Tag Archives: music

Music Review: Bob Dylan’s “Tempest”

Posted
Filed under Audio & Video, Bob Dylan, Music, Review
Bob_Dylan_Tempest_CNNCTD_sound_graffiti_4_detail_em

Graffiti ad for Bob Dylan’s Tempest. Is this the first time this has been done?

The other day I came across a review of this album on the Guardian web site. Written by Alex Macpherson it is almost totally negative. There is a link to it here:

Bob Dylan’s song about the Titanic makes you wish you’d been on board

The article shows an almost appalling lack of knowledge of one of the most important artists of the 20th Century, but compounds that with a total lack of understanding of what Dylan is saying and how he is saying it. Possibly Macpherson is deliberately being provocative but it is hardly an excuse for such ignorance and stupidity.

No, in my opinion having only heard it a few times, I think it is one of the best albums Dylan has ever made. Sure, his voice is a rasp but it is a supremely expressive and musical rasp. Macpherson implies that the lyrics look better on paper than when they’re sung. I think he can’t be listening to the same album as me because I would say the reverse. In fact, I think the lyrics are amongst the best he’s ever written but they still work best as songs.

At the moment I wouldn’t like to say exactly what many of the songs do mean but they are supremely evocative and conjure up a doom laden scenario with elements of self doubt and black humour. Like the best of Dylan the meanings change and shift with each hearing. At least two of the songs Scarlet Town and Tin Angel draw on traditional folk songs for their inspiration. I absolutely love Scarlet Town which takes the song Barbara Allen and turns it into an almost apocalyptic film scenario but still uses some lyrics from the original song. In some ways it is like an update of Desolation Row. The music and accompaniment to this are superbly atmospheric. Tin Angel uses the song Black Jack Davey and creates a twisted tale of jealousy and deceit that is almost cinematic in quality, again with a brilliant repetitive accompaniment.

I think it’s time the Dylan Can’t Sing Brigade pulled there head out of the sand and stopped complaining. Dylan is possible the most unique performer of the past sixty years who single-handedly changed what a pop song can be about! His position is unassailable and his new album is a towering achievement.

Woody Guthrie Night at The Musician Leicester

Posted
Filed under Bob Dylan, Music

Had a busy weekend just gone preparing for a Woody Guthrie memorial concert at the Musician Venue, Leicester. On Saturday morning I decided I needed to practice and learn some new songs so that I had enough for the night. I didn’t think I needed too many though because a film was being played and there were going to be other participants, I thought.

I was practicing and enjoying what I was doing then I decided to record some of them so I could hear what they sounded like. Well, I was quite pleased with the results so I decided to make a CD of my versions of Woody songs that I would give away to the audience on the night. From that moment my whole weekend was involved with recording, mixing and manufacturing CDs with covers. I made 20 and then gave up. It’s so time consuming!

Sunday night and the concert came around. I got there early and set up and sound checked. Then I found the film was not being shown and there were no other participants! It was entirely my own show! This was when I panicked. Fortunately, my friend Jenny Carter turned up and joined me on violin. I did two sets and did a lot of talking between numbers explaining the background of the songs and also about Woody’s guitar style which was a big influence on me. The whole night went really well and I found I had enough songs. It was quite inspirational for me and reignited my love of Woody’s music and his superb lyrics. He manages to combine simplicity with profundity. A remarkable writer.

The gigs are coming in rapidly at the moment. Am playing tonight at the Leicester O2 Academy for University overseas students and have just got a gig for the Hind pub, Leicester on Saturday. Am looking forward to this. I used to play there regularly but the pub changed hands. It’s a great place to play and, hopefully, I will get more gigs  out of it.

Check out one of my Woody recordings below.

http://soundcloud.com/kenny-wilson/slipknot