Dylan Covers

[Guest Speed Racer]

I think Dylan had a way of treating the lyrics and their inflection with a little more importance than a lot of the 60s acts did. Again, The 4 Seasons' take on "Don't Think Twice" is a prime example. (Why babe? Why babe?)

[MattZ]

I think Dylan had a way of treating the lyrics and their inflection with a little more importance than a lot of the 60s acts did. Again, The 4 Seasons' take on "Don't Think Twice" is a prime example. (Why babe? Why babe?)

 

Ok, no argument from me there, but:

 

1. joss ackland's comment was referring to a brit band cover of Too Much of Nothing and that's hardly a good example of Dylan treating lyrics with more importance than other 60s acts.

 

and

 

2. joss ackland said: "the brits back then just treated them like good songs with a good melody, rather than treating the lyrics as being more important than everything else", which I don't think Dylan ever did. He's a song and dance man, remember?

[Guest Speed Racer]

He's a song and dance man, remember?

 

Yeah, nothin' better than cutting loose to Hurricane, Like a Rolling Stone, It's Alright Ma, Masters of War, Hattie Carrol, The Times They Are A'Changing...

 

?

 

The man really, really, really cares about lyrics. I don't care what example JAPB was referring to, where you've decided to nitpick I'm extrapolating a greater point that most of the 60s acts (and many of the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s acts) were going for a polished product rather than the raw emotion conveyed in his versions of the tracks.

[Analogman]

I agree with what he is saying. But then, for me Dylan is always been about the lyrics.

[Synthesizer Patel]

It doesn't make sense to me. Do you think Dylan was doing anything different with that song?

 

i wasn't including dylan, himself - just everyone else covering it. when american acts covered his songs it was often like they had huge gloves on with a pointy finger - and every time they sang something, they'd all point at it and go "groovey, and radical lyrics man!"

[MattZ]

Yeah, nothin' better than cutting loose to Hurricane, Like a Rolling Stone, It's Alright Ma, Masters of War, Hattie Carrol, The Times They Are A'Changing...

 

?

 

The man really, really, really cares about lyrics. I don't care what example JAPB was referring to, where you've decided to nitpick I'm extrapolating a greater point that most of the 60s acts (and many of the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s acts) were going for a polished product rather than the raw emotion conveyed in his versions of the tracks.

 

One has nothing to do with the other. Dylan certainly "really" cared about lyrics and inflection, and certainly more than others. But if you think that melody wasn't equally important to him, I'd venture to say you are wrong. Or, I'd disagree with you.

 

The fact that you think his lyrics are what distinguish him from others is fine. He's still a song and dance man.

 

i wasn't including dylan, himself - just everyone else covering it. when american acts covered his songs it was often like they had huge gloves on with a pointy finger - and every time they sang something, they'd all point at it and go "groovey, and radical lyrics man!"

 

[Synthesizer Patel]

do you agree with me, then?

[MattZ]

do you agree with me, then?

 

Yes, but only after your clarification.

[Synthesizer Patel]

good

edit: hang on, you changed that from YES, and then to "Yes, but only after your clarification." - you can't do that!

[MattZ]

good

edit: hang on, you changed that from YES, and then to "Yes, but only after your clarification." - you can't do that!

 

 

Well, you clarified to make it clear that you don't think Dylan thought the lyrics were more important than everything else. That's all I meant. We agree!

[Guest Speed Racer]

One has nothing to do with the other. Dylan certainly "really" cared about lyrics and inflection, and certainly more than others. But if you think that melody wasn't equally important to him, I'd venture to say you are wrong. Or, I'd disagree with you.

 

The fact that you think his lyrics are what distinguish him from others is fine. He's still a song and dance man.

 

That's not what I said at all, and I'm wondering where you got that from. Thanks, though. For your convenience, I'll recap: 60s acts were pursuing a more polished product, when covering his works, than Dylan was. I think that cheapens the covers - the technical proficiency - because many of those covers (and many through the ages) have a way of sucking all of the emotion out of it. In general, that's why I tend to dislike anyone's covers.

 

I think "song and dance man" is a terrible description of what he is, and I think the term in general, applied to anyone, is worse than Neko's cover of "Buckets of Rain," and "Leave Me Like You Found Me". I'll just completely disregard it from here on out, and then we won't have to back and forth.

 

The man records music - that point alone shows that, um, he cares about music. I never said he didn't. Not once.

[Synthesizer Patel]

ok, i thought you wre waiting for me to explain myself all over again.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Uh..."Song and dance man" was Dylan's joke description of himself. Obviously it's a terrible description of what he is.

[MattZ]

That's not what I said at all, and I'm wondering where you got that from. Thanks, though. For your convenience, I'll recap: 60s acts were pursuing a more polished product, when covering his works, than Dylan was. I think that cheapens the covers - the technical proficiency - because many of those covers (and many through the ages) have a way of sucking all of the emotion out of it. In general, that's why I tend to dislike anyone's covers.

