Tag Archives: 1969

August 27: Another Self Portrait The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 by Bob Dylan was released in 2013

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“…one of the most important, coherent and fulfilling Bob Dylan albums ever released.”
– David Fricke (Rolling Stone Magazine)

The Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969–1971) is an album of unreleased recordings, demo recordings, alternative takes mostly from Bob Dylan’s 1970 albums Self Portrait and New Morning, and a couple of live tracks from the Isle of Wight Festival (1969), released on August 27, 2013. It is the latest addition in the series of official “bootleg” recordings issued by Columbia Records.

Pretty Saro (official video)

The cover is new artwork by Bob Dylan. The liner notes have been written by Greil Marcus, who wrote the original Self Portrait review for Rolling Stone that infamously asked, “What is this shit?”. Also included is an extensive essay from journalist Michael Simmons. The set also contains rare photographs of that era from John Cohen and Al Clayton.

“For fans, this is more than a curiosity, it’s an indispensable addition to the catalog.”
– Thom Jurek (allmusic)

I wrote about what I liked best about this bootleg series release when it came out last year:

Continue reading August 27: Another Self Portrait The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 by Bob Dylan was released in 2013

The Beatles 40 best songs: at 29 “Come Together”

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‘Come Together’ changed at the session. We said, ‘Let’s slow it down. Let’s do this to it, let’s do that to it,’ and it ends up however it comes out. I just said, ‘Look, I’ve got no arrangement for you, but you know how I want it.’ I think that’s partly because we’ve played together a long time. So I said, ‘Give me something funky and set up a beat, maybe.’ And they all just joined in. „
—John Lennon, 1969

“ On the new album I like ‘Come Together,’ which is a great one of John’s. „
—Paul McCartney, 1969

Wikipedia:

A-side “Something”
Released 6 October 1969 (US), 31 October 1969 (UK)
Format 7″
Recorded 21–30 July 1969, EMI Studios, London
Genre Blues rock, hard rock
Length 4:18
Label Apple
Writer(s) Lennon–McCartney
Producer George Martin

Continue reading The Beatles 40 best songs: at 29 “Come Together”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live in Stockholm, 1969 (Video)

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“We’re gonna play nothing but oldies-but-baddies tonight, we haven’t played together in about six weeks, so we’re going to jam tonight and see what happens. Hope you don’t mind.”.. and as he steps away from the microphone we can vaguely hear him mumbling something like:  “You wouldn’t know the difference, anyway.”
~Jimi Hendrix (intro to the concert)

On the whole, I can’t understand how anyone who saw us on this tour could have liked us. There was a lot of filming for Swedish TV and compared to similar films in 1967, we were a different group. Jimi was sullen and removed and actually slagged off the audience during the first set. He rarely bothered to sing. I paced grimly in my corner and turned my back on him. The sparkle was gone, very gone, replaced by exhaustion and boredom which showed in the sloppy repeats of the hits as we stared at the crowd with dead eyes. We hated playing Sweden. Always the same problem–no drugs. We were forced to drink the killer Schnapps, and it brought on Jimi’s mood for the first set.
~Noel Redding (Are You Experienced?: The Inside Story Of The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

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Bob Dylan & The Band at Isle of Wight 1969

bob dylan isle of wight 1969

 

I once held her in my arms
She said she would always stay
But I was cruel
I treated her like a fool
I threw it all away

Woodside Bay
Near Ryde, Isle Of Wight, England
31 August 1969

  • Bob Dylan (guitar & vocal)
  • Robbie Robertson (guitar)
  • Richard Manuel (piano)
  • Garth Hudson (organ)
  • Rick Danko (bass)
  • Levon Helm (drums)
  1. She Belongs To Me
  2. I Threw It All Away
  3. Maggie’s Farm
  4. Wild Mountain Thyme (trad.)
  5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
  6. To Ramona
  7. Mr. Tambourine Man
  8. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
  9. Lay Lady Lay
  10. Highway 61 Revisited
  11. One Too Many Mornings
  12. I Pity The Poor Immigrant
  13. Like A Rolling Stone
  14. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
  15. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
  16. Minstrel Boy
  17. Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35

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Check out:

-Egil

 

The Best of Another Self Portrait: The Isle Of Wight concert

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I have now had a few days listening to the new Bootleg series 10 deluxe box set. It is very interesting, and it is actually rather good. I am one of those few that kind of liked the original album, so I expected to like Another Self Portrait. I was not expecting that I would like it as much as I do.

That said, there are two things that stand out however. The first is the demo version of When I Paint My Masterpiece, it knocked me out. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

But the best of the release is the full Isle of Wight performance with The Band, and I really did not expect that!

I’ve read about the Isle of Wight concert, what an important event it was, how good it was. Dylan’s first concert in three years! More than a concert, a culturally significant event and a great show.

Rolling Stone Magazine wrote in 1969:
“During Dylan’s performance, a lovely 19-year-old girl, who said her name was Vivian and that she came from “nowhere,” appeared naked with a similarly naked young man, in the midst of a sea of foam pumped into a recreation area, and before 200 persons, made love. There was no attempt to stop them – but there was plenty of encouragement. “Beautiful,” bellowed several who saw it: “Freaky, baby!””

Well, they got my attention!

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…and they wrote about the concert:

“On came Bob Dylan, one of the very few artists who could afford not to wear skin-tight, flared, sexy trousers. Boy Dylan in a loose white suit (Buddy Holly probably owned a suit like that), white shoes, white tie and yellow shirt, behind a sparkling stainless steel chin-height barricade of microphones.

The stomping and the cheering and the crying and the crush toward the front-stage area was still strong as Dylan began his first song, “She Belongs to Me.” “Great to be here, great to be here,” he said as he finished the song. “It sure is.” There was a slightly more down-home resilience to “I Threw It All Away” and “Maggie’s Farm” than on the recordings, possibly due to the Band’s mellow, sinewy backings. “Highway 61” positively rocked.

Then the Band departed for a time, allowing Dylan to play acoustically: “Will Ye Go, Lassie Go,” a hardy perennial on the British folk scene; “It Ain’t Me Babe”; “To Ramona”; “Mr. Tambourine Man.” In “Like a Rolling Stone,” Dylan hit upon a new device of adding the world “girl” at judicious places – “You mustn’t let other people get your kicks for you, girl!” the sang, goosing the song along all the better, with the Band, who had re-joined him now, adding their resonant voices to the chorus. “I Pity The Poor Immigrant” took on sea chantey tones with Garth Hudson’s accordion accompaniment. Song after song rolled on, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine,” “Lay Lady Lay,” “One Too Many Mornings.”

And then Dylan announced: “We’re going to do one more for you.” Just the slightest sardonic grin. “This was a big hit over here by Manfred Mann, a great group, a great group.” A whoop of anticipation, and sure enough, it was “Mighty Quinn,” mighty funky.

Bob smiled broadly and waved his goodbye as the audience fell into their chant: “More, more, more more, more . . . ” So he did an encore of two more songs, the first of them a new Dylan song, a slow, gentle ballad called “Who’s Gonna Throw That Next Throw,” then followed it with a prancing “Rainy Day Women No. 12 and No. 35.”

And that was it. He had sung for one solid hour, from 11 PM to midnight. “Thank you, thank you, great!” he told the audience, still smiling, as he left for the last time.”

They describe the second coming don’t they?
Continue reading The Best of Another Self Portrait: The Isle Of Wight concert