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Post by mightyjack on May 20, 2007 16:07:03 GMT -5
*Light goes on over MJs head* Oh, OH I get it now, some of you think this thread was a dig at TS69. No, no it wasn't. Hell I didn't even know he wasn't a Bob backer when I posted it. Na, this was just me, tired of being mad, wanting to celebrate something that made me happy. Tom will always be cool with me, no matter what we fight over. So, onto Bob: I'm glad the Band didn't add anything. It probably would have been great too, but I liked the sparse tone of the album and would have hated to lose that. What did you think of the "No Direction Home" film, phantom? And for those who are interested heres a quick Dylan Discography
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 20, 2007 16:15:53 GMT -5
Oh I love it. I wish it would have gone on to Blonde On Blonde though but I think it's very good. I also wish they would have added the whole live show from Manchester (if all the film still exists) but I liked it very much.
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Post by mightyjack on May 20, 2007 16:17:34 GMT -5
Yeah I agree, I wanted more. It was so bloody captivating, I never wanted it to end.
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 20, 2007 16:21:40 GMT -5
It was nice to hear Bob look right into the camera and talk. He can be as elusive as Robert Denby! Did you get the soundtrack CD? Loots of great alternate takes.
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Post by mightyjack on May 20, 2007 16:25:52 GMT -5
No I haven't yet. I've been trying to get my old favorite album on CD, slowly but surely. But it's high on my list.
I'm trying to explore his 70s output, see what I'd liked to get. I was so into his 60s era stuff, but the 70s were hit and miss. Nashville Skyline or Self Portrait, aside from some songs, didn't click for me. Course Blood on the Tracks was great and I bought Desire when it came out. There's still much I need to re-discover from that decade.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 20, 2007 18:32:45 GMT -5
But out of curiosity, what is it that doesn't work? I can understand style, not being into Folk music, I can even understand someone not digging the voice. But what about the lyrics? I know he can get silly and stretch a rhyme, but he's written some beautiful lines. I like folk music. I love me some CS&N, Simon & Garfunkel, and the more recent Jayhawks stuff is amazing. So I don't think it's a style thing. His voice is what it is. I suppose it detracts from the experience for me, but I'm not fixated on it. For what it's worth, I do a good impression of it... But what I was noticing last night was that nearly every song I listened to had 2 characteristics: 1) Really bad harmonica. Like Phantom said, it is often shrill. But I find that it's also repetitive and just basic breathing in and out-- basically, not a sound I enjoy. 2) Chord progressions that don't go anywhere. There's only so much 12-bar blues or 1-4-5 that works for me**. When I hear that someone is a "great songwriter", I suppose I expect more creativity in the music side of the song. Is he the best lyricist of all time? Perhaps. But I have a really hard time getting past the music to be moved by the lyrics. So I suppose if you could point me to some Dylan that has creative chords and less harmonica, I could get into it. I'm sure it's out there, I just couldn't find it on his famous albums. **Don't get me wrong, 12-bar blues and 1-4-5 do work for me-- shoot, they're the basis of all rock & roll. It's just the way he uses them gets quite redundant to me.
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Post by mightyjack on May 21, 2007 11:38:41 GMT -5
I LOVE his harmonicas! Because it makes me happy that I can actually play an instrument better than a ledegnd But I see where your coming from. I feel the same way about Lou Reed. That pumping the same two chords back and forth thing he's done in 80% of his songs. As much as I liked the Velvet Underground CD, I couldn't help but smile and chuckle when he'd fall back on that, time and time again.
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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 21, 2007 14:32:25 GMT -5
Just picked up a copy of "Modern Times" at the local Walmart cause it was only 7 bucks! Haven't had a chance to analyze it thoroughly, but, I do know that I like the last track, "Ain't Talkin". Sort of a definitive blues track that just fades off into the nothingness. No solution. No remorse. Excellent.
Servo
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Post by Hugh Beaumont on May 23, 2007 14:07:31 GMT -5
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 24, 2007 21:53:36 GMT -5
Happy birthday Bob.
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Post by mightyjack on May 26, 2007 13:13:13 GMT -5
In defense of Bobs melodies, I remember playing Grants pub many years back. It was Dylan's birthday (happy birthday Bob) so I played some of his songs. "It Ain't Me Babe" was one that really stuck out. It starts off gently, not dull by any means, it has a nice ring to it, but it creates a quiet mood, before soaring into a short bit sung before the chorus. And I loved singing that part of the song, it just felt so good to feel the strength in my voice rise in that section. People comment on the sound of his voice, as if he's a bad singer. He isn't, he shows more range than casual listeners give him credit for. Then the song settles into a catchy chorus, "It's ain't me babe, no, no, no, no..." - Nice hook there. Yes, Dylan could do those repetative classic blues riffs, but his songs were also often very melodic and nuanced. It Ain't Me Babe is simply one of the more enjoyable songs to perform live, and after receiving a rousing round of applause and a call for "More Dylan", I think the audience agreed. That's my birthday memory and a defense of his skills, all of his skills, music and lyrics, as a songwriter. PS: Another one I love to play and listen too, "Just Like A Woman", nuthin' dull about that melody either
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Post by Phantom Engineer on May 26, 2007 14:27:35 GMT -5
People comment on the sound of his voice, as if he's a bad singer. He isn't, he shows more range than casual listeners give him credit for. Of course I agree but I recently asked a friend who is educated in music theory about the technical quality of his singing. Of course Bob doesn't have a conventional "American Idol" type of singing quality and has some idiosyncrasies but the fact is he is generally singing in key and singing melodies. Not always perfectly but then again a lot of rock singers don't. I can definitely understand people who don't like his voice but the fact is he isn't the terrible singer that his detractors like to make him out to be.
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Post by I Reject My Slave-name on Jun 14, 2007 10:50:36 GMT -5
Modern Times is superb. The first four tracks especially, for me anyway.
Been playing that the last few weeks a lot.
Dylan's another musician I just always liked very much, it was great when he did more new stuff the last few years. I didn't even know there'd been anything else since Gotta Serve Somebody (I don't 'stay in touch' re: media anything really), and then late night a new music video came on Channel 4 - which must have been Thunder on the Mountain. And then I see Modern Times at the music library.....ah-ha! Rented it and had it out since.
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