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The DYLANOLOGISTS – a kind of review (part 1)

david kinney - The Dylanologists

Intro

“The Dylanologists: Adventures in the Land of Bob” by David Kinney is a book I’ve been looking forward to reading for a while.

I’ve never written a review of a book before, but when offered a “review copy” a couple of weeks back I thought: “What the heck.. I’ll do it my way*, if I can get a kindle version (I’m a kindle-a-holic).”

So this is not a standard book review at all, rather a long article on the subject “Dylanologists” inspired by the book. I will refer to the book throughout the article, and pull together my thoughts at the end in the “Summary” section. It is indeed a great book, not only for Dylan fans. It is fun, informative & full of warmth for (most of) it’s characters. Highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in Bob Dylan. My wife has assured me that she will read it (and she is not even close to being a Dylan fan).

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My confession

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May 23 in music history

Bob Dylan: Fort Collins, Colorado 23 May 1976 (video & audio) (read more)

The last three songs on the album (“You’re a Big Girl Now,” “I Threw It All Away,” and “Idiot Wind“) are as powerful and exciting as anything Dylan has done (comparable, for instance, to the May 1966 versions of “Ballad of a Thin Man” and “Like a Rolling Stone”). As phenomenal as every aspect of each of these performances is, the unique orchestration of guitars, keyboards, violin, drums and voice on “Big Girl” must be singled out for particular praise. Stoner’s bass-playing while Dylan sings “Down the highway, down the tracks, down the road to ecstacy” on “Idiot Wind” will have a special place in my heart as long as I live.
~Paul Williams (Bob Dylan: Performing Artist, Vol 2: The Middle Years 1974-1986)

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Fantastic concert from the penultimate show of Rolling Thunder Revue 2. Five songs from this show were chosen to be included on Bob Dylan’s brilliant live album “Hard Rain”: Maggie’s Farm, One Too Many Mornings, Shelter from the Storm, You’re a Big Girl Now & Idiot Wind.

 bob dylan 1976
 Today: “Tommy” by The Who was released in 1969, 45 years ago (read more)Tommy (released 23 May 1969) is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the UK and Decca Records/MCA in the US. A double album telling a story about a “deaf, dumb and blind kid”, Tommy was the first musical work to be billed overtly as a rock opera. Released in 1969, the album was mostly composed by Pete Townshend. In 1998, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for “historical, artistic and significant value”. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.  the who Tommy
 Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days – East Rutherford, NJ – 23 May 2009 – Video (read more)  bruce springsteen 2009

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Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen video, Video

Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days – East Rutherford, NJ – 23 May 2009 – Video

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bruce springsteen 2009

This concert was the final show of the first leg of the “Working on a Dream Tour“.

Glory Days was next to last on the setlist… (Bruce ended with “Mony Mony”) and it contains the “Louie Louie” coda.

setlist 2009-05-23

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Music history – May 22

Bob Dylan: The Great Music Experience, Nara, Japan 22 May 1994 (video) (read more)

For the first time ever, Dylan was backed by a full orchestra, the New Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. The final day was widely televised and Dylan was in magnificent form. I remember being near tears as The Voice returned in all its full, expressive, raging glory. I watched the footage again and again, transfixed at what seemed the best ever rendition of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and a magical and magisterial “Ring Them Bells”, with Dylan filmed beneath a huge statue of Buddha.
~Andrew Muir (One More Night: Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour)

  Bob Dylan Todai-ji temple
 Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart on ten occasions. Widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music, Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as “one of the most influential artists ever,” and The Independent has stated “most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status he has reached in his lifetime.” Pitchfork Media has called him “one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last twenty years.”  Morrissey
 Pneumonia (released May 22, 2001) is the third and last studio album by the alternative country band Whiskeytown, released in 2001.The album is noted for its troubled history which saw the band lose its record deal in the midst of the merger between Polygram and Universal, and the already volatile band fell apart as a result. The album sat on the shelf for nearly two years and it was said that over 100 songs were recorded during the 3 years. It was bootlegged heavily and gained a reputation as a great “lost” record from fans, before getting released by Lost Highway Records as something of an appetizer for Ryan Adams’ 2001 album Gold. WhiskeytownPneumonia
Today: Bruce Springsteen played Milton Keynes in 1993 – 22 May (videos) (read more) Bruce springsteen 1993
Bob Dylan: If You See Her, Say Hello , Los Angeles, California 22 May 1998 (Video) (read more) bob dylan L.A. 1998

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May 21 in music history

Today: Marvin Gaye released What’s Going On (album) in 1971 (read more)

“What’s Going On is not only Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece, it’s the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices, a man finally free to speak his mind and so move from R&B sex symbol to true recording artist.”
~John Bush (allmusic.com)

 Marvin Gaye - whatsgoing
 Bob Dylan recorded “Mississippi” @ Sony Studios, NYC, May 21, 2001 – 4 takes.. take 4 selected for “Love & Theft“. (date according to C. Heylin – Still On The Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Vol. 2)Bob Dylan (Guitar, piano & vocal), Charlie Sexton (guitar), Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, violin & banjo), Augie Meyers (keyboards & accordion), Tony Garnier (bass), David Kemper (drums & percussion).  bob dylan love & theft
 “Maybellene” (May 21, 1955 at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago,Illinois) is a song recorded by Chuck Berry, adapted from the traditional fiddle tune “Ida Red” that tells the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance. It was released in July 1955 as a single on Chess Records of Chicago, Illinois. It was Berry’s first single release and his first hit. “Maybellene” is considered one of the pioneering rock and roll singles: Rolling Stone magazine wrote, “Rock & roll guitar starts here.” The record is an early instance of the complete rock and roll package: youthful subject matter, small guitar-driven combo, clear diction, and an atmosphere of unrelenting excitement.  chuck berry - Maybelline
 Albert Bernard Grossman (May 21, 1926 – January 25, 1986) was an American entrepreneur and manager in the American folk music scene and rock and roll. He was most famous as the manager of Bob Dylan between 1962 and 1970.  Bob Dylan-Albert Grossman

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