The Journey Back Entry 12: The Summer of ’65 Gets Progressively Better

The beginning of July 1965 saw the release of the appropriately named Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) by The Beach Boys. Apparently after the more progressive Today! , Capital Records asked Brian Wilson to tone it down a bit. The album features many of the traditional type songs from Summer Days but with a more layered production underneath. Once again, I’m drawn to the less surfy sound of the band and its the songs that have more instrumental experimentation that I was drawn towards while listening to this. Overall it isnt a bad album, its just not necessarily my cup of tea either. I think the fact that I’ve never lived in California also affects my  love for the band. They’re just too jolly. Take their most popular song on the album: “California Girls”. I recognize the importance but I cant say I enjoy listening to it.

1965 – Summer Days (and Summer Nights!) – Top Highlights

Then I Kissed Her – I love the guitar part on this song.

Girl Don’t Tell Me – I love the little vocal accents on this song. That “I’m the Guy-uy -uy!” part is so great. And the piano part in the background. And obviously minor key!

You’re So Good to Me – Ok so remember all that stuff I said about not liking how jolly the band is? Forget that this song always makes me smile! I think its the fact that they over sing it and it adds a sense of irony to the happiness that makes it infinitely more enjoyable. It helps that the backing music here is incredible. That addictive bass and drums accompanied by the “la la la” whiny vocals in the background. Reminds me of Muppet Babies. Actually most Beach Boys does. For better and worse.

Honorable mention for “I’m Bugged at My Old Man” as it gave me a great laugh.

 

So the theme of this article is progressively better album releases. The next to release was July 30th’s Out of our Heads by the Rolling Stones. Here the band continues its streak of releasing albums with a couple of really great songs and some other clear throw aways. Their sound hasn’t changed much mostly because once again we’re getting lots of covers. That being said, the standout single “Satisfaction” is on this album and it really does rock. Overall I would say this album is probably not “better” than Summer Days, just more down my alley.

1965 – Out of Our Heads – Top Highlights

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – What a riff!! So simple yet so addictive. What’s really interesting is that the distorted guitar was originally meant to later be replaced by a horn section. WHAT a different song it might have been! I’m glad it was kept with the guitar because it really is so immediately wonderful.

Cry To Me – I love Mick Jaggers wild vocals on this track. What really won me over was the line “Nothing could be sadder than a glass of wine alone!” Something about that image is just so wonderfully depressing.

Play with Fire – The Rolling Stones trying to be subtle?? Its so quiet. And that guitar part immediately following each line of “But dont play with me cause youre playing with fire.” is so mysterious. I think I just like the change of pace for the band and hope they pursue it further on future releases.

Not to be outdone by the Beach Boys or the Rolling Stones, the Beatles released their next album on August 6th 1965.  Help! accompanied a Beatles film which I have not seen. Still, no viewing of the movie is necessary to listen to the beautiful song writing and vocals on display here. If you remember I was disappointed in their last release of 1964 Beatles for Sale for being a quick cash in full of covers. Thankfully Help! is written by the band in full and is a much better album because of it. The Beatles are still a full on pop band but the songs are getting deeper. There’s more piano on the album and the instruments in general are taking more liberties from the traditional verse chorus structure. I’m nowhere near intelligent enough when in comes to recording techniques to comment on all the changes the Beatles are implementing but I can say that it sounds great. All that being said, its hard for me to review the Beatles albums in the comparison timeline because unlike most releases in 1965, I know how much potential the Beatles have yet to unleash.

1965 – Help! – Top 5 Highlights

Help! – The multiple layers in the first 10 seconds of this song alone are mind blowing. Lennon’s singing back against the harmonized cries for help and the bass and guitar underneath. I love the way the harmony part during the verses sings the same lines that Lennon is singing but at a different flow so that you hear them separately! It’s not a technique that always works but here it really succeeds. Plus the falsetto “Please please me” is such a great sing-a-long moment

I Need You – I promised I would keep following George Harrison’s songs. He gets 2 on Help! and my favorite is “I Need You”. One again a more mellow track. I love how sad that guitar sounds at the end of each line in the verse. It sounds like the guitar is dying. It’s a so bad its great kind of sound. The song reminds me of a sad puppy and to be honest I think that is what Harrison was going for.

She’s Got a Ticket To Ride – It’s hard for me to not like this song just based on the sheer amount of times I’ve heard it. I like how both Lennon and McCartney support each other vocally. Most important is the ending when the tempo changes and they sing “My baby dont care”. I love when songs break the verse/chorus mold for something special.

I’ve Just Seen a Face – What a beautiful song! I think this song continues to support the theory that I’m more of a McCartney fan than a Lennon fan. As I’ve mentioned before: while I’ve been listening to the Beatles for a long time, I’ve never payed attention to who wrote/sang what. Now that I’m exploring this aspect of the albums, Ive found that a lot of my favorites are McCartney songs. I like the twirling acoustic guitar in the song. Maybe its because a good acoustic guitar part is truly timeless to me, but I always find these stripped down songs to be my favorites on ’60’s albums so far (just like with Dylan).

Yesterday – OH boy. What can you say that hasn’t already been said? Its been voted the the best song of the 20th century and the greatest pop song of all time and for good reason. It’s only two minutes long but every second is well spent putting forth this perfect picture of heartbreak. What’s better than acoustic guitar alone? Strings of course.

I would end this entry here as its already overlong but the summer isnt over yet. August 30th 1965 saw the release of one more amazing album. Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited. At this point Dylan was stressed out by his fans for not liking his change in direction and this led to a song writing drought. Coming off of  Help! , there is an instant gravity about this album compared to everything else I’ve heard to this point. On my first listen, the second that “Like a Rolling Stone” began playing, I just had this… awakening? I dont know how to describe it. Just this overwhelming feeling that music can be better. That in 1965, we were just getting started with rock and roll. The biggest immediately  noticeable difference was in the lyrics. Flip through the songs on Help!; these two or three minute pop songs about love and loss. Then play “Like a Rolling Stone”. Just the sheer volume of lyrics, and the density. Just, wow. Now the album does feature a lot of the crazy wild rock Dylan present on Bringing It All Back Home that I wasnt such a big fan of but it’s definitely more developed and fleshed out here. I think one of the greatest additions is Bob Dylan’s wider use of piano and organ on this album. The longer, slower, piano laden tracks tend to draw me in more than the wild rock and roll ones. This led me to  songs like “Ballad of a Thin Man” and “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”. The album starts out with its strongest track but it ends on its second strongest. “Desolation Row” is an 11 and a half minute acoustic guitar epic and I’m just glad he’s continued to include songs in this style. Now up there for me with “It’s Alright Ma”. I mentioned the depth of the lyrics earlier and I will now preface this by saying that depth doesnt necessarily mean connections. A lot of times I have no idea what Dylan is singing about. I am certain that HE knew exactly what he was talking about. For me, its more similar to a blind food tasting. You may not know what it is youre eating but good tasting food is good tasting food. Just listening to Dylan’s solid imagery is a gift.

