From: mark@lowton.rn.com (Mark Powell)
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Subject: Re: Irritating Songs
Date: 3 Sep 92 15:10:09 GMT
Organization: Mark-one Communications

In article <stknwbc.michel@netcom.com> michel@netcom.com (Steve Michel) writes:
>John Howells (howells@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov) mentioned:
> 
>Gates of Eden
>Emmett Till
>Trust Yourself
>Man Gave Names To All the Animals
>Heart of Mine
> 
>Took a lot of guts to mention "Gates." I have to agree with you. I just goes on and on. But I like it better than "Baby Blue." I also like "Emmet Till" but can see your point. But "Heart of Mine" is terrific!

Please, please, please. You don't like 'Baby Blue'??? Saints alive. Get this
man into psychiatric care :) This is one of my perenial favourites. I also
like many covers of this; The Chocolate Watch Band's being especially good
(although a little too like Them's). However, I think Dylans is superior.
Just watch him singing it on Don't Look Back. He make a sly glance over
to Donovan, which appears to say "Sing a Song for You... Shit, listen to
this."  This man is not modest :)

>Emmett Witchel (witchel@Xenon.Stanford.EDU) says, "This is a dangerous thread.  I took immediate exception to some of these choices, as I am sure others will.  Still, this group is a little quiet...

I would agreee with what another poster says. This is not worst songs, but
songs that are annoying. I appreciate the relevence of "I Shall be Free",
but I'm damned if I'll listen to it now. When I was younger maybe.
I think CD's are a terrible medium for the appreciation of music. Not
sound quality wise, but I have many CD's where I know a few tracks
well, but have only listened to it all a few times. I will put these on
and just play the familiar tracks without giving the others a chance.
Sometimes, I remember and make myself play it all (sometimes, not a good
idea :). I remember when I first bought Bringing It All Back Home on vinyl
in 1986 when I was 16. Instantly that terrible feeling came over me, "Oh,
no I've bought another piece of crap." However, after several listens
I loved it. 
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that to appreciate a piece of art (whether
good or bad in the end) you must give it a chance. Get to know it's nuances
(sp?) and those things that just cannot be noticed on the first listening.
You know the scene well. You're at a party or whatever and are playing a 
favorite track to a friend who just doesn't get it. You even point out
particular passages of interest. But, there's just no way they could
appreciate fully (as you do) say "Desolation Row". They probably think
it's too long and that's the end.
I digress again. Stream of conciousness stuff this... read crap. Anyway,
I'm relistening to ... Times are ... for the first time for a long while.
Standouts: When the Ship Comes In, Boot of Spanish leather.. ahh...
  I'm guilty. I've not listened to much Dylan recently. I've got every
album, after falling in love with a passion in my teens. I've moved on to
all sorts now. Previously, used to be a bit of a folky, listening to
Dylan and Harper continuously. Still never understood people who didn't
like the electric stuff. Apart from hereing the classics at parties and
everyone thinking I'm some sort of Dylan freak I have starting listening
to him again.

>I would disagree about the "dangerous" aspect, unless you're referring to potential flames. I hope none get going. The group has been quiet, and I've been feeling a little upset about the large amount of activity on rec.music.gdead -- Bob deserves more!

Too true.

>re: "Lenny Bruce" I like the _idea_ of the song (I'm a big Bruce fan). I also do like the lines about the taxi, and those about "shined a light into bed." But I don't like the lines about cutting off baby's heads, nor do I like the melody at all.

I agree. Like the idea, but...

>Emmett mentions:
> 
>1. The Man In Me
>    As John said, one of the better songs from one of the lesser albums. But that's not saying a lot...
>2. Romance In Durango
>     Are you kidding? This is great singing!

I find it hard to fault many songs on Desire.  Black Diamond Bay being a
classic. Joey can be a tad boring though.

>3. Covenant Woman
>     Lousy album version, but the live ones are sung with such conviction that you don't think (too much) about the fractured syntax.

I used to rate this as a good track. I stuck saved on recently, but didn't
like it. But, then again I do that with a lot of music. I think music
should reflect your mood. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood?

>4. Under a Red Sky
>     Hmmm. I mentioned Handy Dandy to a friend of mine, who swore it was a great song. He said it was about Ronald Reagan...

I have to agree with this. Down in the Groove and Under a Red Sky have very
few redeeming qualities.

>Michael D. Denison (m1d4783@tamsun.tamu.edu) mentions:
> 
>Blowin' in the Wind
>     Well, there are some nice live versions (Barcelona 84, this last spring)

Hmmm. Does sound a little naive and dated now. But, I guess it was different
in the early sixties.

>_Saved_
>Rainy Day Women

Yes. I find this very difficult to listen to. Especially in company :)

>Disease of Conceit
>(Any live version of) Maggie's Farm
>     Not the live version on Hard Rain?

Sometimes I like that version, sometimes I think it's amateurish. There
really is such a fine line between excellence and drivell *8:>)

>Joey
>     Yup.

See above.

>Andrew Davies mentions
> 
>Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
>     I don't think I've listened to it more than just a few times.

I love this track. I don't ever mind listening to it all. When I'm in
the mood of course. I rarely find myself in the mood to listen to
this and say Obviously 5 Believers in succesion.

>Joey
>     That's several for Joey! I like the Desire version & the Toad's Place version.

I like it to, but it drags.

>Clean Cut Kid
>     pretty irritating.

Poor.

>Three Angels (worst track ever by a major artist - including P McC !)
>     Ach! I'd forgotten about that one!
>It's Alright Ma etc (a bit trite lyrically IMO)

Hmmm. Maybe nowadays, same as Blowin', but then... But that doesn't mean
it should still sound good now :) I think this is a fine example of
Dylan's venom.

>With God on Our Side (pompous - and "fried" ??)
>     Well, with the noise about God we're getting in the US Presidential election this year, this song holds up pretty well.

It's still valid. The same people exist. I played this to someone once who I
knew was a Born Again Christy. I didn't want to offend, but just wanted him to
hear it because he liked Slow Train/Infidels/etc.. He was not amused :)

>I won't hold Bob to "Silvio" since he didn't write the lyrics (though he insists on singing it time and again). He also didn't write "Ugliest Girl in the World" so I won't hold that one against him either.

I don't think you can let him off for that. Just because he generally had
diarrhea (sp?) of the pen. He can't be let off just because he didn't write
it.

>As John said, I intended this to be all in fun.

So do I.

>Steve
-- 
Mark Powell

mark@lowton.rn.com   uunet!ibmpcug!jshark!lowton!mark   Nr. Manchester, UK.
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