Thanks to Pauline Brett:
“I’d welcome advice from fellow readers.
“Is Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams and published as a large format book in the early 1990s, worth buying?
“I ask because a friend told me that a local used bookshop has a copy. Problem is, it’ll mean a dedicated journey, which could eat up half a day and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it.
“If any Dylan Daily readers think the book is “vital” or “indispensable”, or similar, I’ll gladly make time…”
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
New Dylan album listed on Play.com (could be speculative)
Thanks to Mike @ allalongthewatchtower.dk
“I've posted this over on:
www.allalongthewatchtower.dk/phorum/list.php?1
New Bob Dylan studio album listed on play.com
First commercial mention of a new Bob Dylan album coming from Play.com on this page –
http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/8989611/New-Studio-Album-TBA/Product.html
“I've posted this over on:
www.allalongthewatchtower.dk/phorum/list.php?1
New Bob Dylan studio album listed on play.com
First commercial mention of a new Bob Dylan album coming from Play.com on this page –
http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/8989611/New-Studio-Album-TBA/Product.html
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Michael Gray’s Dylan and the blues gig: “fascinating and enjoyable”
Thanks to David Carter:
“Michael Gray's one-man show, Bob Dylan & The Poetry of the Blues, kicked off on Thursday evening at the Colchester Arts Centre.
“The performance held at the Arts Centre, a redundant church, had a slightly surreal feel about it. The chilly church with its black drapes and dark stage set-up was heightened by Michael Gray dressed in a three-quarter length black jacket and with his silvery white hair he took on the appearance of a 19th century preacher as he spoke and guided us through the blues connections in Dylan's albums.
“The show looked at the blues singers who influenced Dylan throughout his career, using audio and video clips to illustrate the connections, and when Michael Gray picked up his "good book" (The Bob Dylan Encyclopaedia), to read a couple of passages, the spiritual experience was completed.
“A fascinating and enjoyable evening, if it comes to a venue near you make sure you don't miss it.”
“Michael Gray's one-man show, Bob Dylan & The Poetry of the Blues, kicked off on Thursday evening at the Colchester Arts Centre.
“The performance held at the Arts Centre, a redundant church, had a slightly surreal feel about it. The chilly church with its black drapes and dark stage set-up was heightened by Michael Gray dressed in a three-quarter length black jacket and with his silvery white hair he took on the appearance of a 19th century preacher as he spoke and guided us through the blues connections in Dylan's albums.
“The show looked at the blues singers who influenced Dylan throughout his career, using audio and video clips to illustrate the connections, and when Michael Gray picked up his "good book" (The Bob Dylan Encyclopaedia), to read a couple of passages, the spiritual experience was completed.
“A fascinating and enjoyable evening, if it comes to a venue near you make sure you don't miss it.”
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Theme Time playlists
Thanks to Ian Woodward for his reminder that Theme Time Radio Hour schedules and playlists are carried on the BBC Radio web site:
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/dylan/
Great that BBC Radio bought the rights for the first two series. But they must have reduced the audience to single figures with their silly scheduling.
They’ve lost me, at least - the programme’s broadcast at daft times, which keep changing. (And I avoid Radio 2’s bland melange of Cosy Boomer Heritage Sounds – it just ain’t for me, babe.)
Gerry Smith
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/dylan/
Great that BBC Radio bought the rights for the first two series. But they must have reduced the audience to single figures with their silly scheduling.
They’ve lost me, at least - the programme’s broadcast at daft times, which keep changing. (And I avoid Radio 2’s bland melange of Cosy Boomer Heritage Sounds – it just ain’t for me, babe.)
Gerry Smith
Monday, February 23, 2009
Is Theme Time running out of steam?
Last week’s discussion on whether Dylan’s in decline revealed that several hardcore respondents had stopped listening to Theme Time Radio Hour.
Well, I certainly have.
But only because of the daft broadcast times adopted by BBC radio: midnight on Sundays on 6Music and late Saturdays on Radio 2, the last time I looked, though they are changeable.
Late on Fridays (10pm?), the original 6Music slot, was perfect – prime listening time when you could relax and soak it all in: eclectic music, some never heard before, and Dylan’s witty, challenging, enlightening links. Fine programming.
But the changed UK times meant you were ready to hit the hay and had to start taping the show. Then the combination of repeats, on two different BBC channels, and inadequate programme info, was confusing. You started to forget even to tape it, then lost the habit completely.
