Either he’s saying that Dylan knows he’s going to die soon or that Dylan knows the world’s going to end soon. Which is more likely for Dylan to have knowledge of? (I’m not saying that either is true, mind.)
5 Likes
Yes, I am well aware of the irony of parsing the above post in this context.
I don’t know what he’s saying. It just seemed like projection to me. We are both interpreting someone else’s post. Who knows, maybe he’s talking about Dylan’s poor circulation. What do I know?
1 Like
Seems like it’s a piece of oral history. A portrait of life in the jungle before, and some ways after, they poisoned the waterhole - a reminiscence by an artist who lived through the events and wants to leave a record of the times.
1 Like
Made it through some 30 seconds and gave up.
1 Like
His Chronicles: Volume One is a good read, full of interesting stories about people he has met over the years.
But it’s not very good writing. The prose is often clumsy – metaphors or figures of speech that don’t quite work, all the more maddening when you suspect that he tried to use an elegant turn of phrase and he simply wasn’t up to the task.
2 Likes
Yeah, but that doesn’t prove he can’t write a good song anymore. His prose has been weak since the ‘60s. Anything longer than liner notes was a little much for him
Seems like he was just listening to a favorite playlist and decided to write down the titles and whatever else came to mind.
1 Like
I don’t know that I can tolerate 17 minutes listening to Dylan, but I read the lyrics and he name dropped Carl Wilson so that’s pretty cool.
It’s not bad. With repeated plays perhaps it would grow on me, but it’s rather long and not terribly hooky, so I’m probably not likely to much. The lyrics do not especially grab me, but they do help create an elegiac feeling which complements the music. (I’d say JFK’s assassination is a starting point for Dylan’s meanderings rather than the primary focus.)
If I had to sum it up, I’d say Dylan got drunk late one night and decided to do his own version of “American Pie.” Dylan’s tune isn’t as catchy, but probably makes better background music.
2 Likes
It sounds a whole lot like he was using that hatfull of random phrases technique - with a bunch of musical acts thrown in. It’s got that thrown together feel. Not a tune that you’re gonna whistle to but I might just give it a couple more cracks.
Edit: No, it’s more thoughtful than that. Sad and difficult to listen to but the hard facts are like that.
Edit 2: Oh, and what makes this interesting is that it is not a commercial release but a recording Bob describes as “something he and a few friends did a while back” - which he released himself to youtube with a message of solidarity to fellow crisis sufferers. How many times have you seen Bob Dylan post to youtube?
2 Likes
This whole thing could be as simple as that.
1 Like
The long windedness of American Pie combined with the pretentiousness of We Didn’t Start the Fire, and none of the catchiness of either.
1 Like
Hey, he does name check Joel, or one of his songs, I forget.
ETA: Oh, and none of the linearity of either song, which did at least basically unreel in chronological order.
1 Like
Sweet baby cheeses… I’m not suggesting Dylan has some Knights Templar level global special super-secret squirrel knowledge from the Illuminati. Seriously? That’s your take away?
@ChuckV caught my meaning, though I wasn’t necessarily thinking impending death as much as some sort of career-ending factor, whether that be personal or medical or some combination thereof. None of us are getting any younger and Zimmy is getting up there, so every day he chooses to keep recording or performing is a gift. Many of his musical cohort have retired from public life, some from music all together, so we shouldn’t take for granted that he’s human like the rest of us.
5 Likes
Alright then. Next time say, “Ok boomer”. That will put me in my place.
Not trying to put anyone in their place, the place for all of us happy mutants is right here. You’ve been around since @Falcor (may their memory live forever) was a pup (literally, it looks like you joined less than three weeks later), so you know that as well as anyone.
You didn’t hold back much up above here when you suggested, among other things, that I was “diddling myself”. I don’t think my reply was untoward. But given the circumstances and how we’re all under a good deal of stress these days, let’s call it even. Cheers, mate.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
