Más contenido relacionado La actualidad más candente (8) 1. 50 | UNCUT | JULY 2014
Outofthe
wilderness…
BobDylanin
NewYork,1981
3. 52 | UNCUT | JULY 2014
SYNDICATIONINTeerNATIONAL
Hisarachnidscurrybrings
himquicklytoamicrophone,
alreadysingingtheopening
linesof“LikeArollingStone”.
PettyandTheHeartbreakers,
perhapsnotexpectingthisas
theshow’sopeningnumber,
jumptoattentionlikedozing
sentriesstartledbygunfire.
There’sanall-hands-on-deck
bustleaboutthemasthey
manfullyrespondtowhatlooks
likebeingcaughtonthehop–andnotforthefirsttime,you
imagine,onatwo-yeartourofdutywithDylanthatmost
nightshavefoundthemonaknifeedge,nopredicting
wherefrommomenttomomentBob’slegendarywhimwill
takethem[seepanelonpage54].
ThatnightatWembleyArenainOctober1987,oneofthe
lastdatesoftheaptlynamedTemplesInFlamestour,storm
cloudsalreadymassingsomewhereandagreatwind
beginningtostir,Dylan’s15-songsetlistisagenerous
career-spanthatincludesalongsidemorerecentsongs
fromlargelyunpopularalbumscrowdfavourites“maggie’s
Farm”,“ForeverYoung”,“I’llBeYourBabyTonight”,“I
WantYou”,“TheBalladOfFrankieLeeAndJudasPriest”,
“Don’tThinkTwice,It’sAlright”and“ChimesOfFreedom”.
Thesearen’t,however,songsthatDylanrevisitshappily
andfewofthembearanexactresemblancetowhatthey
BOBDYLAN
“Bobwasonamission…”
Dylanonstagewiththe
HeartbreakersatWembley
Arena,October14,1987
O
CTOBer 14, 1987. A couple of
nights later, a hurricane roars
through the south of
england, but it’s nothing
compared to the inclemency
that attaches itself to Bob
Dylan’s appearance this
evening at London’s Wembley
Arena. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are already
lined up onstage, waiting for him, when Bob blowsout
of the wings like something scary out of revelation,
that book of wrath and apocalypse, a wicked
messenger, fire in his eyes and blood coming to the
boil. He’s wearing a bandana around his head,
Apache-style, a grubby silk shirt tied in a knot at his
waist, weather-beaten leather trousers and jacket,
bikerbootsandfingerless motorcyclegloves.
4. soundedlikewhentheaudiencefirstheardthem.
ThesoundthatcomestomenowwhenIthinkofthe
showisagaragebandhowl,abrasive,unrulyand
loud.It’sattimescacophonousandraggedenoughto
makelargesectionsoftheaudiencefeelwitnesstoa
kindofdesecration,Dylanvandalisinghisownpast
inwhatseemsastheshowgoesonincreasinglylikea
consciousattempttoreconnectwithsongsthatby
hisownlateradmissionhadlostallmeaningforhim
byfirstdismantlingthem.Bythetimethesetends
withadeliriousversionof“ShotOfLove”thatatone
pointbeginstoresemblethecalamitousrumbleof
“GimmeShelter”,andthenightmarishtwo-chord
shriekof“InTheGarden”,theaudienceisforthe
mostpartpalpablyaghast.
There’saripplingdisgruntlementintheseats
aroundmewheremanyvenerableDylanfansare
gatheredinmutteringdisapprovalofwhat’s
happening,whichisasdreadfulto
themasitisarevelationtome.John
Peelaboutnowtapsmeaggressively
ontheshoulderandasksifIagree
thatwhatwearesittingthroughis
agrimtravesty,areductionofa
formerlygreatartisttoabject
mediocrityandworse.He’sshocked,
I’dsayevenangry,whenIcontrarily
offeradifferentopinion.He
subsequentlywritesascathing
newspaperreviewdescribing
Dylanasanirrelevanthas-been,
anembarrassmenttohisloyaland
nowlong-sufferingfans.
Thisisincreasinglytheprevailing
viewofDylan.Formanyatthispoint
inthe’80s,Dylaniscomingtothe
endofadismaldecadeduringwhichhehasfound
God,embracedmessianicevangelismandasaborn-
againChristianfundamentalistcasthimselfasa
fire-and-brimstonepreacher,thestageapulpitfrom
whichhedelivershell-firesermonsaboutthecoming
endoftheworldthathavemadehimseemlikea
dementedcrackpot.Hisfaith,it’scommonlyheld,
hasruinedhismusic,reduceditsformerpoetryto
harshdogmatoapointwhereit’smostlyrejected,at
besthelduptoridicule.Hisalbumshavestopped
selling,theirrapidlydecliningsalesalarminghis
labelwhoareasdistraughtashisaudiencebythe
‘newdirection’he’sstubbornlybeendeterminedto
followwhateverthecosttoareputationthatbynow
hasalsobeentarnishedbythefurther
embarrassmentsofthedireHeartsOfFire
movieandanappearanceatLiveAidinJuly
1985whoseapparentlycrassincompetence
leavesevenstaunchadmirerscringingin
disbelief.Asthedecadeends,inotherwords,
Dylanisalmostuniversallyreviledashapless,
bereftofanythingyoucouldcallinspiration,
creativelybankrupt,interminalartistic
decline,adeludedclown,areligiousfanatic
unmooredfromreality,orwhatusuallypasses
forit,patheticandforlorn.
ThisatleastisonewayoflookingatDylanin
the’80s.Whatfollowsisanother.
C
HrISTCOmeSTODylaninahotelroomin
Tucson,Arizona,inNovember1978.Bob
senses“apresenceintheroomthatcouldonly
beJesus”,feelsthehandofChrist
uponhim,hisbody,inhislater
account,tremblingattheholytouch.
“ThegloryoftheLordknockedme
downandpickedmeup,”he
subsequentlyattests.Heisreadyto
bebornagain,acceptChristashis
messiah,incontradictionofthe
Jewishfaithinwhichhehasgrown
up–andevennowwillnotfully
relinquish,ashetriestoreconcile
Judaism’srejectionofChristasthe
sonofGodwiththeevangelical
Christianityhenowfullyembraces,
inwhichChristwilldeliversalvation
tothetruebelieverevenasthe
agnosticareeternallydamned.
Intheyearsthatfollow,there’s
muchspeculationabouttheapparentsuddenness
ofDylan’sconversion,asifreligionhasnotbeen
centralpreviouslytosomuchofwhathe’sdone.You
couldpointtoJohnWesleyHarding,thatgreatalbum
ofparableandmyth,asperhapsthemostobvious
manifestationoftheBible’sinfluenceonDylan’s
writing,butbyanyreasonableassessmentit’sno
moreasingularexamplethanhisconversionisthe
resultofunpredictablewhim.
