Dylanology is an ongoing series of blog posts in which I'm chronologically going through Bob Dylan's studio discography. There may be some diversions along the way.
I've always been curious to listen
through Bob Dylan's albums in chronological order. Part of the reason
is that without forcing myself to, I don't think I'd ever listen to
most of his stuff. The Christian era is perennially at the bottom of
my list of albums I need to get to, and the early folk stuff never
appealed to me until recently. All of that said, Bob Dylan
is a solid if mostly debut folk album. History, and what Dylan went
on to do, has increased its significance in the 50+ years since its
release. This kind of thing often results in albums that modern
listeners will be bored or underwhelmed by because they sound so
sparse and basic.
In which case, it's
best to do some research and contextualize Bob Dylan in terms
of the other music and folk stuff being released at the time. In this
regard, what sets Dylan apart is his amicable performances and song
selection. Since he hadn't yet blossomed as a songwriter, his debut
is notable mostly for the influences it reveals. The pre-rock n' roll
music he would later adopt as an aesthetic from 2001's Love &
Theft onward is glimpsed here, and it's worth noting that a track
from this record, 'Baby, Let Me Follow You Down', shows up in a
commanding, remade barrelhouse rock form on the legendary 1966
“Judas!” concert as captured on The Bootleg Series Vol. 4.
Reworking songs into new arrangements would go on to become the
standard template for Dylan's live shows, something anyone who's
caught him on his modern 'Never Ending Tour' will know. But I
digress.
If
you're the sort of person who loves Nick Drake's Pink Moon,
Elliott Smith's first few albums, and The Tallest Man On Earth, I
think you'd be wise to seek out early Dylan immediately. You may find
it same-y, if not formulaic, but as with any narrow music style, a
great performer can wring a lot out of a little. Bob Dylan does this.
And Bob Dylan
certainly does this.
Though
largely made of covers or harmonica/acoustic guitar based
rearrangements of traditional songs, it's a record that foreshadows
the breadth of Dylan's eventual talent. On his debut he mostly gets
by leaning on rough charm: the harmonica and vocal affectations were
in already place, and I don't think he gets enough credit as a
guitarist. Listen to 'Highway 51' for some impressive strumming.
It's curious to
hear the young Dylan singing all these old, dark songs about issues
that probably haven't effected him personally. As Dylan aged and life
threw some curveballs his way, it's almost as if he grew into the
pre-rock-era songs he always treasured. It's similar to how in the
mid to late 70s, Jerry Garcia became the troubled old man in so many
of the songs he used to somewhat-convincingly sing during the first
few years of the Grateful Dead. As Dylan toured with the Dead as his
back-up band, this similarity is even more striking...
Anyway,
the songs! 'Talkin' New York' is the first instance of a specific
style of song in which he speak-sings a story between breaks for
harmonica and guitar, with a meta-narrative that this time out
fictionalizes his arrival in New York City. 'Song To Woody'
tips a hat to Woody Guthrie and has taken on a symbolic quality ever
since, as if he's simultaneously eulogizing Woody and his generation
while also acknowledging he won't live to see the troubles and the
triumphs to come during the rest of the 60s. 'See That My Grave Is
Kept Clean' is a spooky nocturne, its heavy imagery brought to life
by Dylan's vocals and wild, woozy sliding accents on guitar.
The two songs summarize what is great
and slightly underwhelming about Bob Dylan.
There aren't enough original songs by Dylan to truly judge him as a
songwriter, but any simplistic lyrics or formulaic arrangements are
salvaged by his committed performances and impressive musicianship.
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