Dance to the Nightingale Tune

Last time I covered up through Dylan's evangelical period, ending with Shot of Love. Now Bob takes another turn, dropping a lot of the overtly religious stuff.

Infidels (1983) - Bob's talking about Israel ("Jokerman," "Neighborhood Bully"), consumerism ("Union Sundown"), and, of course, love ("Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight"). Mark Knopfler of the Dire Straits, and you can tell he's on the album, too. I like that sound, but overall the songs here are a little weak, with "Jokerman" being the only one I find myself coming back to. For a "story," I guess I will remark that I got this album from Creamy, who got it from the library, but was confused because someone had put it in the case for John Wesley Harding, so the titles didn't make any sense.

Real Live (1984) - A live album that basically just reworks songs to poor effect.

Empire Burlesque (1985) - I always kind of laugh at the cover of this one because of how 80's it is and how bad that looks on Bob. I don't ever listen to it, though, so I have nothing to add.

Biograph (1985) - This is a collection of greatest hits and unreleased tracks from throughout Dylan's career to that point. I'm meh about greatest hits albums, but like the devoted Bob fan I am, I love to hear unreleased stuff (which Bob is full of). I'm especially a fan of hearing stuff and being able to tell which album session it was originally recorded at because each album has its own particular sound. Thus, "Up to Me" (from the Blood on the Tracks sessions) and "Isis" (a live version from the Rolling Thunder Revue period) are favorites.

Knocked Out Loaded (1986) - This one is pretty short and seems mostly thrown together from unused stuff. I can't say I'm a huge fan, but "Brownsville Girl," an updated version of "New Danville Girl," which was originally recorded for Empire Burlesque but left unused is that multi-layered story type of song (in the tradition of "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest," "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts," and "Isis" that I so love from Dylan.) It involves standing in line to see a movie with Gregory Peck.

Down in the Groove (1988) - is not good.

Dylan and the Dead (1989) - You might think that putting a sweet jam band behind the best songwriter ever would lead to awesomeness, but apparently all you get is lackluster reworkings of songs that were better 20 years before.

Oh Mercy (1989) - And he's back. Well, sort of, anyway. This album is generally regarded as a comeback of sorts, and it's true that it is leaps and bounds ahead of the last few. I like "Most of the Time," a pretty little song that I think (?) people may have heard on a soundtrack. "Man in the Long Black Coat" sets a strange mood and is probably the most celebrated track. "Shooting Star" is another favorite, though I can't really say why. There are a couple tracks not included that would later be reworked which were fantastic, too. The album is also notable for not having a picture of Dylan on the front.

Under the Red Sky (1990) - One step forward, two steps back. This album is basically unfinished, which is too bad, because it could have been pretty good. There are some songs written to Bob's (at the time) baby girl, and some that are just weird ("10,000 Men"), but apparently recording was hampered by Bob working with the Traveling Wilburys at the time. I love "Handy Dandy," though, which seems to be referring to Ronald Reagan (?). You'll notice I use "(?)" a lot; I think it conveys the proper reaction sometimes. Oh, yeah, critics hated this album, and it prompted Dylan to stop recording original stuff for a while.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3 (1991) - More unreleased stuff from throughout the career! From the Freewheelin' sessions, we get a new talkin blues, this one "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues". What are talkin' blues? It's a song form pioneered by Woody Guthrie which Bob had perfected during his folk years. I'm not going to try to explain it because I can't, but they are generally funny. To quote:

I got shoved down 'n' pushed around,
All I could hear there was a screamin' sound,
Don't remember one thing more,
Just remember walkin' up on a little shore,
Head busted, stomach cracked,
Feet splintered, I was bald, naked. . .
Quite lucky to be alive though.

It loses something without Bob's folky cadence, but maybe you get the picture. Oddly enough, "Talkin' Hava Negeilah Blues" isn't really talkin' blues in the traditional sense, but it's pretty good.

Since 60's-70's rock Dylan is my favorite, I want to mention "If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Have To Stay All Night)," "Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence," "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (alternate take)," "Santa-Fe," "Catfish," "Golden Loom," "She's Your Lover Now," and alternate takes of "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Idiot Wind." There are loads more, but you should listen yourself and try to pick out which sessions they are from.