Inoneemergingnarrative,Dylanatthistimeis
madevulnerabletoconversionbytheexhausting
mentalandphysicaltollofrecentevents–acostly
andbitterdivorce,thenine-monthslogofthe
so-calledAlimonyTourduringwhichhewould
JeAN-PIerreCOUDerC/CAmerAPreSS;JOHNBArreTT-GLOBePHOTOS
JULY 2014 | UNCUT | 53
‘BOBfreed
yOurmindlike
elvisfreed
yOurBOdy…’BruceSpringsteeninducts
BobDylanintotheRock
AndRollHallOfFame,
January20,1988
ÒD
ylanwasa
revolutionary.Bobfreed
yourmindthewayElvis
freedyourbody.Heshowedusthat
justbecausethemusicwasinnately
physicaldidnotmeanitwasanti-
intellectual.Hehadthevisionand
thetalenttomakeapopsongthat
containedthewholeworld.He
inventedanewwayapopsinger
couldsound,brokethroughthe
limitationsofwhatarecording
artistcouldachieve,andchanged
thefaceofrock’n’rollforever.
“withoutBob,TheBeatles
wouldn’thavemadeSgtPepper,
TheBeachBoyswouldn’thavemade
PetSounds,ThesexPistolswouldn’t
havemade‘GodsaveTheQueen’,
U2wouldn’thavedone‘Pride(In
ThenameOflove)’,MarvinGaye
wouldn’thavedoneWhat’sGoing
On,TheCountFivewouldn’t
havedone‘PsychoticReaction’,
GrandmasterFlashmightnothave
done‘TheMessage’,andtherenever
wouldhavebeenagroupnamed
TheElectricPrunes.Tothisday,
wherevergreatrockmusicisbeing
made,thereistheshadowofBob
Dylan.Bob’sownmodernworkhas
goneunjustlyunder-appreciated
becauseit’shadtostandinthat
shadow.Iftherewasayoungguy
outtherewritingtheEmpire
Burlesquealbum,writing‘Every
GrainOfsand’,they’dbecalling
himthenewBobDylan…
“soI’mjustheretonighttosay
thanks,tosaythatIwouldn’tbehere
withoutyou,tosaythatthereisn’ta
soulinthisroomwhodoesnotowe
youhisthanks.”
Backonthe
bus:Bobon
theAlimony
Tour,Paris,
June16,1978
“Dylan’s1979
tourwaslike
acircus...
therewasa
guycarrying
acrossup
thestreet”
fredtackett
godsavebob
BobandThe
Bossatthe
RockAnd
RollHallOf
Fame,1988
5. play114showsin10countriesonfourdifferent
continents.Drugs,alotofthem,andmuchharddrinking
wouldalsoplaytheirpartinthisversionofthingsandmake
himeasilysusceptibletothewordoftheLord.Itshouldnot
beforgotten,however,thathisbandatthetimeincludes
severalmusicianswhohadalready,astheysay,‘received
christ’–StevenSolesandDavidMansfield,whoalongwith
fellowRollingThunderrevueveteransTBoneBurnettand
RogerMcGuinnhavelatelyconvertedtochristianity.
Whatever,Dylansooncommitshimselfto14weeksof
intenseBiblestudieswiththeVineyardFellowship,an
evangelicalgroupbasedinReseda,intheSanFernando
Valley,fromwhichheemergesgrippedbytheideaof
areturningmessiahandanunshakablefaithinthe
inevitabilityofacomingapocalypse,aspredicted
intheBookOfRevelation,thatwillonlybe
survivedbythetrulyrighteous.Forgoodmeasure,
heisalsonowwhollyconvincedthatmanisborn
insinandSataniseverywhereamalignpresence.
Healsohasabunchofsongsthatgivevoicetohis
newbeliefsthathenowwantstorecord,hiring
JerryWexlerasproducerandabandincluding
MarkKnopfleronguitarthatconvenesinApril
1978atMuscleShoalsSoundStudioinSheffield,
AlabamatorecordSlowTrainComing,afull-
blownchristianrockalbum,thefirstofthree
recordsthattesttothepointofestrangementhis
relationshipwithhisaudience.
WhenitcomesoutinNovember1979,the
album’sreligious‘message’,thestrident
XXXX
BOBDYLAN
“Everytime
wedidamix
andtookit
toBob,he
went:‘No.
Theother
mix’...”
chuckplOtkin
“W
henThe
hearTbreakersfirst
gottogetherwithbob,”
theband’skeyboardist,benmontTench,
tellsUncut,“everybodyinthebandknew
atleasthalfthesongshewantedtoplay
althoughhe’dsometimesteachthemto
youinadifferentway.andbobhadalot
ofcoversforustolearn.Welearneda
massiveamountofsongs,amillionold
bluessongs,allkindsofthings.Idon’t
rememberhowmuchthesetsactually
changedfromnighttonight,buthe
couldthrowthesethingsinatanytime.
hehaduslearn‘allMyTomorrows’,the
Franksinatrasong.andthenwenever
playedit–actually,weplayeditonce,
onenightinahotelbar–butwenever
playeditonstageuntiltwoyearslater,
justoutsideofDetroit.butwe
hadn’tplayeditatallbetweenthe
daywelearneditandthatnighttwo
yearslater,whenwesuddenlydid
itinDetroit.
“also,there’dbesongsthatwe
hadn’tlearnedthathe’dthrowout
onstage.Forexample,‘Tomorrow
IsaLongTime’,wedidonceor
twice.butwhenitfirstcameupwas
whenwewereactuallywalkingout
onstageandIsaid,‘Whatdoyouwant
todoastheslowsongthisset,bob?’
‘Idunno.Uh,doyouknow“Tomorrow
IsaLongTime”?’Isaid,‘Damnstraight
Iknowit…’‘Ok,let’sdothat.’Orone
nightinaustralia,bobwasoveronthe
farsideofthestageandhejuststarted
playingchords,showinghowie[Epstein,
Heartbreakersbassplayer]howto
playsomethingandfourchordsin,I
realised,‘holyfuck,we’regoingtoplay
“Desolationrow”.’and,youknow,inall
themass,extensiverehearsalswehad
done,weneveronceplayedthissong.
sowhynotplayitforthefirsttimein
frontof50or60,000people?andit
wasterrific.Ifit’sallaboutstaying
presentinthesong,thatkindofthing
willkeepyouthere.”
‘hOlyfuck,we’regOing
tOplay“DesOlatiOnrOw”!’BenmontTenchonthetrialsandthrillsofbackingBob
eyewitness
54 | UNcUT | JULY 2014
imperativesof“GottaServeSomebody”,“SlowTrain”,
“GonnachangeMyWayOfThinking”and“WhenYou
GonnaWakeUp”,isnotanimmediateconcern.Most
peoplearesimplyrelievedthattheyhaveaDylanalbum
thatunlikehislast,Street-Legal,theycanlistento
withoutwincingatitsploddingproductionandlargely
leadenplaying.TheymakeSlowTrainCominganenormous
commercialsuccessthatsellsmoreinitsfirstninemonths
ofreleasethanBloodOnTheTracksdoesinnearlyadecade.
