The Me-view: Bob Dylan’s “Together Through Life”
If you read my recent post where I gave a “meview” on Neil Young’s new album, “Fork in the Road”, you know what’s coming next. If you don’t know the score, have a quick glance at that post for the lowdown.
Bob Dylan just released his thirty-third studio album, “Together Through Life”. This one has had a polarising effect on die-hards, casual fans and critics alike. Me, I’m a die-hard. I listen to each record without prejudice or hangovers from past albums whether they are classics or clunkers. I like to hear where Bob is at today. This album is a bit of a paradox…it is the most recent Bob, but he is playing a collection of sounds that have been around a long, long time.
So here it is…my Meview of “Together Through LIfe”. Remember, what I said last time: album reviews are nothing more than weather reports. Instead of a review I give you a Me-view. As always, I give it to you in less than one hundred words and subjective as all hell.
This is Bob Dylan: Chess blues, desperate border-town serenades and
backyard hillbilly stomps. It is a wanton, textured, dirtroad sound
that shimmies and wobbles along side the the rusty-gate squelch of
Bob’s weathered but wise voice. His voice sounds fragile. Not like a
porcelain ballerina, but like at any moment it might cave in. It is
the album. It gives the songs a singular character, compeling you to
listen to its stories filled with an almost pragmatic optimism. This
album isn’t for beginners, but it is an alluring place to start. Front Burner Songs: Jolene, Shake Shake Mama, I Feel A Change Comin’ On
Recently I read a review of a Bob Dylan new release and it prompted me to write this post on Mr. Dylan. In 1975 Rubin Carter was incarceration for a triple murder in Patterson,NJ. At that time Bob Dylan penned “Hurricane” and was a proponent for Carter’s release and visited the one time top ranked boxer. In 1976 the court overturned the conviction and released Carter and his co defendant John Artis. Later that same year after a new trial the men were re-convicted and given a life sentence.Initially Dylan helped Carter out of his commitment to the civil rights movement and said of the man “when I met him I realized our philosophies were running down the same road”. After the second trial and the men were convicted a second time Dylan abandon Carter and refused to continue to aid him. At that point evidently it was politically incorrect to continue to aid Carter as Dylan displayed by ignoring Carters letters and phone calls. Certainly not a man of his convictions. Eventually Rubin Carter did win his release no thanks to Dylan who basked in the publicity as being a friend and gained notoriety with his song about Carter. To me the man is a complete phony and a coward. He showed no loyalty what so ever and crumbled because of his own image to uphold. Certainly not a true friend or a man of much character. Which is why I personally cannot stand him and my opinion of him overshadows any thing that he does. As a result I think his music sucks as does he. I never did care for him anyway and learning this through reading Mr. Carters book reinforced that. If this seems judgmental it is because it is. I personally know plenty about abandonment by friends and about the loyalty of believing in someone and sticking by them no matter what criticism comes down the pike. It is called Character something Dylan left behind. I have been on both ends of the spectrum and if I have nothing at all I know I have character as do the friends I choose as well as my relatives who have shown that over and over in my life. Even though we do not have the fame and fortune (I won’t include talent), as Dylan we are far richer than he. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I was able to redeem my life and Bob Dylan still struggles.
Just came across this stunning Bob document. A musicologist’s dream of useless lists and throw-away quotes (“A lot of people who play one kind won’t play with people who play another kind, but me personally, I never understood any kind of border patrol when it comes to music.” — Bob).http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2008/04/dylan.html
Kipster, I read this when it came out. Lines like that make me want to take the breaks off my car & drive down a hill.
Yes, I figured you would have seen the piece before!“All of our shows are for truckers, if not about truckers.”