We've seen Bob Dylan in concert twice,
once at UF and once in Jacksonville
in 1992. We were disappointed because
he had gone electric. We wanted
guitars and harmonicas.
The raspy, mournful tones of Bob Dylan are drifting through my house this morning, but harmonica and guitar from the past still sound somehow current. The occasion for this is my Bob Dylan-fan husband's acquisition of Dylan's latest CD, Tempest, just out this month. Playing the new songs caused Dan, my husband, to bring out his collection, which is considerable. We have both CD's and 331/3 LP's.
"Tangled up in Blue," "Lay Lady Lay," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," and the iconic "The Times They Are A-Changin' " have changed the mood in our house today. Dylan can't sing. His voice at its best had a range of about 6 notes. In the latest CD, it is 3-4, but we love him, nevertheless. I'm certainly not the first to say this, but Bob Dylan is a poet. In his early days he was the spokesman for his generation. In Tempest he is a storyteller.
Some of our 331/3 LP Dylan collection.
Listening to his croaky voice singing the story "Tin Angel," a sort of skewed Western "Romeo and Juliet" from the CD, I had to think that he is in his 70's now and has been singing and recording for five decades. His style has changed through those decades, but he has remained the successful poet. His Modern Times was named Album of the Year by Rolling Stone Magazine as recently as 2006. It also won 3 Grammys.
He certainly proves that "you're never too old" to do what you want to do. I doubt he goes on tour or still records CD's for the money. He must have stacks of it. He does it for the love, and we fortunately are the beneficiaries of it.
Sing on Bob. You will go down as one, if not the greatest, influence on popular music during your life time and fortunately ours.
This is my favorite of the album covers. I like his youth
and his apparent happiness. I also like the VW bus parked
on the street. Ahh, the glory of youth!!
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