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Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 | 2 a.m.
IF YOU GO
- Who: Bob Dylan
- When: 8 p.m. Sunday
- Where: The Joint at the Hard Rock
- Tickets: $55.50-$81; ticketmaster.com
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Five things I know about Bob Dylan: He’s the voice of a generation. He’s written more great songs than I can remember. Some of the best versions of his songs were done by other people. He’s always on tour (his “Never Ending Tour” stops Sunday in Las Vegas). And Bob Dylan is weird. I gave up trying to figuring out what he’d do next — or why — early on. For years I’ve just been sitting back and enjoying the ride. If you are of a certain age, Dylan is a touchstone and his songs chronicle the phases of your life. Here are mine:
“Rainy Day Woman No. 12 and 35”
The kids in my neighborhood would gather round the boxy stereo and devour the latest album. Our conspiratorial joy reached a crescendo in 1966 with the rapid-fire releases of “Revolver,” “Aftermath,” “Buffalo Springfield” and “Pet Sounds.” I’ll always remember the brass band, harmonica and drums opening “Blonde and Blonde” and Dylan laughing as he warned, “They’ll stone ya when you’re trying to be so good.”
“You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”
“The Basement Tapes” disc sits on my shelf next to Robert Johnson, the Stax box and Harry Smith’s anthology. These are albums I return to when I need a fix of America’s soul. Dylan and the Band produced this little jewel in the basement of Big Pink. “Nowhere,” which is better known by the Byrds, fits perfectly in this loosey-goosey mix of traditionals (“Ain’t No More Cane”), oddball vignettes (“Tiny Montgomery”) and classics (“Tears of Rage”). Pair the down-on-my-knees pleadings of “Please Mrs. Henry” with the heartbreaking postcard of love left behind in “Katie’s Been Gone.” It doesn’t get any better than this.
“Gotta Serve Somebody”
I never got sucked into debate with those who felt betrayed by born-again Bob. I loved this gospel-infused phase of his musical journey. So I was excited when Dylan brought his Muscle Shoals big band to San Francisco for a two-week residency. I was hooked through the lip the second Tim Drummond dropped into the loopy bass line of “Man Gave Names to All the Animals.” But I looked over and noticed my date was fidgeting. When Dylan preached “You gotta serve somebody,” she was overcome by the music, bolting from her seat with tears streaming down her face. By the time I got into the lobby, the usher was pointing into the night.
“Masters of War”
Over the years I got a chance to see Dylan perform many times with lots of great backing musicians. He was always at least interesting — even if he often seemed less compelling. Dylan set up at the local hockey rink a few weeks after 9/11. When the old troubadour launched into “Blowin’ in the Wind,” he was once again relevant. You could feel the electricity as he sang “Come you masters of war.”
“It’s All Good”
Dylan and I are old friends again. His latest CD gets constant play in my car. No, not the oddball Christmas album, which appeared in stores this week along with the holiday displays. “Together Through Time” sounds timeless, like vintage Sun and Chess, and has Dylan collaborating with Robert Hunter, David Hidalgo and Mike Campbell. What sounded so simple and raw has unfolded into complexity. As Dylan sings, “I wouldn’t change a thing, even if I could. You know what they say, they say it’s all good.”
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he's just "trying to get to heaven before the close the door"
Perhaps the most talented song writer of our time.
When there's a question as to whether runs will be scored on a particular day at Wrigley Field in Chicago the "answer my friends, is blowing in the wind".
First seen Dylan September 22, 1985, it was the first FARM AID concert, there were 80,000 of us sharing the moment of music with the likes of Alabama, The Beach Boys, The Blasters, Jon Bon Jovi, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Charlie Daniels, John Denver, John Fogerty, Foreigner, Vince Gill, Arto Guthrie, Sammy Hagar, Merle Haggard, Daryl Hall, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Carole King, Kris Kristofferson, Huey Lewis, Loretta Lynn, John Mellencamp, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Charley Pride, Lou Reed, Kenny Rogers, Eddie Van Halen, Neil Young JUST TO NAME A FEW on an overcast rainy day in the midwest to help our nation's farmers, which Dylan was given credit for originating.
A phenomenal musical moment to say the least...the "woodstock" of the midwest forever etched in our memory.
Thanks Bob.
: )
"Well I wouldn't feel so all alone.
Everybody must get stoned."
As someone who came of age with the Beatles, I was always aware of Dylan but could not say I was a "fan". That happened quite recently. About a year ago I had a dream about him and woke up somewhat worried that this was some kind of premonition. After checking the news and reassured that he was still alive and kicking, I was left puzzled about my sudden interest in Bob Dylan. Over the next three months, I found myself buying "Highway 51 Revisited", "Blonde on Blonde", "Blood on the Tracks", and "Tell Tale Signs." I guess Bob's right. Eventually, his fans find him.