Is Bob Dylan overrated?

now *that's* a good record

PRESSIN ON

Ok there’s definitely more than one weak track on Street Legal. I really like “Where Are You Tonight” though (and I’m pretty sure it’s shorter than “Like a Rolling Stone”).

Christ, “No Time to Think” is interminable before the first verse ends.

"Is Your Love in Vain" is a classic example of interminable misogynist groaning.

DO YOU UUUNDERSTAAAHHND MAH PAAAAIIINN

All too well, you self-pitying bimbo

I have dined with kings, I’ve been offered wings
And I’ve never been too impressed

has always reminded me of:

I've been undressed by kings
And I've seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see

(I agree this one track is dudsville)

I have dined with kings, I’ve been offered wings

from Hooters?

😂

Street Legal owns the zone

We have a pre-emptive Bob Dylan RIP thread

When Bob Dylan dies

Is that like "If Madonna Calls"?

My microwave macaroni take from the Dylan's Christian Periond thread (where I later noticed that Euler had made the same point about "Changing of the Guard" as symptom of desperation, brain train comin' to Jesus etc)
I finally listened to Street Legal: good singing (the choral group is used effectively, for the most part), good music (except for the drums); but lyrics incl. bubblin' toxic rainbow brain stew of homeless prophetic imagery and serenades which start suavely but quickly go so wrong ("Can ya cook and sew, make the flowers grow," he sounds like even he knows this is hopeless as soon as he hears it--and/or he already knew it, but it's still like, "No? Course not, but come 'ere and show me what you can do, then. Beech.") Performance-wise, the most successful (and stylistically, the most unusual here) is "New Pony," which morphs into bizarre bluesoid porn, though not in a good way (to my taste). Overall, sounds like he's really moving toward some desperate change.
(Before this album came out, Renaldo and Clara incl Dyl paying much attention as Ginsberg tells him about Jesus and the ladies---think some of this was from the Apocrypha, but some from the Protestant-approved Gospels).
Not that all the lyrics are bad, but this set incl. off-putting syndromes.(?)

A follow-up notebook note re S L:
Music has he been listening to early-mid 70s Van Morrison’s Caledonia Soul Orch, pre-disco Boz, Robertson’s production of (or other) Neil Diamond? But the scuzziest, deadest, mildewed bottom of the barrel drums--ever. Dunno which mix I heard, came across it on YouTube, soon taken down by Web Sheriff.

Eleanor Friedberger recorded a cool cover of “True Love Tends to Forget.” And Will Oldham covered “Señor.” If you’re into those artists.

This weekend in Hell is making me sweat, y’all

MAKING. ME. SWEAT.

Street Legal is probably a bit overrated at this point, but New Pony rules

supposedly there's a screenplay some guy in the 70s wrote for Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts.

haha this sounds so bad

Real Dylan Hot Take Heads Know Under The Red Sky Is Where It's At!

rarely has such an all star cast produced such an unmemorable record (thread idea?)

the Bootleg vol 8 version of Born in Time is great

Oldham covered New Pony live too
He's part of #TeamStreetLegal

UTRS >>>>>> Street-Legal

I saw Dylan live a few weeks after UTRS came out and he played NOTHING from that album

Street Legal is probably a bit overrated at this point, but New Pony rules

Overrated by whom? Most ppl on this thread don’t even seem to like it!

If any Dylan album is “overrated,” it’s Desire, IMO

at least this revive led me to make a playlist of 80s Dylan albums, most of which I haven't heard for 25 years

I saw Dylan live a few weeks after UTRS came out and he played NOTHING from that album

lol, I seem to recall a lot of press flown in for a UK concert shortly after the release of Together Through Life, no songs from that album on the setlist

There’s a good Willie Nelson cover of Senor on the I’m Not There soundtrack.

UTRS >>>>>> Street-Legal

Florida Man Arrested for Aggressive Online Trolling

"Wiggle Wiggle," like The Police's "De Doo Doo Doo...," mocks the singer's own obsession with fussy lyrics.

Dierks Bentley did a good "Senor" cover too

"Wiggle Wiggle," like The Police's "De Doo Doo Doo...," mocks the singer's own obsession with fussy lyrics.

― You like queer? I like queer. Still like queer. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, October 17, 2018 9:31 AM (thirty-one minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

goop on ya grinch level analysis

if dylan had recorded utrs 10 years later with his love & theft-era touring band, it probably would be thought of as a minor late-period classic. the weak production / half-hearted performances don't do it any favors.

Christgau on UTRS:

To my astonishment, I think Under the Red Sky is Dylan's best album in 15 years, a record that may even signal a ridiculously belated if not totally meaningless return to form … It's fabulistic, biblical … the tempos are postpunk like it oughta be, with Aronoff's sprints and shuffles grooving ahead like '60s folk-rock never did.

"The tempos are postpunk"?

isn't UTRS the album Dylan was talking about in Chronicles where he claimed he'd discovered some new way of playing guitar?

I thought that was an earlier album...

(xp) I think that was earlier - when he was burned out around the time of "Dylan & The Dead" - but I could be wrong.

it's Oh Mercy

so, not much earlier!

oh yeah, UTRS was the one he recorded at night while he was recording with the Wilburys in the daytime.

"The tempos are postpunk"?

― a neon light ablaze in this green smoky haze (morrisp), Wednesday, October 17, 2018 1:33 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i have no idea what the hell this is supposed to mean

"I worked with George Harrison and Jeff Lynne during the day -- everything had to be done in one day, the track and the song had to be written in one day, and then I'd go down and see Don Was, and I felt like I was walking into a wall. He'd have a different band for me to play with every day, a lot of all-stars, for no particular purpose.

"Back then I wasn't bringing anything at all into the studio, I was completely disillusioned."

The only thing remotely post-punk I hear is Aronoff's roll after the first chorus in "Wiggle Wiggle"? idk

aronoff's stint in the smashing pumpkins retroactively makes his old stuff post punk imo

aronoff and keltner are the godfathers of post-punk drumming iirc

imagine how great the Raincoats could have been with Kenny laying down a slammin beat

steve gadd on pink flag, it'd be sweet.

I just dry-heaved reading that.

I mean, I love it all, but to me the Vinnie Appice lineup of the Fall will always be the best