Vacant Horizon Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 i'll gladly pay this to see him, but i can see how some people would be turned off by the price. the fact that its GA makes it seem more like a deal to me. it sure beats paying $150 to see the Dead from the nosebleed section. anyone know if he plans on debuting some songs off the new record during the summer tour? there is no reason why it should cost any more than $20 to see a band. the reason the prices are so high is because YOU still pay them. $150 to see the dead without garcia. that's insane! the thing about these nostalgia acts is that no one goes to see a performance of music anymore. instead, one goes to see the performer. i went to see springsteen last night. bought at ticket outside for $20. got a good seat too. he did perform well, but a lot of the show was seeing bruce do his 'bruce' things. not worth the cheapest ticket of $97, before charges. stop making these assholes rich! there's no need for anyone of these guys to make more than $100,000 per year. maybe then they'd really perform well and put out solid material. neil young, i'm thinking about you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I liked Beyond the Horizon on his last one. You're right though, his last great ballad's were back on Oh Mercy. Nettie Moore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 My biggest problem with this new album is that I spent the run-up to the leak getting excited by listening to Tell Tale Signs. And TTS is fu(king amazing. This new album isn't. I need some distance from TTS now to develop a real opinion. Shame on me. This is great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I've still got to give the whole thing a listen. I've only made it about 5 songs in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I've still got to give the whole thing a listen. I've only made it about 5 songs in. Took 4-5 listens for it to click with me. I had to readjust my brain first. Since I went against my better judgment and read all those moronic reviews about how this is like Time Out of Mind, etc. It's nothing like Time Out of Mind. It just wasnt what I expected or wanted. But once I surrendered to it, it started to make sense. It may not be as good as TOOM/LT, but the band is locked in, and it's got an real understated beauty to it. I don't hear zydeco here, JossAck. I'm with solace. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 It occurred to me that this is only the 3rd Bob Dylan 'new' album that I've been interested in. When Time Out of Mind came out, Dylan in my mind was still the washed-up genius whose best days were behind him (I hadn't heard World Gone Wrong or Good As I Been To You at that point). It's still sort of a novelty to be interested in new Dylan, is sort of what I'm saying. I wonder how folks on here (besides the few oldsters I know about) see Dylan's career - TOOM changed my view of his continuing value for sure. I imagine L&T did that for many. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Took 4-5 listens for it to click with me. I had to readjust my brain first. Since I went against my better judgment and read all those moronic reviews about how this is like Time Out of Mind, etc. It's nothing like Time Out of Mind. It just wasnt what I expected or wanted. But once I surrendered to it, it started to make sense. It may not be as good as TOOM/LT, but the band is locked in, and it's got an real understated beauty to it. I don't hear zydeco here, JossAck. I'm with solace. I'm the one who doesn't hear zydeco, and Solace does. Apologize at once! I still don't like most of the album still. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I'm the one who doesn't hear zydeco, and Solace does. Apologize at once! I still don't like most of the album still. I apologize!This sounds like shuffling blues to me with some accordian thrown in at spots. Not trying to re-open this silly debate. I don't care what boxes people want to put this music (or any others) into. I just like it. I put it in that box. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 i'm not one for boxes either, so i'll just say I dig it as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 louie B you are right track 3 My Wife's Home Town sounds exactly like I Just Want to make Love to you by Muddy waters. exactly!!It is that growl in his voice that is Muddy. Needless to say there are worse things than trying to imitate Muddy. TOOM mind was needless to say a huge breakthrough for Dylan. I think he has basically been doing the same sort of thing ever since, which considering the doldrums he was in could be worse. It is ironic that Dylan in his late years wants to be a blues singer (rather than a folk or rock singer...) since that was sort of his original MO. Personally I like it when he does break out of the blues to sing something slightly different and I thought conceptually Modern Times was interesting since he took old songs and re-spun them, giving more than passing credit to the original artists (if not writing credit.) Both World and Good As are entertaining albums, but listening to the music that these albums are based on is more of a revelation still. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 i like about 5 songs on here. wish there were more horns. his voice is just unlistenable at times. just so shot it pains me to listen to it. also, his blues songs are just total toss offs. usually the blues riffs are tolerable b/c the lyrics are interesting. the lyrics on this album all just love songs. i was really hoping for some real poetry here about the human condition...beyond here lies nothing, its all good, etc. i love the production though. very muddy and a nice mix between toom and mt. l&t was too crisp for me and not warm at all. mississippi is the only song i could really get into on that one. toom is a loooong album and i appreciate it as a piece of art, only a few songs blow me away...trying to get to heaven, love sick, not dark yet. i really liked modern times. the blues songs on there worked and nettie more and ain't talking were amazing. i wonder how many more albums this guys got in him. part of me hopes we don't hear anything from him for several years only to have him come back with an all acoustic solo album of final ballads and epics at age 75. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gobias Industries Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Shame on me. This is great. I have followed a similar arc when listening through the album multiple times. This is excellent. It is what it is, aka great. I think the album would be much spookier/better with TOOM production values (it would have pushed this album from great to un-fucking-believable), but A. one can't ask for everything and B. it wouldn't change my opinion of the album too much...it's still good. An album is a good album regardless of production values (I suppose not entirely but to a great extent). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 personally, i'm 27 and i a huge Dylan fan (have 500-600 Dylan bootlegs on CD-R, but don't collect anymore). L&T was the first "new release" for me, since having gotten into him, but latter-day Dylan is my favorite period of his work. -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 latter-day Dylan is my favorite period of his work. -justinReally?? Wow, okay....I am somewhat speechless. Putting any of the last three albums against the great ones of the 60s and 70s seems .....well just glad you like him. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 "Love & Theft" is an out and out masterpiece. so, comparing it to this other 5-star records, it then comes down to personal taste. is it as good as Highway 61 Revisited? certainly. it's just different is all. abstract Americana impressionism at first...years later, we find the lyrics are nicked from sources as disparate as Henry Timrod, Confessions of a Yakuza, WC Fields and a travel guide on New Orleans. the band is shit hot and Dylan's proves himself to be one of the greatest blues singers ever, black or white. the subtle inflections in his voice are everywhere and he's in full-on prophet mode. 8 years later, it sounds even better. -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 "Love & Theft" is an out and out masterpiece. so, comparing it to this other 5-star records, it then comes down to personal taste. is it as good as Highway 61 Revisited? certainly. it's just different is all. abstract Americana impressionism at first...years later, we find the lyrics are nicked from sources as disparate as Henry Timrod, Confessions of a Yakuza, WC Fields and a travel guide on New Orleans. the band is shit hot and Dylan's proves himself to be one of the greatest blues singers ever, black or white. the subtle inflections in his voice are everywhere and he's in full-on prophet mode. 8 years later, it sounds even better. -justinWow, okay. I understand your enthusiasm for it and I kinda like it better than Time Out of Mind in some ways particularly his use of pre WWII song styles, and yes it has a few really good numbers, High Water, Mississippi, Po Boy, but to say it is the equal of Highway 61, well that would take some convincing, since Highway 61 is probably one of the 5 greatest rock albums ever. Love and Theft isn't even in the top five greatest Dylan albums. (Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde, Bringing It All Back Home and then Blood on the Tracks, Another Side, John Wesley Harding, Freewheelin, or a couple others would round out the top five depending on one's taste.) And even Bob Dylan doesn't believe he is the greatest blues singer ever (wouldn't that be Blind Willie McTell?? and he isn't stealing Muddy Waters material and inflections lately for nothing.) Maybe you need to spend some time listening to some of the greatest blues singers ever, who were and continue to be his influences. Don't get me wrong, I have been a Dylan fan since long before you were born so my enthusiasm for him is plenty strong, but come on....let's get real. Love and Theft may outlive some of his late 70s and 1980s albums, but it will never replace the really great stuff recorded during Dylan's earlier periods. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mastershake Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 i've listened once through the new album, i liked what i heard. doesn't seem as worldly as his past few albums but still I think its a decent pick up. it's all good struck me as classic dylan (even with his messed up voice now). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kalle Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Has anyone listened to the so-called "Lost Interview" yet? Yeah, it's just an outtake from the No Direction Home interviews done with Roy Silver (I guess his first manager), reminiscing about the past and how he knew Dylan would be huge, yadda yadda. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 Wow, okay. I understand your enthusiasm for it and I kinda like it better than Time Out of Mind in some ways particularly his use of pre WWII song styles, and yes it has a few really good numbers, High Water, Mississippi, Po Boy, but to say it is the equal of Highway 61, well that would take some convincing, since Highway 61 is probably one of the 5 greatest rock albums ever. Love and Theft isn't even in the top five greatest Dylan albums. (Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde, Bringing It All Back Home and then Blood on the Tracks, Another Side, John Wesley Harding, Freewheelin, or a couple others would round out the top five depending on one's taste.) And even Bob Dylan doesn't believe he is the greatest blues singer ever (wouldn't that be Blind Willie McTell?? and he isn't stealing Muddy Waters material and inflections lately for nothing.) Maybe you need to spend some time listening to some of the greatest blues singers ever, who were and continue to be his influences. Don't get me wrong, I have been a Dylan fan since long before you were born so my enthusiasm for him is plenty strong, but come on....let's get real. Love and Theft may outlive some of his late 70s and 1980s albums, but it will never replace the really great stuff recorded during Dylan's earlier periods. LouieB i consider myself well versed in the blues. mostly, i prefer the early, acoustic stuff (Johnson, Skip James, Blind Lemon, etc.), but i know plenty of the Chicago stuff as well: Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, etc. i really do believe that Bob is a fantastic blues singer. a true great. some of the little twists and turns, phrasing and subtle inflections on his latter-day stuff just slayyys. obviously, the ravaged voice suits the material quite well. -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Golden Smoghead Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I think the reason early Dylan is better than later Dylan for me is b/c of the perspective / "voice" behind the lyrics. The early stuff has hope, anger, fear, longing -- just intense emotions on a lot of those songs. "He used to care," to turn Bob on Bob against Bob. I find all these latter-day albums to be fine, but full of ennui and a sort of indifference. Gimme some of that early pentacostal, self-righteous, fire any day -- even though he's remained an excellent musician / writer and I look forward to listening to this one. And since age is getting brought up: I'm 30 years old. First Dylan exposure was Blonde on Blonde when I was in college. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
you ever seen a ghost? Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 this is just a different Dylan, concerned with aging, mortality, lost love, new love and the apocalypse. -justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 this is just a different Dylan, concerned with aging, mortality, lost love, new love and the apocalypse. -justin i thought that was Time out of mind! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 this is just a different Dylan, concerned with aging, mortality, lost love, new love and the apocalypse. -justin i thought that was Time out of mind!It seems to me his entire body of work concerns these things starting with his first album. There are a significant number of songs about death on his first album, not to mention many songs about aging, mortality, lost love, and the apocalypse through out his career. Not sure that has really changed from day one. Really his songwriting technique hasn't changed either, (note Dave Van Ronk's comment about Bob being a sloppy songwriter...) except there are times that the songs simply don't sound that convincing, like he doesn't really believe this shit anymore. Until I get a real copy I suppose I shouldn't comment, but considering the vinyl of this new LP is $25 bucks for 10 "new" songs with a somewhat ugly cover, I didn't buy a copy at Laurie's yesterday (instead opted for some live material from Muddy, Koko, Howlin' Wolf and the Chess gang who really DO know how to sing the blues). I joked with the clerk that the back cover should really be the front cover. The photograph on the back really does indicate what is inside, a bunch of really old guys making music, rather than the front cover which has a couple young people making out in the back seat of a car. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I'm not feeling this new one - but I need to remember, I wasn't feeling John Wesley Harding the first few times I heard that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I'm not feeling this new one - but I need to remember, I wasn't feeling John Wesley Harding the first few times I heard that.Feeling or not, the songs on JWH are in general masterpeices, whereas I don't think anything on this new album sounds even close. (There sure are a few songs on JWH that are about new love, lost love, the apocolypse, and aging....) LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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