alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted December 10th, 2010 02:19 PM IPI'm really glad i bought the mono box. I had my fears beforehand that I wouldn't notice any difference but they all sound so much better. The stereo versions of mono records do often sound so fake, with different instruments placed around the speakers for clarity rather than for the effect of the overall sound. Its why Phi Spector records are totally wrong if you only hear a stereo version.
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted December 11th, 2010 01:50 AM IPAnyone here put a bid in?
The handwritten lyrics for “The Times They Are A-Changin’” fetched $422,500 at Sotheby’s in New York today as hedge-fund manager Adam Sender bested five other bidders for the folk-music artifact.
Bidding by phone, Sender, an avid art collector whose trophies decorate the Manhattan offices of his Exis Capital Management, came in well over Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.
The title track of Dylan’s third album, “The Times They Are A-Changin’” was first performed at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 26, 1963, when the singer was 22.
“He recorded the song right around the March on Washington, just before the Kennedy assassination,” said Sean Wilentz, author of “Bob Dylan in America” who teaches history at Princeton University and has no connection to the auction. “It’s Dylan at his most political. It has qualities of an anthem.”
The civil-rights march was in August that year, and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22. The song was recorded shortly before the Carnegie Hall concert.
The sheet of paper features crossed-out and added words on a yellowish surface. It originally belonged to Dylan’s friend Kevin Krown. The two young men met in Denver and became buddies in 1961-62, according to Wilentz, while Dylan shuttled between New York and his native Minnesota.
“He is not the best-known of Dylan’s cronies because he goes back so far,” Wilentz said.
Sender, who previously worked at SAC Capital Advisors LP for Steven A. Cohen, another big art collector, also owns the guitar John Lennon was playing when he met Paul McCartney. Last week, Sender bought pieces by new and established artists at Art Basel Miami Beach.
‘“Bob Dylan’s lyrics are not terribly rare,” said Selby Kiffer, senior vice president and head of the books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s. “He has a tremendous output. However to have lyrics of such a seminal song is unusual.”
Working drafts for more than 90 songs by Dylan, including most tracks recorded between 1962 and 1966, are in the collection of the Morgan Library and Museum.
Sotheby’s was “banking on there being a rich person out there who came of age in the 1960s for whom this would mean a great deal,” said Wilentz.
In June, John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics for the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” sold for $1.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York.
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted January 4th, 2011 02:09 PM IPCouple of questions about the Blonde on Blonde sleeve - I hadn't realised that the picture of Claudia Cardinale was missing from later versions - its on my vinyl copy which is a mid 70's printing from Holland (i have no idea why it was printed in Holland but we frequently got European pressings in the UK). What was she doing on the cover in the first place? And when did it disappear? Anyone know?
Quote: alan wrote:
Couple of questions about the Blonde on Blonde sleeve - I hadn't realised that the picture of Claudia Cardinale was missing from later versions - its on my vinyl copy which is a mid 70's printing from Holland (i have no idea why it was printed in Holland but we frequently got European pressings in the UK). What was she doing on the cover in the first place? And when did it disappear? Anyone know?
As far as I can make out the picture was removed from US copies of the album from 1968 onwards 'for legal reasons' - apparently Cardinale objected to the use of her photo. I can't find any overt explanation as to why her picture was used in the first place but the fact that it was put in without her permission makes me lean twards the idea that it was put there for no other reason than Dylan admired her in some way, presumably from afar (unless there's something we haven't been told about!)
According to the link below the Cardinale covers persisted in Europe up to around 1980. This kind of figures for me as I bought my vinyl copy in1979 or thereabouts but before I did I remembered seeing the Cardinale sleeve in the local record shop. Not unnaturally, as I didn't have much of a clue as to what she looked like, I assumed it to be a photograph of Sara! However, by the time I got around to buying the album Cardinale had been replaced. I was a bit disappointed by that at the time.
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted January 6th, 2011 01:23 AM IPAh, so not rare in Europe. I didn't think so as I was used to seeing it - but then I didn't go around opening other people's copies to check something that I didn't know was missing!
I never knew who it was either and sort of assumed it was his wife as well. Did she turn up at one of the sessions or something? Dylan seems to have been fond of European actresses - Anita Ekberg!
Yeah, she was supporting Dylan when I saw him in Cardiff sometime in the late 90s (I think, I lose track of time!)
Hang on - she supported Dylan????!!!!!
Ye gods, i didn't know her career lasted past the 70's.
Last time i saw Bob at Hammersmith in 1990 i have no idea who the support was. I know Costello did some support shows with him but i think that must have been 1991 or 1992 as he was rifling through the Dylan section next to me in Tower Records in Kensington at the same time and bought the copy of Biograph that I was about to buy. Saw Siouxsie and Budgie in Kensington High St a couple of years later, though they didn't deprive me of any Dylan albums.