I just gave up. Not because of the programmes – they were wonderful – but because BBC radio screwed up, wasting the valuable asset they’d bought.
I’d willingly buy a recording of Dylan’s Theme Time links and book of playlists and transcripts. I heard rumour of a possible Simon & Schuster product - has anyone heard whether one is due?
Gerry Smith
Well, I certainly have.
But only because of the daft broadcast times adopted by BBC radio: midnight on Sundays on 6Music and late Saturdays on Radio 2, the last time I looked, though they are changeable.
Late on Fridays (10pm?), the original 6Music slot, was perfect – prime listening time when you could relax and soak it all in: eclectic music, some never heard before, and Dylan’s witty, challenging, enlightening links. Fine programming.
But the changed UK times meant you were ready to hit the hay and had to start taping the show. Then the combination of repeats, on two different BBC channels, and inadequate programme info, was confusing. You started to forget even to tape it, then lost the habit completely.
I just gave up. Not because of the programmes – they were wonderful – but because BBC radio screwed up, wasting the valuable asset they’d bought.
I’d willingly buy a recording of Dylan’s Theme Time links and book of playlists and transcripts. I heard rumour of a possible Simon & Schuster product - has anyone heard whether one is due?
Gerry Smith
Friday, February 20, 2009
Is Dylan’s credibility in decline? No, insist readers
Regular contributor Martin Cowan mused whether Dylan’s credibility is in decline.
Not so, insist several readers:
* Thanks to Chris Floyd:
My response to Martin Cowan's -- what to call it? bill of potential indictment, maybe? -- is this:
He is neither on the ball nor off his rocker. He is simply exercising his right to be somewhat trivial and presumptuous -- a right that all humans have, and should freely exercise whenever they wish.
It also seems a bit silly to me. He says that how Dylan is to be "judged" following his next shows and next album is "crucial." Crucial to whom? Perhaps to someone who invests a bit too much of their own self-image in the image of a singer or some other celebrity; I can't see how it would be "crucial" to anyone else.
If Dylan's next shows are found to be, by some measure or other, lesser than "Cohen's glorious performances," then -- what, exactly? Does that lower Dylan's "credibility"? And again -- credibility to whom, and for what?
Has Dylan got something to prove? Even after all these years, even after all he's done? Even if he does give a sub-par show, puts out an album someone doesn't like, or, god forbid, associates his music with commercials, like Hank Williams used to do -- what does this matter?
It can only matter to someone who requires perfect heroes to fulfil their own emotional needs. I understand that need; we all have it to some degree, I'm sure. But it is, in the end, a rather juvenile impulse. And its seems somewhat odd to apply it to Dylan, of all people -- an artist who has been very much concerned with the fullness of our human reality, which of course includes failure, decline, disappointment, etc. etc., and not the production of fantasy figures we can mindlessly adore -- or attack and reject when they, inevitably, "let us down."
Dylan is a 67-year-old man who likes to make music, and makes it as best he can. Should he stop doing all that, just because it might make someone feel all wiggly for one reason or another? Should he stop playing great records on the radio because someone doesn't like it?
Finally, one last question: is someone holding a gun to anyone's head and forcing them to go to Bob Dylan shows and buy Bob Dylan records and listen to Bob Dylan's radio show?
If you don't like them, fine. Don't go, don't buy, don't listen. Go find someone else whose "credibility" serves whatever needs you have.
As I say, it all seems a bit childish and pointless to me.
* Thanks to Liam Mogan:
Martin Cowan's 'shock-jock' musings on Bob's credibility seem like a calculated attempt to jolt Dylan nuts out of their collective smugness.
I find it quite funny really and not totally serious. (Credibility? I think he's been reading too many copies of his son/daughter's NME. Either that or he has recently bought The Guardian for the first time in his life.)
Rather than rant on about how great our hero is I'd rather point to Mr Cowan's strangely formal way of addressing that other elder statesman, 'Brooooce'.
I seem to remember that those oh-so-worthy behemoths of late ‘70s rock-journalism, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone etc employed a number of writers who suffered from similar, almost ceremonial, courteousness. Maybe that's why he's so obsessed with 'cred', man.
