Happy 60th Anniversary to Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde

Happy 60th Anniversary to Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde. 

The seventh studio album from Dylan is one of Bob's monumental releases. 

Happy 60th Anniversary to Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence

Today marks the 60th Anniversary of Simon and Garfunkel's album Sounds of Silence. 

The folk rock classic still sounds great today. 

Full Show Friday: Otis Redding - Live Olympia Paris 1966

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Otis Redding!

We go into the 4th of July weekend here in the United States with a full show Friday from one of the best we here have produced. Otis Redding.  This show from Paris back in 1966 backed and is a doozy. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, full set list below. Enjoy:

0:00 Intro 3:00 Shake 7:53 Don’t Mess With Cupid 10:43 My Girl 14:18 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long 19:21 Respect 21:14 My Lover’s Prayer 24:28 I Can’t Turn You Loose 26:50 Satisfaction(I Can’t Get No)/Outro

The Masters: The Who - Best Studio Albums

RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.

For September The Masters focuses on The Who.

When RtBE hears the term 'Rock Band' (not rock and roll mind you) The Who are always the band who jumps to mind. The group were heavy/hard before there was punk/metal. They were over the top, before there was prog. They were in touch with their feelings like folkies, but would make you start a mosh before that was a thing and they never backed down from a fight. 

Pete Townshend, Roger Daltry, John Entwistle and Keith Moon were the perfect rock quartet.  Each played their roles, were amazing at their craft and produced some of the greatest albums in rock history. They were not prolific in the studio, but each record we talk about today could be in talks for best ever.    

Unlike a lot of other British Invasion acts, The Who didn't owe very much to the blues masters that came before them, they were much more influenced by the early American rock and roll inspired by those artists, almost a second generation influence. Unlike the Beatles and the Stones they kept the "roll" out of it and went more for a blasting, the already mentioned metal/punk/prog approach to their songs as they grew as a unit. 

Townshend as a songwriter also tapped into constant themes of childhood abuse, teenage angst and mental confusion. The best part about his songs is that he somehow managed to keep a sense of humor about him and his lyrics. The Who were fun, deep, exciting and a kick ass band so let's dig into their top 5 studio albums....As a reminder, this list is meant to start discussions, not end them....

Dylan Cover #335 Old Crow Medicine Show "Stuck Inside A Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, Old Crow Medicine Show doing a live cover of "Stuck Inside A Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" 

Certain months RtBE has a special focus during our Dylan Covers series. Sometimes it is harder, sometimes it is softer. Sometimes it is jazzy and then each April we get ready for the upcoming Jazzfest, which isn't always jazzy. 

This month it's the Old Crow Medicine Show's live celebration, 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde.

Thoughts on Original:
A beast of a track and perhaps one of the true "Wild Mercury" songs from the classic album as it mixes tempos, wild descriptive passages and excellent musicianship into a really unique gumbo. The track has never been my favorite from Blonde on Blonde, and it is really The Grateful Dead who we heard it from first. RtBE had a bunch of their 80's tapes before we dove in with both feet to Dylan...kinda like what we did with this Monday series in the early days of the site. The rambling passages, the stoned punched out sound and Dylan sounds a bit mad (as in crazy) on the album take, but the best ones always are.

The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have actually tackled Old Crow Medicine Show before in this Monday Dylan Cover series. Here is what we had to say about them then and it still stands:
Old Crow Medicine Show have always been a fun folkise root rock ride when we have heard them, but also that hasn't been too often.

Regarding this album:

50 Years of Blonde on Blonde was recorded live at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2016. The concert coincided with a Hall of Fame exhibit exploring Dylan's time in Nashville.In an interview, band members Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua described how they had bonded over Dylan's songs as teenagers, and that the 50 Years... project was a natural extension of that collaboration. While the new recording follows the sequence of Dylan's original track-for-track, Old Crow took considerable liberties with the arrangement of individual tracks. The recording was released as an album on April 28, 2017. It was the band's first release on their new label, Columbia Records, which had released Dylan's original album in 1966.

Thoughts on Cover:
This cover is the best the band has done for our focus this month, it fits them so well and we were happy to have had this celebration of Dylan to focus on for July 2018.