1965 – Highway 61 Revisited – Top 5 Highlights

Like a Rolling Stone – A perfect song and a perfect experience. Maybe Bob Dylan’s best song? Something about how it all comes together musically and lyrically and emotionally. There’s just a magic here. The way Dylan yells the chorus. The way the organ continually plays. The jangling of the guitars. The spare use of harmonica. Wow.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/5124986″>Like A Rolling Stone</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user1858627″>Lea Becker</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Ballad of a Thin Man – Haunting piano! Actually one of the first Dylan songs I ever heard and liked. Dylan’s talk singing works a lot better when he’s not yelling it in an extremely hoarse voice over jangling guitars. The cool factor of the piano adds a grounded feeling to Dylan’s talking. It works. It just works.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/52383325″>Bob Dylan – The Ballad of a Thin Man</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user1114172″>Vasco Cavalcante</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Queen Jane Approximately – The piano here is in complete contrast to that of “Ballad of a Thin Man”, here adding a feel good beauty both to Dylan’s vocals and the song itself.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/29149789″>Bob Dylan – “Queen Jane Approximately” MONO</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user5966392″>Curtis Mayfield</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Just Like Tom Thumb ‘s Blues – Once again its the beauty of the piano that won me over here. It’s hard to talk about a lot of Dylan’s songs because its so much better to just get them into your ears.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/29785190″>Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user1076768″>Vince Vercillo</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Desolation Row – I talked about this earlier but it really is all about the acoustic guitar here. It may be a bit repetitive but each note is played so beautifully that I have no problem listening to Dylan play it over the 11 minute length. This is a definitely a sit outside in the backyard and smoke a cigarette while staring at the night sky and contemplating life kind of experiences. Also if you stick around, you get one epic harmonica solo!

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/11222889″>Desolation Row</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user3675027″>Paul Tattam</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

So overall, the summer of 65 was really a great time to be a fan of rock music. While the Beach Boys and Rolling Stones released decent albums, and the Beatles released another great one, it was Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited that captured my heart. I think I’ll be shocked if I find an album in 65 that I like more. Still I’m excited to try anyway and dive further into the 60’s less famous acts. I really am desiring to pick up the pace of this journey so that I can get to more and more music but I know that will come with sacrificing some of the writing so I haven’t decided exactly what Ill do just yet. Again thank you if you were able to read all the way to the end of this. Let me know if theres an album you think I missed or you definitely want me to check out in the future!

The Journey Back Entry 9: Bob Dylan, But More Importantly, Bert Jansch

Last time, we left off with my love of the Kinks in 1965. I’m going to focus here on the next couple of albums released in 1965. I was going to start by writing about The Beach Boys Today! since it is chronologically next. However, I didn’t find much to love on my first few listens so I kind of skipped over it and now that I’m listening to it again, I dont think I’ve given it enough spins to truly get a good picture.

Instead I’d like to move right on to Bob Dylan’s next release! I’m not going to lie I’ve been very excited to get to this point in Dylan’s career. Bringing It All Back Home marks the first album in which a full band backs Bob’s music. The album also has a more rocking flavor to it and is Bob Dylan’s first real effort to distance himself from the folk scene of the early 60’s. After having met the Beatles, Bob Dylan began experimenting with a full rock band. The resulting album can be easily separated into two distinct sections. The first 7 tracks make up Side 1 which features Dylan in a rock and roll mood with a full band and a sound that I would describe as early Rolling Stones meets Bob Dylan’s stream of consciousness poetry.  Side 2 features only 4 songs and represents the culmination of all of Bob Dylan’s acoustic work. A swan song before his move into full on rock music. Side 1 is a struggle for me to review. I like it a lot.  I think that its very good, especially lyrically. What holds it back is a lack of variety for his band. I’m a firm believer of using any and every instrument possible, as long as there is purpose to those instruments. I just found that a lot of the time, the band was simply keeping the beat behind Dylan and that the songs would have sounded just as good in an acoustic fashion. The band just feels a bit like background noise. I’m not saying its bad, just that I could take it or leave it. Now that isnt always the case, with the most specific example being “She Belongs To Me” which I think is the best track on Side 1. Lyrically, Bob is in full on imagery mode and writing some really great stuff. The aforementioned “She Belongs to Me”, the wonderful “Love Minus Zero/ No Limit”, and especially Dylan’s goodbye to the folk movement “Maggie’s Farm”.

Side 2 is the actual bread and butter of Taking It All Back Home. Each (mostly)acoustic number is equally engaging and wonderful with amazing guitar work and beautiful lyrics. Side 2 solidifies my view that acoustic Dylan is my favorite Dylan. That being said, I haven’t heard much of electric Dylan yet so I’ll just have to see where Dylan takes his new found electric love. My hope is that Taking It All Back Home serves as some sort of test run before he dives head first into rock and roll. I’m definitely excited to see where Dylan takes his talents from here on out, I just hope he remembers his acoustic routes and writes more music like that as well.

1965 – Taking It All Back Home – Top 5 Highlights

She Belongs to Me – Dylan breaks out the band while maintaining his soft charms. Dylan’s voice has never sounded sexier, completely avoiding his nasal whine and the soft drums and oh so quiet electric finger picking guitar add real layers of beauty to an already great song. I hope this is the direction he continues on for his future electric releases. No instrument is taken for granted here and no sound wasted. The harmonica interludes just add to the overall wonder. A perfect Dylan tune.

Mr. Tambourine Man – Once again, Dylan’s voice is sounding beyond wonderful. The soft electric guitar part  reminds me of the best of Indie Rock Music. There is just something about this song that demands you shut up and listen to its beauty. We’ll get to the Byrds a bit later which I’ve been listening to a lot lately, but I think its pretty widely regarded that the Folk Rock scene began with this song.

Gates of Eden – Tragically I couldnt find a version of this from the album so I had to post a live version. Please please find the studio version! Don’t get me wrong, Bob Dylan can at times be better on his live work than his studio work but in this particular case, it is the production on the studio version that I adore. I think that Bob’s acoustic guitar is captured perfectly. I also love the way that Dylan sings the line “The gates of Eden”. It is the repetition of that line coupled with the acoustic guitar that lends a lot of power to this new epic about the loss of innocence in the generation of the 60’s. I definitely like this song MUCH MORE than the similar “Chimes of Freedom”

It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Bob’s voice is a bit harsher on this track but man is that guitar epically beautiful! One of the best goodbye heart break songs I can think of.

It’s All Right, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – Which brings us to quite possibly my favorite Bob Dylan song to date. Once again I could only find a live version but for this song, any version will do.  “It’s All Right Ma” is a masterpiece! This is Bob Dylan doing something no one else would dare do. The way that Bob Dylan sings this song is mindblowing! He has these little stream of consciousness rambling lines that go on far too long for a normal song to the point that the music is forced to fit in around them. His guitar just kind of hangs out waiting for him to finish and then has these beautiful strumming sections between each run on statement. Each individual statement is chock FULL of images. I’ve probably already listend to this song 20 or so times and I’m still hearing new images. There is just a general disregard for all things that define how a song should be written. Even now as I listen to the song again, I’m  enraptured by the lyrics and style and music. The song basically combines the musical style of “Masters of War”, the lyrical delivery of his “Talkin Blues” songs and the imagery laden lyrics of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”.  This is a genius at work. An artist who looks back on his catalogue of work and brings forth something that takes the best parts of all that came before to create a piece of music no one has ever heard or even dreamed they ever would here. I find it hard to believe that Dylan will ever write a song better than this. I really hope he proves me wrong!

In summary, I still like Bob Dylans first two albums best. I think that Bringing It All Back Home contains Bob Dylans best single work to date but overall, I want something more.

Now I want to move onto an artist that took me COMPLETELY by surprise: Bert Jansch! Bert is a scottish musician who moved to london in the early 60’s to join the folk scene there. In 1965 he released his self titled debut and I am so happy that I listened to it! Wow. I complained a little earlier about Bob’s movement into rock and roll and away from acoustic folk, but as long as artists like Bert Jansch step in to fill the holes left by Dylan, I will have no problem! Lets start with the obvious. Bert has a beautiful voice. I love Dylan’s vocals for what they are but pretty is never a way that I’d describe them. I already touched on this with Simon and Garfunkel but its never been more apparent than in hearing Jansch sing along while strumming a guitar. He still has a twangy kind of folk friendly voice but it is much more pleasing to the ears. Most importantly, this man is a wonderful acoustic guitar player. Every song is beautifully finger picked. This is especially noticeable in that he doesnt simpley strum the same three chords for four minutes. Each song is essentially a duet between Jansch’s wonderful voice and his guitars finger dancing. He even includes multiple instrumental tracks that focus directly on the beauty of his guitar playing. According to a friend, Neil Young once referred to Bert as the Jimi Hendrix of acoustic guitar. If you’re still not convinced, listen to these great examples from his album!

