Tues 5/24/05 -- Bob Dylan's B-Day!

[RGMike]

Caught the replay.  (I'd been on jury duty the past two days, hence my absence from real-time interplay.)  Hard to knock any of Dave's choices, though from this set you'd not know he's recorded in the past 25 years, and so I kind of which Dave had included "Jokerman" and "Things Have Changed" for historical overview.

Mike: How did "Hurricane" do in the NYC market when it came out?  I can't imagine NY/NJ cops took kindly to being called out, and NY in general doesn't seem to like anything that disparages the police ...

Gaz, who isn't much of a "Mozambique" fan, though that just might be the only chart hit with both a "z" and a "q" in the title.

Id've liked "Things Have Changed" too (kinda expected it, in fact). But "Silvio" is from '88, so... 17 years.  "Hurricane" got a great deal of prog FM play at the time, but Top 40 didn't go near it.  Same with "George Jackson" a few years earlier -- there's a lost Top 40 hit that needs to be unearthed!

[Gazoo]

I've never heard "George Jackson," sad to admit.  Didn't know "Silvio" was '88 -- I had assumed early '80s since I associate it with "Jokerman" and "Brownsville Girl" (idiosyncratic, but there you have it).

[mshray]

Well I now have the answer to a question we've all asked:  What does Big Rick do for the BOS Replay when there's a ten-way tie?

Dave actually recorded a bit for Rick, where he said that there was a ten-way tie but after some discussion they decided that one song really deserved an extra listen, and it was...

"Silvio"

[RGMike]

I've never heard "George Jackson," sad to admit.  Didn't know "Silvio" was '88 -- I had assumed early '80s since I associate it with "Jokerman" and "Brownsville Girl" (idiosyncratic, but there you have it).

"George Jackson" was one of his most political songs in ages at that time ('72) and I was amazed that it got as high as #33...

I woke up this mornin',
There were tears in my bed.
They killed a man I really loved
Shot him through the head.
Lord, Lord, They cut George Jackson down.
Lord, Lord, They laid him in the ground.
Sent him off to prison
For a seventy-dollar robbery.
Closed the door behind him
And they threw away the key.
Lord, Lord, They cut George Jackson down.
Lord, Lord, They laid him in the ground.
He wouldn't take shit from no one
He wouldn't bow down or kneel.
Authorities, they hated him
Because he was just too real.
Lord, Lord, They cut George Jackson down.
Lord, Lord, They laid him in the ground.
Prison guards, they cursed him
As they watched him from above
But they were frightened of his power
They were scared of his love.
Lord, Lord,  So they cut George Jackson down.
Lord, Lord,  They laid him in the ground.
Sometimes I think this whole world
Is one big prison yard.
Some of us are prisoners
The rest of us are guards.
Lord, Lord, They cut George Jackson down.
Lord, Lord, They laid him in the ground.

[Alicat]

I don't have a single Dylan CD. Maybe a copy of Blood on the Tracks somewhere, not sure. What are your top recommendations of "necessary" Dylan?

[urth]

I don't have a single Dylan CD. Maybe a copy of Blood on the Tracks somewhere, not sure. What are your top recommendations of "necessary" Dylan?

 
Besides BoTT:

Blonde on Blonde
Highway 61
Desire
Or just get Biograph for a good overview.

I'm sure you'll get a dozen other recommendations, but those are high on my list.

[RGMike]

I don't have a single Dylan CD. Maybe a copy of Blood on the Tracks somewhere, not sure. What are your top recommendations of "necessary" Dylan?

 
Besides BoTT:

Blonde on Blonde
Highway 61
Desire
Or just get Biograph for a good overview.

I'm sure you'll get a dozen other recommendations, but those are high on my list.

"New Morning" is a personal fave, one that doesn't get much mention. And "Nashville Skyline" for Johnny Cash alone.  But yeah, "Biograph" is probably the way to go.  urth, is "Watching the River Flow" on "Biograph"?  One of the best singles ever to peak at #41 (at least I think it peaked there).

[ggould]

I don't have a single Dylan CD. Maybe a copy of Blood on the Tracks somewhere, not sure. What are your top recommendations of "necessary" Dylan?

Number one should be Highway 61 Revisited, but is not all-emcompassing by a long shot.  The first Greatest Hits set is pretty good is scanning over the era from the beginning to Blonde on Blonde, but leaves so much out, it's hard to say.  Even though I would say his stuff declined after Blonde on Blonde, he had lots of great moments throughout his career.  Nashville Skyline is funny and tender at the same time.  

Too many good songs, I give up!

[urth]

Or just get Biograph for a good overview.

I'm sure you'll get a dozen other recommendations, but those are high on my list.

"New Morning" is a personal fave, one that doesn't get much mention. And "Nashville Skyline" for Johnny Cash alone.  But yeah, "Biograph" is probably the way to go.  urth, is "Watching the River Flow" on "Biograph"?  One of the best singles ever to peak at #41 (at least I think it peaked there).

Don't think it is, which is a glaring omission as it is indeed a great song regardless of chart position. I remember being quite thrilled the one time I saw Dylan perform it, in Eugene in '87 with the Dead.

[mshray]

Ali, I can make you a copy of Biograph & Blood On The Tracks.

btw, Dylan shares May 24th birthdays with Tommy Chong & Queen Victoria, as well as Priscilla Presley, Gary 'Radar' Burghoff & Patti LaBelle.

[Alicat]

Ali, I can make you a copy of Biograph & Blood On The Tracks.

and I say THANK YOU! I accept.

[urth]

Ali, I can make you a copy of Biograph & Blood On The Tracks.

Hey, wasn't Biograph the first major retrospective boxed set? They seem so common now, but at the time I remember thinking, wow, only a big fan is going to feel like they have to have that. Little did I know how many Big Fans there were out there.

So I'll throw this out for discussion: what was your first boxed set? Mine was the Springsteen Live box that came out in time for Xmas 86, I think.

[RGMike]

I'll throw this out for discussion: what was your first boxed set? Mine was the Springsteen Live box that came out in time for Xmas 86, I think.

Mine too! (the vinyl version, of course)

[ggould]

Ali, I can make you a copy of Biograph & Blood On The Tracks.

Hey, wasn't Biograph the first major retrospective boxed set? They seem so common now, but at the time I remember thinking, wow, only a big fan is going to feel like they have to have that. Little did I know how many Big Fans there were out there.

So I'll throw this out for discussion: what was your first boxed set? Mine was the Springsteen Live box that came out in time for Xmas 86, I think.

Does my ancient box set of Jimi Hendrix vinyl LP's count?  I believe they're German or UK Polydor label.  I have no idea; that was a long time ago.

[Beej]

My first box set would be the uber-awesome DEVO collection: Pioneers Who Got Scalped.

Well, OK- it's only 2 CDs- but they cram a LOT on there! And the cover of the CD case is in 3D! How cool is that?