Heeeeeeurgghhhh: The Bob Dylan Thread

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Dipping my toes back into my Dylan fandom phase. Haven't listened to new album but I've heard it's his best in decades. Which I think is something that has been said about every non-covers Dylan studio album ( Christmas in the Heart FTW) since Time Out of Mind. I was briefly obsessed with Dylan in the mid '00s, seeing him everytime he came to Maine which is way more frequently than you'd expect for one of the GOAT singer-songwriters.

ITT I'll share random thoughts on Poet Laureate of Rock N Roll. Consider this the pretentious version of the KISS thread.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

The GNR version of Heaven's door is better than dylan's because axl's voice isn't as grating, imo

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

man I feel like the last time I brought up Dylan in the music folder, Cowboy Numbers and Frogg Neal argued whether the GNR or Dylan version was better. Have we become that, @The Art of Postin' ?

 

[Mickey Massuco]

we're better my dude, don't even need to argue anymore.

 

[Fall of Epic]

 

[Fall of Epic]

I feel like "Masters of Wars" doesn't get enough love. A very powerful, haunting track.

 

[Valeyard]

Blood On The Tracks is one of my all time favorite albums. I've been listening to a lot of Dylan lately, and keep finding more and more. Surprised I haven't seen more "Hurricane" lately to be honest.

That said, while I love Dylan, he was also the very worst concert I ever went to. Didn't even play guitar, just hung out at the keyboard, playing stuff from his new album at the time.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

going to a dylan concert is a total crapshoot because theres no telling waht he will do. my brother has to been to 3 or 4 and they were all over the place

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

See my Dylan phase was between '06 and '09 and it was all during his keyboard phase but two of the shows were great (and I don't remember any being bad---Dylan seems to really enjoy being in Maine, I guess). One show on Modern Times tour in '06 with The Raconteurs opening that is still probably a Top 5 concert.

I should've spent more time trying to hang out with people my own age instead of seeing an old Jew in a cowboy suit barking at a keyboard.

Here is a great '00s Dylan bootleg where he randomly invited a saxophone player he met at a dinner party from the night before to sit in.

 

[Valeyard]

It was so defeating. I'm seeing Bob fucking Dylan...and he just stays at the keyboard, wearing sunglasses, ignoring the crowd except for the occasional thank you. Completely changed how I went to shows after seeing Bob phone it in so hard. The merch was all from his 1991 tour, too, which had to be a joke I didn't get.

But I can say I saw Bob Dylan, one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Even if he just stretched out his Love And Theft album for most of the show and hated every second of being there.

 

[Valeyard]

Kamala, you know he became born again in the early 80s, yes? There's gospel records. But I think he's feeling much better now.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

i'm a dylan fan (nowhere near as big as my brother so I skipped on the concerts which I'm glad based on his experiences). Like most people I prefer him before he went electric but there is still good stuff after. I can't really pick out much that he's done in the last few decades that I love although I remember him having a couple songs off recent albums I liked.

Trying to go over all his bootleg/live albums for tracks and comparing them like some people do is such a mammoth task. The only band I've really done that with at all is Nirvana and not really much with that.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Like most people I prefer him before he went electric but there is still good stuff after.

Most people? I didn't know @cobainwasmurdered was a member of the Silent Generation. I thought consensus of anyone under the age of 70 that best Dylan was either Blonde on Blonde or Blood on the Tracks. My favorite era is the mid '70s, face paint wearing, pimp hat sporting, Rolling Thunder Revue era Dylan.

Which reminds me I haven't watched the gazillion hour Scorsese documentary on the Rolling Thunder Revue on Netflix. '00s Connor would be incredlous over that.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

sorry but he sold out

i was more making a joke about the newport festival but i do really like the acoustic era.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I like the acoustic stuff fine but it reminds me too much of high school English class. Electric Dylan reminds me of college English class.

 

[Valeyard]

Blood On The Tracks is so fucking good. Maybe it's my thought process these days but it's a really emotional record in the best possible way. "Tangled Up In Blue" is my favorite Dylan track, but "Idiot Wind," "If You See Her, Say Hello," and "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack Of Hearts" are great as well.

The ultimate test of classic Dylan is getting as hazy as one can on certain substances and listening to "Ballad Of A Thin Man" on some good headphones. Worth every second.

 

[Fall of Epic]

I never saw Dylan live. Closest I got was seeing the Wallflowers open for the Counting Crows a few years ago. At least I can say that I saw one of the Dylan offspring perform live, though.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

"That boy is really destructive"

1965-07-25, Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI

dylanlive.substack.com

Today is 55th Anniversary of Dylan going electric.

I'm not sure if guitar stores are open in Canada rn but if they are I'm sure @cobainwasmurdered is yelling at some kids for playing too loud to commemorate the day.

 

[Valeyard]

Thread just needs some Wilburys.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

(sees Bob Dylan trending on Twitter)
Me: oh no!
(clicks on the hashtag and sees it's cause Timothee Chalamet was tweeting about him)
Me: Where's ma cane?

 

[Alfie]

I thought consensus of anyone under the age of 70 that best Dylan was either Blonde on Blonde or Blood on the Tracks.

Highway 61 Revisited as well. That's probably his best album if we're being objective, definitely has the best sound, but Nashville Skyline is the only one I ever want to listen to now. So lovely and warm, even his voice is more welcoming.

 

[snuffbox]

Due to health reasons, Dylan played guitar live very rarely in the last 20+ years and hasn't at all in almost a decade.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Every time I saw Dylan in the mid '00s, it was during his jabbing at his circus organ-esque keyboard phase.

 

[Valeyard]

Bob's posse is funnier that the alternate ending to 500 Days Of Summer, but not by much.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I guess Bob heard Morrissey was popular amongst Latinos and wanted to try his luck with the demographic?

 

[Valeyard]

Bob's got natural swag. But holy shit at the notion of Bob and Moz even interacting because they would despise each other.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Flagging Down the Double E's | Ray Padgett | Substack

Bob Dylan concerts throughout history. Click to read Flagging Down the Double E's, by Ray Padgett, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

dylanlive.substack.com

is doing a GREAT series on 45th Anniversay of the Rolling Thunder Revue, breaking down each stop and interviewing various band members and peripheral members of the entourage. Its a reminder that I still SOMEHOW haven't watched the Scorsese Netflix doc. Fact that it was partly fictional and prominently featured Sharon Stone seemed like a detriment but now I see it has Michael Murphy reprising the role of Jack Tanner and it's 2 and 1/2 hours not 3 and 1/2 hours like I thought means I will watch this at some point this weekend.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog in Blockbuster Deal (Published 2020)

Universal Music purchased his entire songwriting catalog of more than 600 songs in what may be the biggest acquisition ever of a single act’s publishing rights.

www.nytimes.com

HEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUGGGGHHH (ecstatic tone)

I hope this isn't a sign that he's thinking of hanging up the harmonica. Love to see him one last time.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Every Bob Dylan Studio Album, Ranked

Revisiting all 39 records by the legendary singer-songwriter on the eve of his 80th birthday.

uproxx.com

HEEEEEEEEEEEUUUUUGGGGHHH

A ranking of all Bob Dylan albums (including Christmas From The Heart) in honor of his upcoming 80th birthday.

 

[Incandenza]

Hyden sucks but putting Street-Legal in your Dylan top 10 is some flex I can't be mad at