1965 Bert Jansch – Top 5 Highlights

Smokey River – This is a fine example of one of Jansch’s instrumentals. Unfortunately the original wasnt available so I had to pull this cover of it instead. Not to knock the play in this song but Jansch does play the song better. Still, it does give a great idea of the more technical nature of his guitar playing on the album. Very different from Dylan.

Oh How Your Love Is Strong – Once again I could only find a cover. This guy is pretty faithful to the original. I still think if your choices are this version, or never hear this song and never seek out the album, than this is better! I love the melancholy sound of the guitar on this song and Jansch’s voice has a bit of a haunted tone that I love(and that is captured here)

Needle of Death – Finally a video with Bert. Now you can get an idea for his actual beautiful voice. Tell me this song doesnt immediately mesmerize you!? The whole album has this same beauty!

Do You Here Me Now?  – My personal favorite on the album sees Jansch exploring the boundaries of his voice even letting it crack just so he can infuse some extra emotion into the song.

I Have No Time – This one reminds me of the best of Joan Baez! It just has this mind capturing nature about it where you are literally taken out of your brain and forget all other thought for the entirety of the song.

So basically, both the albums I just talked about are excellent and you should definitely pick them up. Some of the best music of the 60’s so far. I was planning to also write about The Byrds and Them but the wonder and excitement of these two albums has tired me out so they’ll have to wait till next time. Thanks for continuing to follow along with me on my journey!

Build a Workout Cool Down: Alison Krauss – Down by the River to Pray

My mix had ended and my legs just weren’t ready to stop walking. They were really tensing up and cramping and I needed another couple minutes to walk it off. Thankfully I always pack some spares so I simply pulled out this wonderful acapella spiritual that I first heard on the O’Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack and walked off those extra couple minutes in peace. This song is the perfect way to cool down after a long and tiresome run.

The Journey Back Entry 7: Simon and Garkfunkel Are Pretty.

My last entry focused mostly on rhythm and blues rock that was starting to take over in the later half of 1964. Now I’m going to focus on something completely different. Lets talk about Simon and Garfunkel. Representing my old neighborhood, Queens, NY, Simon and Garfunkel were friends since elementary school and started recording music together in the ’50’s. They became interested in the New York folk scene around the time most everyone did in 1963 and recorded both originals and covers for their late 1964 debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Shockingly, the album flopped mostly due to the rise of the Beatles and the shift in interest towards their sound. While it may have flopped for them in 1964, I loved it from the very first listen.

Simon and Garfunkel fit perfectly as a counterpart to Bob Dylan’s 1963-64 albums. To put it simply, in every way that Bob Dylan is raw and wild and rough, Simon and Garfunkel are produced and pure and soft. “Pretty” is the word that immediately comes to mind and I can honestly say I it is a not an adjective I would ever use to describe Bob Dylan’s folk. Unlike Dylan, both singers have beautiful voices that fit into one another in a lovely harmony. Their subject matter is also of a more pretty and pleasant nature. Straight off the bat with “You Can Tell the World” with its chorus about joy and victory. I tried to think about a happy song Dylan had put out at this point and came up empty (I’m sure there is one, just couldnt think of any off the top of my head. Is there?). I think the best examples of their differences are in songs they share. Look to their version of “Peggy-O” or their cover of “The Times They are A -Changin’ “. I also have to commend their song writing skills with amazing songs like “Sparrow” and “The Sound of Silence”. The album is sparse on instrumentation beyond finger picking and strumming guitars, with the exception of some bass and some great banjo on “Last Night I had the Strangest Dream.” I think this is definitely an album not to be missed from 1964 and it definitely brought joy, joy, joy into my heart. If Dylan brings you down, Simon and Garfunkel will pick you up out of that funk.

1964 – Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. Top 5 Highlights 

You Can Tell The World – I love the WAY this song is sung. The way they kind of talk sing through the lyrics, with little yelling moments and little quiet moments and this absolutely playful guitars that are just jumping around the room. Plus the harmonizing woo, woos are amazing. The lyrics bring me joy, joy, joy too. You have to be in a really bad mood for this song not to put a big beaming smile on your face.

Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream – Reminds me of “Imagine”, in the ending world conflict sense. It really ends up on the list because of the banjo. And because it has unicorns in the lyrics.

Bleeker Street – I love the way the chorus of “Bleeker Street” is sung. All the extended “eee” sounds in the song are just so… pretty. And so is the soft finger picking guitars.

Sparrow – This is my favorite new discovery of the album since I already know “The Sound of Silence”. I love the rhythm guitar in this song. The finger picking guitar is also legendary. And the way Simon and Garfunkel draw their voices over everything else… Every time they say “Not I!” i get crazy chills. Love this song.

The Sound of Silence – Obviously. The song that would eventually pull them into the spotlight. Here, it appears in its original form with just guitars. Does this really need a reason to be on here? Perfect. I think it shows off the production on the album best. The feeling of hollow space around the music is powerful. Like the music is stretching out into the corners of the universe. I love it.

My final 1964 album (With the exception of Joan Baez, who I kind of follow a little behind everyone else) is the Beatles Beatles for Sale. I’m not going to say its a bad album. I wont say that because even the worst of the Beatles is still lovely for the ears most of the time. I definitely dont feel like there was much progression between this and A Hard Days Night and the album suffers for it. It’s still nice to hear the Beatles harmonizing and jamming out and they do seem to be having SOME fun. On the whole though, I feel that this record feels a bit phoned in. After looking up some of the details on the recording of the album, it seems this was not far from the truth. The band was touring america and really starting to blow up. The album was recorded on the bands days off from tour over a 3 week period. The lack of time to write new music also resulted in more covers appearing on the album. Despite all this criticism, I still enjoyed listening to the album. It’s just that the Beatles standards are a little higher than everyone else.

1964 – Beatles for Sale Top Highlights

No Reply – Forget everything negative I just said in the previous paragraph when it comes to “No Reply”. I LOVE this song. Lennon is on top of his game here writing some amazing music. The song tells a simple story about a man trying to get in touch with his girl and knowing that shes lying to him because he sees her with another man. I love the sad feeling of the song and its minor key is just right.

I’m A Loser – Self deprecating song lyrics. Who cant get down with that? I read somewhere that this is Lennon being influenced by Dylan and I must agree. A simple song but a fun one none the less.

I’ll Follow the Sun – Short and sweet,  it always puts a smile on my face. Great vocal harmony too.

Eight Days A Week – I first heard and fell in love with this song back in a high school music theory class. So many little details make this song extra great. Obviously the “Hold me, love me” pre-chorus with the clapping is my favorite. That and the “lo o o o ove you” of the chorus.

That pretty much brings 1964 to a close. Each year seems to bring more and more music into the fold. The Beatles picked up their game with the powerful A Hard Day’s Night while Dylan pulled himself in opposing directions and released 2 very different albums that neither destroyed his reputation nor improved it. The Rolling Stones had a glorious debut ushering in a wealth of other wild and crazy rockers of varying degrees. The Beach Boys grabbed my attention and the Animals organ playing on “House of The Rising Sun” was a real treat. Joan Baez has kept up with diminishing returns. Lastly, Simon and Garfunkel open my eyes to a softer, prettier side of folk music. The Rolling Stones and Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. were probably my favorite releases of the year discounting A Hard Days Night since I’ve said before that I listen to the Beatles more as a measuring device since I already knew most of their music before this project.

