Robert Allen Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan, was born
on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota.
One of his musical heroes is Woody Guthrie. Starting in 1961 Dylan played at different
clubs in Greenwich Village. Johnny Cash
was an early fan of Dylan’s. Dylan’s
first album which was self-titled came out it 1962 and included the songs ‘Man
of Constant Sorrow’ and ‘Gospel Plow’.
On November 17th and 18th of 1994 Dylan recorded a
TV special and live album at Sony Music Studios in New York. The album, released in April of 1995, was
called MTV Unplugged. It was his best
selling album in years. It hit No 23 in
the U.S., went gold, and hit No 10 in the U.K.
Backing Dylan skillfully were: Tony Garnier (bass), John Jackson
(guitar), Bucky Baxter (pedal steel, dobro), Winston Watson (drums), and
Brendan O’Brien (Hammond organ).
Starting things off is ‘Tombstone Blues’. Dylan’s singing voice might be said to be
moaning by non-fans. This opener is
upbeat blues musically. It includes
these strange lyrics only Bob Dylan could come up with: “Well, John the Baptist
after torturing a thief/Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief/Saying,
‘Tell me Great Hero, but please make it brief/Is there a hole for me to get
sick in?’/The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly/Saying, ‘Death
to all who would whimper and cry’/And dropping a bar bell he points to the
sky/Saying ‘The sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken’”. 1989’s ‘Shooting Star’ is an old country
ballad in style. It is one of my
favourite Bob Dylan songs. It is
addressed to one’s former romantic partner: “Seen a shooting star tonight/And I
thought of you/You were trying to break into another world/A world I never
knew/I always kind of wondered/If you ever made it through/Seen a shooting star
tonight/And I thought of you/Seen a shooting star tonight/And I thought of
me/If I was still the same/If I ever became what you wanted me to be/Did I miss
the mark or/Over-step the line/That only you could see?/Seen a shooting star
tonight and I thought of me”.
Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Vedder are among those who have
covered the next song ‘All Along the Watchtower’. Here Dylan’s vocals are nasally on one of the
most recognizable rock songs ever. Here
are some of the lyrics: “’There must be some way out of here’/Said the joker to
the thief/’There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief/Businessmen, they
drink my wine/Plowmen dig my earth/None of them along the line know what any of
it is worth’”. 1963’s folk classic ‘The
Times They Are A-Changin’’ is sung with passion. It encourages the older generation to have an
open mind and heart towards the younger: “Come mothers and fathers throughout
the land/And don’t criticize what you can’t understand/Your sons and your
daughters are beyond your command/Your old road is rapidly agin’/Please get out
of the new one/If you can’t lend your hand/For the times they are
a-changin’/The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast/The slow one now will
later be fast/The order is rapidly fadin’/And the first one now will later be
last/For the times they are a-changin’”.
‘John Brown’ is a story song about a young man returning
home from the battlefield: “Oh, his face was all shot up and his hand was blown
off/And he wore a metal brace around his waist/He whispered kind of slow, in a
voice she did not know/While she couldn’t ever recognize his face!.../He tried
his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move/And the mother had to turn her
face away.../’The thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close/And I
saw that his face looked just like mine’”. What powerful words! ‘Rainy Day Women #12 and 35’ could have a
couple of meanings. It could be
addressed to Dylan’s critics who are always looking for something bad. Or it could be about getting high! This version here has a bouncy pop carnival
like feel to it. Dylan’s vocals sound
like he is on a trip of some kind!
Harmonica is used on this track.
Here are some of the words: “Well, they’ll stone you and say that it’s
the end/Then they’ll stone you and then they’ll come back again/They’ll stone
you when you’re riding in your car/They’ll stone you/When you’re playing your
guitar/Yes, but I would not feel so all alone/Everybody must get stoned”.
‘Desolation Row’ runs over eight minutes long. It is delivered quietly vocally and musically. It is one of Dylan’s songs known for the many
characters he presents: “Now the moon is almost hidden/The stars are beginning
to hide/The fortunetelling lady/Has even taken all her things inside/All except
for Cain and Abel/And the hunchback of Notre Dame/Everybody is making love/Or
else expecting rain/And the Good Samaritan, he’s dressing/He’s getting ready
for the show/He’s going to the carnival tonight/On Desolation Row”. 1989’s ‘Dignity’ has a catchy beat for
dancing. It finds Dylan in elusive pursuit
of, well, dignity: “Somebody got murdered on New Year’s Eve/Somebody said
dignity was the first to leave/I went into the city, went into the town/Went
into the land of the midnight sun/Searchin’ high, searchin’ low/Searchin’
everywhere I know/Askin’ the cops wherever I go/Have you seen
dignity?.../Someone showed me a picture and I just laughed/Dignity never been
photographed.../So many roads, so much at stake/So many dead ends, I’m on the
edge of the lake/Sometimes I wonder what it’s gonna take/To find dignity”.
Dylan’s classic ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ has been
performed by Guns ‘N’ Roses and Whitecross among others. It is a moving anti-war ballad: “Mama, take
this badge off of me/I can’t use it anymore.../Mama, put my guns in the
ground/I can’t shoot them anymore/That long, black cloud is comin’ down/I feel
like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door”.
‘Like a Rolling Stone’ dates back to 1965. This version is over eight minutes long. It is an emotion filled rock classic in a
class all its own. It warns strongly
against pride: “Once upon a time you dressed so fine/You threw the bums a dime
in your prime, didn’t you?/People’d call, say ‘Beware doll, you’re bound to
fall’/You thought they were all kiddin’ you/You used to laugh about/Everybody
that was hangin’ out/Now you don’t talk so loud/Now you don’t seem so
proud/About having to be scrounging for your next meal/How does it feel/How
does it feel/To be without a home/Like a complete unknown/Like a rolling
stone?”
The last song performed is ‘With God on Our Side’. It is a folk protest song that questions
using religion as justification for war: “I’ve learned to hate Russians/All
through my whole life/If another war starts/It’s them we must fight/To hate
them and fear them/To run and to hide/And accept it all bravely/With God on my
side/But now we got weapons of the chemical dust/If fire them we’re forced
to/Then fire them we must/One push of the button/And a shot the world wide/And
you never ask questions/When God’s on your side.../If God’s on our side/He’ll
stop the next war”.
Bob Dylan is a legend and treasure just like Johnny Cash,
Larry Norman, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys.
The songs on MTV UNPLUGGED have meat, substance, and deep meaning to and
behind them. These are not songs meant
to please people, but rather to convey Bob Dylan’s worldview and viewpoints on
serious issues and life situations. I’m
rating this one 95%. For more info
visit: www.bobdylan.com and www.columbiarecords.com.