Seriously, good on you Martin for daring to shake the tree. To answer your 3 key questions
1. No, Modern Times wasn't that good (at a push you could say 2 songs were worthy additions to the canon)
2. Adverts - Er, for the Money?
3. Theme Time - I got bored midway through Series 2. Don't listen religiously anymore, but still beats on most other Radio Shows with a big stick whenever I catch it.
I do remain excited by the new album though - you gotta have some hope and faith in your life. The o2 shows? Nah, you just know they're going to be spoiled by the usual fairweather fans, moaning loudly about the fact that the songs 'don't sound the same as on the record', whilst chewing on a big fat hot-dog.
Just a quick question though Martin. As a regular contributor to the Dylan Daily, how's your 'street-cred' these days?
* And thanks to Joe King:
I would not presume to have the measure of "Dylan Daily" readers' views but, once ISIS had posted news of the new album on its website, the story was quickly picked up by other websites, including UNCUT and ROLLING STONE. This may not amount to "excitement" but it does show that Dylan news provokes great interest.
I will not be attending the O2 Arena show either but simply because that venue is so very large. Should the extra show in London be in a smaller venue, then I will most likely try to attend.
Was MT really that good? No. It was good in parts but not nearly as good as the critics wrote.
Why is he doing these ads? We don't know what's in Dylan's mind but I would suggest these possibilities: (1) for the money, (2) to reach a different audience now that Martin Cowan is, as it were, falling by the wayside, (3) there is nothing wrong about doing ads. I don't recall a single adverse comment about the use of Woody Guthrie's "Car, Car" in those Audi adverts. Do I sense a double standard here?
Have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio? No, no, no, no, no. May it continue for a lot longer.
Comparisons with Cohen and Springsteen? If either had achieved as much as Dylan, I might take the question seriously. That is not to put them down, merely to state the self-evident. Whether they receive more acclaim than Dylan in 2009 is neither here nor there in the scheme of things.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan’s declining credibility? Encore #1
Thanks to Fred Bals, writer of the very fine Dreamtime blog:
”In a word, "No."
“In more than one word:
* If the activity on the various Dylan forums and at Dreamtime are any indication, fans are eagerly looking forward to a new album... and it hasn't even been officially announced yet.
* I can't speak to the second question, since I'm in the U.S., but I do know if he releases a new album, I'll be first in line for tickets when the N.E.T. comes back to the U.S.
* was MT really that good? Personal opinion of course, but I think there's lots to like about MT, especially When the Deal Goes Down and Beyond the Horizon. Of course, I'm a big Bing Crosby fan. :-)
* why is he doing these ads? Why shouldn't he? Mr. D's commercial affiliations doesn't impact my appreciation for his talent one whit. Should he be going, "Oh, no, my music is too pure to sell biscuits."?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio? Jesus, the man is mad. Along with Chronicles, TTRH is one of the best non-music achievements Bob Dylan has ever produced. I hope he does it for a dozen more years.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan’s declining credibility?
Thanks to Martin Cowan:
Is there any excitement among Dylan Daily readers for either:
* a new Dylan album or
* "in show and in person" at the O2 or any of the other venues on the UK tour?
Personally, I remain to be convinced that a new album will reveal anything startlingly original and I won't be going to any of the shows.
In fact, it occurs to me that Dylan's credibility is on the wane at the moment:
* was MT really that good?
* why is he doing these ads?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio?
How he is judged following these shows and any new release will be crucial. The shows are likely to be compared to Cohen's glorious performances, and Mr Springsteen's new platter seems to be going down a storm.
Interesting times.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Martin on the ball? Or is he off his rocker? Please let The Dylan Daily know what YOU think. Gerry Smith, Editor
(19 February)
Not so, insist several readers:
* Thanks to Chris Floyd:
My response to Martin Cowan's -- what to call it? bill of potential indictment, maybe? -- is this:
He is neither on the ball nor off his rocker. He is simply exercising his right to be somewhat trivial and presumptuous -- a right that all humans have, and should freely exercise whenever they wish.
It also seems a bit silly to me. He says that how Dylan is to be "judged" following his next shows and next album is "crucial." Crucial to whom? Perhaps to someone who invests a bit too much of their own self-image in the image of a singer or some other celebrity; I can't see how it would be "crucial" to anyone else.
If Dylan's next shows are found to be, by some measure or other, lesser than "Cohen's glorious performances," then -- what, exactly? Does that lower Dylan's "credibility"? And again -- credibility to whom, and for what?
