Michael Geoffrey “Mick” Jones (born 26 June 1955) is an English rock guitarist, vocalist and songwriter best known for his works with The Clash until his dismissal in 1983, then Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and finally Big Audio. Jones plays with Carbon Silicon along with Tony James and is touring the world as part of the Gorillaz live band (which includes former Clash member Paul Simonon).
When he was 21, he and Paul Simonon were introduced to Joe Strummer by Bernie Rhodes (the self proclaimed inventor of punk rock)in a dirty squat in Shepherd’s Bush. The band practised in a disused railway warehouse in Camden and The Clash was formed. Jones played lead guitar, sang, and co-wrote songs from the band’s inception until he was fired by Strummer and Simonon in 1983. Jones’ lack of punctuality played a major role in his dismissal from the band.
For his time with The Clash, Jones, along with the rest of the band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
Saved is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan‘s 20th studio album, released by Columbia Records in June 1980.
Saved was the second album of Dylan’s “Christian trilogy,” following his conversion to born-again Christianity. It expanded on themes explored on its predecessor, Slow Train Coming, with gospel arrangements and lyrics extolling the importance of a strong personal faith. Many critics dismissed Saved as dogmatic or bombastic.The album hit #3 on the UK charts, but managed to reach only to #24 on the US charts and did not go gold.
Bob Dylan’s second best song ? or best ? iow – best or second best song ever recorded.
It doesn’t really matter.
«.. The Sound Is So Rich the Song Never
Plays The Same Way Twice»
– Greil Marcus
From Wikipedia:
“Like a Rolling Stone” is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned from a grueling tour of England, exhausted.
After the lyrics were heavily edited, “Like a Rolling Stone” was recorded a few weeks later as part of the sessions for the forthcoming album Highway 61 Revisited. During a difficult two-day preproduction, Dylan struggled to find the essence of the song, which was demoed without success in 3/4 time. A breakthrough was made when it was tried in a rock music format, and rookie session musician Al Kooper improvised the organ riff for which the track is known.
However, Columbia Records was unhappy with both the song’s length at over six minutes and its heavy electric sound, and was hesitant to release it. It was only when a month later a copy was leaked to a new popular music club and heard by influential DJs that the song was put out as a single. Although radio stations were reluctant to play such a long track, “Like a Rolling Stone” reached number two in the US charts and became a worldwide hit.
B-side
“Gates of Eden” (5:44)
Released
July 20, 1965
Format
7″ single
Recorded
June 15–16, 1965, Columbia Studio A, 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City
The song’s sound was revolutionary in its combination of electric guitar licks, organ chords, and Dylan’s voice, at once young and jeeringly cynical.Critic Michael Gray described the track as “a chaotic amalgam of blues, impressionism, allegory, and an intense directness in the central chorus: ‘How does it feel'”. The song had an enormous impact on popular culture and rock music. Its success made Dylan a pop icon, as Paul Williams notes:
Dylan had been famous, had been the center of attention, for a long time. But now the ante was being upped again. He’d become a pop star as well as a folk star … and was, even more than the Beatles, a public symbol of the vast cultural, political, generational changes taking place in the United States and Europe. He was perceived as, and in many ways functioned as, a leader.
2010 – rank 1 – 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (Rolling Stone Magazine)
2006 – rank 4 – 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s (Pitchfork Media)
2000 – rank 4 – 100 Greatest Rock Songs (VH1)
Live in 1966:
Original:
Spotify Playlist – different versions of this masterpiece:
Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), known as Howlin’ Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player.
With a booming voice and looming physical presence, Burnett is commonly ranked among the leading performers in electric blues; musician and critic Cub Koda declared, “no one could match Howlin’ Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits.” A number of songs written or popularized by Burnett—such as “Smokestack Lightnin’“, “Back Door Man“, “Killing Floor” and “Spoonful“—have become blues and blues rock standards.
At 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) and close to 300 pounds (136 kg), he was an imposing presence with one of the loudest and most memorable voices of all the “classic” 1950s Chicago blues singers. This rough-edged, slightly fearsome musical style is often contrasted with the less crude but still powerful presentation of his contemporary and professional rival, Muddy Waters. Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Little Walter Jacobs, and Muddy Waters are usually regarded in retrospect as the greatest blues artists who recorded for Chess in Chicago. Sam Phillips once remarked, “When I heard Howlin’ Wolf, I said, ‘This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.‘” In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #51 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.
How Many More Years with a GREAT intro:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three songs by Howlin’ Wolf of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.
This might not be the best idea for a list, I know. We here @ JV don’t write about music we don’t like. But this is different, this is my fav artist..by far, and the 5 worst Bob Dylan albums still contains much great music. A bad Dylan album might still be a good album.
It’s always easy to write negative critique, but I chose not to comment on the 5 albums on the list… except highlighting the best song/songs.
To set the record strait: on my “all time greatest albums” list I have 3 Dylan records @ top 3:
Blonde On Blonde
Highway 61 Revisited
Blood On The Tracks
Exile on Main St. – The Rolling Stones
Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
My rules: I’ve excluded Greatest Hits/Best of albums, but bootleg series & live albums are in. And Christmas in the Heart is also excluded from this “competition”, it’s not really a Dylan album after all.
Then we are down to 52 albums.. and here are the worst:
Best Songs: Highway 61 Revisited, Masters of War & Tombstone Blues
Here is a spotify playlist with the best songs from the worst albums:
(PS – I did not find “Dylan” on spotify… hence the missing “Mr. Bojangles”)
4 runners up:
Knocked Out Loaded (1986)
remove Brownsville Girl and it might be the very worst
Bob Dylan at Budokan (1979)
ok in small portions and contains a great Is Your Love In Vain
Saved (1980)
the tame & toothless sound nearly kills it off, still it contains some really good songs: Saved, Solid Rock, In The Garden,..
Empire Burlesque (1985)
with typical bad 80’s production (horrible drum sound), and leaving best versions of key songs in the studio. This one also have some strong songs: Emotionally Yours, Dark Eyes & Tight Connection To My Heart