“GottaServeSomebody”evenwinshimaGrammyforBest
RockVocaloftheyear.DylanisnotyetcastasacrassBible-
thumper,despitethedarkmurmuringsofsomecritics
disturbedbywhatseemstothematerribleallegiancewith
theemergingchristianRight,theso-calledMoralMajority
mobilisedbyRonaldReagan,Republicanevangelistswith
sorryviewsonabortion,gayandwomen’srights,liberal
inclinationsofmostkinds,towhichDylannowseemsalso
toappallinglyadhere.
TheylistentoSlowTrainComingandhearonlytheharsh
wordofDylan’sunforgivingsermonising.Thealbumfor
themwaspitiless,coldandaustere.Nickcave,whose
favouritealbumitapparentlyis,woulddescribeSlowTrain
Comingas“fullofmean-spiritedspirituality.It’sagenuinely
nastyrecord.”Howcouldanyonewho’dbeenbesottedwith
thelibertarianhipsterthatDylanhadbeenrelatetothegrim
prophetofdoomnowbeforethem?Thegoodwillthathas
elsewherebeenextendedtoDylanandSlowTrainComing
onitsreleasedoesn’tgomuchfurther.Itinfactalmost
entirelyevaporateswhenDylanannouncesthatonhis
upcomingtourhewon’tbeplayinganyofhisoldsongs,the
pre-conversionfavouriteshisaudiencewillbedisappointed
nottohear,someofthemnowturningagainstDylan.
InNovember1979,theSlowTraincomingtouropenswith
14showsattheWarfieldTheatreinSanFranciscowitha
terrificbandfeaturingJimKeltnerondrums,MuscleShoals
veteranSpoonerOldhamonkeyboards,
TimDrummond,who’sservedtimewith
bothJamesBrownandNeilYoung,onbass
andleadguitaristFredTackett,who’sbeen
touringwithLowellGeorgeuntilLowell’s
suddendeathinJune.There’sahostof
backingsingers,too,mostofthematone
timeoranotherromanticallyinvolvedwith
Dylan.Theshowsinmanyrespectsare
fantastic,astapesofthedatesseriallyattest.
Buttherearehowlsofcriticaldisapproval
SAMJONES;LARRYHULST/MIcHAELOcHSARcHIVES/GETTYIMAGES
DylanwithThe
Heartbreakers
6. andelementsoftheaudiencearemaderestlessand
uncomfortablebyBob’srelentlessBible-bashing,songafter
self-righteoussong,andwhatcometobeknownasDylan’s
‘Jesusraps’,feveredsermonsaboutpersecution,betrayal
and,upahead,theendoftheworld.
“Bobwasonamissionandwewerealldoingeverything
wecouldtopromoteit,”recallsFred
Tackett.“Andtherewasacombinationof
differentresponses.Itwaslikeacircus,
sometimes.WehadMadalynO’Hair,the
famousAmericanatheist,picketinginthe
streetsoutsidesomeoftheplaceswe
playedbackEast.Andatthesametime,
therewasaguydresseduplikeJesus
carryingacrossupthestreet.So,outin
thestreet,outsidetheshows,therewas
acompletecircusgoingon.Thebestthing
Isawwaswhenwewereplayingatthe
WarfieldinSanFrancisco:therewasaguy
sittinginthefrontrow,andhe’dmadethis
bigsign:JESUSLOVESYOUROLD
SONGSTOO.Irememberseeing
thatandthinking,‘Yeah,well,
goodpoint.’”
D
YLAN’SSETSAcROSSthe
14-nightstandatthe
Warfieldmainlyputa
spotlightonSlowTrainComing,
buthealsodebutsnewsongs,
including“Saved”,“SavingGrace”,
“covenantWoman”,“InThe
Garden”,“WhatcanIDoForYou”
and“HangingOnToASolidRock
MadeBeforeTheFoundationOfThe
World”.Thereareenoughofthemin
factforawholenewalbum,whichhestartsrecording
inMuscleShoalsonFebruary11,1980,withJerryWexler
againproducingwithBarryBeckett.
Pathologicallyopposedtomodernrecordingtechniques,
unswervinglyattachedtotheideathathissongsarebest-
servedbyspontaneity,sufferwhentheyareover-rehearsed
andinevitablyruinedbyoverdubs,multipletakesand
constantrevision,Dylansetsasideamerefourdaysduring
abreakfromtouringtomaketherecord.
“Savedwasdonerealold-style,”saysFredTackett.“Jerry
Wexlerwastalkingtousaboutitandhesaiditwasjustlike
whenheworkedwiththeRaycharlesband.Wewereonthe
road,doingthetour,andwebasicallyjustpulledthebus
intoMuscleShoals,Alabama,wentintothestudioforfour
days,thengotbackonthebusanddroveaway.And,you
know,Bob’sbasicallysayingasweleave,‘Sendmeacopy
whenit’sdone.’Hedidn’tparticipateinthemix:we
recordedthesongs,basicallylive,andthengotbackonthe
bustogettothenextshow.And,yeah,JerryWexlerpointed
out,that’sthewayRaycharlesandallthoseotherpeople
woulddoit,too.Therewasn’tlikesomebig,months-long
preparation,andthenmonthsspentinthestudio.Itwas,
‘Well,today,we’redroppingbythestudio,andwe’regoing
torecord.’That’sthewaythatoneworked.
Itwasareallotoffun,itwasgreat.Itfelt
kindofhistoric.”
Dylan’sfirstalbumofthedecade,Saved
isreleasedinMay,1980.criticsandfans
agreeit’sentirelysuperfluous.They’ve
indulgedDylanonereligiousalbum,
muchastheyhadallowedthecountry
eccentricitiesofNashvilleSkyline.They
arenotnowinclined,however,to
accommodatemoreofthesamefroman
artistnotpreviouslyknowntorepeat
himself.Reviewsarescathing,salespoor.
ThisisanadirforDylanmanyhigh-handedlydecideon
everyone’sbehalf–eventhefewwhofinditdemonstrably
amoreexcitingalbumthaneitherSlowTrainComingorthe
lumpyStreet-Legal.SuchisthecontemptinwhichSaved
continuestobeheldthatevennowsuchanadmissionis
suretobringdownthewrathofknow-it-allDylanscholars
uponthelonelycontrarian.
