Worried about the coming election in America? Feeling the chill from the freezing of the world's capital markets? Beset by vague plaguey thoughts of hell and handbaskets?
Try a little free Dylan—until its official release next week, you can listen to Bob Dylan's new album "Tell Tale Signs," volume 8 in Columbia's bootleg series, on NPR.org—no investment decisions pertaining. Just the thing for a darkening Fall day.
____________________
Mike
Photos: left, Daniel Kramer; right, unknown
Your suggestion distinctly reminds me of a night I was in San Francisco in 1968, when I was 14 years old, when after an Avalon Ballroom concert during which Janis Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and other 60s bands played and sang on the stage, the people I was with decided to leave the Ballroom and drive to an old Victorian domicile for an unknown reason but probably to score some drugs. We opened the front door of that Victorian house, walked about 12 feet down the hallway, and opened a door that opened to a downward stairway. Upon descending the stairs completely, we walked into a room and I was immediately startled: sitting in a corner on his butt with his head tilted down and his eyes closed was a male who was obviously severely stoned on either speed, heroin, hashish, mescaline or acid, or another potent drug. A record player next to him was incessantly playing at high volume Bob Dylan's first album, and the stoned male was obviously enjoying every moment of its accompaniment to his bombed state, although it was obvious that he was so stoned it would have been impossible to attempt to speak with him. If only I'd had my Leica equipment then, I'd have a clearer (photographic) image of that startling moment, clearer than that which has never left my mind!
Posted by: tbm | Tuesday, 07 October 2008 at 09:06 PM
All this great photographic information AND a Dylan fanatic too? No wonder I "waste" so much time on your site. By the way the album (do they still call them that?) is superb - outtakes and live cuts from the last 20 or so years. Red River Shore (outtake from Time Out of Mind) and Most of the Time (alternate take from Oh Mercy) are the standouts to my ears. Who cares if I have any 401K as long as there is new Dylan to be heard...
Posted by: Scott Reeves | Tuesday, 07 October 2008 at 09:08 PM
Mike, I can remember the first time I heard Dylan in Rock and Roll mode... via someones transistor (remember them!) radio on the school bus going home. That soaring organ driven riff and Dylan wailing out 'How does it feel' - and everyone on the bus singing it out! Everything was different after that.
The best music doco ever? DA Pennbakers 'Dont Look Back. Dennis F.
Posted by: Dennis Fairclough | Tuesday, 07 October 2008 at 10:39 PM
Dylan's album was released today, Tuesday 10/7/2008. Discounted at Borders. Downloaded from iTunes Monday night.
Posted by: William John Smith | Tuesday, 07 October 2008 at 11:12 PM
One day, it will probably be against some law to say this but, much as I really admire early-period Dylan, it's his songs from Oh Mercy onward that work best for me. He finally (to my ears) became the songwriter that everyone always said he was. I'm just loving this - radically different takes on my favourite Dylan songs. Done deal, this album, obviously. Thanks for the heads-up.
Posted by: Bahi | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 11:29 AM
Thanks for the link Mike. I've been stuck in a Gorecki jag for a while, so its great to get some nice, upbeat music.
Posted by: Archer Sully | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 12:58 PM
"...vague plaguey thoughts of hell and handbaskets..."
Mike, you're a poet, too? Damn that's good! The Dylan sounds great, too. Music is a salve for rough times. And the way you lined up the Dylan portraits, with the shoulder's blending, is very cool, highlighting both the change and the continuity in Bob's look and life.
Posted by: Stephen Gillette | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 01:43 PM
I'm not a great Dylan fan but followed the link anyway and as a result discovered a great band I'd never heard of before. Dead Confederate rocks. Thanks for the link Mike.
Posted by: Peter Robinson | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 04:44 PM
I'm just going to say that I'm very happy right now.
Dylan.
Posted by: Rohn | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 07:39 PM
Long time photographer, Florida boat captain, and denizen of the photo.net Leica forum, Al Kaplan, was a 1960's rock photographer in one of his former lives. A few years ago a friend helped him begin to catalog and scan some of his photographs of that era. Some of them are quite amazing. I purchased an early photograph of Dylan and Joan Baez for my older sister who has been a Dylan fan since the very beginning. Here is a blog posting about the photograph:
http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com/2006/07/joan-baez-and-bob-dylan-1964.html
Posted by: StevieRose | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 08:29 PM
"Thanks for the link Mike. I've been stuck in a Gorecki jag for a while, so its great to get some nice, upbeat music."
Archer, that was the funniest thing I've heard all week. Dirges to just plain depressing. Whew!
Posted by: Bron Janulis | Wednesday, 08 October 2008 at 09:28 PM
Wow, it's ridiculous how much his son, Jakob, looks just like his younger self.
Posted by: Augie De Blieck Jr. | Thursday, 09 October 2008 at 09:38 AM
God bless you! I just got the CD to add to my collection.
Chris
Posted by: Christopher Lane | Saturday, 11 October 2008 at 05:53 PM