Planet Waves

It looks like I will have to follow through on my threats of pointlessly reviewing semi-obscure Dylan songs because the comments have been Slow Train Coming (it sounds like slow in coming; expect more terrible puns if I don't get satisfactory comments).

So, I've decided to write a brief review of Dylan's 1974 album, Planet Waves. It will be brief partially because there isn't that much to say about it. It's nice sounding because he's got The Band backing him up again and their version of "roots rock" is always pleasant and interesting, with them switching instruments and having multiple moving parts all at once, but lyrically there isn't much there. Most of the songs feel like they were written on a lark and they don't really address anything deep or have the layered meanings and references of John Wesley Harding. Anyway, here is my track by track review:

"On a Night Like This" - A strong opener because the band knows how to use accordion and have fun with a lighthearted song.

"Going Going Gone" - Sort of nondescript. The best line is probably "all that's gold isn't meant to shine," which is hardly up to his usual standards.

"Tough Mama" - Another upbeat number that The Band gets to have fun with. There's a little bit more imagery here. In a way it reminds me of his earlier song "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" in that it's a step up from most love songs which are bland and not descriptive. You would think if you were so in love with somebody to write a song, you would have plenty of reasons to enumerate, but usually all you get is blah about nice hair or eyes or something. Dylan steps it up here by painting you a picture of his "Tough Mama," though it doesn't come off as genuine as the earlier work. He gets bonus points for this line, though : "Today on the countryside it was a-hotter than a crotch."

"Hazel" - He's played this one in concert, so I have a live version, I think from The Band's Last Waltz concert, but other than them having played it together, I can't think of why he chose this song over any of his others. It's just a typical love song to "Hazel," who never really comes off as a real person to me. There's some nice piano driving the song, though, so that's fun.

"Something There is About You" - More fun stuff going on in the background from the Band, and this time it's under something at least fairly interesting. I don't know what's with the strange structure of the title, but something there is about it that I like. Also sort of notable for a mention of Dylan's childhood in Minnesota, which he never really talks about, "rainy days on the Great Lakes, walking the hills of old Duluth." :)

"Forever Young" - I'm sure everyone has heard this song. Most people are fans of the first version that appears on this album (the next track is another arrangement of the same song), but I like the second one better. Lyrically, it's a decent track and maybe the album's strongest, but I can't see it actually working as a lullaby, which is supposedly the intention. If you're going to write an ineffective lullaby, you might as well have the Band go crazy behind you, I figure.

"Dirge" - "I hate myself for loving you" and whatnot. It's pretty good, and more Dylan imagery. "Doom Machine," "just a painted face on a trip down Suicide Road," etc.

"You Angel You" - a song with "dummy lyrics," in Bob's own words. It's catchy, at least.

"Never Say Goodbye" - this song and its bass line keep getting stuck in my head, so there's that.

"Wedding Song" - Closing the album on a down note seems kind of odd, but it's not as if he didn't do that with "Highway 61 Revisited," "Blonde on Blonde," and "Desire." On the other hand, those albums were far less bouncy, so it's kind of odd. This closing track is ok, but not nearly up to the closing tracks of those albums. Meh

Alright, well that's it. Maybe the next post will be a bunch of nonsense about model categories.

Can You Guess Who?

Can you guess who I saw tonight? The answer is Salman Rushdie. This wasn't like that episode where Kramer thought he saw Rushdie but it was just some dude named Salbas. He came here to talk about writing and novels and crap. He was kind of hilarious and almost made me want to read one of his books. Too bad I'm busy doing a bunch of math. But it's alright.