Dylan Brings it on home with Modern Times
August 30th, 2006 | by steve |Yeah… That was me back in the Spring. Walking into the arena through the clouds of marijuana smoke, the sea of grey hair and flannel, and through a group of people who understood the man we all came to see far better than me. Yeah that was me. The lone conservative seeing Bob Dylan when he came to Stockton this year.
I am a huge concert goer. You name them, I have seen them (’cept the Eagles). Ain’t so much this year, as Dylan is the only one I have seen. But I am usually found near the all of those people with the glass dragons at a Dave Matthews Band Concert… the frat boys at the Green Day concert, beating myself silly against the rail in front of the stage. I actually got airborne at a Social Distortion show. Seen Bad Religion one week and Brian Wilson and Paul Simon the next. I saw Genesis on their last tour and once was even pushed off a set of stairs by Gwen Stefani before she gave us No Doubt. Seen U2 5 times… Dave many more… Ozzy, Metallica, Van Halen, Sonic Youth… Shit I’ll never end this paragraph… (Pearl Jam, Sublime, Janes Addiction, Depeche Mode…) I once saw Cake at a frat party… I still need to see the Pixies.
Still Dylan is one of my favorites..
Meanwhile, he’s got a kicking new album out that any rock music fan will adore. Too soon for me to get into the lyrics but sonically, musically… and well, spiritually Bob nails this one out of the park. Modern Times is his best from what I have heard. And his voice hasn’t sounded this good, well… ever. “Workingman’s Blues #2″ is a killer track but simple and just sticks out in my mind. The track before it, “When the Deal Goes Down”… When he sings,
“We live and we die, we know not why, But I’ll be with you when the deal goes down ”
or part of the last verse…
“Well, I picked up a rose and it poked through my clothes
I followed the winding stream
I heard the deafening noise, I felt transient joys
I know they’re not what they seem
In this earthly domain, full of disappointment and pain
You’ll never see me frown
I owe my heart to you, and that’s sayin’ it true
And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down”
The fragility of his voice is mesmerizing. We could only be so lucky just to hear it let alone have the talent and stamina to create a song like this.
“Ain’t Talkin” is the last song on the album and the open stuck out to me because it’s opening chords sounded like a slow version of “Ballad of a Thin Man” from Highway 61 Revisted. Great song.. sounds like a jumble of a few of his.
iTunes Version of the album contains four music videos that are pretty cool as well.
15 Responses to “Dylan Brings it on home with Modern Times”
By Tumerica on Aug 31, 2006 | Reply
Hey, Steve–one thing we CAN agree on, and that is Dylan’s greatness and enduring significance. I’m actually writing an article on him right now (lucky me!), but it IS intimidating. How do you write 1000 words on the most important influence on popular music in the 20th century, going on into the 21st? Saw him live about 10 years ago–surreal ands gripping. Can’t wait to finish listening to Modern Times. Love the two cuts I’ve heard.
By steve on Aug 31, 2006 | Reply
Yeah Tumerica, there is something just totally cool about Modern Times. I may spout Conservative thoughts on this blog but I am a true Conservative when it comes to Rock N Roll music. I wanna hear a guitar, bass, drum and a vocal that I can understand. I don’t care that Thunder on the Mountain basically uses three chords in a traditional 12 bar blues format. There is something enduring about it. I have my Fender DeVille Amp out on “clean” playing along. Can’t quite make the sound of that vintage amp Dylan’s guitar player is using but something about a hollow body guitar and a tube amp that makes all the difference.
The rolling stone interview he just did is awesome as well. Makes him seem more real.
By Tumerica on Aug 31, 2006 | Reply
Oh—there’s a good tip—I hadn’t heard about the Rolling Stone interview—thanks for the lead!