Has Dylan got something to prove? Even after all these years, even after all he's done? Even if he does give a sub-par show, puts out an album someone doesn't like, or, god forbid, associates his music with commercials, like Hank Williams used to do -- what does this matter?
It can only matter to someone who requires perfect heroes to fulfil their own emotional needs. I understand that need; we all have it to some degree, I'm sure. But it is, in the end, a rather juvenile impulse. And its seems somewhat odd to apply it to Dylan, of all people -- an artist who has been very much concerned with the fullness of our human reality, which of course includes failure, decline, disappointment, etc. etc., and not the production of fantasy figures we can mindlessly adore -- or attack and reject when they, inevitably, "let us down."
Dylan is a 67-year-old man who likes to make music, and makes it as best he can. Should he stop doing all that, just because it might make someone feel all wiggly for one reason or another? Should he stop playing great records on the radio because someone doesn't like it?
Finally, one last question: is someone holding a gun to anyone's head and forcing them to go to Bob Dylan shows and buy Bob Dylan records and listen to Bob Dylan's radio show?
If you don't like them, fine. Don't go, don't buy, don't listen. Go find someone else whose "credibility" serves whatever needs you have.
As I say, it all seems a bit childish and pointless to me.
* Thanks to Liam Mogan:
Martin Cowan's 'shock-jock' musings on Bob's credibility seem like a calculated attempt to jolt Dylan nuts out of their collective smugness.
I find it quite funny really and not totally serious. (Credibility? I think he's been reading too many copies of his son/daughter's NME. Either that or he has recently bought The Guardian for the first time in his life.)
Rather than rant on about how great our hero is I'd rather point to Mr Cowan's strangely formal way of addressing that other elder statesman, 'Brooooce'.
I seem to remember that those oh-so-worthy behemoths of late ‘70s rock-journalism, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone etc employed a number of writers who suffered from similar, almost ceremonial, courteousness. Maybe that's why he's so obsessed with 'cred', man.
Seriously, good on you Martin for daring to shake the tree. To answer your 3 key questions
1. No, Modern Times wasn't that good (at a push you could say 2 songs were worthy additions to the canon)
2. Adverts - Er, for the Money?
3. Theme Time - I got bored midway through Series 2. Don't listen religiously anymore, but still beats on most other Radio Shows with a big stick whenever I catch it.
I do remain excited by the new album though - you gotta have some hope and faith in your life. The o2 shows? Nah, you just know they're going to be spoiled by the usual fairweather fans, moaning loudly about the fact that the songs 'don't sound the same as on the record', whilst chewing on a big fat hot-dog.
Just a quick question though Martin. As a regular contributor to the Dylan Daily, how's your 'street-cred' these days?
* And thanks to Joe King:
I would not presume to have the measure of "Dylan Daily" readers' views but, once ISIS had posted news of the new album on its website, the story was quickly picked up by other websites, including UNCUT and ROLLING STONE. This may not amount to "excitement" but it does show that Dylan news provokes great interest.
I will not be attending the O2 Arena show either but simply because that venue is so very large. Should the extra show in London be in a smaller venue, then I will most likely try to attend.
Was MT really that good? No. It was good in parts but not nearly as good as the critics wrote.
Why is he doing these ads? We don't know what's in Dylan's mind but I would suggest these possibilities: (1) for the money, (2) to reach a different audience now that Martin Cowan is, as it were, falling by the wayside, (3) there is nothing wrong about doing ads. I don't recall a single adverse comment about the use of Woody Guthrie's "Car, Car" in those Audi adverts. Do I sense a double standard here?
Have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio? No, no, no, no, no. May it continue for a lot longer.
Comparisons with Cohen and Springsteen? If either had achieved as much as Dylan, I might take the question seriously. That is not to put them down, merely to state the self-evident. Whether they receive more acclaim than Dylan in 2009 is neither here nor there in the scheme of things.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan’s declining credibility? Encore #1
Thanks to Fred Bals, writer of the very fine Dreamtime blog:
”In a word, "No."
“In more than one word:
* If the activity on the various Dylan forums and at Dreamtime are any indication, fans are eagerly looking forward to a new album... and it hasn't even been officially announced yet.
* I can't speak to the second question, since I'm in the U.S., but I do know if he releases a new album, I'll be first in line for tickets when the N.E.T. comes back to the U.S.
