With the most compelling lyrics since his last Wallflowers album, Jakob Dylan continues to putter along with his return-to-roots approach; there are some flashes of brilliance here, yet I simply have to expect more from a man I consider to be one of the most outstanding songwriters of all time.
Top Two Tracks:
“Holy Rollers for Love” & “Standing Eight Count”
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
It’s back-to-back Bob Dylan songs for me. This one comes from his 1969 country-rock album, complete with “Lay, Lady, Lay” voice! For those of you WCJM.com Free Internet Radio fans out there, try not to confuse this with John Daley’s trademark tones…
I’ll be tapping into some new artists in the next few posts, and I’d like to really kick off the Christmas season with some holiday tunes. As always, thanks for “tuning in”!!
(Looking for a different song? Use the SEARCH bar to the upper right of the screen!)
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
Unplugged cover of Bob Dylan’s “Every Grain Of Sand” (from the Shot Of Love album – 1981), with acoustic guitar and harmonica. I changed the two harmonica solos to fit my harmonica skills (I have a lot to learn before I can play exactly what Dylan plays) and the possibilities of my G tuned harmonica.
** EDITOR’S NOTE: **
In his first contribution to the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song music video blog, Federico has chosen a beautiful little number. I wonder if he was aware of my love for Bob Dylan when he decided to submit this video…
He certainly couldn’t have been aware of how much I love this underrated gem of an album, Shot of Love. Often considered the third in his “born-again Christian trilogy” of studio albums, Shot of Love is actually more of a transition album. Critics tore this release apart, often with the exception of “Every Grain of Sand.” And, truly, Federico couldn’t have chosen a better song to translate into an acoustic cover. Although his harmonica is not spot-on, it is clearly because of the key the harmonica is in. He has a knack for matching the fingerpicking pattern as well as the harmonica tabs — any Dylan fan will be able to hear how close his solo is to the original, all except for the key, that is.
And, again, I’m thrilled at his choice of album. Shot of Love may have been panned by fans and critics alike, but there are some excellent tracks. Consider “Heart of Mine,” percussion by none other than Ringo Starr. Then, there’s the striking “Lenny Bruce.” “Property of Jesus” may be dismissed as just another “Christian song,” but it’s a catchy and effective one. And, although it wasn’t included on pressings until four years later, “The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar” is a phenomenal Dylan track.
So, listen to Federico’s first session, and get out there and listen to Shot of Love if you’ve been missing out all these years!
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
And, just like that, I’m back with my second session of the night!
As a follow-up to my previous music video, this is “Please, Mrs. Henry,” also from Bob Dylan’s 1975 release The Basement Tapes. Generally, I am most impressed with complete, clean studio recordings of songs from my favorite bands, yet there are many instances of great music being created when an artist has stripped away at all the usual standards and practices of studio recording. A most recent — and admittedly weird — instance of this is the re-release of Beck’s early nineties indie rock release One Foot in the Grave. While this album really isn’t the kind of music I’ll be showing off to my friends, there is this really raw and unique sound to it. One of the benefits to these types of recordings is the quantity of music usually available — i.e. 24 Basement Tapes tracks and 32 tracks on the aforementioned Beck album. In the first 16 album tracks, songs like “Cyanide Breath Mint,” “Asshole” (later covered by Tom Petty for the She’s the One soundtrack!), and “Painted Eyelids” would never make it anywhere near the radio. I love the lyrics and sound to some of the bonus tracks, as well — “Favorite Nerve,” “Burning Boyfriend,” and, “Feather in Your Cap” to name a few.
Of course, with these types of recordings, there are always going to be throwaway tracks and songs that will make you want to say, “What was he thinking?!” But that’s to be expected…
Getting back to the Laptop Session at hand, “Please, Mrs. Henry” is one of the songs I initially disliked from this album. More specifically, I found it kind of plain. Now that I’ve gone back to it — specifically during my Bob Dylan mp3 marathon earlier this month — I have a newfound appreciation for the lyrics as well as the music. Where else can you get the perspective of a singer/narrator who is not only telling you he is drunk, but actuallly sounds drunk while he’s doing it? Dylan’s inflection aside, how else can you read lyrics like “I’ve been sniffin’ too many eggs…Drinkin’ too many kegs” or “I’m groanin’ in a hallway; pretty soon, I’ll be mad” or, who could forget, “Why don’t you look my way and pump me a few?”
Great stuff.
With that, I’ll leave you to watch my interpretation of one of the many songs on The Basement Tapes that have been capturing the attention of fans since it was recorded in 1968. Even before the album was officially released, these tracks became some of the most bootlegged songs in rock music history. (Think: Great White Wonder.) And now you have my version to add to the mix. It certainly doesn’t approach the level that Dylan’s on, but it was a lot of fun to try! (Check out the chords, linked at the top of this post, so you can play, too…)
See you next session!
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
