By Chris Moore:
Okay, it’s time to separate the Dylan fans from the fanatics… If you’re familiar with this song, you’re probably in the latter category. For your pleasure (I hope), I decided to record “Little Sadie,” a very simple but fun song from Bob Dylan’s Self Portrait album. This is, of course, not to be confused with “In Search of Little Sadie,” the song two tracks earlier on the album with essentially the same lyrics but a different arrangement. Now, Dylan is known for never performing a song the same way twice, but he doesn’t usually record two different versions on the same album…
I know that Self Portrait is considered perhaps his weakest and most disappointing album (aside from Dylan, which wasn’t even released on CD!), but I’ve always loved the simple and soothing feel of the recordings. True, some are throw-aways, but I actually recorded my very first Laptop Session last year with “Living the Blues.” He does a couple great covers — Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Mornin’ Rain,” for instance. His cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boxer” is just about the only recording I’ve ever heard where he double-tracks his voice. If you listen carefully, it sounds like one voice is the gruff Dylan and one voice is the “Lay Lady Lay” Dylan. Interesting…
Without further ado, I really hope you enjoy this song and please rate and/or comment on it!
Check back tomorrow at https://guitarbucketlist.com for another great all-new session from Jeff!
Bob Dylan didnt write this song. You prolly know that, but I think its important to let others know that. I get so sick and tired of hearing people tell me about this Bob Dylan song he wrote “ya know, (insert pretty much all pre-Freewheelin material here) Man Of Constant Sorrow”…Dylan was just like every other folker at the time – takin music from the Appalachian region, and presenting in The Village. This song is no different. A quick search reveals a buncha versions, Doc Watson bein the first to come to mind. It can even be traced through Johnny Cash (Cocaine Blues) and Woody Guthrie (Little Sadie).
I actually like Self Portrait pretty good. Wait, no I dont. I like the Little Sadie songs, and one other I think. I didnt know about the double vocal though – COOL!
Reading back through this post, I really didn’t make that clear. So, thank you for pointing that out. It’s all the more confusing because it’s listed — on the CD version at least — as being written by Bob Dylan. Typically, he’ll add the “Arranged by” tag, but this just says his name.
Um, yeah, so there’s a pretty good reason why “Self Portrait” is almost universally hated. What’s the famous first line of Greil Marcus’ review? Oh, right: “What is this shit?” Kind of speaks for itself.
But there are songs like “Living the Blues” and “I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know,” and covers like “Days of 49,” “Let It Be Me,” and “Early Mornin’ Rain”… What can I say? I love all of Dylan’s stuff. Even the unlovable stuff. 🙂