* was MT really that good? Personal opinion of course, but I think there's lots to like about MT, especially When the Deal Goes Down and Beyond the Horizon. Of course, I'm a big Bing Crosby fan. :-)
* why is he doing these ads? Why shouldn't he? Mr. D's commercial affiliations doesn't impact my appreciation for his talent one whit. Should he be going, "Oh, no, my music is too pure to sell biscuits."?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio? Jesus, the man is mad. Along with Chronicles, TTRH is one of the best non-music achievements Bob Dylan has ever produced. I hope he does it for a dozen more years.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan’s declining credibility?
Thanks to Martin Cowan:
Is there any excitement among Dylan Daily readers for either:
* a new Dylan album or
* "in show and in person" at the O2 or any of the other venues on the UK tour?
Personally, I remain to be convinced that a new album will reveal anything startlingly original and I won't be going to any of the shows.
In fact, it occurs to me that Dylan's credibility is on the wane at the moment:
* was MT really that good?
* why is he doing these ads?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio?
How he is judged following these shows and any new release will be crucial. The shows are likely to be compared to Cohen's glorious performances, and Mr Springsteen's new platter seems to be going down a storm.
Interesting times.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Martin on the ball? Or is he off his rocker? Please let The Dylan Daily know what YOU think. Gerry Smith, Editor
(19 February)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Dylan’s declining credibility? Encore #1
Thanks to Fred Bals, writer of the very fine Dreamtime blog:
”In a word, "No."
“In more than one word:
* If the activity on the various Dylan forums and at Dreamtime are any indication, fans are eagerly looking forward to a new album... and it hasn't even been officially announced yet.
* I can't speak to the second question, since I'm in the U.S., but I do know if he releases a new album, I'll be first in line for tickets when the N.E.T. comes back to the U.S.
* was MT really that good? Personal opinion of course, but I think there's lots to like about MT, especially When the Deal Goes Down and Beyond the Horizon. Of course, I'm a big Bing Crosby fan. :-)
* why is he doing these ads? Why shouldn't he? Mr. D's commercial affiliations doesn't impact my appreciation for his talent one whit. Should he be going, "Oh, no, my music is too pure to sell biscuits."?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio? Jesus, the man is mad. Along with Chronicles, TTRH is one of the best non-music achievements Bob Dylan has ever produced. I hope he does it for a dozen more years.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan’s declining credibility?
Thanks to Martin Cowan:
Is there any excitement among Dylan Daily readers for either:
* a new Dylan album or
* "in show and in person" at the O2 or any of the other venues on the UK tour?
Personally, I remain to be convinced that a new album will reveal anything startlingly original and I won't be going to any of the shows.
In fact, it occurs to me that Dylan's credibility is on the wane at the moment:
* was MT really that good?
* why is he doing these ads?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio?
How he is judged following these shows and any new release will be crucial. The shows are likely to be compared to Cohen's glorious performances, and Mr Springsteen's new platter seems to be going down a storm.
Interesting times.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Martin on the ball? Or is he off his rocker? Please let The Dylan Daily know what YOU think. Gerry Smith, Editor
”In a word, "No."
“In more than one word:
* If the activity on the various Dylan forums and at Dreamtime are any indication, fans are eagerly looking forward to a new album... and it hasn't even been officially announced yet.
* I can't speak to the second question, since I'm in the U.S., but I do know if he releases a new album, I'll be first in line for tickets when the N.E.T. comes back to the U.S.
* was MT really that good? Personal opinion of course, but I think there's lots to like about MT, especially When the Deal Goes Down and Beyond the Horizon. Of course, I'm a big Bing Crosby fan. :-)
* why is he doing these ads? Why shouldn't he? Mr. D's commercial affiliations doesn't impact my appreciation for his talent one whit. Should he be going, "Oh, no, my music is too pure to sell biscuits."?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio? Jesus, the man is mad. Along with Chronicles, TTRH is one of the best non-music achievements Bob Dylan has ever produced. I hope he does it for a dozen more years.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan’s declining credibility?
Thanks to Martin Cowan:
Is there any excitement among Dylan Daily readers for either:
* a new Dylan album or
* "in show and in person" at the O2 or any of the other venues on the UK tour?
Personally, I remain to be convinced that a new album will reveal anything startlingly original and I won't be going to any of the shows.
In fact, it occurs to me that Dylan's credibility is on the wane at the moment:
* was MT really that good?
