Music

What Am I Listening to Now?

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Over the last several days Silver has played the following:

  • Dr. John: Gumbo
    This is the definitive Mac Rebennack album.  Great New Orleans gumbo music.  This is what got me loving the good doctor oh so many years ago.   The obligatory Iko Iko, Big Chief, and Tipitina grace this masterpiece.  Not to be overlooked, however, are Blow Wind Blow, Mess Around, and Stack-A-Lee. There is so much good noodling here.  Man, I am so in the mood for some crayfish right now!
  • Bob Dylan: At Budokan
    Over the years I have pulled this out just to listen to Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.  Both of these tunes from the 1978 Japan tour are played reggae-style and Bob nails them both.  Awesome stuff!   This two-disc set is a tour-de-force of classic Dylan.  While I may construct a different set list for my dream Dylan show, one would be quite pleased with the 22 songs played here.  Dylan and his band were definitely in uptempo mode in ’78.  This is something that unfortunately is missing from current Dylan shows.  The Budokan was rockin’!
  • Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding
    The much-awaited album that followed Dylan’s motorcycle crash, this saw a return to acoustic music after having gone electric in 1965.  I love this album!   There are religious tones to this that Bob would re-visit in the 1980s.  I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine and the Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest highlight this wonderful album.  Dylan recorded this in three sessions totally a mere 12 hours of studio time.  A month later it was on the shelves for consumers.  I like the nakedness of the recording.  More music should be this raw. Of course, most point to the powerhouse All Along the Watchtower, which is included here.  Even Dylan admits that this pales in comparison to Hendrix’s cover.  And of course it’s Jimi’s version that everyone from the Dead to Neil have covered over the years.  Even Dylan jacks it up later in his career ala Hendrix. Garcia fans will like Wicked Messenger, which Jerry covered in 1975 with Legion of Mary.  Again, Dylan’s original sets the tone for a scorching cover version.  His music matters that much.  I love the album closer I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, one of my favorite Dylan songs.

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