thread for it. But, you know, I'd like this to be a haven for fans to discuss, celebrate and disagree if they want to. Just do it within the spirit of the thread. Is that such a terrible thing to ask (Especially in light of the fact that we've done the "heated debate" thing on Dylan to death)?
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Post by mightyjack on May 19, 2007 16:31:50 GMT -5
Hey Mighty Jack, what's your take on The Basement Tapes? They lead us to John Wesley Harding (a great album) but I've actually heard very little from them. It was all a convoluted mess for a while, have they released all the Big Pink stuff yet and didn't Robertson make some changes. I seem to remember a big outcry about that.
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 19, 2007 17:25:22 GMT -5
They lead us to John Wesley Harding (a great album) but I've actually heard very little from them. It was all a convoluted mess for a while, have they released all the Big Pink stuff yet and didn't Robertson make some changes. I seem to remember a big outcry about that. You took the bait, now you got me started! I love the basement Tapes. I loved the album from 1975. But I learned much later that it's kind of a hatchet job and a fraud. When I started collecting bootlegs I learned the whole story. Much mystery surrounds the basement tapes but the Columbia album does little to tell the tale. It's in mono but most of the tapes are in stereo. I know this because I have extensive bootlegs that are far better than the official album. And many of The Band songs on the album were in fact recored some years later and the sound was "dummied down" to fit with the real basement Tapes. This has been proved as some of the same performances from The Band have been released as bonus tracks on Band re-releases in better sound. Apparently this was Robbie Robertson's doing as Dylan likely has nothing to do with The Basement Tapes album other than approving it's release. There is so much cool stuff that has been bootleged that has never seen official release. But one of Dylan's best unreleased songs "I'm Not There" is the title of the upcoming biographical film so I suppose it will see the light of day. I could go on. I might later.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 19, 2007 19:39:38 GMT -5
There was a Dylan song on the "Royal Tenenbaums" soundtrack. I was very surprised it was a Dylan song, and I liked it very much. That is was an instrumental should go without saying.
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TomServo69
Moderator Emeritus
Gone but not Forgotten
Nothing ever changes........
Posts: 5,467
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Post by TomServo69 on May 19, 2007 21:14:29 GMT -5
Alright guys, prepare for the shock of you lives. I went out today and bought the Basement Tapes and a remastered copy of John Wesley Harding, and, prepare for the shock, I'm actually starting to dig Dylan! I guess as I'm getting older I'm starting to appreciate the talent the man really had. It just, says something to me now.
So, I'm in now. Let's rock!
Servo
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 19, 2007 21:17:39 GMT -5
Wow. I am shocked! I still suspect a ruse though.
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TomServo69
Moderator Emeritus
Gone but not Forgotten
Nothing ever changes........
Posts: 5,467
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Post by TomServo69 on May 19, 2007 21:19:55 GMT -5
No man, no ruse. For real, all your guys talk has intrigued me to go back and make sure there wasn't something I missed. And, I'm a man about it, I was wrong. I suppose I've matured as both a songwriter and a fan these past few years, but, I really appreciate Bob's stuff. So, yes, I'm a fan. And, yes, I'm still a Rush fan, but, Dylan is speaking to me now.
Servo
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 19, 2007 21:38:21 GMT -5
That's cool Tommy. But as I said, as much as I always liked the Basement Tapes the Columbia album is only a hint at what's available.
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