I’m having a great time with this journey and I’m really looking forward to all the new music to be released in 1965! See you then!

The Journey Back Entry 6: LOTS more in 1964!

Its been exactly a month since I last documented my time machine activities. While some of it was due to my fiance visiting and some due to 2 weeks of bronchitis, I was definitely still listening to tons of music. I’m going to start off with a release I was very much looking forward to, Bob Dylan’s second release of 1964 Another Side of Bob Dylan! I spoke last time about the fact that I wasnt too crazy about Bob Dylan the political activist on The Times They Are a-Changin’  so you can imagine my excitement about an album that advertised another side of him. It turns out Bob Dylan wasnt too crazy about “Bob Dylan the political activist” either. This was probably mostly due to the fact that his political stuff was encouraged by his girlfriend Suze Rotolo, and since they had finally ended things by the release of this album, Bob was free to write whatever he wanted. And that is EXACTLY what he does here. Recorded in 1 night, in a hotel room, while drinking, Dylan tried to recapture the raw sound of his debut album. Unfortunately, drinking isnt exactly the best way to produce your best work (at least not for Dylan here). So how does it compare to Times?  Times has a few songs I like MUCH more than the stuff on this album, but overall, while underwhelming, the joy that Bob seems to be experiencing here in recording this makes it a much more fun listen. Most of the songs have little to no depth but its an album I can easily put on and enjoy. It’s fun rather than technical. A perfect example is “All I Really Wanna Do” which I absolutely adore. Its nowhere near Bob’s best but his little “ooo ooo” sounds cant help but make me smile. Try to frown while he sings that part. It isnt possible. I found myself singing it the other day in my head  but for some reason my lyrics were “All IIIIII…. REAlly…. Wanna Dooo oooo. is baby have sex with you. ”  That would be the version I’d record.

Another example of Dylan’s “Not giving a damn” attitude is “I Shall Be Free”. The song is horrible but in a completely lovable way for me. It sounds to me like those parody songs people do of Dylan where they just sing in “Dylan” voice while talking drunken gibberish and blowing into the harmonica occasionally. But its Dylan! Its basically him saying “I dare you to try to apply a political banner behind this one!”

I dont think the album is Bob’s best work but I do appreciate it and I especially like that he decided to recapture the Bob Dylan raw style even if it didnt work out exactly as he had hoped. If he had spent months recording this, I think I would be more disappointed in the album.  Because the album instead perfectly captures this one night of Bob, drinking in the hotel room, I really enjoy it. It makes me smile and laugh wish I could hang out with Bob unlike on Times where the heavy themes and the downer nature of the album made me not want to be around Dylan.

1964 – Another Side of Bob Dylan Highlights

All I Really Wanna Do – See my description above. I LOVE the chorus of this song and Bob being silly

I Don’t Believe You – My other favorite song on the album. I love the lyrics and that frustration when someone completely ignores you

It Ain’t Me Babe – Couldnt find a version by Bob Dylan to lunk from youtube. I was told that this song was written in part as a response to the Beatles “She Loves You” who”s “Yeah Yeah Yeah” chorus is reflected back negatively by Bob Dylan with his “No No No” response. A great song.

I did check out Joan Baez’s 1963 release and fourth album, the creatively titled Joan Baez In Concert Part 2. Unfortunately I was disappointed once again in her “Part 2” titled album with this one paling in comparison to Part 1. One interesting change however was a few Dylan covers that appear on the album. The one that surprised me was her cover of “With God On Our Side”. This was a song I could not stand when Dylan sang it. For some reason, (Probably Joan’s voice)  this version was a huge improvement. While I still dont like the lyrics much, it was nice to hear a more melodic and beautiful version of this song.

Moving away from the folk scene for a while, I next checked out the debut album of The Animals, The Animals. I must confess, I was pretty excited for this one. Their version of “House of the Rising Sun” was the first version I’d ever heard and it also happens to be an excellent version. I loved the production of their guitars and their organ definitely adds some cool layers to their music. At the end of the day, I wouldnt say I was too impressed with their album. That isnt to say its a bad album, just that I didnt find too much original sounding material here. Maybe it’s because I heard the Rolling Stones debut first but all I could think of was that the band fit into mostly the same R&B sound. Where the Animal’s shined most on this album was in their more unconventional covers. Changing folk music into rock music rather than covering older R&B sounds. “House of Rising Sun” is the best example of this but not the only one. The band also does their own version of “Baby Let Me Follow You Down” titled “Baby Let Me Take You Home”. These additions stop the Animals from simply sounding like Rolling Stones clones and I did enjoy the album, I just wish it had more music like “House of The Rising Sun” on it. The bands blues music is simplistic to the point of comical. At one point, the same blues melody is used for 2 songs in a row! Literally the same exact music with different lyrics. Why place those songs back to back?  I guess Ill have to wait for their next album to see which direction the band heads in.

1964 – The Animals Highlights

House of the Rising Sun – A classic, this version of the song is definitely one of the most recognizable and features one of the coolest organ parts of all time. Plus Eric Burdon’s howls are damn sexy

Baby Let Me Take You Home – One of the reasons I decided to go on this journey was to discover the rock and roll roots of the music I listen to today. The first time I heard this song, I was smiling ear to ear. My first experience where I heard the song and immediately thought “This melody comes directly from another song I know!” It was a great feeling. I also like that they changed the lyrics for a more optimistic perspective. The Animals seem more in their elements when converting folk music to rock.

Talkin’ Bout You – My other favorite on the album is this Ray Charles cover. Once again I reward bands for experimentation and the 7 minute version of this song that converts at the 4 minute mark in a “Shout!” cover is truly awesome. I also love the songs opening clapping part.

I then moved onto another english rock group, The Kinks. Here I found yet another band joining the rock sound of the Rolling Stones and the Animals. Its hard to tell which one of these groups originated the sounds and who copied from who. At the end of the day, I found most of the Kinks debut to be a bit boring. The obvious exception is “You Really Got Me” which happens to be an excellent and addictive pop song. Maybe I’m just getting a bit of R&B rock fatigue. I just think most of the covers didnt have the power of other similar artists. I will definitely continue to check out the Kinks in the hopes that their sound evolves in a separate direction.

1964 – Kinks Highlight

You Really Got Me

Apparently the year of british R&B rock music, next in 1964, I took on the Rolling Stones second album of the year and their career 12 X 5. I was a huge fan of their debut so I was definitely looking forward to this one. Mick Jagger’s voice was refreshing. I just think it fits the music so well. 12 X 5  is definitely more toned down and instrument focused than it’s vocalist centric debut. The band is definitely having fun. Still, there was definitely less take home music for me here in comparison to their debut. Listening to this album did however get me very excited for one reason. After hearing the Animals, the Kinks and the Rolling Stones albums, one after another, one thing became abundantly clear. While each of the albums is in the same vane, all three had slightly varied sounds. I’m very excited to see how the bands will separate, change and evolve. I feel like these albums are helping to establish the bands beginnings in my mind so that I can more greatly appreciate the evolutions of each band. I just hope they dont disappoint.

1964 – 12 X 5 – Highlights

Time Is On Our Side – Mick Jagger sings this song in a way that just begs to be sung along with. The band just seems to be having so much fun!

Good Times, Bad Times – I just love the guitar and the harmonica on this track

Under the Boardwalk – I love this cover. I could listen to Mick sing “Down by the See-hee” over and over

If You Need Me – I love love love the backing vocals on this track. It’s like Mick’s trying to tell this girl something and his creepy friend is standing right behind him repeating what he says trying to encourage his buddy. “I still love love love, always thinking of you”. I love singing along as the back up dude.

