Blowin' In The Wind

Bob Dylan makes magic with Robert Hunter

I love this Bob Dylan song, It's All Good, which he wrote in collaboration with the Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Here are the lyrics. They collaborated on all but one of the songs sung by Dylan on his new album, Together Through Life. I have heard this track a few times on the BBC World Service and loved every moment of it. Dylan is in great voice – raspy and inimitable. The infectious upbeat music counterpoints the lyrics. It's great, but my favourites are If Not For You, I Want You, Blowin' In The Wind, Don't Think Twice It's All Right, It Ain't Me Babe, Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You, Lay Lady Lay, Forever Young, Mr Tambourine Man  – yeah, the oldies.

Yes, this montage includes Jack Nicholson, James Brown and "Mr Twister" Chubby Checker of all people!

The Rolling Stone reports:

“Hunter is an old buddy,” Dylan explains. “We could probably write a hundred songs together if we thought it was important or the right reasons were there. He’s got a way with words and I do too. We both write a different type of song than what passes today for songwriting.”

Dylan and Hunter collaborated before on Silvio and The Ugliest Girl In The World for Dylan’s 1988 album Down In The Groove. The pair’s latest efforts, however, mark Dylan’s deepest work with a collaborator since his 1976 album Desire, which saw Dylan team with Jacques Levy for all but two songs.

Dylan kept the door open to future collaborations with Hunter. “I think we’ll be writing a couple of other songs too for some off-Broadway play,” Dylan says.

Won't Get Fooled Again: Just right for G20

The G20 summit in London last week reminded me of this song by The Who – Won't Get Fooled Again. The summit communique promised to tighten financial regulations so people don't fooled again and the world is saved from another economic collapse like the one we are witnessing now. The summit also issued an explanatory guide.

But it's best to take such resolutions with a grain of salt. For lightning never strikes twice in the same place. This time it was the subprime crisis that brought the global economy down. Earlier there was the dotcom bubble, which burst in March 2000 when the NASDAQ collapsed, and before that the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Who knows what will cause the next crash?

The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again has a healthy dose of scepticism. (The lyrics are at the end of this post.)

Incidentally, the Who -- much older -- performed Won't Get Fooled Again at the Live 8 concert in July 2005 to mark the G8 summit To Make Poverty History. It didn't.

A good read that recaptures that era is Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus mystery, The Naming Of The Dead.

But there is another reason why this song seems so appropriate to the times.

Won't Get Fooled Again appeared on the album, Who's Next, in 1971, according to Wikipedia.

1971 – that was a watershed year.

It was not just the year of the Bangladesh War.

1971 also saw a fundamental change in the international monetary system. It was more radical than what the G20 promised or delivered.

China now wants the dollar to be replaced by a new global reserve currency.

Something just as big happened in 1971. It involved the dollar and the gold – and President Richard Nixon.

Nixon is now remembered for the Watergate scandal and ping-pong diplomacy bringing together America and China.

He also changed the Bretton Woods international monetary system. See the post below.

Now back to the song and it's lyrics…

Bob Dylan feels the change, praises Obama

Bob Dylan's back. And doesn't he sound as good as ever?This song, Feel A Change Comin' On, from his new album, Together Through Life, is classic Dylan – bluesy and romantic.

He says he is a mystical person in an interview which accompanies this song on The Times and Newsweek websites.

Newsweek says:

Bob Dylan is on a roll. After taking seven years to pen "Time Out Of Mind," another four to make "Love and Theft," and then touring for half a decade while musing on "Modern Times," he is delivering a follow-up album of new material faster than at any point since 1990…

At one point, a romantic-sounding electric guitar break, coupled with accordion, comes before a verse in which Dylan reveals: "I've been listening to Billy Joe Shaver / and I'm reading James Joyce / some people, they tell me / I've got the blood of the land in my voice."

Equally interesting is The Times interview with him.

The interviewer Bill Flanagan (BF): You liked Barack Obama early on. Why was that?

Bob Dylan (BD): I’d read his book and it intrigued me.

BF: Audacity of Hope?

BD: No it was called Dreams of My Father.

I too loved Dreams From My Father – just like a Bob Dylan fan! Why else is this blog called Blowin' In The Wind?!

Dylan's take on Obama is just like his songs – bittersweet.

BF: Do you think he’ll make a good president?

BD: I have no idea. He’ll be the best president he can be. Most of those guys come into office with the best of intentions and leave as beaten men. Johnson would be a good example of that … Nixon, Clinton in a way, Truman, all the rest of them going back. You know, it’s like they all fly too close to the sun and get burned.

