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Name: Travellin' Man
E-Mail:
Subject: RE: RE: RE: "songwriting"
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2015
Time: 11:10:46 AM
Remote Address: 71.171.25.83
Message ID: 292203
Parent ID: 292198
Thread ID: 292173
> Maybe he's okay with changing the music so much because he doesn't feel it's that important anyway.<
I don't think that is the case 2000 Man. When he changes the arrangements the arrangements stay the same for an entire leg of the tour. I think he is always playing "What if?" in his creative mind. For instance he changed the arrangement for 'It Ain't Me Babe' in 2004. He made it a rock song with a full band and it was a great cool version of the song. Of course the studio version is just Bob on Acoustic. It's similar to what the Stones did with Angie in '73 during the European tour. Changed a slow, basically acoustic song into a bluesy rock song with electric guitars, and both versions work well.
Jerry Garcia had some influence on Bob where his live shows are concerned. Bob and the Dead toured together and Jerry encouraged Bob to play deeper cuts in his shows not just the new ones and the hits. I think it was great advice. And like Garcia, Bob likes to change it up with the arrangements.
There is plenty of evidence he knows the music is important. Just the fact he hired Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor to play his songs is evidence enough. He has written a wide range of melodies and music over his career and again, I offer 'Blood On The Tracks', as evidence of what he is capable of when he took the time to put it all together - Great Lyrics, stories, fine vocals and Music. And as others have mentioned there are other great Dylan albums with really good music.
Woody Guthrie was his hero in the early days. Woody sang "stories" about real people, acoustic guitar in hand and no one else around. Guthrie's songs could be political in nature. The story was the main thing. And in the early days Dylan certainly emulated his hero. But there are many incarnations of Dylan where the music is concerned. Much like the Stones, you name a genre and Dylan has dabbled in it, if not jumped right in feet first as his career went along. He made a lot of enemies when he and his band went electric guitar and Rock at the Newport Folk Festival in '65. I think he gets bored easily and enjoys change. And being efficient creating songs and recording them to get them out there has been a part of it all too. I think he is always eager to get to the next project. There are even some songs later in his career where the music carried the song and the lyrics are sparse.
These days, if you see him live, the enjoyment comes more from the music of his tight band than Bob singing the songs. My Dylan friend and I will see him again in Richmond on April 12th. We got tickets yesterday right in the middle of the "floor" about 29 rows back. Which should be very much in the Sweet Spot for the sound. We will have a good time mainly because of the music. Dylan's vocals are down in the mix and sometimes hard to make out. It helps if you know the songs and we do. Though in Dylan's latest incarnation, and album, he surprisingly took on the challenge of covering lesser known songs of Frank Sinatra. I was horrified when I heard about that project. I was certain that was a mistake when I heard about it. I didn't even want to hear the album for weeks after it was released because I thought it would be Dylan playing to his "weakness". I was pleasantly surprised when I finally heard the album. Some of his best singing in decades! Too bad it isn't rock and roll, but the album and a glass of wine go well together. Once again, Bob surprises us all.
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