* why is he doing these ads?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio?
How he is judged following these shows and any new release will be crucial. The shows are likely to be compared to Cohen's glorious performances, and Mr Springsteen's new platter seems to be going down a storm.
Interesting times.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Martin on the ball? Or is he off his rocker? Please let The Dylan Daily know what YOU think. Gerry Smith, Editor
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Dylan’s declining credibility?
Thanks to Martin Cowan:
Is there any excitement among Dylan Daily readers for either:
* a new Dylan album or
* "in show and in person" at the O2 or any of the other venues on the UK tour?
Personally, I remain to be convinced that a new album will reveal anything startlingly original and I won't be going to any of the shows.
In fact, it occurs to me that Dylan's credibility is on the wane at the moment:
* was MT really that good?
* why is he doing these ads?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio?
How he is judged following these shows and any new release will be crucial. The shows are likely to be compared to Cohen's glorious performances, and Mr Springsteen's new platter seems to be going down a storm.
Interesting times.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Martin on the ball? Or is he off his rocker? Please let The Dylan Daily know what YOU think. Gerry Smith, Editor
Is there any excitement among Dylan Daily readers for either:
* a new Dylan album or
* "in show and in person" at the O2 or any of the other venues on the UK tour?
Personally, I remain to be convinced that a new album will reveal anything startlingly original and I won't be going to any of the shows.
In fact, it occurs to me that Dylan's credibility is on the wane at the moment:
* was MT really that good?
* why is he doing these ads?
* have we all had enough of Theme Time Radio?
How he is judged following these shows and any new release will be crucial. The shows are likely to be compared to Cohen's glorious performances, and Mr Springsteen's new platter seems to be going down a storm.
Interesting times.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Is Martin on the ball? Or is he off his rocker? Please let The Dylan Daily know what YOU think. Gerry Smith, Editor
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Man In The Long Black Coat: Barb Jungr covers Dylan
English covers chanteuse Barb Jungr took her Dylan covers show, Man In The Long Black Coat, to Brighton last week.
Although in the area, I decided to miss it. I’ve seen Jungr’s Dylan show before - as far as covers shows go, it was a good gig. Jungr is an interesting artist and an able performer.
But I’d rather listen to the real thing, even on CD. Covers… tributes… reinterpretations… rehashes – none of them rings my bell any more.
“Barb Jungr”: odd name for a Scouser? Well, Barb is short for Barbara, and her father was Hungarian.
Gerry Smith
Although in the area, I decided to miss it. I’ve seen Jungr’s Dylan show before - as far as covers shows go, it was a good gig. Jungr is an interesting artist and an able performer.
But I’d rather listen to the real thing, even on CD. Covers… tributes… reinterpretations… rehashes – none of them rings my bell any more.
“Barb Jungr”: odd name for a Scouser? Well, Barb is short for Barbara, and her father was Hungarian.
Gerry Smith
Monday, February 16, 2009
New Dylan album – conjecture summarised
Conjecture about an imminent new Dylan studio album is building a head of steam.
Today’s Dreamtime has a handy summary of current titbits from web sources such as Expecting Rain, Michael Gray and ISIS:
www.dreamtimepodcast.com
And thanks to Martin Cowan for his take:
“Let's hope it's a move away from the ‘Great American Songbook’ feel of L&T and MT, and not more recycling of favourite blues lyrics.”
Gerry Smith
Today’s Dreamtime has a handy summary of current titbits from web sources such as Expecting Rain, Michael Gray and ISIS:
www.dreamtimepodcast.com
And thanks to Martin Cowan for his take:
“Let's hope it's a move away from the ‘Great American Songbook’ feel of L&T and MT, and not more recycling of favourite blues lyrics.”
Gerry Smith
Friday, February 13, 2009
All Along The Watchtower by XTC: strikingly radical reinterpretation
As expected, tonight’s Sings Dylan (cover versions) on BBC4 was mostly yawn-inducing.
The procession of pop and folkpop acts from the BBC archives presented pale imitations of the real thing: nobody sings Dylan like Dylan.
My semi-comatose state was disturbed twice, though.
XTC’s incendiary New Wave live radical reinterpretation of All Along The Watchtower was exciting, one of the most striking Dylan covers I’ve seen in a long time. I must check out that band (25 years too late!)