Theopeningversionofthe
venerable“SatisfiedMind”is
genuinelyweird,Dylanandhis
fourbackingsingersmurmuring
andwailing,aminglingof
testifyingvoicesoversnatches
ofscratchyguitar,speculative
bar-roompianoandmilitary
snaredrumrolls.Itsoundslike
somethingmadeuponthespot
andlastsbarelytwominutes.
“Saved”itselfisassensationally
rowdyas“covenantWoman”is
dreamilylovely.“SolidRock”,
meanwhile,blastsofflike
somethinghard-riffingbythe
AllmanBrotherswhile“WhatcanIDo
ForYou”hasawarmthandhumility
entirelyabsentfromSlowTrainComing,
althoughthesubserviencetowhich
Dylanattestsisdisturbingforalotof
peoplewhohaveinvestedsomuch
inDylan’ssupremacyandare
uncomfortablewiththissubordinate
version.“PressingOn”,inJohnDoe’s
versiononeofthehighlightsoftheI’m
NotTheresoundtrack,iswonderfully
stirringandiseventotheunbeliever
genuinelyuplifting.“InTheGarden”,
meanwhile,vividlydramatisesthearrestofchristin
Gethsemane,fromwhichhewastakenfortrialand
crucifixion,moremeasuredinitstellingherethanthe
firestormitwouldbeinconcert.
Thealbummay,however,bebestrememberedbymany–
typically,withanunpleasantshiver–foritssleeve,alurid
illustrationbyTonyWrightbasedonadreamDylanhadof
thebloodiedfingerofchristpointingdowntotheupraised
handsofthesufferingworld.Itlookedlikesomethingyou
mightseetattooedonthebackofaserialkiller,RobertDe
JULY 2014 | UNcUT | 55
Dylanduringhis14-night
standattheWarfield
Theatre,SanFrancisco,
November1979.Below:
MadalynMurrayO’Hair
‘hey!teach
theBanD
thisOne…’
FredTacketton
Bob’sBeeGees,
MuppetsandNeil
Diamondcovers
“WehaD
LOTsof
rehearsals,butbob
reallydidn’twantus
toplayhissongsso
muchthatwewould
grabontospecific
parts.because,you
know,that’swhat
happens:youplay
asong20times,
prettysoonyouwork
yourselfupalittlepart,
andthenyoujuststart
playingthat,youknow?
“hedidn’treallysay,
butthisismyopinion–
hewantedustobefresh
whenweplayedhis
music.so,we’dcometo
rehearsal,andhe’dgive
mearecord:onetimeit
wasabeeGeessong
called‘Israel’,andhehad
themusicbook,andhe
said,‘hey,teachtheband
thisone.’Oranothertime,
wedidaversionof‘sweet
Caroline’,theneil
Diamondsong.Oh,wedid
aversionofTheMuppets’
‘rainbowConnection’–I’ll
tellyou,it’sgreathearing
bobsingingthat,man.
soI’dshowthebandthe
song,andwe’dplayit,
andbobwouldcomeback
inandwe’ddoit.andhe
recordedallthesethings.
hehadthishomestudioin
thewarehouseroomhe
usedforrehearsals.Idid
arecordingsessionwith
neilDiamondlater,and
JimkeltnerandIwere
bothonthedate,andneil
Diamondsaystous,‘Igot
thistapefrombobDylan!
It’shimdoing“sweet
Caroline”!’andwe’relike,
‘Yeah–weplayedonit.’
so,yeah,that’sthewayhe
rehearsed:tokeepusfrom
justbeatinghismusicinto
theground,we’dbeat
somebodyelse’smusic
intotheground.Ithinkit
workedreallygood,too.”
eyewitness
JOHNPRIETO/THEDENVERPOSTVIAGETTYIMAGES;ANDREWLEPLEY/REDFERNS
7. NiroasMaxCadyinScorsese’s
feveredremakeofCapeFear
comingquicklytomind.
There’sslightlybetternewsfor
Dylanfanswhohavenotbeen
thrilledbytheturnofeventsthat
hasdeliveredDylantoGodwhen
hegoesbackontourand
surprisesthembyrelentingon
hisearlierdedicationtoplaying
onlypost-conversionsongsand
reassuringlyincludinginhissets
araftofoldclassics.Wasthisa
tacticalretreatonDylan’spart,
anattempttoappease
disgruntledfollowers,orearly
evidencethathetoowas
beginningtofindthereligious
songsconfining?
“Therewasnothingsaidabout
it,”FredTackettrecalls.“Wejust
startedrehearsingthemagain
atthisplaceheownedinSanta
Monica.Onedaywestarted
playing‘GirlFromTheNorth
Country’and‘LikeARolling
Stone’andstufflikethat.Itwas
justthatwe’dbedoingthat
insteadof‘Saved’orsomething.
Butwewerestilldoingthose
tunesaswell,andwewerealso
doingsongsfromwhatwouldbe
thenextrecord,ShotOfLove,
whichhadsomemoresecular
songsonit.ButI’lltellyou,the
tourwedidthen,weplayedtwo
orthreeweeksattheWarfieldTheatreinSan
Francisco–wedidthattwiceattheWarfield,
firstin’79andthenagainattheendof1980–
andthefirstnightofthesecondtimewasthe
firsttimewecameoutandwedid‘LikeA
RollingStone’.Ithinkwe’ddoneacoupleofthe
religious-stylesongsfirst,butwhenwestarted
toplaytheintroto‘LikeARollingStone’andthe
crowdstartedtorealisewhatwasgoingdown,
peopleweregoing,‘Oh,myGod…’Youcould
hearthejoyfrompeople,justhearingthissong
–ithonestlysentachilldownmyspine.That
wasreally,definitely,abigmomentinmymusicallife,being
onthatstagewhenhestarteddoingthatagain.Peoplewere
justholleringout,youknow.”
A
PRIL,1981.ChuCkPLOTkINwho’srecently
mixedTheRiverforBruceSpringsteenafterearlier
workingonDarknessOnTheEdgeOfTowngets
atelephonemessageatClover,thefunkylittlerecording
studioheownsinhollywood.It’ssomeonewhosayshe’s
BobDylan,whichmakesChuckthinkit’sahoax.hedoesn’t
bothertocallback.Threefurthercallslater,though,a
startledPlotkinisonthephonetoBob.
“hesaid,‘I’mgettingreadytostartarecord.Areyou
familiarwithmywork?’”Plotkinremembers.“Isaid,‘Yes,’
andhesaid,‘Well,jeez,canyoucomebyandtakealisten
towhatI’muptohere?’Isaid,‘Sure,when?’hesaid,‘how
aboutnow?’hegavemeanaddress,andIdrovetothis
place,wherehehadsomeofhisbandassembled.hewas
sortofinterviewingpossibleproducers.Therewasalistof
people,peoplewerecomingby,andthey’dhearabitofa
rehearsal,haveabitofconversation,andsomehowovera
periodoftime,Bobfiguredoutwhat’dworkbestforhim.”
