Mb ByEajm.llie stoffy far,
Bob Dylan was twenty years old when his
first Columbia album, "Bob Dylan," was re
leased. It caused its biggest stir in New
York's Greenwich Village where Bob was
a local favorite.The liner notes included a
reprint of Robert Shelton's 1961 piece in
The New York Times entitled,"Bob Dylan:
A Distinctive Folk-Song Stylistrit included
this memora
ble description
of Bob Dylan:
"Resembling a
cross between
a choirboy and
a beatnick,Mr.
Dylan has a
cherubic look
and a mop of
tousled hair he
partly covers with a Huck Finn black cor
duroy cap. His clothes may need a bit of
tailoring but when he works his guitar,
harmonica or piano and composes new
songs faster than he can remember them,
there is no doubt that he is bursting at the
seams with talentrThe first album con
tained a few originals like "Talkin' New
York" and "Song to Woody" and a lot of
traditional and composed folk tunes
adapted to the emerging Bob Dylan style,
including "House of the Risin'Sun,""Man
of Constant Sorrow,""Fixin'to Dier'Pretty
Peggy-O," "Gospel Plow" and "Freight
Train Blues."
It took Peter, Paul and Mary's recording
of'Blowin'in the Wind," a tune from Bob
Dylan's second album, to direct some na
tional attention to this new songwriter.
Peter, Paul and Mary followed up their
biggest hit with another tune from "The
Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" album, "Don't
Think Twicejt's All Right." And the move
ment was un
der way. As
soon as people
go t Bob
Dylan's album
and heard
songs like "A
Hard Rain's A
Gonna Fall,"
'Masters of
War," "Oxford
Town!' 'Talkin' World War III Bluesr and
even the lovely "Girl From the North
Country,"the word spread.Here was some
body who could put it into words. Someone
that had to be listened to.And since there
wasn't much of a chance to hear Bob
Dylan's most powerful songs on the radio,
an underground was born.
The latest words from Bob Dylan disap
pointed no one. His "The Times They Are
A-Changin'" album took the concept of
"protest music" still another step farther.
And by now the stark Bob Dylan style of
guitar, harmonica, half-singing, half-talking,
was known and accepted (and was being
copied) by
people every
where. The
new songs
were exciting:
"With God on
Our Side,"
"One Too Many
Mornings,"
"Only a Pawn in
Their Game,"
"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,"
"When the Ship Comes In," "North Country
Blues," "Ballad of Hollis Brown" and "Rest
less Farewell."
In the song "My Back Pages" Bob Dylan
questions his role as the guru of young
America. He seems intent on changing his
image with the explanation,"I was so much
older then, I'm younger than that now."
Most of the new songs on "Another Side of
BobDylan"are less political, more personal.
'It Ain't Me Babe" drives home the point.
Antfhw v - J
: V IVl
Don't Believe You" all seem declarations
of freedom from his past. Clues to his
future. Bob Dylan fans wonder what's next.
Little do they suspect ...
Bob Dylan's first commercial single,
Subterranean Homesick Blues,"and a half
electric, half-acoustic album of enigmatic,
rocking, funny, great new tunes.That was
next. And with "Bringing It AU Back
Home" the legend of the ever changing,
always pioneering musical force was born.
The songs confused a lot of people who
U win' U f! H ic
f
MinusZeroNoUmit,""OutlawBlues,""Mr.
Tambourine Man," "Gates of Eden," "It's
W
'All I Really
Want to Do!'
"Motorpsycho
Nitemarer "I
Shall Be Free
No.lO,""BalIad
in Plain D,"
'Chimes of
Freedom ,"
'Black Crow
Blues" and "I
thought they
knew Bob
Dylan. Which
is probably the
precise effect
Bob Dylan
wanted. In
cluded are
'She Belongs to
Me," "Maggie's
Farm," "Love
Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," and for
anybody who still didn't get the hint, "It's
All Over Now, Baby Bluer
'Highway 61 Revisited" was Bob Dylan's
first all-electric, no-doubt-about-the-kind-of-music-I-choose-to-make
album. It con
tains his first big hit "Like a Rolling Stone."
And it declared for all the world to hear
that Bob Dylan wasn't simply a brilliant
toCry,""Ballad of aThin Man,"4' Queen Jane
Approximately," "Desolation Row," "Just
Like Tom Thumb's Blues,""From a Buick
6,""Tombstone Blues."With Michael Bloom
field on guitar, Al Kooper on organ and
piano, Charlie McCoy on guitar and Russ
Savakus on bass.
In a 1976 issue of Crawdaddy,Peter Knobler
said, "No question about it, 'Blonde on
Blonde'is the best rock'n'roll record ever
made." He's not the first to feel that way.
