My assumption is that not many of you have heard of the musician Robert Zimmerman! How about Bob Dylan? One and the same. Here is a man who had an absolutely non-negotiable influence on music in the late 60’s and early 70’s, his style and riffs permeating so many bands sounds… yet he is a 50% man as far as a wider audience goes. You love him or you hate him.
While researching this post, I came across this incredibly well written and authorative narrative by Stephen Thomas Erlewine … I cannot add as much value as he presents in his Bob Dylan biography. Take some time to visit and read his blog … it is informative but also provides so much insight to Dylan as an artist.
An executive summary. Born Robert Zimmerman on May 24 1941, in Minnesota USA. At a young age he was taught to play the harmonica and guitar. While in college he started playing folk gigs under the name of Bob Dylan… the name inspired by the poet Dylan Thomas. Influenced by Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie, he was fixated and determined on making a living as a musician
The first song I would like to share is one of his most well known, but not so covered. Reminds me so much of the artist Donovan (Leach) at the time (Hurdy Gurdy Man), The Times They Are a Changing recorded in 1964 !
I thought I knew my music, but this little Steemit journey is teaching me how little I know. For me one of the most famous Dylan songs is Blowing In The Wind. I know he composed it, I know he sang it… but here’s the twist.
A folk singing trio named Peter, Paul and Mary recorded the Dylan penned song Blowing In The Wind in 1963 and it was a huge success…turning Bob Dylan into a household name!! And I thought they only did the “leaving on a jet plane” song ! (also cover version..I think John Denver wrote that one…but I may be wrong
Listen to the lyrics, like Leonard Cohen a poet as well as a musician. Like The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix and others he appeared at the Newport Folk Festival (1964) where he launched his “Mr Tambourine Man” single…. Amazing …this was 1964 !!
Bob Dylan (in my opinion very privileged) had a romantic relationship with Joan Baez from ’62 to ’64 while continuing to write and perform tunes which reverberated with the youth of the time… anti-establishment and change.
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
From ‘A hard Rains are gonna fall’
an amazing fact is that over 100 artists covered his songs in the period 1963 and 1964. Who said imitation is the highest form of flattery? I reckon that simple fact makes its own statement
In 1978 at the end of an arduous tour, Dylan announced that he was a born again Christian. He soon released a bunch of Christian albums, the first being “Slow Train Coming”…. Personally it was then that I sort of lost interest in Mr. Dylan ….. here is a track from Slow Train Coming …
I know that I have not done Bob Dylan justice here, but I was just blown away by [Stephen Thomas Erwine] biography summary that I could not compete. Please go give it a read!
To end, I just want to say… as a youngster I was so in love with Joan Baez … referenced here that I was not impressed to hear that old Bob had an intimate relationship with her for a couple of years. I hope my shrink can help me overcome this latest obstacle
One of his greatest songs…… performed by Joan Baez…as a punishment {smile}
I hope you enjoyed this journey…. I know…… not one of my best but Dylan is a difficult man to ‘box’