AsPlotkinnowdiscovers,Dylan’sbeenworkingsincethe
previousSeptemberatstudiosalloverLAonthefollow-up
toSaved.he’samasseda
formidablebatchofnewsongs
thathintatareturntohissong-
writingofpoeticevocation,
ambiguity,doubt,awayof
sayingthingsinalanguagethat
isexactbutnotexplicit,among
them“CaribbeanWind”,the
apocalyptic“Groom’sStill
WaitingAtTheAltar”and“Every
GrainOfSand”.Mostrecently
he’sbeeninthestudiowith
producerJimmyIovine,who
walksoutofoneparticularly
chaoticsessionanddoesn’tcome
back.OnthedayPlotkinarrives
atDylan’sRundownStudioand
rehearsalspaceinSantaMonica,
Dylan’sjustrecordedaversionof
“ShotOfLove”producedbyLittle
Richard’slegendaryproducer
BumpsBlackwellthatwill
becomethetitletrackofthe
albumhe’sstrugglingtofinish.
Plotkin’sfirstinstinctistoget
DylanintohisCloverstudioas
soonaspossible,togetthese
tracksdownbeforeDylan,
notoriouslyrestless,loses
interestinthesongs.
“Ihadpickedupthathewas
doingalotofwriting,andIwas
afraidhe’dburnoutbythe
materialthatI’dbeenhearing.
Thisguyisapowerhouseasa
writer,andwhenhe’sinwriting
mode,hecanwriteandwriteandwrite.Iwas
thinking,there’sjusttoomuchgoodstuffhere,
andifwedon’tgetinbeforehisfocusshifts,this
materialthatI’mhearingnowmightbelost.I
wasafraidifwedelayedmuchlonger,wewere
goingtolosethesongs–whichsounded
amazingtome.Icouldhearsomethinginthis
material,atoneofhispre-Christianmode,ifyou
knowwhatImean,thatwasmixedinwiththe
Christianvisioninawaythatwasenormously
appealing.Thereligiousstuffwasstillthere,
whichwasgreat,itwasBob’sthing,butthere
wasthishintoftheearlierBob.SoIsaid,‘Look.Let’sjustgo
in,andnotworryaboutwhatitis,let’sjustrecordwhileit’s
fresh.’Andhesaid,‘Great,’andthat’swhatwedid.”
ThealbumDylan’slabouredonfornearlyayearisnow
finishedinfivesessionsatCloverbetweenApril27and
May1.Plotkindeliversasequencedmixoftherecordto
DylanonMay12thatDylanrejects,thenextdaygoing
backintothestudiotore-dosixofthetrackshe’srecorded.
Plotkinspendsanothermonthre-mixingthealbum,
Dylanrarelyhappywithwhathehears.
“IfShotOfLovesoundsatallraggedy-assed,”saysPlotkin,
“it’sbecausethemixesthatgotreleasedarealljustthe
monitormixesthatwe’dgetattheendofeachnight.We’d
doatune,getatrackweliked,andwe’djustrunoffarough
monitormix.Andthosearethemixesyouhear.Now,Itried
tomixtherecord,tosqueezesomelittlelevelofauralfinesse
inthere.Youknow:werecordedthisstuff,let’smixit
properly.I’mtryingtorepresenttheunitedRecord
ProducersoftheWorldhere:ifyouhadthechancetorecord
BobDylan,wouldn’tyouwanttotryandgeteverythingjust
right,andtrytobringallthetoolsatyourdisposaltothejob?
ButeverytimewedidafinishedmixandtookittoBob,he
went:‘Naw,no.Theothermix.TheonesI’vebeenlistening
to–that’stherecord.’Theroughmixeshadsomeweird
“He’sa
powerhouse
–inwriting
mode,he
canwrite
andwrite
andwrite...”
chuckplotkin
BoBDYLAN
PAuLNATkIN/WIREIMAGE;ROBERTLANDAu/CORBIS
JuLY 2014 | uNCuT | 57
Leatheringthe
storm:Dylanin
Chicago,June
10,1981.Below,
abillboardad
forSavedon
SunsetStrip
8. qualitytothem.Hehadthesensetorealiseit.”
ShotOfLoveisreleasedonAugust10,1981,toevenworse
reviewsthanSaved.Thesacredraptureof“EveryGrainOf
Sand”,whichbynowhasundergoneatleastfourmajor
re-writes,iswidelyrecognisedasamajoradditiontothe
Dylancanon,butscantattentionispaidtotheriotoustitle
track,theendearingTex-Mexshuffleof“HeartOfMine”,
thevintagesarcasmof“PropertyOfJesus”(the“Positively
FourthStreet”ofthe‘religiousera’,inonecritic’ssharp
opinion),thehammeringbluesof“Trouble”,theseething
“DeadMan,DeadMan”orthedappledwarmthof“InThe
Summertime”,anostalgicreveriethatwouldnothavebeen
outofplaceonPlanetWaves.AsPlotkinseesit,ShotOfLove
isgivenaroughrideaspartofageneralbacklashagainst
thewholeBornAgainperiod.
“Savedwashismostreviledrecord–alotofhisregular
fansfeltalmostbetrayedthathewasventuring
intosomezonethathadalreadybeendefinedby
otherpeople,ifyouknowwhatImean.Wheredid
Bobgo?TheyfeltthatBobdisappearedintoakind
ofblackhole.Whereas,Bobwouldsay,‘No:that’sa
holefulloflight.’Anyway,hisaudiencewaspissed
athim,there’snoquestionaboutit,anditdidaffect
thereceptionofShotOfLove.Butalso,therecord
hasthisstrange,wild,raggedy-assqualitytoitthat
somepeoplecouldn’thearthrough.But,yeah,
Ifeellikeithasbeenaneglectedrecord.”
InPlotkin’sfurtheropinion,theLPalsosuffers
whenDylanremovesthreekeytracksfromit.The
raging“Groom’sStillWaitingAttheAltar”is
droppedfromthevinylversion
butreinstatedfortheCDedition.
“I
thinkprobablythesingle
mostimportantthingididon
ShotOfLovewasdecidingthat
ididn’tneedtobeinthecontrolroom.
therewasnopoint,andsoistopped
beinginthecontrolroom.ihadagood
relationshipwith[engineer]tobyScott,
andwecouldsignaleachotherabout
things.iwouldhavebeenuselessinthe
controlroom:becausebobdidn’twant
towearheadphoneswhilehewas
recording.thatwasthefirsttimethati
hadeverrunintothat.So,iwasoutinthe
studio.therewasaday,atsomepoint,
bobhadbeenplayingguitar,buthe
suddenlymovedovertothepiano,sat
downandbegantoplay.now,thepiano
wasmic’ed,buttherewasnovocalmicat
thepiano,itjustwasn’tsetup,because
bobhadn’tbeenplayingpiano.andi
realised,youknow–thisisnotaguywho
wantstoeventhinkaboutgoingthrough
thebusinessofdoing,like,seventakes.
