From: akp1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Adam K. Powers)
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Subject: Re: Last two albums
Date: 14 Oct 92 13:31:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: midway.1992Oct14.133100.19797
Reply-To: akp1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <1992Oct14.024636.29470@zip.eecs.umich.edu>, raghu@nairobi.eecs.umich.edu (Raghu Mani) writes:
>In article <1992Oct14.022327.21040@rigel.econ.uga.edu>, brummer@dogwood.botany.uga.edu (Charlie Brummer) writes:
|> >of the vocal work on this album is outstanding. Listen again to "Man in the
|> >Long Black Coat", or "Most of the Time", or even the final track "Shooting
|>  
|>  
|>  Shooting Star sends chills up and down my spine--this is a wonderful song on an
|>  absolutely great album.
|> 
|> >and this album is a real winner. I will just slip into an asbestos body
|> >suit before saying that these two albums are Dylans best consecutive ones
|> >since Highway61/Blonde on Blonde. (And I like BotT and Desire a _lot_.)
|> >
|> Well, BotT is so good that even if Desire were Self Portrait, I would have to
|> say that those are his best back to back albums; however, I agree otherwise.
|> 
|> >	Andrew "flamebait" Davies
|> 
|> Charlie Brummer


|'Oh Mercy' is great except for 'Disease of Conceit'. I'd go so far as to
|nominate it as the worst song composed by a major recording artist. Now
|if he had only seen fit to replace 'Disease ...' with 'Series of Dreams' .....
|
|Best consecutive albums? How about 'Basement Tapes' and 'Blood on the Tracks'?
|They weren't recorded consecutively but they certainly were released 
|consecutively. 
|
|Raghu

I've come to like "Disease of Conceit."  Even though the lyrics are preachy
and the organ part makes the song sound even more like a sermon, I think this
is one of the more recent songs in which Dylan tries to reconcile his religious
views (whatever they may be) with the realities of everyday life.  On 
_Slow Train Coming_, it seemed as if all mankind should cower before God and
repent their evil ways; on _Saved_, Dylan portrayed himself as a 'Christian
soldier' fighting to keep mankind on the road to heaven; on _Shot of Love_,
Dylan returned to secular subjects, but with a real sense of commitment to
ideals of keeping the spirit pure; on _Infidels_, he again lashed out at the
corrupt as on _Slow Train_, but against the corrupt in spirit rather than the
unsaved.  _Empire Burlesque_ and the other albums preceding _Oh Mercy_ were
much less focused and seemed cluttered in this regard, but _Oh Mercy_ really
brought back Dylan's 'spiritual' (for lack of a better word) side.  "Disease
of Conceit" is another attack on false pride and those who think themselves
better than their fellow man.  While it isn't the best song on _Oh Mercy_, I
can understand why he prefered it to "Series of Dreams."  (side note: in the
1989 Rolling Stone artists' poll, Lou Reed said that "Disease of Conceit was
among his favorite songs of the year.)
--
Understatement of the Year Award Nominee:
"I like this planet, and I want it to stay here." - Adm. Stockdale, during the
vice-presidential debate.

						-Adam K. Powers
						akp1@midway.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan