When a blog gets old enough, things that you wrote ages ago sometimes start to force their way back into your consciousness again. There’s a small voice in the back of my head whispering that reposting is a kind of cheating but there are times when it does seem to be the appropriate thing to do.Like today, for instance. It’s Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday. A year ago, back when Attempted Essays was still very young and still had very few readers, I wrote a little piece to congratulate him on his 69th. So today being the day that’s in it, I’ve decided to put up a link to it. Once more …
And, while I’m at it, here’s a link to another little piece I wrote about him, a bit more recently:
Obviously, this dude seems to have had quite an influence on me … J
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Happy Birthday mr Zimmerman. Even if I hate his singing he is one of the greatest songwriters ever.
ReplyDeleteI knew Dylan was turning 70, just talked him with a friend a couple of days ago but I didn't know the specific date.
ReplyDeleteI read Freewheeling Minstrel and I'm looking forward to Bob's birthday post!
I'm don't know practically every detail that's been written about him, as I do with Joni, but I have a pretty good grip on him as a fan, for certain.
Bob's voice has never been good and now it's...expressive and he writes well for his current voice. As does Joni Mitchell, though she did once have a beautiful voice; ruined by a three-pack a day habit.
Thanks for remembering one of contemporary music's greatest!
~G
We're the proud owners of all the episodes of The Bob Dylan Radio Hour. He was and still is an extremely cool guy.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few I had time for. Granpa lit a fire on Main Street and shot it full of holes - you just can't beat it.
ReplyDeleteEven today (in my old age) I still want to get up and dance when I hear "Maggie's Farm". Bravo Bob! I wish I could dance it with you...
ReplyDeleteHe's one of a kind indeed! And I do not object to his singing; it is unique. I found that I am not so interested in any of the Dylan covers as they lose out something in the process... in other words, they are not "vintage" Dylan.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Hendrix did a good job in making Dylan his own and Nick Cave's version of "Death is not the End" is the only case in which the cover actually surpasses the original, which is again very rare.
Thanks for posting on this oh so talented carpenter!
In response to Arashmania's comment, I'd like to agree but chime in with one of my favorite Dylan covers - Nanci Griffith's version of Boots of Spanish Leather. I often believe it surpasses the original because it is such a tender treatment of it she renders. What a perfectly beautiful song Dylan wrote.
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