U2 and the Beatles

Thanks to YouTube, anyone around the world can watch videos of this U2 concert on top of the BBC’s Broadcasting House on February 27.

A crowd of around 5,000 people gathered to watch the Irish four-piece as they played the songs Beautiful Day and Vertigo, reported the Telegraph.

They also aired Get On Your Boots, the first single from their forthcoming album No Line On The Horizon, and another new track called Magnificent.

The 20-minute gig was reminiscent of the Beatles' famous concert on the roof of Apple HQ on London's Saville Row in January 1969.

“The Beatles started it all with their rooftop gig at Apple in 1969, famously halted by over zealous London constabulary,” recalled Neil McCormick in the Telegraph. “These days the police are to be found putting up crash barriers and redirecting the traffic. Presumably if they objected to this use of their resources, Bono would just call the mayor. Or the prime minister.”

As an old Beatles fan, I would say the Beatles were definitely better. And younger too at the time. They certainly rocked, as this clip shows.

Two songs for Valentine's Day

It’s Valentine’s Day. So here’s one of my favourite songs. A simple, timeless classic from Bob Dylan’s album, New Morning. Dylan and George Harrison sang it at The Concert for Bangladesh.

And here’s another great song, perfect for this day. By the great Johnny Cash.

Grammys for old fogeys?

“Will you still need me/ Will you still need me/ When I’m sixtyfour?” sang the Beatles. Well, if musicians reach that age with a string of hits behind them, they can expect a Grammy.

Robert Plant never won a Grammy with Led Zeppelin, but now he has won album of the year and record of the year with Alison Krauss at the age of 60.

Herbie Hancock, who won album of the year last year for River: The Joni Letters, is 68.

The late great Ray Charles won album of the year for Genius Loves Company in 2005 – one year after his death at the ripe old age of 73.

Bob Dylan won album of the year for Time Out of Mind in 1998 at the age of 56.

Santana was 52 when he won album of the year for Supernatural in 2000.

Old fogeys like me are, of course, delighted for Robert Plant.

I still remember the thrill of hearing Led Zeppelin for the first time on the Dave Symonds Show on the BBC World Service. No one sounded like them.

The Rolling Stones have been around even longer – and won only two Grammys: Voodoo Lounge for best rock album in 1995 and Love Is Strong for best short music video the same year. Mick Jagger was already 51 then.

But the Stones shouldn’t complain.

The Beach Boys never won a Grammy. Nor did Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, the Who, the Doors, the Grateful Dead, the Supremes, Cream, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly.

Pink Floyd won only for best rock instrumental performance -- for Marooned -- in 1995.

Elvis Presley did win three awards – for gospels: best inspirational (non-classical) for How Great Thou Art in 1975, best inspirational for He Touched Me in 1973 and best sacred performance for How Great Thou Art again in 1968.

I have been checking through Grammy.com and Wikipedia.

And it looks like the Grammys were still reliving the 1950s through much of the Swinging Sixties.

The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was album of the year in 1968 -- and the award went to Glen Campbell’s By the Time I Get to Phoenix in 1969. But the others who won that award in the Sixties were:

• Frank Sinatra, who won it three times (Come Dance with Me, 1960; September of My Years, 1966; A Man and His Music, 1967)
• Judy Garland (Judy at Carnegie Hall, 1962)
• Bob Newhart (1961)
• Vaughan Meader (1963)
• Barbra Streisand (The Barbra Streisand Album, 1964)
• Stan Getz (1965)

The Grammys got groovy only in the 1970s when the album of the year went to

• Blood, Sweat and Tears (Blood, Sweat and Tears, 1970)
• Simon and Garfunkel (Bridge over Troubled Waters (1971)
• Carole King (Tapestry, 1972)
• Bob Dylan, George Harrrison, Eric Clapton and Ringo Star (The Concert for Bangladesh, 1973)
• Stevie Wonder – who won it three times (Inner Visions, 1974; Fulfillingness’ First Finale, 1975; Songs in the Key of Life, 1977)
• Paul Simon, who won it a second time on his own (Still Crazy After All These Years, 1976)
• Fleetwood Mac (Rumours, 1978)
• The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (1979)

But winners can’t be judged in isolation. So let’s compare the winners with the competition.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss picked up five Grammys. Their Raising Sand was Album of the Year as well as the Best Contemporary Folk/Americana album. And three tracks from the album won individual awards: Please Read The Letter was Record of the Year, Rich Woman was the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, and Killing The Blues won the award for Best Folk Collaboration with Vocals.