Reviewers at
the time of its
release called
"Blonde on
Blonde" the de
finitive Bob
Dylan album,
the ultimate
rock album,
and even the
ultimate album.
period. It's a two-record set, recorded in
Nashville with one of the greatest backup
bands in recording history:Charlie McCoy,
Kenneth Buttrey, Joe South, Al Kooper,
Jaime Robertson, Wayne Moss and Jerry
Kennedy. And the songs: "Rainy Day
Women 12&35,""I Want You,""Memphis
Blues Again,""Just Like a Woman,""Visions
of Johanna," "Leopard-skin Pill-box Hat,"
"Pledging My Time," "Most Likely You Go
Your Way and I'll Go Mine," "Temporary
Like Achilles," "Absolutely Sweet Marie,"
"4th Time Around" and "Obviously 5 Be
lievers." And the longest,and at times most
cryptic, of the Bob Dylan classics, "Sad
Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." There are
probably more worn-out copies of "Blonde
on Blonde" in existence than any other
album in American music history.
The first album of "Bob Dylan's Greatest
Hits" was released during the long interim
between "Blonde on Blonde" and "John
Wesley Harding." It summed up all that had
(
z
album containing his underground classic
single, "Positively 4th Street." And it comes
complete with another classic: The Milton
G laserBob Dylan poster.
"John Wesley Harding" was a return to sim
pler things for Bob Dylan. And soon after,
for the entire music scene. It's a mellow al
bum with some of the best Bob Dylan vocals
ever. Ana
some of his
most durable
songs, includ
ing "All Along
the Watch
tower," "Dear
Landlord,"
"The Ballad of
Frankie Lee
and Judas
Priest," "I Dceamed I Saw St. Augustine,"
"As I Went Out OneMorning,""The Wicked
Messenger," "I Pity the Poor Immigrant,"
"Down Along the Cove," "I'll Be Your Baby
Tonight," "Drifter's Escape" and "I Am a
Lonesome Hobo."
The cover of "Nashville Skyline" tells its
story. It's Bob Dylan relaxed, unwound, lay
ing down his latest country-flavored ditties.
Once again, the music scenequickly picked
up on Bob Dylan's lead and country-
nf1itonAsl mil.
right direction
to be headed in.
On "Nashville
Skyline," a new
Bob Dylan
sings, "Girl
From the
North Coun
try," with
Johnny Cash, "Lay, Lady. Lay,' "I Threw It
All Away," "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here
With You" and "Country Pie." All very laid
back and enjoyable.
songwriter,
but a magnifi
cent rock
vocalist as well.
The songs are
extensions of
thenewcryptic
Bob Dylan
style: "It Takes
a Lot to Laugh,
ItTakesaTrain
ill nSfS
gone before, in
cluding all of
Bob Dylan's
own hit singles
and some of
his songs that
other people
had turned in
to giant hits.
Also, it's the
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"Self Portrait" tells the story of the conflict
between the old Bob Dylan, the new Bob
Dylan, and the Bob Dylans in between.
They're all here, including new Bob Dylan
originals, some Bob Dylan oldies revisited
at the Isle of Wight, and, for the first time
in years, some non-original material (like
Paul Simon's "The Boxer," Gordon Light-
foot's "Early
Mornin' Rain,"
"Copper Ket
tle," "Alberta,"
"Gotta Travel
On," "Blue
Moon" and
'Take a Mes
sage to Mary").
Songs that fit
the story Bob
Dylan seems to be telling here. Also on
"Self Portrait" (it's a two-record set): "Days
of 49," "All the Tired Horses," "Living the
Blues," "Wigwam," "I Forgot More Than
You'll Ever Know," "Little Sadie," 'The
Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo),""Let It
Boy," "Take Me as I Am (Or Let Me
Go)," among others.
Every Bob Dylan hit that wasn't included
on the first "Greatest Hits" album and every
hit that came since is included here, in this
two-record setBob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Volume II." There are even a bunch of
songs never before on any Bob Dylan al
s
'it )'N
recorded by The Band. "You Ain't Goin'
Nowhere" and'Tomorrow Is a Long Time,"
recorded by countless people, but never
Bob Dylan. And "Down in the Flood," an
old favorite from Bob Dylan's concert days.
Twenty-one great hits in all. If vou have all
the other albums it's a beautiful luxury. If
you don't, it's a necessity.
In "New Morning" it seems as if the old
Bob Dylan has won out. Bob Dylan never
sounded more like Bob Dylan. And every
song is a jewel: "If Not for You," "Sign on
the Window,
"Day of the Lo
custs," "Time
Passes Slowly,"
"Went to See
the Gypsy,"
"Winterlude,"
"If Dogs Run
Free," "One
More Week
end," "The
Man in Me," "Three Angels" and "Father
of Night." The songs run the Bob Dylan
gamut from bitter to romantic, .something
to make everyone realize that despite a
decade of changes, Bob Dylan, and nobody
else, is Bob Dylan.
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid" heralds a new
loosening-up period for Bob Dylan. With
" among its cast one Bob
Alias, unlike any other soundtrack in his
tory; this one is completely composed and
performed by Bob Dylan, so it's not like any
soundtrack you've ever heard. Most of it
.sounds like Bob Dylan, sitting around with
, a few friends, making real nice music. And
as it turned out, one of the real nice songs
turned into one of Bob Dylan's biggest
singles, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."
