Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Flex
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Flex »

Have spent the weekend listening to Another Self Portrait. Initial thoughts:

-These newly released versions of songs that appear in some form on Self Portrait are almost all uniformly better than what ended up getting released initially. Which pretty much confirms that Bob was deliberately releasing as shitty* an album as he could to alienate critics and his fanbase. What I didn't realize until i looked through the essays and liner notes included in this set is how much of a commercial push Columbia gave this album. Which makes the whole thing funny as fuck, and probably equals or surpasses any of the supposed "fleecing" of record labels that the 70s punk acts engaged in.

*I dispute that Self Portrait is actually a shitty album, but more thoughts on that below.

-Dylan's fully previously unreleased songs are fun, but pretty lightweight. He was definitely re-calibrating during this period.

-The unreleased material is predominantly from 1970, but includes a few cuts from'69 and '71 and really blends Nashville Skyline and New Morning into the proceedings quite well. The idea that Self Portrait was a sort of self contained detour is pretty well demolished here, as its a clearly organic growth from Skyline and a fair few cuts that ended up on New Morning appear in some form during these sessions. So, the narrative gets slightly revised on this period to weave that album sequence more closely together than I think has been considered normal until now.

-The Isle of Wight show with The Band absolutely slays. Great performance, sound is a bit sub-par at times (static and such), but it's delightfully remixed and sounds better than any previous iteration of the show I've heard. Launches into orbit as one of the vital live Bob shows to have.

-The remastered Self Portrait sounds about as good as it probably ever will. As I say above, I actually don't think it's a shit album... it's one of my favorite eras for Dylan's voice (beaten only by his contemporary grizzled bluesman voice) and he was working with some great session players and musical guests (including, you know, The Band). The whole album is very funny. But, when listening to it after the revelations of Another Self Portrait, it's hard to view it as even slightly necessary anymore. Most of the tracks appear in superior versions on the box and the stuff that doesn't (no previously unreleased version of The Boxer, alas :shifty: ) is generally the weakest material on the album. When I get a jonesing for the original Self Portrait, I'll probably stick to my Sundazed reissue on vinyl, which is still a bit of a treat. But I can't imagine needing to listen to it now that we've got the two discs of Another Self Portrait and Isle of Wight set.

I might expand this out into a blog post and run through some track highlights, but those are my initial impressions after having the album for a weekend.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Keep forgetting to update on my forays. Listened to Modern Times a couple times and mostly like it, tho it's not been as affective as I thought it might be. My sampling of various 60s records, however, has been surprisingly enjoyable. Almost certainly stuff that I'd come back to. I'll never be a Dylan obsessive or even versed enough to offer a meaningful opinion, but I think I better understand what the fuss is about to his fans.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Non-controversial pick, but you and I've got similar tastes; my favourite is Highway 61 Revisited.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Oh wow, the 69 live show is unbelievably good.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by eumaas »

69 Isle of Wight is one of my fave Dylan shows.
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Silent Majority wrote:Non-controversial pick, but you and I've got similar tastes; my favourite is Highway 61 Revisited.
So far, Bringing It All Back Home has been the one I've returned to more.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by TeddyB Not Logged In »

Shows that the Self-Portrait era was definitely Bob's effort to work a la the Basement Tapes but without the crazed humor. Start with rootsy covers ad move into writing. The Bootleg Series in general is the gift that keeps on giving.

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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
Silent Majority wrote:Non-controversial pick, but you and I've got similar tastes; my favourite is Highway 61 Revisited.
So far, Bringing It All Back Home has been the one I've returned to more.
Easily my fave Dylan album.

"She Belongs to Me"
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"
"Subterranean Homesick Blues"
"It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"

Are among some of my fave songs by any artist.
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Flex
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Dr. Medulla wrote:Keep forgetting to update on my forays. Listened to Modern Times a couple times and mostly like it, tho it's not been as affective as I thought it might be. My sampling of various 60s records, however, has been surprisingly enjoyable. Almost certainly stuff that I'd come back to. I'll never be a Dylan obsessive or even versed enough to offer a meaningful opinion, but I think I better understand what the fuss is about to his fans.
Image
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Flex wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:Keep forgetting to update on my forays. Listened to Modern Times a couple times and mostly like it, tho it's not been as affective as I thought it might be. My sampling of various 60s records, however, has been surprisingly enjoyable. Almost certainly stuff that I'd come back to. I'll never be a Dylan obsessive or even versed enough to offer a meaningful opinion, but I think I better understand what the fuss is about to his fans.
Image
Image
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by clashrocker »

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:Shows that the Self-Portrait era was definitely Bob's effort to work a la the Basement Tapes but without the crazed humor. Start with rootsy covers ad move into writing. The Bootleg Series in general is the gift that keeps on giving.
The Bootleg Series is great but this new one is a truly horrible release and a danger to the ears of mongrels.

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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Well, that's just not true at all.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

Post by Wolter »

Kaleb wrote:Well, that's just not true at all.
Consider the source.
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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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Kaleb wrote:Well, that's just not true at all.
It's very true. Allow me for one fair minute to flex my Dylan muscles. I own every one of his cds, had most of them on vinyl and cassette, all of the important bootlegs. I've read all the books, been attending shows since the Rolling Thunder Revue, can play most of his songs backwards on the guitar. You want to talk Dylan, or Springsteen, Neil Young even, The Clash, well then mister, you're entering into my wheelhouse.
In my humble opinion, Bootleg Series Vol. 10 is the worst release in the bunch, which doesn't make it altogether worthless, as no Dylan release is utterly worthless. I can pick out a handful of highlights; Went to See the Gypsy, Pretty Saro, Railroad Bill, Only a Hobo, Days of '49. But too many of the songs are ruined by his vocal gymnastics, mainly his attempts at hitting the high notes in his vocal register. That section of his tonsils ought to be boarded up and condemned. Alfalfa, from Little Rascals, comes to mind on a good many of the songs, and a dog would surely suffer to have to sit through some of those godawful renderings.

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Re: Deep Bob Dylan Theory 2012

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"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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