Here is the duo singing Rich Woman.

And here they sing Killing The Blues.

Robert Plant, Krauss win Album of the Year

Wow! Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have won Album of the Year for Raising Sand after winning Record of the Year with Please Read the Letter from the same album! The former Led Zeppelin frontman still makes magic. More in the previous post.

This is an honour that has never been won by Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones. Come to think of it, the Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin never even won a Grammy!

Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra have won the most Album of the Year awards, claiming the honour three times each.

• Paul Simon for Graceland in 1987, Still Crazy After All These Years in 1976 and for Bridge Over Troubled Waters with Art Garfunkel in 1971.
• Stevie Wonder for Songs in the Key of Life in 1977, Fulfillingness’ First Finale in 1975 and Innervisions in 1974.
• Frank Sinatra for A Man And His Music in 1967, September Of My Years in 1966 and Come Dance With Me in 1960.

The Beatles won for Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1968. John Lennon also won with Yoko Ono for Double Fantasy in 1982 – two years after his death.

Bob Dylan won for Time Out Of Mind in 1998. He also won with George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr for The Concert For Bangladesh soundtrack in 1973.

Fleetwood Mac won for Rumours in 1978, Ray Charles for Genius Loves Company in 2004, Santana for Supernatural in 2000, Billy Joel for 52nd Street in 1980, Eric Clapton for Unplugged in 1993 and Carole King for Tapestry in 1972.

Sergeant Pepper’s has to be the all-time best Album of the Year followed by Bridge Over Troubled Waters.

Check Wikipedia and the Grammy.com for other winners. Wikipedia seems to go by the year the award was presented and Grammy.com by the year for which the award was given.

The Rolling Stones have won only two Grammys – Voodo Lounge picked up the award for the Best Rock Album in 1995 and Love Is Strong for best short music video the same year.

The only Beach Boy to win a Grammy is Brian Wilson. And he won just once, in 1995, for Best Rock Instrumental for Mrs O’ Leary’s Cow.

Elvis Presley won three awards – for gospels: Best Inspirational (non-classical) for How Great Thou Art in 1975, Best Inspirational for He Touched Me in 1973 and Best Sacred Performance for How Great Thou Art again in 1968.

Bruce Springsteen has collected 18 Grammys including the Song of the Year for Streets Of Philadelphia in 1995. Dancing In The Dark, one of his greatest songs, won only the award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male Artiste. The Rising won three awards – for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Perrformance -- in 2003.

Robert Plant and Krauss win Record of the Year

Wow, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have won the Grammy for Record of the Year with Please Read The Letter! A former Led Zeppelin fan, now I find them too loud – age catching up. But I have been listening to Plant and Krauss singing on YouTube and they sure sound good. Here's the official video of Please Read The Letter from their Raising Sand, nominated for Album of the Year.

But I love Gone, Gone, Gone, also from the same album. It’s so clean, fresh and exhilarating.

And I have always liked Fortune Teller, also from the same album. But I prefer the Rolling Stones version.

Springsteen's great Dream

In November last year, Barack Obama came to see him play live and confessed to his wife that he was only running for president because he couldn't be Bruce Springsteen, Mark Hagen wrote in the Observer.

Springsteen, of course, thinks the world of Obama. Both are great.

Springsteen has created magic on his latest album, Working On A Dream.

You can hear the whole album on NPR.

And it’s just great from the opening track, Outlaw Pete. Extremely radio-friendly, full of jangling guitars, these anthemic tunes delivered in the Boss’ inimitable growl are superb. I loved the title track best. But Outlaw Pete, My Lucky Day, Queen Of The Supermarket, What Love Can Do, This Life, Good Eye, Tomorrow Never Knows, Life Itself, Kingdom Of Days, Surprise, Surprise, The Last Carnival all come close. Every track is a gem.

This is the official video of Life Itself.

The Rolling Stone says:

As much as anyone, Springsteen has mastered the key sounds of rock's golden age, and he deploys them at will on this album, diving deep into influences that he's only hinted at before on record. At least two tracks lean hard on the Byrds — the jagged, sitarlike guitars on "Life Itself" are pure "Eight Miles High," as are the close vocal harmonies on the tough little rocker "What Love Can Do."

The youthful energy of the album's music collides neatly with the all-too-adult truths of the lyrics, which — at least on the surface — return to the personal and domestic, after the global sweep of his last few records. The sunny title track is a rare and timely moment of unabashed optimism, and there are some of Springsteen's least conflicted, most devotional love songs here.