And Bryan Ferry’s lovely It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue, from his Frantic CD (or was it Don’t Think Twice, from the same Ferry album?) also had me awake - momentarily, until I realised that he and backing band were only pretending to make music.
You can probably see the programme online - some BBC TV programmes are accessible online via iPlayer for a short period after transmission (though copyright restricts the territories in which they’re available):
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Gerry Smith
The procession of pop and folkpop acts from the BBC archives presented pale imitations of the real thing: nobody sings Dylan like Dylan.
My semi-comatose state was disturbed twice, though.
XTC’s incendiary New Wave live radical reinterpretation of All Along The Watchtower was exciting, one of the most striking Dylan covers I’ve seen in a long time. I must check out that band (25 years too late!)
And Bryan Ferry’s lovely It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue, from his Frantic CD (or was it Don’t Think Twice, from the same Ferry album?) also had me awake - momentarily, until I realised that he and backing band were only pretending to make music.
You can probably see the programme online - some BBC TV programmes are accessible online via iPlayer for a short period after transmission (though copyright restricts the territories in which they’re available):
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Gerry Smith
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Freewheelin’ shoot photograph – yours for £1,950
Don Hunstein’s Freewheelin’ cover from February 1963 is one of the great iconic images in the Dylan catalogue.
The album’s cover image was selected from the shots on a single roll of colour film taken as the light was fading fast on a freezing winter afternoon.
Another very similar photograph from the same shoot is for sale at £1,950 in a Limited Edition of 50, 20x24 inch unframed, signed by Don Hunstein, from Snap Galleries in Birmingham, England.
www.snapgalleries.com
Gerry Smith
The album’s cover image was selected from the shots on a single roll of colour film taken as the light was fading fast on a freezing winter afternoon.
Another very similar photograph from the same shoot is for sale at £1,950 in a Limited Edition of 50, 20x24 inch unframed, signed by Don Hunstein, from Snap Galleries in Birmingham, England.
www.snapgalleries.com
Gerry Smith
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Dylan jokes #1: encore #1 & 2
Thanks to Gordon Macniven:
“I don't wish to be rude but could I suggest that Richard O Smith sticks to organising walking tours rather than risking it all as a comedian?!”
And thanks to Humberto:
>>>“How many rows must a man walk down, before he can find the milk?” Ahem… . >>>
“workingman's blues!”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan jokes #1
Richard O Smith, who runs the entertaining Eccentric Oxford walking tours -
www.oxfordwalks.co.uk
- is a long-time Dylan nut, as a well as a long-time semi-pro wag.
He’s just had this joke published in The Independent daily newspaper:
“Times are a-changin': Bob Dylan, having only once previously provided permission for lyric alteration, has finally allowed his famed protest song "Blowin' in the Wind" to be used in an advert for the Co-Op ("Dylan co-operates with TV advert", 28 January).
“How many rows must a man walk down, before he can find the milk?”
Ahem… .
“I don't wish to be rude but could I suggest that Richard O Smith sticks to organising walking tours rather than risking it all as a comedian?!”
And thanks to Humberto:
>>>“How many rows must a man walk down, before he can find the milk?” Ahem… . >>>
“workingman's blues!”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan jokes #1
Richard O Smith, who runs the entertaining Eccentric Oxford walking tours -
www.oxfordwalks.co.uk
- is a long-time Dylan nut, as a well as a long-time semi-pro wag.
He’s just had this joke published in The Independent daily newspaper:
“Times are a-changin': Bob Dylan, having only once previously provided permission for lyric alteration, has finally allowed his famed protest song "Blowin' in the Wind" to be used in an advert for the Co-Op ("Dylan co-operates with TV advert", 28 January).
“How many rows must a man walk down, before he can find the milk?”
Ahem… .
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Dylan jokes #1
Richard O Smith, who runs the entertaining Eccentric Oxford walking tours -
www.oxfordwalks.co.uk
- is a long-time Dylan nut, as a well as a long-time semi-pro wag.
He’s just had this joke published in The Independent daily newspaper:
“Times are a-changin': Bob Dylan, having only once previously provided permission for lyric alteration, has finally allowed his famed protest song "Blowin' in the Wind" to be used in an advert for the Co-Op ("Dylan co-operates with TV advert", 28 January).
“How many rows must a man walk down, before he can find the milk?”
Ahem… .
www.oxfordwalks.co.uk
- is a long-time Dylan nut, as a well as a long-time semi-pro wag.