Finally, I also did check out the debut album of the Impressions. I did it mostly to check out Curtis Mayfield. While I did enjoy the album, I didnt feel very fit to analyze its music. The sound is definitely more under the vain of doo-wop and soul. I felt like I would need to go back and listen to a lot of music from the ’50s to truly understand it. That isnt a bad idea and I do intend to check these genres out eventually. I just think that for now, I want to stick more clearly to rock and folk music.

So, after a very long entry, what do I have to show for it? Bob Dylan seems to be on the right track, giving up on his boring political side. The Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Kinks all try to do the same thing with varied results. I think a large part of it is also due to the fact that most of their current songs are covers. I can only hope they will forge new genres and continue to diverge creating more unique music as they stop playing covers and start writing their own music. Joan Baez has disappointed me again but I always seem to like her odd numbered albums so maybe her fifth album will change my mind again about whether there’s more to be gotten from her. I’m nearing the end of 1964 at this point. I believe the only two albums I have left to check out are the debut of folk legends Simon & Garfunkle and another release from the Beatles! I have high hopes for both. Then it will be time to move on into 1965 and I’m sure a ton more wonderful music. Only time will tell. Thanks for continuing to follow along with me on this crazy journey through musical time. Once again, fill me in on albums you think I might of missed or ways in which you hope I can improve my tales of the past

The Journey Back Entry 5: More on Dylan, Joan, and the Beatles Mostly

The Rolling Stones were definitely the highlight of the first half of 1964. I will say that in the meantime I was still in my catch up phase on Joan Baez. I stated early my dislike of her 1961 album Joan Baez Volume 2 but I decided to give her 1962 release Joan Baez In Concert. (someone seriously needed to give her some help in the album titles department.) Im sure she’ll name her 5th album #5! Oh wait… she did? Nevermind. The point is I was happily pleased with this album. The important change in this album over the previous two is that its a live album. I complained that her second album sounded like she phoned it in and that she didnt seem very excited or passionate. The live performance definitely brings back some of that magic from the debut. I still think the debut is my favorite as this one has some moments in it that both add character and bring down the album. A good example would be “Kumbaya”. She asks the audience to sing a long with her and makes a joke about how they shouldnt be nervous but all this is being recorded. On the one hand it made me like her better. On the other, it took me out of that magical place of being entranced in her music the way the debut captured me. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the last so I will continue to listen to her follow up. Can you guess what its called? If you said Joan Baez In Concert Part 2 then you are starting to understand her creativity.

I will share this one Highlight from Joan just in case you’ve never heard her and want to get an idea.

While I move forward through this journey, I must share the fact that I dont put down the old stuff. I’m in a place of continually listening to everything that comes before while adding new albums on a regular basis. I mentioned before that the story of Bob Dylan’s The Times they are a-Changin’ wasnt finished and I’d like to pick that up again here. I got really sick last week. When it gets bad enough I dont even like listening to music anymore. The first day I started feeling a bit better, I took a drive and put on Times again, this time starting with a selection of songs on the album that my friend Jacek told me I should focus on. Something about being in a weakened, tired state helped me understand the darkness better. Bob’s soft grating voice seemed the perfect soothing melody for my tired worn down body. Listening to songs like “North Country Blues” about the death of a mining town or the passive angst of “Boots of Spanish Leather”. They just reached in deeper this time around. The album is still my least favorite of the three since I desperately miss Bob’s playful and wild nature. Though I wish he was having more fun, I do appreciate this album a bit more now. 

1964 – The Times They Are a-Changin’   Top 5 Highlights

One Too Many Mornings – Bob Dylan heart break songs are still the highlights for me.

Only a Pawn in Their Game – The music is a  little more playful than the rest of the protest songs and its short length makes it much easier to stomach

North Country Blues – It’s really dark but I like the guitars and the story

Boots of Spanish Leather – My favorite on the album. Like I said, those broken heart songs. (This is the only version I could find on youtube)

When the Ship Comes In – A true revenge song. Yikes this one bites.

My next step after The Rolling Stones debut was the Beatles release to once again put themselves on top. A Hard Day’s Night was released as a soundtrack to go alongside the movie of the same name featuring the Beatles. I did watch the movie once many years ago but I want to watch it again now for full affect. I have listened to the album quiet a few times both on this journey and before. There is so much growth hear and I think the major love goes to the chords! The Beatles just know how to create these amazing unique chords and chord changes in the middle of songs that add this extra wow factor to their music. I stated before that I already have a pretty wide love for the Beatles work but that I’ve never gotten down into the nitty gritty of who wrote what and who sings what. Once again, it seems that I’m a big McCartney Fan, with most of my favorites being sung and/or written by him. That doesn’t mean I dont like Lennon. I also like Harrison’s vocals once again on his feature track and I’m interested to see where he goes.

1964 – A Hard Days Night – Top 5 Highlights

A Hard Days Night – The opening chord still sends chills down my back every time. I also just really love this song. The idea of working really hard all day and having the worst time and then coming home and having the woman you love hold you and make everything feel all right. So perfect. My favorite Beatles song at this point. Also worth pointing out the awesome guitar part at 1:20 and also COWBELL!

I Should Have Known Better – My favorite Lennon track on the album. I think listening to Dylan has given me a much greater appreciation of the song because that harmonica is wonderful!

If I Fell – I love the intro to this song. Something I think the Beatles continue to do well is create little sections of their songs that are extra special and elevate the song for more listens.

And I Love Her – What a beautiful love song. The combination of McCartney’s voice and that finger picking guitar makes this one of my favorite Beatles love songs.

Can’t Buy Me Love – One of the first Beatles songs I loved. I like the simple walking bass line and the lyrics. And of course the guitar solo.

So in summary, Joan Baez takes a step towards her initial glory, Dylan reminds me that he is still awesome and the Beatles cement themselves as solid song writers. Next time, I’ll be adding in some more new bands. Thanks for continuing to follow my journey.

The Journey Back Entry 3: The Beatles Write Songs! Joan doesn’t…

I promised I would talk about the next Beatles album here and I refuse to disappoint. Coming off my Joan Baez high, I thought it appropriate to check out the Beatles second 1963 release With the Beatles. This album dropped at the onset of Beatlemania so just picture thousands of screaming female fans around the Beatles while they play these songs. I was surprised by the general step up in some of the song writing on this one. Only six covers this time and a lot more Beatles originals which of course is good news. Their originals are always the highlights. The biggest difference for me on this album was the music itself which I think is already showing more depth than the simple pop songs of Please Please Me. Im a huge fan of minor keys and the Beatles have started to go a little further down that route. My favorite on the album is “All My Loving” which I find to be an absolutely lovely song. Maybe its because I’m in a long distance relationship myself. I thought it was funny that John Lennon was quoted as saying he was sad to admit he hadnt written it because it was a “a damn good piece of work”. The other standout for me is “Don’t Bother Me” which is apparently George Harrison’s first foray into song writing. I loved its darker nature and its anti-love song quality considering how much of the Beatles work was love songs at this point. Speaking of George Harrison as song writer, I’m sorry to say this but as much as I’ve heard the Beatles in the past, I’d never payed attention to who wrote or sang what. It is still hard for me to differentiate who is singing from song to song! That is why it is my goal during this journey back to make sure to pay attention to the individual artists. At this point Paul is my favorite writer.

So overall, I think With the Beatles is above and beyond Please Please Me, with better song writing and better performances. Each instrument feels so necessary well placed. That being said, the album still contains some lack luster stuff as well as covers so I’m still looking forward to the bands growth from this point. Hopefully The Freewheelin Bob Dylan will ignite their song writing hearts in new ways since I can only imagine the Beatles had to snatch that album up right away.

Also interesting to note, McCartney and Lennon wrote “I Wanna Be Your Man” while hanging out with the Rolling Stones and ended up giving them the song which would go on to become their breakthrough hit! I stumbled on to this quote and just started laughing:

“It was a throwaway. The only two versions of the song were Ringo and the Rolling Stones. That shows how much importance we put on it: We weren’t going to give them anything great, right?” – John Lennon

Ringo really doesnt get any love does he? I’ll definitely be checking out the Stones 64 debut soon enough.