Forgetseventakes.oncehe’sgotthe
wordsright:that’syourtake.he’san
artist,buthe’snotarecordingartist,it’s
justnotwhathedoes.andso,hestarted
toplay,andididn’twanttostophim.
he’splayingsomethingi’veneverheard
before.idon’tknowwhat’sgoingto
happen.So,igrabbedholdofthemic
fromthestandwherehe’dpreviously
beenplayingguitarandsinging,andi
basicallyturnedmyselfintoamicstand.
iliterallyheldthemicrophoneup,tried
tofindaphysicallycomfortableenough
positionsothatiwasnotinhisway,and
thaticouldstillmanagetoholdmyarm
outthereforhoweverlongthissong
wasgoingtotake.
“anditwas‘EveryGrainofSand’!
andi’mstandingthere,hearingthisfor
thefirsttime,andthesongkillsme,i
thinkit’soneofhisgreat,greatsongs–
andi’mhearingitforthefirsttimewhile
standingbesidehimimitatingamic
standasbestican.andthatwasit.
thatwastheversionweusedonthe
record.peopleaskmesometimes,
‘Well,whatisityoudoasaproducer?’
andsometimesthat’sit,youactas
amicstand.‘GrainofSand’isjustan
amazingthing–hecouldn’thavewritten
that10or20yearsearlier,whenhewas
akid.there’ssomebodywhoactually
understandshisownlife,and
understandsourlivesindepthand
precision.‘Igazeintothedoorwayof
temptation’sangryflame/Andevery
timeIpassthatwayIalwayshearmy
name.’it’slike,‘Woooaaaah–gobob!’
God,itstillmakesmecry.”
‘TEMPTATION’SANGRYFLAME…’ChuckPlotkinoncapturing“EveryGrainOfSand”
eyewitness
However,there’snosignofeitherthevastromanticturmoil
of“CaribbeanWind”orthenoble,pianoandorgan-ledepic,
“Angelina”,untiltheyarebelatedlyincludedonBiograph
andTheBootlegSeriesVolumes1-3,respectively.
“Sometimesyoucanfight,”admitsPlotkin.“Butyouhave
topickyourfights.Partoftheproblemis,youknowthat
yourjobdependsonhavingtheartistfeelcompletely
supportedinwhathe’sdoing.But,atthesametime,he’s
hiredyouto,fromtimetotime,say,‘No,Ithinkthiscouldbe
better,’or,‘No,Ithinkweshouldusethis.’I’veworkedwith
Springsteenfor25years,andthereweretimeswhenIused
tosaytomyself,‘Well,anotherbravesoldierbitesthedust.’
Itjusthappens.Songsgo.Butpartofyourjob,while
representingtheartist,isalsotorepresenttheaudience,
andbeabletomakethecaseforasong.Sometimesyoucan,
sometimesyoucan’t.Ifyou’retoopushyaboutit,thetrust
breaksdown.SinceIgottoworkwithBruceoverand
overagain,we’vehadsomeamazingbattlesover
songs,Icantellyou.”
S
OMEONE’SASkEDYOUtomakealistofpeople
whomightmakeagoodjobofproducingBob
Dylan’snewalbum,sowhodoyoupick?Frank
Zappa?DavidBowie?ElvisCostello?Dylangives
somethoughttoeachofthem,beforehiringMark
knoplertoproduceInfidels.SinceplayingonSlow
TrainComing,knopflerhasenjoyedhugesuccess
withsmoothradio-friendlyDireStraitsand
mistakenlythinkstheireerilycleanandvacuum-
sealedsoundwillworkforDylan.Whenalbum
sessionscommenceatNewYork’sPowerPlanthe
bringswithhimStraitskeyboardistAlanClarkand
theband’sproducer,NeilDorfman.Bob’salready
therewithlegendaryJamaicanrhythmsectionSly&Robbie
andformerStonesguitaristMickTaylor.Thereistension
fromthestartbetweenknopflerandDylan.
“IhaddoneDireStraits’LoveOverGoldwithMark,which
wasaveryworked-onandworked-overrecord,”Dorfman
tellsUncut.“ThatwasMark’sprocessatthetime,really
takingalotoftime,alot
ofoverdubbingand
attentiontodetailand
sound.And,youknow–
thatisnotBobDylan,at
all.So,Ithink,oncewe
gotintoit,Bobwasa
littleshockedattheway
MarkandIworked.My
impressionisthatBob
alwayshas,andalways
willwantavery
immediateapproach.
Hegetsveryeasily
bored.So,inthat
respect,IthinkInfidels
wasnotthemost
comfortablesituationforeitherBoborMark.
“Ilearnedveryquicklythatthiswasn’tgoingtobea
normalsession.Idon’twanttousethewrongword,here,
butBobwasalsoalittlebitofanagentprovocateur,orhe
evenhadalittlesaboteurinhim.Ifthingsweregoing
maybetoowell,insomebodyelse’sdefinition,hewould
consciouslymakeanefforttomakethatstop.Whetherit
waswalkingawayfromthepianoandvocalmicwhilehe’s
doingatake,or,Irememberhimtakingthetinfoilfroma
sandwich,andstandingopeningandclosingitlikean
accordionintoavocalmicduringatake.And,ofcourse,
everybodystopsplaying,thinkingtherewassomething
wrongtechnically,butitwasjusthiswayofsaying,‘I’m
boredwiththis,Idon’twanttodothisparticularsong
anymore.’Thenheannouncedthathewantedtostarta
Christmasrecordthatnight.And,yeah,wealllaughed,
“Bobhas
always
wantedan
immediate
approach.
Hegetsvery
easilybored”
NEILdORFMAN
58 | UNCUT | JULY 2014
BOBDYLANROBVERHORST/REDFERNS
9. JULY 2014 | UNCUT | 59
thinking,he’sjustmessingwithus.But,ofcourse,
yearslater,hesubsequentlycameoutwitha
Christmasrecord.Itwaskindofintimidating,
challenging,butalsohilariousinitsowncrazyway.
“Idon’tknowhowmuchIshouldtalkoutofschool
aboutthisparticularsituation.ButIknowthatitreally,
reallybotheredMark,thatsongchoicesweredictated
alittlebit,andwereturningouttobedifferentfromthe
songchoiceshethoughtweweregoingintodo.Ithinkit
justreallyfrustratedhim.Iimaginethathefeltasimilar
responsibilitytotheonethatIfelt:thisisBobDylan;
we’regoingtomakeanamazingrecord,wehave
anincredibleband,anincrediblebunchof
songs,andit’suptous,wereally,reallyhaveto
makethishappen.AndIcouldfeeltheairjust
sortofgoingoutofMarkalittlebit,whenhe
realisedthatthetraditionalroleoftheproducer
wasnotgoingtobeinplayonthisrecord.He
wasgoingtobelookedtoasanadvisor,or
maybeamirrorinsomeways.Butasfaras
drivingthebus–thatwasnotgoingtohappen.
