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 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