I’m reading everything I can get my hands on about Dylan for my article—and there is a ton of info available. Found a wonderful biography–sure there are legion—but this one is special—Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan, by Howard Soumes. It’ll blow your mind. Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) was quite the ruffian and rascal growing up. Sure, he had some natural talent, but what he had the most of was chutzpah—and the utter belief in himself—that carried him through as he scrambled around trying to find his own style (in his late teens). He had only one job his whole life other than by making music –he worked as a bus boy for a short time. Other than that, the begged borrowed and stole–ideas, albums, hearts—whatever he could. But he kept at it and kept at in and eventually found his true voice. Big influences were Woody Gutherie, Leadbelly, Odetta, Pete Seeger. But other than sheer verve, he brought poetry—his own blend of apocalyptic private metaphor, twisted around American folk-blues melodies. He talk-sang and walked his way sometimes. Always inventive, always remarkably colorful and expressive. Dylanesque. Can’t analyze his artistry or it’ll be blowin’ in the wind. But as a whole, he’s MAGIC. I enjoy reading his lyrics. Who else can we say that about these days? See him live while you can. And check out his http://www.bobdylan.com –with links to plenty of videos.
By steve on Aug 31, 2006 | Reply
I have seen him three times.
Saw him on his recent tour in April and it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen, and I have been to well over 100.
The best Dylan moment for me was when I saw him with Paul Simon and he sang “Sound of Silence” with Paul. OH MY FREAKING GOD!!! The other thing that struck me at that show was when he jumped on stage to begin his set and he started with “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”, one of my favorite songs and really was one that made me pick up a guitar back in college. The song was different… A very long intro and a lot of soloing over the 4 chords that make up the song and he just sneered at the crowd and started singing. It went on for like 10 minutes. I remember just seeing these old Tweed Fender Amps and the band just standing real tight. You couldn’t really understand him but I bet the sound he laid out that day was like hearing him for the first time going electric. It was just blistering and blunt and so unique.
(Sorry Music is my number one passion… I can go on for hours about it. Let me tell you about the time I saw “Social Distortion” or “Bad Religion” sometime! :))
By steve on Aug 31, 2006 | Reply
Oh and um, the iTunes version of the album has videos on it. I don’t know about the regular CD but I am all Apple with my music.
By Tumerica on Aug 31, 2006 | Reply
I’d be interested in a quote from you about how Dylan has influenced you–musically or otherwise–anything you want to say about him, really. If it’s colorful and unique, I’ll publish it. Good to have the words of a true fan and a musician–thanks!
Tum
By Craig R. Harmon on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
Tumerica,
If that question is for anyone, I’d say that Dylan convinced me that one didn’t have to be able to sing to make it big in the music business if one had compelling messages to say. I imagine that he inspired a whole mess of singer-songwriters to break out of the privacy of their own bedrooms and to make their way into coffee houses and elsewhere, people who’s voices were no match for those whose music were being heard on the radio and on recordings to that point.
By steve on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
The problem with what you just said Craig is Dylan actually can sing. He can sing better than say, Bono from U2 or Mick Jagger. I have heard many of off key notes from Bono in concert and he has one of the best voices in rock. (Next to Chris Cornell who I have also heard go off key.) I have never heard on off key note from Dylan in concert, ever!!! He may sound like he is gargling gravel off stage but he can sing it. To say Bob can’t sing is like saying, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin or even Lou Reed and Tom Petty can’t sing, yet their voices are instaneously identifiable as soon as you hear them. Rock N Roll and Folk Rock, Punk Rock and Heavy Metal are styles. Pavorotti can’t sing a Dylan song. Can’t pull it off to save his life!! Imagine Michael Stipe from REM doing a Dylan song? It’d sound silly.
It’s more about the individual, the actual song, the timbre of the voice, guitar, drums and bass that make the songs real outstanding to remember. Emotion has more to do with the songs than the words.
By Craig R. Harmon on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
Steve,
You’re telling me that Dylan’s first hits weren’t the worst singing you’d ever heard over the radio or on vinyl? And that harmonica? Puleez!