Good as I Been to You (1992) - GAIBTY is the first of two albums of traditional (non-original) from Bob, and my favorite of the two. I just love the way he croaks,

Or else, you'll surely hang, says he,
and after that, Jim Jones
It's high up upon the nearest tree
the birds will pick your bones

The album is a reminder that he has some skills with arrangement that gets overlooked because of the lyrics.

30th anniversary somethingorother (1993) - I haven't heard this, but it's other people playing Bob's songs.

World Gone Wrong (1993) - More acoustic folk stuff, and a wonderful listen, though I have little to add.

Greatest Hits, Vol. III (1994) - This covers everything from Blood on the Tracks through Under the Red Sky, but I don't have anything else to say. The previously unreleased "Dignity" is a nice addition, though.

MTV Unplugged (1995) - Remember when MTV played music (this joke has been dead for a while)? Dylan rocks the house with songs from throughout his career, but maybe a little too country for some people's taste. I'm a fan. I got this album from Emily! who loved indulging my Dylan habit, though she didn't really like the album at all. I love it. To me, the versions of "Dignity," "Shooting Star," "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," and even (this makes me a heretic, I think) "Tombstone Blues" are the best versions. The album also gets bonus points for including "John Brown," which was one of those only-live songs that Bob seemed adamant about leaving off of albums. Eric and I liked to play "Knockin'..." as I recall, and this was the version I always found myself imitating because of the way he sounds like he is actually dying.

Time Out of Mind (1997) - Dylan returns from the brink of death to play the vox and record 14 minute long songs about conversations with waitresses. It's a nice album, but it requires a couple of listens to get into. There is a White Stripes cover of "Love Sick" out there on the internets somewhere, if you are into that kind of thing. The album has a couple really great tracks, but I will let you decide which ones I like.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert (1998) - Long enough title? It is what it says, a live recording from the famed Europe tour with the Band in which Dylan was heckled and booed by his fans, who would turn their backs to the stage when he started playing rock. Weird, eh? This includes the famous "Judas!" "I don't believe you, you're a liar!" exchange.

The Essential Bob Dylan (2000) - Another greatest hits album that I don't have.

Love and Theft (2001) - "Mississippi" was left over from the Time Out of Mind sessions, a fact that surprised me, given the difference in tone here. I love that song, though, and rank it as one of his best. "High Water" is another favorite. I got this one from Marisa, as I recall.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue (2002) - Probably my favorite live album, this is Dylan at his 70's best, wearing that stupid hat that he seemed never to remove for a few years, painting his face white, and playing Mexican travelogues with his trusty bassist (I think?), Larry, to whom he talks during the performance. I don't have a reason for finding that amusing. Anyway, the album is great.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall (2004) - Bob is stoned for what I think is Eric's favorite live performance. It's a good sampling of his early work, with Bob adding his youthful charm, saying things like, "I'm wearing my Bob Dylan mask," because it's a Halloween concert.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack (2005) - A gift to me, and a wonderful one. Check out both the movie, which follows Dylan up through that European tour I mentioned, and the soundtrack, which has more music than is played in the movie. It's fantastic to watch his progression from voice of the people to rock legend as people around him fall behind his rapid evolution.

Live at the Gaslight, 1962 (2005) - Remastered old stuff, obviously. I like that "John Brown" makes another appearance, but the MTV Unplugged version is better, or at least more suited to my tastes. Basically one for the collectors.

Modern Times (2006) - Dylan is slick and swinging, hopping back and forth between the 12-bar blues and balladeering reminiscent of much older times. I love this album, particularly "Workingman Blues #2." Why does he always add numbers to songs? Regardless, the album is a permanent fixture in the car, as the 12-bar blues that make up just about every other track make for perfect driving music. There's some controversy about him stealing parts of songs from the public domain and not giving credit, but I'm too lazy to look it up. I remember our university president asking Eric if we had heard this album yet after one of our performances, which I think only he and maybe a couple faculty members appreciated.

Dylan (2007) - Another self-titled album? I haven't heard this greatest hits collection.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs (2008) - I heard this one on NPR for free, but not since it was first released, as that was a promotional thing. It seemed really good though, outtakes and alternate takes from Oh Mercy onward, which demonstrate just how much a track can change before being released.

Together Through Life (2009) - I just heard of this, as it isn't out yet, but I'm waiting patiently, of course.

Hey, well, that does it. Props to anyone who actually read through these updates.