No individual in rock has ever heard more
different interpretations of his songs than
Bob Dylan. On "Dylan" Bob reversed roles
with people like Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez,
Jerry Jeff Walker and even Elvis, singing
songs associ
ated with them
...songs no
body would
have expected
him to sing...
and having a
good time,
making it all
sound like...
wonder of
wonders... a Bob Dylan album! Here's the
line-up of tunes: "A Fool Such as I," "Can't
Help Falling in Love," "Mr. Bojangles,""Big
Yellow Taxi," "Mary Annr "Spanish Is the
Loving Tongue;' "lily of the West," "The
Ballad of Ira Hayes" and"Sarah Jane."
"Bob Dylan is back." "Bob Dylan has come
i A iu.. r .1 . " nri
couldn't say enough about "Blood on the
Tracksthe start of a new period of brutally
personal music making for Bob Dylan. All
ImttiM,,, , anYill ii i.i i 1 1 1 1 1 1 lift a 1 1 mi mi i
bum: Watch
ing the River
Flow," the
single re
corded with
Leon Russell,
"When I Paint
My Master
piece" and "I
Shall Be Re
leased," songs
this album, the
man who shied
away from the
snooping eye
of the public
for so long pre
sents his first
soundtrack.
for a
movie that lists
Dylan, in the role of
r s
t
.... ...ij...,
that talk about Bob Dylan coming home
was literally (in addition to spiritually) true!
"Idiot Wind,"
'Tangled Up in
Blue,"and'lUy,
Rosemary and
the Jack of
Hearts,"among
others, were
recorded in
Minnesota
using local
musicians.
The owner of a local guitar store dropped
' ' ell Bob Dylan a guitar and wound up
Eg on the session. And the bass player
i leave mid-session to play a bar date,
so "You're a Big Girl Now was recorded
sans bass. Other classics on the "album of
the century"include:"Simple Twist of Fater
"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When
YouGo,""MeetMe in theMoming,""If You
See Her, Say Hellor "Shelter From the
Storm" and"Buckets of Rain."
Rolling Stone declared seven albums as
"Albums of the Year" in 1975. Two of them
are on this page... "Blood on the Tracks"
and "The Basement Tapes." Though it was,
indeed, released in 75, the legendary "Base
ment Tapes" were recorded on a home tape
recorder during the long hiatus between
"Blonde on Blonde"
written about. ..yet until the release of this
album, few people realized the magnitude
and the quality of these recordings.Twenty
f our songs . . . that's too much to list here, but
some of the highlights include: "Odds and
Endsr "Million Dollar Bash," "Goin' 'to
Acapulco" (among the songs never even
bootlegged), "Lo and Behold!," "Please,
Mrs-HenryTTooMuch of NothingrCrash
on the Levee (Down in the Flood)," "You
Ain'tGoin'NowhererDon'tYaTellHenryT
'Nothing Was Delivered," "Open the, Door,
Homer" and "This Wheel's on Fire." You
get the idea.
Who could have predicted that the biggest
thing to happen to music in 1976 would be
Bob Dylan? The Rolling Thunder Revue
was headline news as it barnstormed across
the country. "Desire? with its haunting new
sound, was the 1 album in the nation for a
full month. And each of the songs was
treated like a separate, special event by
' ,,,,,.1 )iiJi?f
' .? " i''
about underworld figure Joey Gallo."Sara"
about a girl with the same name as Bob
Dylan's wife. "Isisr an enigmatic epic.
'Mozambique!' the single that was stopped
cold in its airplay tracks when a war broke
out in the real Mozambique. "Oh, SisterT
with the violin of Scarlet Rivera singing
co-lead. "One More Cup of Coffee." "Ro
mance In Durango." "Black Diamond BayT
How much more real than this can Bob
Dylan be?
"Hard Rain"
is the definitive sound of Bob Dylan in live
Eerformance. All the excitement of the
eadline-making Rolling Thunder Revue
is captured for all time. The perform
ances are the
best of many,
many., .includ
ing songs from
nearly every,
phase of Bob
Dylans career.
Completely re
visited are:
Shelter From
the Storm,"
Lay, Lady, Lay: "Maggie's Farm: "Stuck
Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues
Again',' "I Threw It All Away'. "One Too
Many Mornings: "Oh, Sister',' "Idiot Wind"
and "You're A Big Girl Now." Lets face it,
there have been only a handful of "live"
albums in recorded history that have had a
real reason for being. "Hard Rain" is not
onlyone of them, it could be the best of them.
If you're missing
anything on these
pages,you're really
missing something.
Bob Dylan
on Columbia Records
andTapess
mmmm
and "John Wesley
ii - j
53
Harding
Some of the
24 songs re
corded in the
basement of
Big Pink by
Bob Dylan and
The Band were
bootlegged,
covered by
other artists,
reviewers and
radio folk.
"Hurricane," a
hit single and
the theme- of
some benefit
concerts that
later evolved
into the Roll
ing Thunder
Revue. "Joey"
r
Ml