Bobwasgoingtodrivethisbus,nomatter
what.I’msureitwasveryfrustratingtoMark.”
Whenit’sreleasedonOctober27,1983,
InfidelsiswelcomedasareturnbyDylanto
secularmusic,althoughsuggestionshehas
abandonedreligion,discardingChristashe
mightasuddenlyoutoffavourbassplayeror
backingsinger,arewhollymisguided.After
ShotOfLove,Dylansimplystepsdownfrom
thepulpit.Buthisobsessionwithanapproaching
Armageddonremainsfiercelycentraltohiswriting,upto
andincluding2012’sTempestanditsmanysongsofwrath
andretribution.
Somereviewersareuncomfortablewiththeright-wing
Zionistrhetoricof“NeighbourhoodBully”andstrident
patriotismof“UnionSundown”.Butthere’senoughhere
thatremindsthemoftheDylantheyhavebeendesperate
tohearagainandInfidelsisgenerallywell-received.A
highlightforeveryonewhohearsit,thesix-minuteopener,
“Jokerman”,isimmediatelyhailedasoneofDylan’sgreatest
songs,althoughitsmeaningevenbyBob’smostabstract
standardsisatbestvague.Nomatter.Itatleastsoundslike
vintageDylan–denselyallusive,bristlingwithesoteric
reference,coded,thesongplayingoutinthesomewhat
“Youcould
hearpeople’s
joywhen
Bobstarted
playing‘Like
ARolling
Stone’again”
FREdTAckETT
detachedatmosphereofadreamsomeoneelseis
having,perhapsduetoitssoporificmomentum,
SlyandRobbie’stickinggrooveandtheglossy
guitarsagainstwhichDylan’swashed-outvoice
isdreamilypitched.
Onthewhole,Infidelsisbetterregardedthan
anythingDylan’sdonesinceDesire.Mark
knopflermaybeforgivenforfreakingoutwhen
hehearsit,however,becauseinitsreleased
versionit’snotthealbumheleftDylanwith
whenhere-joinedDireStraitsforatourof
GermanyinJune,atwhichpointhenow
discoversDylanhas‘re-thought’thealbum,
ashelaterputsit.InJune,Bobisbackatthe
RecordPlant,re-recordingsometracksand
remixingwhat’sleft.Asfarasknopfler’s
concernedthisisbadenoughtomakeInfidels
soundmorelikeanunpolisheddemothanthe
gleaming,streamlinedthinghehadenvisaged.
WhatappalshimevenmoreareDylan’sbaffling
revisionstothenine-songtracklistingtheyhad
earlieragreed.Dylandeletestwosongs–a
venomousrockercalled“FootOfPride”,later
magnificentlycoveredbyLouReed,thatDylan
underknopfler’ssterninstructionhaslaboured
through47increasinglyagonisedtakes.
Alsomissingfromthereleasedalbumisoneof
Dylan’sverygreatestsongs,“BlindWillieMcTell”,
whichintwoversions,onlyoneofwhichhasbeen
officiallyreleased(onTheBootlegSessionsVolumes
1-3),evokesaterriblehistoryofslaveryinAmericaand
thesufferingthatfoundahallowedvoiceintheblues
thatDylansocherishes.It’sasonginotherwordsabouthow
painandanguishcanbeturnedintoart,andartinthat
transactionbecomesredemptive,ahymnofsurvival,
transcendenceandeventualtriumphovertheworld’severy
illwhoseomissionfromthealbum,ineitherversion,isa
causeofgreatwoetoknopfler.“Markwascommittedtothe
recordingofInfidelsfor,Ithink,threeweeks,”Dorfman
recalls.“Andwethoughtthatwasenoughtogeteverything
done,excepttheactualmixing.SoMarkthenhadtogooff
withDireStraitstotour.IleftwithMark.ButIhadthesense
therecordwasatleastrecorded,ifnotquitefinished.But
therewasacertainamountofrethinkingbyBob–butBob
madethatclear,thathewasstartingtorethink,inthelast
Theyweretheworld:Bob
Dylanandfriends,(from
left)MartinScorsese,Lou
Reed,IanHunter,Judy
Collins,ArthurBaker,Billy
JoelandDaveStewart
10. BOBDYLAN
weekofrecording.We’ddoneabunchof
overdubs,whichBobcouldnothavebeen
lessinterestedin.Hehatesoverdubbing,
man.Ithinkhefindsthewholethingphony:
‘Whyareyouoverdubbing?’Iremember,we
hadapercussionplayercomein,andIthink
itwasanactualtortureforBob,tohavetosit
thereandlistentoshakersandtambourines
beingputonstuff.Hisviewwasthatcould
havebeendonelive,ifhe’dwantedthem.
So,Ithinkhewantedtogoinandeithererasethese
overdubs,orlistentothemanddecidethat…no,he
reallydidnotlikethem.So,basically,hedidabunch
ofre-examiningonceMarkleft.Therewasnothing
anybodycoulddo,and,really,nothinganybody
shouldhavedoneaboutit–afterall,it’sBob’srecord.”
H
ere’SanoTHerproducerwhogetsan
unexpectedcallfromdylanaboutworking
onhisnextalbum,andofallpeopleit’s
newYorkhip-hopanddance
producer,arthurBaker,best
knownforhisworkwith
afrikaBambaataa,rocker’s
revengeandneworderand
recentremixesoftracksfrom
Springsteen’sBornInTheUSA.
Hemeetsdylaninahotelon
centralpark.“Iwasrungin,
andwentup,”herecalls.“and,
basically,whenIwentintothe
room,Iwalkedinthedoor,and
therewasno-onethere.SoIwas
walkingaroundthesuitegoing,
‘Hello?Hello?’Therewerefood
carts,loadsofthem,likeno-onehad
cleanedtheroomforafewdays,and
awholebunchofboom-boxes.Then,
heappearedandintroducedhimself
tome,andwesatdownandstarted
listeningtotunes,tapes.Heplayed
meatonoftunes,hejustkeptplaying
moreandmore–and,youknow,it’s
Bobdylansittingthereplayingyou
alotoftunes,andyoutryingtocome
upwithsomegoodideasforeachof
them.afewdayslaterIgotacallthat
hewantedmetoworkontherecord.”
dylan’sbeenworkingonthealbum
Bakerwillsubsequentlymixsince
theendofagrimsix-weekstadiumtourofeurope
inthesummerof1984,whichincludesashowat
WembleyStadiumwhereericclaptonandVan
Morrisonturnupinsupportandsomeofthe
performanceslatermaketheirwayontothelargely
drabRealLiveLp.dylan’ssincesackedhistouring
bandandbecausehe’snowdecidedtoproduce
himself,hedoesn’tblockbookrecordingtime,
flittingpromiscuouslyfromstudiotostudioina
processthatwillbeevenmorelaboriousthanthe
longmonthsittooktoassembleShotOfLove.
