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Bob Dylan: 72 and aging very well. Of how many great artists can it

73.11.35.253
Posted on December 19, 2014 at 10:30:27
tinear
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 be said that their best work came so late?
Certainly, as with other perdurable artists, he's produced a lot of dreck.
Still, it is inescapable that his craft has reached its apotheosis in comparatively recent songs such as, "Highlands," "Ain't Talkin,'", and, "Not Dark Yet."
(I'm not mentioning any from his last two studio efforts featuring original music because, a. I haven't fully digested them; b. It takes time for a song to become, "classic.")

 

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RE: Bob Dylan: 72 and aging very well. Of how many great artists can it, posted on December 19, 2014 at 13:17:38
fantja
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 I enjoy the BD catalog up to "Oh Mercy". This is the cut-off point for me.

 

Interesting. So… you don't appreciate, "Time out of Mind," "Love and Theft," or, "Modern Times.", posted on December 19, 2014 at 17:21:46
tinear
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 Obviously, from my earlier post, I strongly disagree: I'd say some of the songs on those albums are as excellent (actually, more so) than ANY previous work. I would agree that the 3 albums between "Oh, Mercy" and "Time out of Mind" are weak, however.
The three albums I so admire not only have powerful and beautiful lyrics, the music also shows a deeper journey into timeless American music of the past. To listen to the music itself is to hear an enormous amount of influences, assimilation, and transformation. No one like him.
I'd also mention his voice's deepening allows him the unsurpassed ability to convey nuances of emotion.

 

RE: Interesting. So… you don't appreciate, "Time out of Mind," "Love and Theft," or, "Modern Times.", posted on December 19, 2014 at 18:29:53
fantja
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 No, not really.

 

Hope he keeps writing., posted on December 19, 2014 at 21:54:52
jimbill
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 Wish he would stop singing.

 

RE: "Wish he would stop singing.", posted on December 20, 2014 at 04:01:20
genungo
 Singing? Whining is more like it.

 

RE: Bob Dylan: 72 and aging very well. Of how many great artists can it, posted on December 20, 2014 at 05:58:20
middleground
 I am over my years of being a Dylan devotee.

It happened mostly after attending one of his concerts.

Maybe he should stick to writing.

 

RE: "Wish he would stop singing.", posted on December 20, 2014 at 09:25:33
fantja
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 You got it, genungo!

 

RE: Never cared much until "Moder Times", posted on December 20, 2014 at 09:32:56
Eldragon
...so, you are right.

 

Funny you should mention Dylan around Xmas time... , posted on December 20, 2014 at 09:53:15
genungo
 .., because I think that one of the best albums he's done since the late 1960's is that Xmas album he put out several years ago.

 

RE: Bob Dylan: 72 and aging very well, posted on December 20, 2014 at 10:48:01
Amphissa
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I always admired Dylan as a songwriter, up until his religious period. Sorta lost track of him after that and have not bought any albums of his for many years.

That said, "Not Dark Yet" is, IMO, one of his greatest songs ever -- one of those with layers of depth that uses simple pictures to reach into philosophical territory of the human condition -- the long road of life and the inevitability of death -- without becoming morbid.

However, I really cannot connect with his singing of it. I much prefer the recording by Jimmy Lafave. (I once read a note about Lafave that said, Bod Dylan wrote the songs Jimmy Lafave wishes he could write, and Lafave has the voice Dylan wishes he had.)


"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)

 

Probably better fit at Rocky Road though dinosaur rock rules there. nt , posted on December 20, 2014 at 11:29:20
musetap
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 aa
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

I thought of that, except Bob doesn't fit so neatly into that genre: his last 15 years, or so, have seen a, posted on December 20, 2014 at 13:00:09
tinear
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 deepening assimilation into what now could best be called Americana; influences from all sides, from bluegrass, spirituals, jazz, blues, etc.
The musicianship on his last albums is nonpareil.

 

His band - the most stable one he's ever had BTW - is razor sharp, , posted on December 20, 2014 at 14:32:41
musetap
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 and live has played hundreds of gigs with him so are attuned to his... eccentricities.

Helps he's had the talents of the never less than brilliant David Hidalgo along for the studio session rides the past decade plus.
At this point Dylan cares even LESS than he ever did about whatever anyone thinks about what he does, and he never cared much to begin with.

Ever listen to his radio shows? The man is a living, talking, breathing musicologist and expert on American Roots Music
AND has big enough ears to encompass many other forms of popular musics from across the globe recorded over the past 100 years.

And he STILL has a way with the words in his tales.

There are no studio musical disappointments from Bob Dylan these days, only honed, burnished, soulful craft that still awes.
Live is a different thing, unfortunately, and one must have the dedication of the blindly devoted and the patience of Job to get through the typical set.

I agree about his last few recordings and "Time Out of Mind" may just be one of his most consistently greatest recordings ever.






"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

Amen. nt, posted on December 20, 2014 at 21:18:48
tinear
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 dsc

 

"Turn on your heaadlights and sound your horn if people get in the way", posted on December 21, 2014 at 16:21:18
Paul_A
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