Eephus
Footballguy
Walked Bosley tonight after the Warriors game. Picked an older one that I haven't listened to in a long while
John Wesley Harding (1967)
The album came after a long layoff (by 1960s Dylan standards) following his motorcycle crash. The event was shrouded in mystery at the time and has since been hyped to semi-legendary proportions. He'd written and recorded Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde in a little over a year and a half. This was in addition to a heavy tour schedule. By some accounts, he was burning out and the accident was an excuse to withdraw for a while.
He emerged from seclusion with a quiet album, recorded quickly in Nashville with session players on bass and drums. It has a very cohesive sound to me, especially the series of ballads on side one. I think I prefer side two (tracks 7-12) though. I'm not qualified to analyzed Dylan's lyrics; people have devoted their lives to it. Side one is very third person while the songs on the second side seem more personal. The words aren't as dense as on his three previous electric LPs. The lyrics, like the arrangements are sparse but hint at a deeper spirituality that Dylan would return to later in his career.
My one gripe with the record is too much harp. The lack of a lead guitar coupled with fewer sung verses means there's a lot of Bob blowing his harmonica. The last two songs introduce a pedal steel for what I think is its first appearance on a Dylan record. The steel mimics horns on the verse of Down Along the Cove and anticipates Dylan's next career move on I'll Be Your Baby Tonight.
All Along the Watchtower is the best known song on the album but it's always seemed unfinished to me. My favorites are I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine and Dear Landlord
Boz was moving pretty well so we did the longer loop on Hayes St. He got passed by a bulldog with her hind legs strapped in a cart. I just made normal chatter with other dog owners. The light sculpture that's been in the middle of Hayes Green for the past year is completely down now. We'll see what goes up in that space next.
John Wesley Harding (1967)
The album came after a long layoff (by 1960s Dylan standards) following his motorcycle crash. The event was shrouded in mystery at the time and has since been hyped to semi-legendary proportions. He'd written and recorded Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde in a little over a year and a half. This was in addition to a heavy tour schedule. By some accounts, he was burning out and the accident was an excuse to withdraw for a while.
He emerged from seclusion with a quiet album, recorded quickly in Nashville with session players on bass and drums. It has a very cohesive sound to me, especially the series of ballads on side one. I think I prefer side two (tracks 7-12) though. I'm not qualified to analyzed Dylan's lyrics; people have devoted their lives to it. Side one is very third person while the songs on the second side seem more personal. The words aren't as dense as on his three previous electric LPs. The lyrics, like the arrangements are sparse but hint at a deeper spirituality that Dylan would return to later in his career.
My one gripe with the record is too much harp. The lack of a lead guitar coupled with fewer sung verses means there's a lot of Bob blowing his harmonica. The last two songs introduce a pedal steel for what I think is its first appearance on a Dylan record. The steel mimics horns on the verse of Down Along the Cove and anticipates Dylan's next career move on I'll Be Your Baby Tonight.
All Along the Watchtower is the best known song on the album but it's always seemed unfinished to me. My favorites are I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine and Dear Landlord
Boz was moving pretty well so we did the longer loop on Hayes St. He got passed by a bulldog with her hind legs strapped in a cart. I just made normal chatter with other dog owners. The light sculpture that's been in the middle of Hayes Green for the past year is completely down now. We'll see what goes up in that space next.