There’saninitialsessiononJuly24,atIntergalactic
innewYorkwithalGreen’sband,quickly
abandoned.acoupleofdayslater,he’satdelta
SoundStudioswithronnieWoodanddrummer
antonFigandrecordsafunkythingcalled“driftin’
TooFarFromShore”and“cleancutKid”,asong
aboutaVietnamveteranthatdylanhasoriginally
demoedforInfidels.Bynovember,dylan’sbackin
La,wherenothingcomesofinitialsessionsatocean
Way.MovingtocherokeeStudiosinHollywood,
however,dylancutsaversionofanewsonghe’s
co-writtenwithplaywrightandactorSamShepard,
an11-minuteepiccalled“newdanvilleGirl”that
astonisheseveryonewhohearsit,althoughdylan
willdiscarditfromthefinishedalbum.With
BenmontTench,MikecampbellandHowieepstein
fromTompetty’sHeartbreakers,healsosuccessfully
capturestheominous“Something’sBurning,Baby”,
settoaslowmarchingbeatandembellishedwith
menacingsynthesiser.
He’sstillinLafortheall-starrecordingof“Weare
TheWorld”,america’sresponsetoBandaid’s“do
TheyKnowIt’schristmas?”.onFebruary23,he’sat
thepowerplantinnewYorkwherewithMiamiSteve
VanZandtandroyBittanfromtheeStreetBandhe
recordsasensationalversionofanotherpowerful
newsong,theapocalyptic“WhenThenightcomes
FallingFromTheSky”.arthurBakerisinattendance.
“ItwastheveryfirstsessionIwasat,”herecalls.“We
listenedbacktotheversionthey’dcut,anditsounded
great–IthinkSly&robbiewere
playingonit,also.But,Bobsaid,
‘ah,youknow.Itsoundslike
Springsteen.’andIsaid,‘Well,
hey,yeah–yougetVanZandt
androyBittantoplayonit:it’s
gonnasoundlikeSpringsteen.’
Sohedecidedtocutanother
versionofit,whichistheone
thatendedupontherecord.”
Sessionsforwhat’s
eventuallytitledEmpire
BurlesqueandreleasedonJune
10wrapswiththerecording
ofthealbum’shighlight,a
disturbing,forlornsong,written
overnight,called“darkeyes”,which
featuresonlydylan’svoiceand
guitar,itssimplicityareliefafterthe
musicalbusy-nesselsewhereonthe
albumontracksliketheirresistibly
sizzling“TightconnectionToMy
Heart(HasanybodySeenMyLove?)”,
are-writeofthemoreobviously
personal“Someone’sGotaHold
ofMyHeart”.Foranalbum
subsequentlysodenigratedthe
originalreviewsofEmpireBurlesque
aremostlypositivealthoughsales
areagainpoorandthereisageneral
regretthatBakerhaslayeredthe
recordwithelectronics,processeddrumsand
lashingsofsynthesisers.diddylantellhimwhat
hewantedthealbumtosoundlike?
“no,”Bakersays.“Inmixing,hejustwanteditto
bedonequick!Whenwewereinthestudiomixing
atrightTrack,wewereworkingonasong,andBob
camein,andhewassittingthere,andsortofjust
expectingittobedone.andIsaid,‘Well,it’lltakea
while…whydon’tyougoout,likegotothemoviesor
something?’So,hewentout,hewenttothemovies,
andhecamebacklike,youknow,threehourslater,
andwewerestillworkingonthesametrack.and
he’dbesayingtoushowBlondeOnBlondehadbeen
mixedinliketwodays.andIsaid,‘Well,yeah,but
we’reworkingon48tracksonsomeofthesenow,
andthatwouldhavebeenfour-track,soyougotta
accountforthat…’But,youknow,Iwouldsaymaybe
Bobwasn’tsopatientwiththatwholesideofthe
process…thetimeittookbotheredhim.”
Nextmonth:fromLiveAidtoOhMercy,
BobDylan’s’80scontinued…
‘AMILLION
FACESAT
MYFEET...’ArthurBakeronthe
recordingofamasterpiece
fromEmpireBurlesque
I
nChroniCles,Dylanmore
orlesscreditsarthurBakerwith
makinghimwrite‘DarkEyes’
becauseBakerkeptsuggestinghe
shoulddoanacousticsongatthe
endofthealbum.
“It’sfunny,whenIreadChronicles,
Iwasshockedthatthismemoryhad
anyplaceinhisbook,”Bakersays.
“BecauseIboughtChroniclesasafan,
youknow,whichIstillam.andIwas
surprisedthatthatwassomething
thathewouldevenremember.‘Dark
Eyes’isagreatsong,oneofthebest
songsofthatwholeperiod,asfaras
I’mconcerned,it’soneofhisbest
songsofthe’80s.Isaidthatthing
aboutdoinganacousticsongtohimas
afan.Iwasbroughtinthere,basically,
assomeonetosortof‘modernise’his
sound.ButIwasstillafanand,asafan,
personally,Iwouldhavelikedtostrip
thedamnrecorddown–butthat
wasn’twhattheyhiredmetodo.They
hiredmetoarrangeandmodernise
hissound.But,asafan,Iwouldrather
havedoneawholealbumofjust,like,
guitarandharmonica,becausethe
songsstandoutsowell.WhenI
mentionedthisideaaboutdoingan
acousticsongtohim,andthenthe
verynextday,hecameinwiththis
‘DarkEyes’,Ireallythoughtitwasa
songhe’dhad.Becausehehadso
manysongs:he’dbringcassettesout,
andhehadjusttonsofsongs.Inever
thoughtforasecondthathe’djust
writtenthis.Ithinkwhatyouhearon
thealbumwasthesecondtake.and
I’mprettysureheonlydidtwotakes–
IthinkitwasonaFridaynight,andI
hadplannedtogotoBoston,because
IhadticketstoseetheCelticsplay.
SoIheardthatsecondtake,andIgo,
‘yeah.That’stheone.’andthenI’m
literallyrunningoutthedoortocatch
thetraintoBoston.andthatwasit.
neverinmywildestdreamsdidIthink
he’djustgohomeandwriteone.”
60 | uncuT | JuLY 2014
“Ithinkit
wastorture
forBob,to
havetohear
shakers
being
overdubbed”
NEILdOrFMAN
eyewitness
eBeTroBerTS/redFernS
