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Peaking on my Dylan obsession


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Looks like Obama is a fan:

 

You were endorsed by Bob Dylan a few days ago. What's that mean to you?

I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable. Those guys are icons.

 

Do you have any favorite Dylan songs?

I've got probably 30 Dylan songs on my iPod. I think I have the entire Blood on the Tracks album on there. Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is "Maggie's Farm." It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric.

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That album was recorded over a period of a couple weeks - a few sessions here and there, if I recall correctly. In the liner notes of the Biography box set, Dylan says that he just made up some of the words as they were recording the songs. I think he referred to them as "dummy lyrics".

Ironically one could make the same argument for the much heralded Blonde on Blonde. Then again, I guess they're only 'dumb' when you're not drugged out of your gourd.

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I have mentioned this before, but Dave Van Ronk said that Dylan was a sloppy songwriter, in that he rarely edited himself. I guess if it turns out okay the first time then so be it. Other times it may not really be a song.

 

LouieB

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I have mentioned this before, but Dave Van Ronk said that Dylan was a sloppy songwriter, in that he rarely edited himself. I guess if it turns out okay the first time then so be it. Other times it may not really be a song.

 

LouieB

Yeah, but that's like saying Garcia was a sloppy guitarist.

 

First thought, best thought. :thumbup

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It's neat to read about the recording of it - the studio guys were dumbfounded that they were cutting a song that went on for 11:23.

 

Buttrey gave this account of the recording of the song: "He ran down a verse and a chorus and he just quit and said, 'We'll do a verse and then a chorus and then I'll play my harmonica thing. Then we'll do another verse and chorus and we'll play some more harmonica and see how it goes from there.'...Not knowing how long this thing was going to be, we were preparing ourselves dramatically for a basic two to three minute record, because records just didn't go over three minutes... If you notice that record, that thing after like the second chorus starts building and building like crazy, and everybody's just peaking it up 'cause we thought, Man this is it. this is going to be the last chorus and we've got to put everything into it we can... After about ten minutes of this thing we're cracking up at each other, at what we were doing. I mean, we peaked five minutes ago. Where do we go from here?
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I think 'Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands' has got to be one of Dylan's most romantic, heartfelt songs he has written. I can see how it would turn some people off but the imagery it evokes is worth the occasional 11:00 listen for me. I really only listen to it when I get the warm fuzzies over a girl I just met or something, followed by 'Sara' when things end up not working out :mellow

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If you notice that record, that thing after like the second chorus starts building and building like crazy, and everybody's just peaking it up 'cause we thought, Man this is it. this is going to be the last chorus and we've got to put everything into it we can

 

Yeah, I did kind of notice that, the backing musicians really crank it up before the choruses and it feels like its driving home. That was great to read.

 

And its a lovely song. I mean, if you can listen to that entire album up until that song, what's another 11 minutes? And a beautiful 11 minutes, I might add.

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> How about Desolation Row or Visions of Johanna?

 

they're different. i love them. Even Highlands doesnt put me to sleep

 

 

Joey and Sad-eyed have never done anything for me

 

I don't care for that song Joey.

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I don't care for that song Joey.

Although the lyrics kinda read like a newspaper report, the versions that he did with the GD (at Garcia's request) are pretty good imo.

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