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Okay, I'm too young to have been into Dylan the first time around, though my older brother seems to have played some of his stuff in my hearing, because it's still familiar. Like, the whole "Best of" album, and the silhouette of his hair from the album cover looks familiar too.
My son actually got me interested in him. I heard the studio version of Tambourine Man and it grabbed me last summer. Since then I've played that one rather compulsively. The other night I heard this radio documentary about his early days, and they played whole tracks, not just snippets. I sat in the driveway for half an hour after I got home, just to finish listening on the radio.
Since then I've been exploring his site and listening to tracks here. And I'm just amazed by his songs, the lyrics and the music and the sound of his voice. I'm like, totally bowled over. His songs make my heart hurt. I'm in love with early Dylan. (Maynard, Thom, and Trent may have their hearts broken by this fact, but I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen but I can't fight it now.)
I just bought (because I still don't feel right taking things without permission) the Freewheeling cd (after listening to the whole thing off the site). I'm totally blown away by it.
Anyone else an early Dylan fan? I so wish I could write songs like that, that sound like they've been sung for 500 years (instead of just 50 ). I can see why he took the world by storm back then.
From his wikipedia article, this quote: "When the young Bobby Womack told Sam Cooke he didn’t understand Dylan’s vocal style, Cooke explained that: “from now on, it's not going to be about how pretty the voice is. It's going to be about believing that the voice is telling the truth.”"
I think that quote captures it well. Sam Cooke spoke truth. I believe, Bob, I believe.
posted
Bump to give it another prime time chance to catch musicians.
This is such a phenomenal album! I know I'm raving about it some 40 years after it was current, but seriously I know some musicians must have heard it. It's absolutely awesome.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Freewheelin' is pretty awesome, though not my favorite Bob Dylan album. It does have one of my top 5 favorite Dylan songs, that being Don't Think Twice, It's Alright.
I like his early stuff fine, but I'm more a fan of his 70s efforts. Blood on the Tracks is my favorite Dylan album. That being said, I'm not really the most hardcore Dylan fan you'd ever meet. I can get into him in a big way for stretches of time, but if I'm not in the right headspace he can really grate on my nerves. I saw him live last year, and I guess he was in good spirits, because he actually put on a really good show. I've heard his live shows are pretty hit or miss.
If you haven't seen it, you'd probably enjoy Martin Scorsese's documentary about Bob Dylan, No Direction Home. It focuses on his early years, his influences, the music of his time and what inspired him, and his turbulent relationship with fame.
Posts: 1855 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I have to second both Blood on the Tracks(as my favorite Dylan album) as well as the Scorsese documentary which was awesome.
I'll also toss in Bringing it All Back Home as one of my favorites as well.
Also, don't know if you like the Grateful Dead at all but there's a great live album called Dylan & the Dead, which is, you guessed it, Dylan and the Dead playing 7 of Dylan's tracks together. There's a great version of I Want You on it.
I haven't listened to Freewheelin in years, i'll pop it in later!
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I found the documentary on You Tube and watched it in something like 18 parts. It was good.
I wish I could find this radio documentary I heard the other night on the local public radio station. It was called "Bob Dylan: Blowin' in the Wind". If anyone locates it online link me. I only heard the last half, I guess, and I'd like to hear the whole thing.
I'll listen to Blood on the Tracks tomorrow. Dylan's site sometimes lets you hear whole tracks, and sometimes it only plays excerpts. But anyway they're long enough to get the idea. I'll go through BotT tomorrow night.
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). I can see why he took the world by storm back then. 
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