Bob & Paul & Neil & Paul

Here's Jeff K.:

Reading David Carr's excellent profile of Neil Young in the Times prompted me to spend a good part of Sunday morning listening to a series of Neil Young bootlegs, highlighting his live performances and best recordings from 1966 to last year. More than forty years after they were recorded, his early songs still seem fresh and interesting to me and I can still feed off the energy of a live performance of "Sea of Madness" from 1970. Yes, as Carr and everyone else points out, Young isn't the most consistent writer, but his highs easily set standards that have rarely been matched or surpassed, and he is a true artist, willing to put himself out there on a limb and fail, if it means being true to himself. 

Earlier this week, Soundsource sent this to me:  

His longtime manager and friend Elliot Roberts describes Young as “always willing to roll the dice and lose” and says: “He has no problem with failure as long as he is doing work he is happy with. Whether it ends up as a win or loss on a consumer level is not as much of an interest to him as one might think.”

Back to Jeff K.:

That raises a really interesting question to me. Of Neil, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney, who to me remain the best living musician/songwriters to come out of the 1960s, who is the greater artist? Can you pick one?


I need some time to weigh in. I'll be back. In the meantime....

One More Cup Of Coffee Before We Go

We sure love lists, don't we?

I want to take one more Dylan poll.

Last week saw a splendid return on your Bob Dylan faves. Of course, the obvious follow-up would be "Worst Dylan Songs," right? Not gonna do it. I'm not opening the flood gates for the unanimous denouncement of "Wiggle Wiggle." Too easy, and I really don't mind that song.

I think this is more interesting.

Pick one Bob Dylan song...just one...that you detest.

Now you may hate "Wiggle Wiggle" so much, that it has to be your answer. That's fine, if that's what it is. But I'm thinking more along the lines of a song that isn't normally cited as Zimmy's nadir, but a song that just does not work for you.

For years, I could not listen to "Get Back" by The Beatles. I hated everything about it, from Paul's nasally vocals to Ringo's galloping snare drum. I've since come around. I don't love it now, but I won't turn it off.

On the other hand, I WILL turn off "Honest With Me" from "Love & Theft." The slide guitar riff is relentlessly annoying and enough to send me running the second I hear it.

Let's see what you've got.

Remember....JUST ONE.

Your Favorite Bob Dylan

The premise seems simple, but the task may prove otherwise.

What are your 10 favorite Dylan tunes?

I know some of you will find it hard to come up with ten and I can't help but say, I just can't wrap my head around that.

Many things amaze me about this man, not the least of which is how 40 years after his first recording, he managed to write my single favorite Dylan tune.

I occasionally obsess over Bob Dylan, so much so that, the last time I saw him live, I could not take my eyes off of him. Even as he stood aside and drank some water while Charlie Sexton took a solo, I was riveted. There were also moments where he just stood still as the band played, and I focused on his inactivity. Just standing. It was that interesting to me.

So, the 10...

Note I said "favorite" and not "best." 


I only ask that #1 needs to be #1. 2-9 can be in any order you'd like.  Feel free to expound on your choices. Or just offer your choices. It's up to you.


MINE

#1- Mississippi
(Any version. I don't care. They all work wonders.)

2-9 (Alphabetically)

Abandoned Love
Every Grain Of Sand
Hurricane
Idiot Wind
Like A Rolling Stone
Mama You Been On My Mind
Positively 4th Street
Sweetheart Like You
You're A Big Girl, Now

(This wasn't easy.)

I'd also like to mention "Percy's Song," but it has to be the Fairport Convention version.

Remember, #1 needs to be #1.