Here is some more info from Wikipedia on the album, which you should buy in support:

 In support of the album release, Secor states:

"Fifty years is a long time for a place like Nashville, Tennessee. Time rolls on slowly around here like flotsam and jetsam in the muddy Cumberland River. But certain things have accelerated the pace of our city. And certain people have sent the hands of the clock spinning. Bob Dylan is the greatest of these time-bending, paradigm-shifting Nashville cats."[47]

Dylan Cover #334 Old Crow Medicine Show "Absolutely Sweet Marie" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, Old Crow Medicine Show doing a live cover of "Absolutely Sweet Marie" 

Certain months RtBE has a special focus during our Dylan Covers series. Sometimes it is harder, sometimes it is softer. Sometimes it is jazzy and then each April we get ready for the upcoming Jazzfest, which isn't always jazzy. 

This month it's the Old Crow Medicine Show's live celebration, 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde.

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune (it is one of the most popular in this whole series):
Color me shocked that we are 36 covers into this series and just now we are getting to someone covering "Absolutely Sweet Marie". The original was one of the most complete songs Dylan has written even if you are never quite sure what he is addressing.  He likes the song but surprisingly never played it live until 1988, I find that kinda odd. Tight taught and still somehow allusive, pretty cool and totally Dylan at his finest and a real Blonde on Blonde jam.

The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have actually tackled Old Crow Medicine Show before in this Monday Dylan Cover series. Here is what we had to say about them then and it still stands:
Old Crow Medicine Show have always been a fun folkise root rock ride when we have heard them, but also that hasn't been too often.

Regarding this album:

50 Years of Blonde on Blonde was recorded live at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2016. The concert coincided with a Hall of Fame exhibit exploring Dylan's time in Nashville.In an interview, band members Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua described how they had bonded over Dylan's songs as teenagers, and that the 50 Years... project was a natural extension of that collaboration. While the new recording follows the sequence of Dylan's original track-for-track, Old Crow took considerable liberties with the arrangement of individual tracks. The recording was released as an album on April 28, 2017. It was the band's first release on their new label, Columbia Records, which had released Dylan's original album in 1966.

Thoughts on Cover:
Last week we could not get into the groups take on "Visions of Johanna". This week however the stars align and it makes sense as the upbeat exuberant number is much more in the bands wheelhouse. The real great steel guitar runs, the constant drumming, the party time vocals all work and even withe the sometimes odd lyrics the band hits the mark here.

Dylan Cover #333 Old Crow Medicine Show "Visions of Johanna" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, Old Crow Medicine Show doing a live cover of "Visions of Johanna" 

Certain months RtBE has a special focus during our Dylan Covers series. Sometimes it is harder, sometimes it is softer. Sometimes it is jazzy and then each April we get ready for the upcoming Jazzfest, which isn't always jazzy. 

This month it's the Old Crow Medicine Show's live celebration, 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde.

Thoughts on Original:
One of the clear high points in Dylan's poetic songwriting, "Visions of Johanna" is a complete stunner, especially the first time you encounter it. Now (on a personal note) f that first encounter just happens to be a hot sweaty night in the urban village which Dylan roamed about 30 years before you were doing the same god damn thing, then so be it. Even if your personal take is different it is hard to wrap your brain around the lyrics and the more you listen the more the mystery deepens. It is elusive, bright, cunning, dismissive, ionic and tossed off all at once. It is mega and it is nothing...and I can't be more vague than that. Musically he couldn't get it right until he went down to Nashville and it says something that he stuck with this song (unlike say..."She Belongs To Me") and got a version that is magical musically as well, just listen to that bass line throughout from Joe South...a crowning success all around.

The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have actually tackled Old Crow Medicine Show before in this Monday Dylan Cover series. Here is what we had to say about them then and it still stands:
Old Crow Medicine Show have always been a fun folkise root rock ride when we have heard them, but also that hasn't been too often.

Regarding this album:

50 Years of Blonde on Blonde was recorded live at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2016. The concert coincided with a Hall of Fame exhibit exploring Dylan's time in Nashville.In an interview, band members Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua described how they had bonded over Dylan's songs as teenagers, and that the 50 Years... project was a natural extension of that collaboration. While the new recording follows the sequence of Dylan's original track-for-track, Old Crow took considerable liberties with the arrangement of individual tracks. The recording was released as an album on April 28, 2017. It was the band's first release on their new label, Columbia Records, which had released Dylan's original album in 1966.