1963 – With The Beatles Highlights

All I’ve Gotta Do – I love the bass on this one which I hear was a very important part of the writing process for the song as well. Probably my favorite Lennon track on the album.

All My Loving – Probably the fact that its about a long distance relationship is probably what gets me. Plus I love the guitar work, and the ooh oohs, things that really hold the beatles up in my mind. Plus Harrison’s solo.

Don’t Bother Me – As I mentioned earlier, Harrison’s first writing credit. So dark and wonderful. Cant wait for him to write more.

Not a Second Time  – I really like the piano parts on this one. Another one by Lennon. Apparently this is the song that made people start looking deeper into the Beatles song writing abilities. I just like the song.

Money – And finally the album closer. Yes it’s a cover but I really like this one. Its got this happy playful feeling while also having these really cool verses where the guitar drops out. I smile every time.

After such a wonderful experience with Joan Baez’s debut, I decided I should check out her 1961 follow up effort Joan Baez Volume 2. (Gotta love the creative album titles) Everything I felt about the first album was unfortunately completely lost on me this time around. Instead of being sucked in, I felt that I analysed every minute detail of her performance and came up wanting. Once again, all the songs are covers so maybe she just picked all her favorites for the first album and her second favorites here. I just wasnt as attached to the songs. I felt there was more emphasis on the stories and less on her voice and the music. To me, it sounded like she wasnt as passionate here, more going through the motions and she has a backing band of sorts that I didnt find interesting at all. Still, it didnt take away my love for her debut. It is possible that because Dylan evolved so much from his debut to his second album, I expected something similar from Joan. Instead I just got what felt like a B-sides record. Still this is only 1961 in her career so its possible her style will evolve once she hangs out with Bob and sees what he’s up to. I do plan to check out her 1963 live album which may better capture some of the debut’s passion I loved so much. (One can only hope) If not, I may give her a few years to cool off and check back in a few years down the road. For now, I can only say, dont miss out on the debut.

I’m pretty sure this will end my time in 1963 other than Joan’s live album. If there is one album I didnt check out fully in 1963, it would probably be the Beach Boys. I may wait a couple years to check them out. If you’re a fan of 1963 and see an album I overlooked, feel free to leave recommendations in the comments. 1964 is definitely going to get more expansive as I dive into the Rolling Stones, more Dylan and the Beatles. I’m very excited about it.

Overall 1963 was an interesting year. Bob Dylan released my favorite work of the year. I definitely think The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is an excellent album and some of the songs will enter my permanent playlists. The Beatles released two albums I had mixed feelings about but the second was better than the first and I love the direction they are heading in. Still I think this is all just set up for the late ’60’s when a ton of new rock music will be unleashed on the masses. This journey shall be epic!

 

The Journey Back Entry 2: Bob Evolves and Joan is a Siren

With Please Please Me firmly taking me into the year of 1963, it was time for me to see how Bob Dylan developed since his debut. With excited hands, I put on The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. I cant lie and say I didnt have huge expectations for the album. After the wonder that was Bob Dylan, I couldnt wait to see what Bob would do with his own songs rather than covers. My first listen came up both rewarding and disappointing. The album has a different feel to it that is immediately apparent. Bob’s passion seems a bit more reigned in here. Maybe it’s that he was more sheepish now that he was performing his own works. The album is also a bit more disjointed.  It is strange how the album  can go from really playful to REALLY dark on a dime and seems to happen at random. I learned that it was originally supposed to be two albums and that in order to show the full breathe of his work, he combined them together. Unfortunately this makes the album feel overlong.

The first major change was the political nature of some of the work. Where Bob Dylan tackles some universal hundred year old folk tune topics of love and hardship, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan has songs like “Masters of War” that strike right at the hearts of warmongers or “A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall” which may or may not be about communism. This new politically charged side of Dylan has a lot to do with his relationship with one Suze Rotolo who’s family was very political. What’s more important to me about Suze Rotolo is that she broke Bob Dylan’s heart and packed up off to italy. This heartbreak paved the way for Dylan to write some truly amazing songs of love lost (my favorite parts of the album). Then there is the “Talkin’ New York” style blues songs on the album with a variety of topics. These are more topical and also not very fully realized songs. The stories are worth  a laugh but I think that ultimately, they are what holds the album back from true greatness AS AN ALBUM. I think I would have been happier if Dylan had indeed released the blues and folk works separately as more cohesive albums.

All of that being said, with each additional listen, the songs I did love on this album got better and better! And since I’m more about finding songs I love than albums I love, The FreeWheelin’ Bob  Dylan is a goldmine! Also just to clarify, I didnt find any bad songs on the album, just some I could take or leave and others I had to have.

1963 – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Top 5 Highlights

Girl From the North Country – He wrote this one for a girl from the old west but the passion comes from his breakup with Suze. This song is phenomenal! I think I got into Bob Dylan just so I could hear this song. I’m a huge fan of heartbreak songs and folk is maybe the PERFECT medium for this kind of music. I think it is really beautiful, i love the lyrics, and I can FEEL Bob’s emotions melting my heart.

Masters of War –  OH MY GOD! CHILLING!! Especially the last minute or so! I mean holy shit! Just insanely dark in the best of ways. Especially how such a cold song comes right after his heart break song. Thats why I really like the song  order of the beginning of this album. “I hope that you die and your death will come soon. Ill follow your casket on a pale afternoon… Ill stand over your grave and Im sure that youre dead.” Wow!

It is an absolute tragedy that this song is not up on youtube! I may have to find another outlet for streaming music…

Down The Highway This is my favorite of the bluesy ones and I think it has to do with the lyrics which are less talky and more awesome. And I love blues songs sung to the Lord. This one is also about Suze Rotolo as he references her taking his heart to Italy. Plus he does do some pretty cool things with his voice on this one!

Yet another song not on youtube. I guess its copyright issues…

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall – This one is  a longer song with lots of lyrics so I feel like its been growing on me with every listen and that it still hasnt reached its full love potential. The songs lyrics are said to have been written with the fear that the world might end and Dylan might not be able to record all the music he dreamed of. Each line is meant to convey a separate song he might have wrote. The overarching story involves a man describing his journey over the world and lamenting some great calamity(which could have referenced anything from the cold war to the Devil)

Yet another without a video… I may need to think of a new approach to the actual music.

Dont Think Twice, It’s Alright – I really like the simple fingerpicking here. Really beautiful song. Its the kind of song I could just lie back, stare at the ceiling and listen to all afternoon. Amazing. I love the harmonica on this one a lot too.

Any Bob Dylan fan out there will probably notice immediately that I’ve left off “Blowing in the Wind”. The song is awesome, but also feels a bit untouchable. You know those songs that are so classic(and parodied) so that its almost just a part of life? Thats how it feels. Its not a matter of like or not like. It just is. The closest song I can think of off the top of my head would be “Amazing Grace”. Like people dont talk about their love of that song, cause of course, everyone loves that song. And if you dont like it for whatever personal reason that you dont, your opinion does not matter. Its not a matter of opinion. The song is great so shut up.

 So in summary, there is some really amazing stuff on this album. I actually think the songs I love on this album , I love more than those on Bob Dylan! However there are also ones I dont like as much and because of the albums overall length, I still think Bob Dylan is more of a personal favorite(AS an ALBUM).  All that being said, I’m still loving the fact that I’m loving Bob. Still want to listen to Freewheelin more deeply since theres a lot more lyrics and lyrics is always something that takes me the longest to understand and get into.

Around this time, another name just kept popping up over and over. Joan Baez. I could not escape it no matter where I looked for material of Dylan in the early sixties. Thankfully for me here in 1963, it was no problem acquiring a copy of her 1960 debut Joan Baez (apparently artists in the 1960’s folk scene are not very creative with naming their debut albums.) To say that it took my breath away wouldn’t even come close to how I felt about that first listen. The album was beyond words. Like Bob Dylan, it features mostly covers, including an excellent take on “House of the Rising Sun” (I think I just really like that song). What touched me most was both the power and beauty of her voice. Maybe it was also after listening to hours of Dylan’s soft raggedy folk voice, Joan’s came out all the stronger. It shook my speakers. She was so much more commanding. It’s like I wasnt listening to her, she was TELLING me how it was. At this point I can hardly differentiate the tracks and Ive heard the album probably 4 or 5 times. That isnt because the album is monotonous. It’s because it takes my mind into some kind of trance. For 45 minutes my brain becomes lost. Entranced in her power, I forget all else but the sound of her voice and the gentle guitars. After the first listen (I just lay in bed), I drew a bath, lay down in the steaming water and just listened to the album again from start to finish. I want to recommend individual songs but I really think you should just pick up the album so you can get the whole experience. An excellent album. I cant say whether or not its better than Bob because I CANNOT analyse it. My trance like state prevents me from getting any farther than “This is beautiful…”

I’d love to talk more about the Beatles but I think I’ll leave that for my next entry. Until then, thanks for continuing to follow my journey.

The Journey Back Entry 1: The Journey Begins!

I dont know what I’m going to find when I go back to the 60’s. I could fall in love and want to stay there forever, or I could be completely disappointed and want to move quickly into the seventies. Because this is a positive music site, I felt weird about doing straight up album reviews. What if I absolutely hate something? Why would I want to write about it? So instead I’m going try out a new format. Because I’m embarking on an epic musical journey through time, I decided it would be more fitting to simply document my findings. Maybe I’ll fall in love with a single record and want to talk about it for hours, maybe I’ll just love a single song. Look at this more as you would a travelogue of someone going on vacation. There will be some major highlights and a lot of smaller stories.

My journey back begins in 1962. The whole reason for my journey was to discover Bob Dylan so what better place to begin than the year he debuted his first album. The first thing I learned was that the folk music of the 1960’s was a folk revival. That means that many of the songs the artists played were actually covers of famous folk songs, some dating back hundreds of years. In order to earn street credit in the folk scene, you would start out by playing famous covers. This would allow fans to gauge your skill level as an artist while simultaneously getting a peak at your creativity by how you might tweak an old classic. To be honest I find this to be a pretty cool idea. I wouldnt mind seeing more artists release a series of their favorite songs with new twists before releasing their own material. By playing covers, you’re guaranteeing that the song itself is going to be good (as long as you cover something people like) while allowing us to appreciate your voice or your specific strengths. With Bob Dylan I was instantly blown away! I was never expecting to be. I picture Bob Dylan as this old grumpy whiney dude handing out deep life lessons while trying to cut a frog out of his throat. This time things were different. Going back to Bob Dylan in 1962, I was able to hear him in his youth. Knowing that he was only 21 when he recorded the album changed everything. Instead of hearing a whiney old man handing out life lessons, I heard a young punk kid spilling out his soul through folk. The way he would go to the trouble to change up his vocals on each repeated line of the chorus or when he switched  between folk and blues shook me to the core. I was so used to hating Bob’s vocals and now I discovered a different side of the man. The songs were all so simple and yet I drooled over each little guitar part. I thought listening to only guitar and vocals would quickly become boring but Bob Dylan just kept it fresh with his voice constantly treading new ground. The short length of the songs also helped me not to become bored with any particular song. Perfect for this ADD generation. Overall it was his passion that won me over. Each song gets you deeply engrossed in its mood. When the album ends, I couldnt help but start it all over again.  It was at this point I decided to embark on this journey. If listening to one Bob Dylan album could change my opinion of him this much, what other amazing artists might I discover?

1962 – Bob Dylan Top 5 Highlights:

In My Time of Dying

Fixin’ To Die

House of the Rising Sun – Unfortunately I couldn’t find a version on YouTube.

Baby Let Me Follow You Down

See That My Grave is Kept Clean

From here I decided to turn to the next likeliest source of great music in the 60’s, The Beatles. I didnt realize up until that very moment that the Beatles didnt actually release their first album until 1963. I did check out their first single Love Me Do, which I already liked before my trip back in time. I decided maybe it was time to check out their other 1962 singles by looking into their 1963 debut. Please Please Me is an album I have heard before but it was interesting to go back and listen to it without the weight of the rest of the Beatles catalogue on their shoulders. It really is a pleasant little pop album. The love songs can feel a bit repetitive and the songs were definitely simple but I enjoyed bobbing my head along. Once again I was amazed to find out just how many of the songs were actually covers and not Beatles originals. The only original songs being the singles. The coolest thing about listening to the album was putting Bob Dylan into the context of the times. While pop and rock music were starting to take the form they  would build on for the next 50 years, Bob Dylan was pulling influence from the generations past, creating some truly amazing folk music that I think truly stands the test of time.

1963 – Please Please Me Highlights

Please Please Me

Love Me Do

P.S. I Love You

Twist and Shout

Song of the Day 01/14/13: Alison Kraus – Down In the River to Pray

My family was listening to the O Brother, Where art Thou? soundtrack today. I forgot how amazing all the music is in that movie. It felt only natural to share one of my favorites off of the album. A great example of the voice as an instrument. There are no other instruments in the song and yet it wants for nothing.

Song of the Day 01/07/13: Omnia – Pagan Polska

How do you describe Omnia? Pagan Folk is the general term but that only works if you’ve heard Pagan Folk in the past. “Pagan Polka” has everything from bagpipes to didgeridoo. When a friend of mine went on a tour of Europe, he brought back this wonderful song to make me want to dance. The first week he was back, we would just drive around the city blasting this song and I still associate this song with driving around New York City with friends. Either that or epic medieval battles.

Song of the Day 01/02/13: Chase Coy – If the Moon Fell Down Tonight

This is the first song shared between my new fiance and me. We listened to this song constantly when we first started dating 4 years ago and it still remains one of our favorites today. If there was one song I could learn to play, it would be this one.

Song of the Day 11/15/12: Nickel Creek – When In Rome

I’m going to be honest, If you dont listen to this and immediately fall in love with it and know why it is so amazing, then you probably will never like it. Straight forward perfection. Most notably in the production. Every voice and instrument hits exactly the right sounds to complete the sexiest bluegrass song I know. I really dont think they could duplicate this song exactly as it sounds here. If you like this song, you can totally check out my review of the album it  comes from on my Top 100 Albums of All Time.

Song of the Day 08/14/12: Akeboshi – Wind

Since I’ve been discovering a lot of new Japanese visual kei music, I’ve been going back and listening to some of my older j-rock and pop collection.  And I remembered this jem.  Definitely very far and away from visual kei.  This sounds more like a Japanese, folksy Coldplay.  Akeboshi actually sings in English (or should I say engrish?) which, I think, in his case adds to his charm.  Like most people, I discovered this song as a theme from the anime Naruto.  In Japan, if your song becomes an opening or ending theme to a popular anime it’s almost a guarenteed hit.  What shocked me today is that as much as I love “Wind”, I never actually attained any of Akeboshi’s albums.  I think it was because at the time I discovered him, there were no albums.  Still, I just obtained some new albums and I hope they’re really good, so I can share one of his newer songs on this site.  For now, here’s “Wind”.