 

The man records music - that point alone shows that, um, he cares about music. I never said he didn't. Not once.

 

Sex Nap, I will never understand why you get so hot under the collar about this stuff. Really. If I misunderstood you, I am sorry, ok? You put 5 reallys in front of how much he cared about his lyrics, and were piggybacking on a back and forth I was having with JASB as a result of JASB's statement that Dylan's "lyrics were more important than everything else." Sounds like we agree. It's all good!

 

 

I think "song and dance man" is a terrible description of what he is, and I think the term in general, applied to anyone, is worse than Neko's cover of "Buckets of Rain," and "Leave Me Like You Found Me". I'll just completely disregard it from here on out, and then we won't have to back and forth.

 

Check out 2:34 of this video.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ8CHGNpBxg

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I was just browsing through this 1000+ page PDF of Dylan interviews I somehow have on my computer to find the exact song and dance line. But Matt one upped me and found the video. Damnit.

 

It's probably the greatest joke answer to a stupid question I've ever heard. That whole press conference is classic.

[Analogman]

"Song and dance man" was Dylan's joke description of himself. Obviously it's a terrible description of what he is.

 

I didn't figure anyone would get that, unless they were a Dylan freak of some sort.

 

How about Bruce Springsteen's version of Chimes Of Freedom?

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I didn't figure anyone would get that, unless they were a Dylan freak of some sort.

Guilty. I didn't think that was too obscure a joke, though. I'm pretty sure there's a book on Dylan called Song and Dance Man. Or at least a fansite or something.

[Analogman]

Guilty. I didn't think that was too obscure a joke, though. I'm pretty sure there's a book on Dylan called Song and Dance Man. Or at least a fansite or something.

 

There is - Clinton Heylin.

[Synthesizer Patel]

in that interview doesn't he also say he likes manfred mann covers of his songs best, or have i got that wrong?

[Guest Speed Racer]

Sex Nap, I will never understand why you get so hot under the collar about this stuff. Really. If I misunderstood you, I am sorry, ok? You put 5 reallys in front of how much he cared about his lyrics, and were piggybacking on a back and forth I was having with JASB as a result of JASB's statement that Dylan's "lyrics were more important than everything else." Sounds like we agree. It's all good!

 

I get hot under the collar when what I say is, to me, pretty clear, and you manage to find something I didn't say and make it my primary point. I get even more frustrated when it's clear that we agree. Don't know why I still get upset, but there it is.

 

As for the song and dance man stuff, I think that with Dylan in particular it's pretty easy to miss many of the "well known" stuff about him. I like "Don't Look Back," "No Direction Home," I love all of his early albums and a few later ones, but I really don't think there's someone I'd be less interested in reading a book about. Hell, I read "Shakey" before I owned any Neil Young, but even though I like Dylan I have less than zero interest in reading a book about him.

[Sir Stewart]

"Song & Dance Man" is right up there with "Judas!" as far as Dylan references go, I thought.

 

Live on 1200 Curfews? I'm with you, sir.

 

That's it. They nail the 'journey' aspect of the song on the head.

[Analogman]

in that interview doesn't he also say he likes manfred mann covers of his songs best, or have i got that wrong?

 

He also likes Johnny Rivers version of Positively 4th Street.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I've always thought Dylan was one of the most fascinating figures in pop music. Even if I wasn't obsessed with him, I'd probably still seek out all these myths and legends that people tell about him. And Chronicles is a really good book, not a good autobiography.

 

Basically, I don't know of anyone more interesting to read a book about. I've read several, and there's a bunch more I'll read someday. But that's cool if you disagree.

[MattZ]

I get hot under the collar when what I say is, to me, pretty clear, and you manage to find something I didn't say and make it my primary point.

 

I was commenting on JASB's (now clarified) statement that lyrics were the most important thing to Dylan. You jumped into the middle of that, and so I misunderstood. Sorry.

 

"Song & Dance Man" is right up there with "Judas!" as far as Dylan references go, I thought.

 

I was wondering when the hell you were getting here. Jeezus.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I've always thought Dylan was one of the most fascinating figures in pop music. Even if I wasn't obsessed with him, I'd probably still seek out all these myths and legends that people tell about him. And Chronicles is a really good book, not a good autobiography.

 

Basically, I don't know of anyone more interesting to read a book about. I've read several, and there's a bunch more I'll read someday. But that's cool if you disagree.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I think he's absolutely fascinating too! And I think it's even more fascinating that he's still such a topic of contention. I sometimes wonder if my disinterest in reading about him implies that he's one of the few artists I like whom I don't want to know everything about because some myth of mine might be shattered or altered? Usually I want to know absolutely everything about musicians I like, but with him I still like a little mystery.