He’s just had this joke published in The Independent daily newspaper:
“Times are a-changin': Bob Dylan, having only once previously provided permission for lyric alteration, has finally allowed his famed protest song "Blowin' in the Wind" to be used in an advert for the Co-Op ("Dylan co-operates with TV advert", 28 January).
“How many rows must a man walk down, before he can find the milk?”
Ahem… .
Monday, February 09, 2009
BBC Dylanfest this week
There’s a stack of Dylan content on BBC TV and radio this week.
Thurs 12 Feb
2300 Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour – BBC Radio 2
Fri 13 Feb
2000 Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Sound Of The Sixties - BBC4
2010 Festival (Newport Folk, 1963—6) - BBC4
2140 Sings Dylan (cover versions) – BBC4
2230 Roger McGuinn et al, Folk America At The Barbican – BBC4
Sat 14 Feb
2200 Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour – BBC Radio 2
Sun 15 Feb
2400 Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour – BBC 6Music
(Thanks to Martin Cowan for his reminder.)
Many BBC radio programmes are broadcast live online - please see the channels’ web sites for details – and some BBC radio and TV programmes are also accessible online via iPlayer for a short period after transmission (though copyright restricts the territories in which they’re available):
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Gerry Smith
Thurs 12 Feb
2300 Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour – BBC Radio 2
Fri 13 Feb
2000 Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Sound Of The Sixties - BBC4
2010 Festival (Newport Folk, 1963—6) - BBC4
2140 Sings Dylan (cover versions) – BBC4
2230 Roger McGuinn et al, Folk America At The Barbican – BBC4
Sat 14 Feb
2200 Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour – BBC Radio 2
Sun 15 Feb
2400 Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour – BBC 6Music
(Thanks to Martin Cowan for his reminder.)
Many BBC radio programmes are broadcast live online - please see the channels’ web sites for details – and some BBC radio and TV programmes are also accessible online via iPlayer for a short period after transmission (though copyright restricts the territories in which they’re available):
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Gerry Smith
Friday, February 06, 2009
Bob Dylan’s albums: another beautiful little artefact… Dylan Bookshelf #143
At the same time as I bought the beautiful little Lyrics book (below) at Dussmann on Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse, I also picked up the earlier companion volume, Bob Dylan, a monograph covering Dylan’s album output, and also by Heinrich Detering.
It’s also a beautiful little artefact, clearly designed as a companion volume.
Bravo author Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering, 2007, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 184pp, euro4.80, ISBN 978-3-15-018432-5
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering is the 143rd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
EARLIER RELATED ARTICLE:
Bob Dylan Lyrics – for German speakers: a beautiful little artefact
Dylan Bookshelf #142
On a recent trip to Berlin – surely Europe’s most exciting city – I picked up Bob Dylan Lyrics, a tiny book which reproduces the (English) lyrics of about 50 songs, with a short essay on each.
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
It’s also a beautiful little artefact, clearly designed as a companion volume.
Bravo author Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering, 2007, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 184pp, euro4.80, ISBN 978-3-15-018432-5
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering is the 143rd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
EARLIER RELATED ARTICLE:
Bob Dylan Lyrics – for German speakers: a beautiful little artefact
Dylan Bookshelf #142
On a recent trip to Berlin – surely Europe’s most exciting city – I picked up Bob Dylan Lyrics, a tiny book which reproduces the (English) lyrics of about 50 songs, with a short essay on each.
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
Thursday, February 05, 2009
New Dylan studio album imminent?
On his informative, expert blog, Michael Gray reported on 22 Jan that a new Dylan studio album might be released soon.
Does anyone have any more information?
www.bobdylanencyclopedia.blogspot.com
Gerry Smith
Does anyone have any more information?
www.bobdylanencyclopedia.blogspot.com
Gerry Smith
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Bob Dylan Lyrics – for German speakers: a beautiful little artefact
On a recent trip to Berlin – surely Europe’s most exciting city – I picked up Bob Dylan Lyrics, a tiny book which reproduces the (English) lyrics of about 50 songs, with a short essay on each.
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
Normal service restored!
Apologies to all readers and contributors for the lack of site updates and email acknowledgments on Monday and Tuesday – I got caught up in the traffic disruption following heavy snowfalls.
Normal service has been restored!
Gerry Smith
Normal service has been restored!
Gerry Smith
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
