A little bit of Paradis

Paradis | October 15, 2009

I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I’ll die like a poet.

~Bob Dylan

Category: Quotes to Know |
Tags: Dylan

Paradis | October 14, 2009

Bob Dylan…

is one of the greatest American musicians that ever lived. He never intended to be a great singer, but he makes you listen to the song. He is known as the singing poet, and he makes music to get your attention. Most artists will cite Dylan as an inspiration to them, and many artists have performed or recorded his work. His lastest album, Thunder on the Mountain is testiment to the fact that he still has what it takes.
Born, Robert Allen Zimmerman, Dylan’s first song was Blowin in the Wind, and, Like a Rolling Stone, was his first number one.

Like a Rolling Stone was the song that first brought my attention to  this gravel voiced singer with a guitar. I never took to the Blowin in the Wind style. But Rolling Stone had such depth and feeling. It’s odd really, that the media always insist he wass the voice of protest, while he states often, that he never was that, and was just doing his thing, singing the songs his way. He has many different styles, sometimes he is soulful, sometimes romantic and sometimes he is very whimsical (Listen to, All I really want to do, especially live to catch his humour)

He has a knack that just happens, words tumble out (Listen to Thunder on the Mountain or Idiot Wind) he is so at ease with what he sings, it is as if the song and him are one whole thing. There is no song (To use a Matrix pun) there is just Dylan opening his mouth.

But somehow the people heard him speak to them. I did too, but never from a protest point of view, I only felt that he didn’t need to try, it just was. But it was his songwriting that captured me, he is just so talented with words. Dylan is also known for his free form poetry, which also influences his songwriting. The words below are a poem he wrote about the JFK assassination:

the colors of Friday were dull
as cathedral bells were gently burnin
strikin for the gentle
strikin for the kind
strikin for the crippled ones
an strikin for the blind

It went on to be incorporated into, Chimes of Freedom’.
Not too many people know about Dylan’s poetry, but he was writing it at the beginning of everything, and he cites French poet, Rimbaud as one of the best.

Dylan’s song writing talent is superb, and artists such as; U2, Clapton, Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Rod Stewart, Elvis Costello, Beach Boys, and a miriad of others, have all recorded Dylan songs. In fact it totals around 3,000 artists, quite a feat for this grandfather, and father of six.  One of his sons is Wallflowers lead singer, Jakob Dylan, another, Jesse Dylan is a director.

Best album? Well I am biased of course, but I like Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks.

Paradis

Category: Biographies, The World of Music |
Tags: Biographies, Dylan

Paradis | October 13, 2009

Always Bobby, never Bob…

When Martin Scorsese made ‘No Direction Home: Bob Dylan’ a 225 minute biopic documentary, it was to give the public and fans a ‘warts and all’ look at a quiet, camera shy folk singer, who changed the musical world forever, when he exploded on stage in 1965 with a song, now known as Dylan’s finest moment, called, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’. It is all a long way from a time when Bob Dylan pretended he was the lowly singing artist named Bobby Vee, who was, at that time, an up and coming rock star.

At 225 minutes long, the film could have been far longer, if not for the fact that Scorsese only samples the songs. If you want the full songs, you need to buy the CD soundtrack, which is also well worth having, which covers many of Dylan’s famous songs.

There is plenty to learn in this film, both for the fans and the casual viewer. Although Scorsese has painted a very vivid picture, it shows only a small area of Dylan’s life, detailing the time mainly between 1960-1966, which was a very influential time int he stars life. If Dylan was the King of folk, then surely Joan Baez is the Queen of folk, and surely enough the paths of these two crossed more than once, and Baez was instrumental in making sure that Dylan found fame, allowing him to spotlight on her stage many times in his early career while he was finding his feet.

For instance, it was during this time frame, when Johnny Cash gave Dylan his electric guitar, which changed Dylan’s music forever. Some fans didn’t like it, and when he appeared on stage playing it, they jeered and called him Judas. In fact this is where the film opens, with Dylan playing an electric guitar for the first time, while fans boo him all the way through. But an undetered Dylan continues in his professional way, refusing to be bullied into slipping the folk overcoat on forever.

Dylan stuck with it, and would not be swayed by those few narrow minds, that wanted him to sing the same way forever. You see, Dylan started as a folk singer, and went on to become an idividual, uncagagorized artist, and that’s how he likes it. He doesn’t fit into any genre. He sings the way he likes to sing, and if that makes people unhappy, then that’s their problem, not his. Dylan is his own man, and sings and writes with style and feeling. For him, it is about the words and the music, nothing else. Some of his fans may not have been happy with where Dylan wanted to go, but many , many more were happy. Those that were not happy, kept trying to pull Dylan back to the folk music that started it all, but Dylan was forever moving forward, evolving, and this to me is the key to his continued success.

Dylan is a man that rarely smiles, or appears happy. He comes across as a shy man that wants to be left to make his music, but fans found him and put him up on a pedestal. Does this man have humour inside him? Sure he does, he doesn’t show it much, but if you catch him off guard, it is very much there. In fact, Dylan rarely holds interviews, so this was certainly a rare treat, and surprising, as most of the narrative is done by Dylan himself. Scorsese deserves a pat on the back for manaing to get Dylan to even take part in this film, let alone getting the man to talk for four hours.

There is plenty of previously unseen footage in this film to enjoy, cutting room out takes, backstage footage etc. This isn’t the first Dylan documentary that’s ever been made, the most famous one to date, was called, ‘Don’t look back’ made in 1967. But Scorsese’s film will be the one most noted for it’s honesty and frankness, and of course, Dylan’s running commentary. Asked whether he considers himself the voice of his generation, he replies, ‘I think of myself as a song-and-dance man’ ‘ Dylan once said, ‘Even the president of the United States, sometimes must have to stand naked’

Fans like to debate over why Dylan changed his name from Robert Zimmerman to Bob Dylan, but Dylan insists there really is no mystery involved, Dylan just came to him one day. But no doubt the fans will continue to debate over it for many more years to come yet. Dylan also claims that his songs weren’t about anything or associated with any movement, as most fans seem to think they were, that the meaning changes with the times.

Note this: Scorsese and Dylan never met. Columbia Records and Bob Dylan’s management gave Martin Scorsese access to their vaults, which is something no documentary filmmaker has ever been given by Dylan. That says something about both men.

Director, Scorsese paints a sympathetic and perceptive picture of Dylan, the man who was to influence so many artists over the decades, yet leaves him shrouded in mystery. One can feel a great empathy for Dylan, who’s music will continue to live on indefinitely. This is the definitive documentary about Dylan, a man and his music, a man who knew he was going to be somebody, and it is not to be missed. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, make sure you find time for this one. This is the holy grail of pop music.

Paradis

Category: Films to watch |
Tags: Dylan, Films