Thoughts on Cover:
While we really enjoyed last weeks more emotional infused take on "4th Time Around" this version just doesn't work to these ears. The playing is a bit fast, the singing is flippant, the hoe down sound which the band are so proficient at seems to undercut all of the mystery and power of the original. One of the reasons we love doing this series each week is that each take is different and exciting even when they don't really work...like this weeks.

Dylan Cover #332 Old Crow Medicine Show "4th Time Around" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, Old Crow Medicine Show doing a live cover of "4th Time Around" 

Certain months RtBE has a special focus during our Dylan Covers series. Sometimes it is harder, sometimes it is softer. Sometimes it is jazzy and then each April we get ready for the upcoming Jazzfest, which isn't always jazzy. 

This month it's the Old Crow Medicine Show's live celebration, 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde.

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
This is a weird one, as I heard this track after I had already fallen in love with The Beatles "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" and didn't know what Dylan was getting at with this track. After checking out Wikipedia, I guess I am not alone as John Lennon was all over the map with his reactions to it. The music is the same and the lyrics are a mix of lazy and nonsense, reading into anything Dylan says too heavily can cause one to go mad, but why he chose to do this song so close to when the Beatles had their first lyrical success is a mystery. Social commentary, goof, stoned malaise? Anywhichway, the song was never one of my favorites and not up to anywhere near the version he was praising or mocking, take your pick.

The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have actually tackled Old Crow Medicine Show before in this Monday Dylan Cover series. Here is what we had to say about them then and it still stands:
Old Crow Medicine Show have always been a fun folkise root rock ride when we have heard them, but also that hasn't been too often.

Regarding this album:

50 Years of Blonde on Blonde was recorded live at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2016. The concert coincided with a Hall of Fame exhibit exploring Dylan's time in Nashville.In an interview, band members Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua described how they had bonded over Dylan's songs as teenagers, and that the 50 Years... project was a natural extension of that collaboration. While the new recording follows the sequence of Dylan's original track-for-track, Old Crow took considerable liberties with the arrangement of individual tracks. The recording was released as an album on April 28, 2017. It was the band's first release on their new label, Columbia Records, which had released Dylan's original album in 1966.

Thoughts on Cover:
The band makes this version more of an emotional waltz with piano leading the way as violin and steel guitars color the weeping backgrounds with pretty lines. Musically the group nails this one about as cool as you can and actually is an improvement on the original to these ears. 

Dylan Cover #331 Old Crow Medicine Show "Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, Old Crow Medicine Show doing a live cover of "Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine" 

Certain months RtBE has a special focus during our Dylan Covers series. Sometimes it is harder, sometimes it is softer. Sometimes it is jazzy and then each April we get ready for the upcoming Jazzfest, which isn't always jazzy. 

This month it's the Old Crow Medicine Show's live celebration, 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde.

Thoughts on Original:
It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up. Those are the phrases that Dylan himself used to describe the sound that he wanted on Blonde on Blonde. Safe to say he got it and perhaps never more so than on "Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine". That whirling organ that sounds like it may actually take flight, the tempo, the cutting lyric, hot damn this song is a joy. RtBE actually got to see him open a show way back with this one and it was a hoot, not as good as the original, but a gem to see live and hear anytime.

The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have actually tackled Old Crow Medicine Show before in this Monday Dylan Cover series. Here is what we had to say about them then and it still stands:
Old Crow Medicine Show have always been a fun folkise root rock ride when we have heard them, but also that hasn't been too often.

Regarding this album:

50 Years of Blonde on Blonde was recorded live at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2016. The concert coincided with a Hall of Fame exhibit exploring Dylan's time in Nashville.In an interview, band members Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua described how they had bonded over Dylan's songs as teenagers, and that the 50 Years... project was a natural extension of that collaboration. While the new recording follows the sequence of Dylan's original track-for-track, Old Crow took considerable liberties with the arrangement of individual tracks. The recording was released as an album on April 28, 2017. It was the band's first release on their new label, Columbia Records, which had released Dylan's original album in 1966.

The group were onstage at Jazzfest when we were there but we chose a different path that day. That said we loved their live cover that we already featured of "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"....

Thoughts on Cover:
The first of this month's focus, continues that winning energy, moving it from psycho organ work to a hoedown stomping rave up. The organ is there but the harmonica gets more of a workout and things are off to a fast start (literally) as this one speeds to a conclusion.