And the fact that some later rock singers’ are voice and pitch challenged only underscores my point: Dylan proved that you didn’t have to be able to sing to make it in the music business. QED.
Yes, his singing improved over time but initially he sucked as a singer. His songs were another story altogether.
By steve on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
Hey… I seem to remember in the 50’s before Dylan you had people like Hank Williams, the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly who didn’t fold of a traditional singer like say, Bing Crosby.
Oh.. and you think Sinatra could actually sing?
And technically speaking, Dylan’s early stuff had better “more polished” vocals because the record companies still had an image to keep in 1963-1964 when he started to get popular.
The bubble gum pop of the times with the fake studio singers were no longer popular and not selling records because they weren’t as legit as the Beatles, the Stones and even Dylan. Elvis gave us swagger, Dylan gave us soul and the Beatles gave us Revolver and then came Hendrix’s guitar. What more do you need? It didn’t sound good at first because the studio’s were churning out loads of crap while Elvis was over in Germany sequestering a 15 year old. Jerry Lee had his child bride and a plane took out Holly. The American recording companies had nothing but prefab horse crap to churn out until the Beatles and Dylan. If Dylan couldn’t sing then why did he sell? If his words are so important, then why wasn’t he a writer? Why did he pick up a guitar and put it all together if he couldn’t sing? C’mon Craig, ya drinking the Kool Aid again?
Mozart was once considered too edgy and out of context with the conservative church y’know and last I checked, he’s still pretty good!!!
By Craig R. Harmon on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
I don’t even like Kool Aid. He was a writer of poetry and lyrics that was in the mold of beat poetry. His songs became well known through folk singers, who actually had good voices (Peter, Paul and Mary and others) made his songs popular. He sold because his story-telling was killer. His songs resonated with people.
Mozart was the finest musician of his or arguably any day. You aren’t really comparing Dylan to Mozart, are you? Good God, man!
It is entirely possible that Dylan could sing all along and he just didn’t.
I’m not knocking his music, which was edgy, timely, counterculture and, so, resonant with the psyche of the times. Just saying that his early singing was unlike any vocals heard to that point — and not because it was better than his predecessors — and saying that it was probably influential in encouraging others to enter the business who might not otherwise have done and that his success, in spite of his voice made it possible for others to succeed without stellar voices. You are right about many things that you say, including that music is about the immediately identifiable rather than the richest and smothest voice. In that, Dylan was immediately identifiable.
I’ve obviously hit a nerve here. Dylan was great and among the most influential singers/songwriters ever. I liked his music immediately, in spite of his voice.
By Tumerica on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
Hi, Craig,
Yes, that question is for any Dylan fan–I’ll publish the best three or so quotes.
Tum
By Tumerica on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
There is some controversy about what makes Dylan great. I worked as a professional singer for years, touring in Japan even–took voice lessons, studied music, etc. I have to agree with Craig, Dylan’s strength is not the quality of his voice. That’s not what it’s about–again–if you analyze him, you’ll get something blowin’ in the wind. His genius is his songwriting, poetic, authentic voice. His emotion. His charisma. His pioneering energy–he incorporated elements from blues and folk, he took on the hobo personna and affected some of Woody Gutherie’s Huntington’s chorea sounds–he mixed it all together and added his genius. That’s what comes through in his voice.
By steve on Sep 1, 2006 | Reply
Craig:
I’d totally make the comparison to Mozart and Dylan. I also compare John Lennon and Paul McCartney to Mozart as well. Big difference between the late 1700’s and the 20th Century when it comes to music and why so many great musicians never find their calling until the right genre came around? Ya think Mozart would dig rock n roll? Absolutely. It was totally his style. I think the guy would be so into Rush.
Without Mozart, there is no Beethoven and without Beethoven there is no Schubert or Tchaikovsky. Without Dylan there is no Green Day.