94. Caedmon’s Call – Back Home

 

Caedmon’s Call is a Christian contemporary alternative rock collective that incorporates folk and world music influences.  Back Home is by far my favorite album by the band, because I think it has the strongest songs and themes.  I like Caedmon’s Call because their lyrics aren’t the traditional, “we worship you” lyrics all the time, and they also know how to create great music that doesn’t have that three chord traditional Christian worship song feeling.  Their folk vibe sets them apart, and they have three singers and multiple song writers that keep the variety flowing.

Lifted straight from Wikipedia:

The band’s unusual name was inspired by Cædmon, an Anglo-Saxon cow-herder who lived during the 7th century.  Legend has it that Caedmon was afraid to sing in public due to a lack of musical talent and shied away from occasions where he had to sing.  After leaving a feast one night because he was too embarrassed to sing, he lay down in the pasture with the cattle to sleep.  An angel appeared to him in a dream, calling him to sing.  After refusing he eventually decided to sing, and when he did he sang beautiful verses that had never been heard before, based on the story of creation and using the style of pre-Christian, Anglo-Saxon poetry.  Founding band members Cliff, Danielle, and Aaron decided on the name “Caedmon’s Call” after all three heard this story during the same week and thought it was fitting.

How does it make me feel?

Like I’ve gone to heaven by the blood of Jesus Christ, and his love for me and that heaven is a wonderful place.

What to Listen for Track by Track

♦   The coolness of the opening of Only Hope.  And when he says “Like Isaiah, I’m undone” because him singing my name always makes me smile.  My name is not in many songs.

♦   The shock of hearing female harmonies open You Created and how it flows flawlessly into the acoustic guitar.  And Cliff Young’s vocals.  Then the piano coming in and Derek Webb taking over on vocals.  SO GOOD!  Oh, and the strings that subtly slip in near the end of the song and blend with the piano.

♦   The cool pots and pans sounding percussion of Hands of the Potter.

♦   Derek Webb’s voice on The Emptiest Day and its lyrics about looking for the well that doesn’t run dry, and how he can face anything because of God’s love.

♦   The Kingdom. It’s the song that won me over with its cool unique middle eastern sound, and the orchestral parts are amazing too.

♦   High Countries is my second favorite track on the album which originally drew my attention because it is a song based on one of the greatest books ever written, “The Great Divorce,” by CS Lewis.  If you haven’t read the book, go read it.  Once again, the female vocals shine through on this song, and allows for one of the best calming effects I know of.  I love how the men take the back up position to create some amazing harmonies.  Plus, Derek Webb singing “Would you fall?” in the background, always gives me chills.  The final minute where the music drops out and comes back in again.

♦   MY favorite song on the album and in my opinion one of the greatest songs ever written is Mystery of Mercy.  The main reason I say this is that the music and the lyrics mirror each other, PERFECTLY.  Every word ties so well to every flow of the music.  It also has a perfect emotional build, starting with sadness and confusion, and builds toward joy in Christ and the power of God’s Love, then ends in worship.  I think if someone was to ask what is the heart of Christianity, you could play them Mystery of Mercy and nail the answer perfectly.  I cannot stress just how much I love, literally, EVERY moment of this song.

      The opening strings perfectly represent those of feeling like a hated person.  I love how the first verse is him as the hated person, which is normal for a Christian prodigal son description, until he claims to be both the prodigal son and his brother.  The second verse is where I started crying the first time I listened to this song.  He is the stoner and the woman stoned, he is the leper that gave thanks and the 9 that never came and realizing that for myself, broke me.  Realizing that all my love was vinegar and that all of this life is a gift of mercy from the king.  And the bridge… oh the bridge.  Starting with a seed and building it up to the cross and what Jesus did, and the slow build of the strings and how they start to show hope musically and lyrically, at the same time.  And finally he goes from asking about the Mystery of Mercy, to finally just accepting it and praising the Lord for being his, and THAT, is something truly amazing.  The final strings bring a full sense of peace.  Like I said, one of the best songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Example Track

Song of the Day 07/25/12: Wild Child – The Tale of You and Me

If I had to pick one album to define my first 6 months living in Michigan, it would have to be Wild Child’s Pillow Talk.  “The Tale of You and Me” is the first track I heard off the album and I fell deeply in love.  I love how folksy it is and the dueling male and female vocals.  It’s kind of like a more folksy version of the Civil Wars.  And yes, I understand that the Civil Wars are folk music.  That’s how folksy this music is!  The two vocalists love to sing the same lyrics at the same time, but replacing the pronouns as they sing the song to each other.  My favorite part of this song happens a little after three minutes in, when the song breaks down.  All these people start having this crazy party in the background and then they all join together for a sing-a-long chorus.  This entire album did not stop playing from my car for two months straight.  I put it away for a while, but now that I’ve started up the Song of the Day again, it would be a crime not to post this song.

Song of the Day 01/14/11: Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man

So Elaine turned me on to Mumford and Sons recently, even though I’d been tempted to look them up a while back.  I dont have much to say so far except that this song is crazy addictive and I love it!  IF you haven’t heard of them before then just picture Nickel Creek, but heavier, younger and rougher.  You haven’t heard of Nickel Creek?  Go back a few days, since I featured their song “Can’t Complain.”

Song of the Day 11/07/11: Nickel Creek – Can’t Complain

I was trying to find a song that fit the feeling of my soul right now.  Maybe I just wanted to hear what I wanted to.

Song of the Day 12/15/10: Caedmon’s Call – Mystery of Mercy

This song is about me.

I could talk a lot about Caedmans Call for a long time.  In the interest of you actually listening to the song I’ll say only this, the idea of us being paradoxes, and being both one side and the other, pulls at my heart like nothing else.  And the mystery of mercy puzzles me all the time.  I love the build in this song and how the musical build follows the themes so clearly, as we see the move from shame and sadness, to confusion, to hope and finally worship.  Can it be more perfect?

100. Nickel Creek – Why Should The Fire Die?

Nickel Creek lands my hundredth spot and had to fight a lot of other bands to get there, but I think it stands at the end of the day on its unique charm.  There is a lot of bluegrass out there, but I feel like Nickel Creek brought a modern cutting edge feel to the genre 7 years or so before Mumford and Sons rocked the world with its own version of new age folk.  Described as progressive bluegrass, and sometimes dubbed simply newgrass.  For me, the biggest interest is in the production of Why Should the Fire Die?  It has this deep earthy sound to it.  There is a lot of depth and space behind the music.  Like a deep hollowness.  You can hear it behind the obvious stuff, like the drums and bass, but even the guitar has this deep rich earthy feel to it.  I also love the bands harmonies, which I think provide that extra chill to really get you in the moment.  I got into Nickel Creek after I watched Firefly and was in the mood for some cowboy folk music.  Luckily Nickel Creek was there to fill that void.

How does it make me feel?

Pensive. Like I’m sitting outside on the back porch of a farmhouse staring out over the land and contemplating the deep mysteries of life.

What to listen for track by track:

♦  The transition from classic bluegrass to that deep sound I was talking about that kicks in about 16 seconds into the When in Rome and continues to create one of the most powerful openings to a top 100 list imaginable.

♦  The “I hope you meet someone your height” line on Somebody More Like You that turns a slightly sweet breakup track into a sadistically sarcastic message of pain

♦  The awesome opening strings of Jealous of the Moon followed by the haunting opening lyrics about 20 seconds in set the mood for this song.

♦   The slow build at around a minute that pulls Scotch and Chocolate forward in to a real DIDDY! Lol

♦  The quiet before the storm of the final chorus on Cant Complain at about 4:20.

♦  The Interlude at about a minute into Eveline, which again beautifully showcases that deep haunting earthy sound I was talking about

♦  The two and a half minute mark on Best of Luck when the guy/girl harmony brings the song together.

♦  All two minutes of the glorious instrumental The First and Last Waltz.

♦  Which leads right into Helena.  One of my favorite tracks on the album that really cements itself with awesome breakdown at about three and a half minutes.

       Example Track