Posted February 14th, 2011 03:00 AM IPSo I'm watching the Grammys for one reason, and that's to see Bob Dylan. I had no idea what to expect. Well, after a couple of young, cutting-edge folk acts performed their hits, they formed a line across the stage, and out from behind the curtain comes Bob Dylan. They start playing "Maggie's Farm", and Bob, holding only a harmonica w/ microphone, starts growling "I ain't gonna work on Maggie's Farm no more...". It was surreal. The group of musicians were really into it, you could see them smiling and egging Dylan on. Bob was accenting his words by spreading his arms wide open; you could really hear him, he didn't flub a word! The song wound down with Bob playing a few notes on the harmonica. The audience (with Neil Young smiling broadly on camera) gave them/him a standing ovation.
I found myself just sitting there in front of the TV with this broad smile on my face. As soon as the performance hits YouTube, I'll post it!
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted February 14th, 2011 03:28 AM IPI bet Mumford & Sons can't believe their luck. FIrst they get to play with Ray Davies, (On his recent album and on tv over here) and now Dylan? They've become very popular but i don't really buy into them. Looking forward to seeing the clip though. I couldn't sit through the Grammy's though, they must last days!
Quote: alan wrote:
I bet Mumford & Sons can't believe their luck. FIrst they get to play with Ray Davies, (On his recent album and on tv over here) and now Dylan? They've become very popular but i don't really buy into them. Looking forward to seeing the clip though. I couldn't sit through the Grammy's though, they must last days!
Funnily enough, Dylan, Ray Davies and Mumford and Sons were the last three acts on at last year's Hop Farm Festival in Kent. I know as I happened to be there.Have YOU been Con-Demed yet?
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted February 14th, 2011 02:18 PM IPWhat do you think of them? I get suspicous when i see all these upper class lads wearing farmers shirts. I know they couldn't possibly have worked out that doing folk a la Arcade Fire was going to be the next big thing though. I've only actually heard a couple of songs that i saw them doing on Later though. Bellowhead annoy me even more.
Posted February 14th, 2011 06:22 PM IPThanks for that SJS. I thought that was great! He actually sings the tune with gusto and it was a pretty rousing and well performed arrangement also. Is it just Dylan whose performance is difficult to see outside of the authorised screening (which wasn't available on my TV set) or is it the Grammys as a whole. I ask this because I saw about 12 still photographs on the BBC website of the event and not one featured Dylan. I mean if you go to youtube Dylan's people are extremely quick to remove stuff. My guess is that clip won't last very long. Have YOU been Con-Demed yet?
Quote: alan wrote:
What do you think of them? I get suspicous when i see all these upper class lads wearing farmers shirts. I know they couldn't possibly have worked out that doing folk a la Arcade Fire was going to be the next big thing though. I've only actually heard a couple of songs that i saw them doing on Later though. Bellowhead annoy me even more.
Well, I didn't know at the time they were a bunch of public school boys so it's a bit bad to be prejudiced against them because of that (though I do agree that it seems you need to be a toff even to be a pop star in UK nowadays). I haven't listened to them much outside of Hop Farm though they went down a treat with the festival audience on a blisteringly hot and crowded summer afternoon. Have YOU been Con-Demed yet?
Posted February 14th, 2011 06:53 PM IPIt's only the toffs that can afford to farm these days!
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted February 15th, 2011 01:57 AM IPVery true, but they are the ones in the Barbour coats, not the waistcoats!
Anyway, GREAT performance by Bob there. Loved the big line of musicians - recognised some of Bob's band in there with the Mumfords - who else was there?
But Bob really can do it when he wants to. His phrasing is up there (if not better) with Sinatra. Lovely stuff.
Looked through those Grammy winners (god what a boring list) - Neil Young won best rock song????? Oh well, good for him. Can't actually remember how it goes though.....
Posted February 16th, 2011 12:38 AM IPRob, thanks for the clearer version. Yes, alan, there are two members of Bob's band present (in the black derbies), Stu KImball strumming the acoustic guitar and Tony Garnier on bass.
Speaking of Dylan's backing band, he's been using pretty much the same set up for years now. Wouldn't it be cool to see a full concert with different arrangements using musicians and instruments like the ones backing him at the Grammys. Does anyone else find themself with a smile on their face as they're watching the video?
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted February 16th, 2011 02:30 AM IPI did. Much as i like his current band it would be nice for him to stretch out. I enjoyed that set he did in Japan several years ago that got shown on tv for instance. Be nice to hear the rest of the Bloomberg tapes as well.
Posted February 18th, 2011 01:25 AM IPWhat is BEST Bob Dylan song that the average music fan (who knows Dylan's hits but not album tracks) doesn't know?
alan Administrator Posts: 7455 Registered: Aug 2007
Posted February 18th, 2011 01:36 AM IPOh wow, good question.
Visions Of Johanna. Unknown to Mr & Mrs Public, but probably my favourite of all.
Simple Twist Of Fate is another, Idiot Wind too. Almost all of Blood On The Tracks in fact.
