It is difficult to imagine a time when Bob Dylan was not revered as a songwriter, but here is one of the true documents of that time; it is an album that exemplifies young Dylan’s early sound, as he experimented with his influences on some of his first cover song recordings and presented the first two originals he committed to an album (the early, touching gem “Song to Woody” and the raw, poetically humorous “Talkin’ New York”).
Hello again, and thanks for tuning in for another all-new Laptop Session! I have the honor of presenting the first video of February, on the first day of our exciting, newly-designed guitarbucketlist.com website design theme. Thanks to Jim for really bringing the site to the next level!
I’ve been pretty sick the past couple days, and I’ve barely been making it back and forth between work and sleep. So, when it came time to record today, I couldn’t think of any better song to do than “Love Sick,” the first track off of Bob Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out of Mind. Not only does it have “sick” in the title, but Dylan’s voice is particularly gruff on the album, so my voice is in prime condition. 🙂
I’ll definitely be doing more from this album in the future. For now, you can look forward to another great song by Jeff tomorrow!
Hi all! Just had to write today because there’s some exciting new rock music out there on the web for all you Bob Dylan fans — and the best news is that it is FREE new music!
For those that don’t know, Columbia will be releasing the eighth volume in the Bootleg Series, titled Tell Tale Signs. This multi-disc collection will include previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions of previously released songs, and some great packaging options. For the complete low-down, check out Bob Dylan’s official website…
…where you can download a free mp3 of “Dreamin’ of You,” an outtake from the Time Out of Mind sessions!
What I find most interesting and entertaining about the song is that it has echoes of other songs from the album; a fan of Time Out of Mind will notice the lines from other tracks that are in “Dreamin’ of You” in various forms. It’s almost as if he scrapped this song and yet salvaged some key lines from the wreckage. But why wouldn’t the song have been included? From the moment the drums kick in, this is an amazing track and gives me high hopes for the Bootleg Series release on October 7 — if the other tracks are anywhere near this type of quality, then it will certainly be another amazing addition to the series. (It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two decades since the first Bootleg album was released!)
I really can see why the song wouldn’t have made it to the album; it has a different feel to it than much of the other material on his 1997 release. But it is a PRIME candidate for this collection of Dylan tracks — a must-listen, to be sure!
Thank you, Bob Dylan, and thank you, Columbia, for this advance release!
Never in my life have I felt that this song was more relevant than it is tonight and–especially–tomorrow. This is Bob Dylan’s classic protest song, “The Times They Are A-Changin.'” I’ve always appreciated the song, but I don’t think I’ve ever related to it as much as I did tonight as I was recording this music video. Personally, I have always been more interested in the other songs on Dylan’s album of the same name, such as “Only a Pawn in Their Game” and “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” Yet, on the eve of the 2008 Presidential election, I could think of no song more fitting to record than this one.
And, God save me, I will be recording “With God On Their Side” for my Thursday video if McCain wins! (Just search the lyrics to this song if you’ve missed the reference…).
I’ve tended to stay away from Dylan’s protest songs. I have a great deal of respect for them, but as Dylan himself, I hate to see him labeled simply as “the voice of a generation.” I am most interested in his more recent material — for instance, I’m still blown away by the new Bootleg Series release.
But tonight is a special occasion. As I began practicing this song, I found that (although I haven’t heard or played this song for months and months) all the words came to me easily. Line after line, verse after verse, this song rings so exceptionally true to me. It doesn’t take a literary critic to connect lines like the following ones to contemporary society:
“Admit that the water around you has grown…”
“Don’t speak too soon, for the wheel’s still in spin…”
“Come senators, congressmen; please heed the call…”
“Don’t criticize what you can’t understand; your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly aging…”
“Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand!”
There is indeed a reason why Dylan’s lyrics have been lauded for decades, and this song is one of the many that have stood the test of time. I hope that you’ll listen to the words and consider their meaning, and then think about “the state of this great nation of ours” (to quote the great Ben Folds) — it’s interesting and not so much of a coincidence that Obama’s campaign calls not only for change, but for “Change we can believe in.” I haven’t been this hopeful for real change for a good long time!
In fact, I was just flipping through a book I bought before the 2004 elections, as I decided who to vote for. I did a lot of research, reading that book and deciding between Bush and Kerry. Looking back, I can’t believe I even hesitated on that particular choice.
This year, I saved the ten bucks I would have spent on a new campaign book, as I didn’t need to do any further research beyond the Presidential debates and subsequent news reports and fact checks, not to mention the SNL skits.
Well, I’m just rambling now, as I’m tired and currently in bed, listening to acoustic Dylan and dreaming of… well, dreaming! Sleep is good. Change is also good. As my super-cool sister reminded me today, how could Obama not win with a catch-phrase like “BA-ROCK the vote!”
Okay; that’s it for me for a few days, but please hurry back to read Jeff’s election night blog post and Jim’s post-election Original Wednesday (I’m anxious to see what appropriate song he’ll choose). Then, I’ll be back on Thursday.
