Bob Dylan - "Down In The Groove" Song-By-Song Discussion Thread

RayS is right. I believe I'd already gotten the outtake version from a tape trader long before Groove was released. But Mike Scott may have gotten his copy straight from Bob.

 

"Had A Dream About You Baby" is not one of my favorites. I know you hate the word filler, but it does fell more like a generic by the numbers Dylan rocker.

 

Thanks - a fun read, especially Bob's kiss-off line.

Based on the description, Scott may have been there the day they were filming this:



A tape circulates of live meandering instrumentals played between lip-synched "takes".

 

I just did an A/B comparison between the Groove version of Dream, and the same track on the Hearts of Fire soundtrack. The soundtrack version is bathed in reverb (to blend in with the cuts by the other artists on the album, I assume) and the electric guitar seems to be dialed down in the mix. I think if they had added the reverb to Dylan's vocals only, it might have helped a little, but the real problem with the recording is that Bob is singing in a key a few steps higher than he should have, IMO.

 

A little "Hearts of Fire" homemade karaoke ... be warned, this is the most horrific thing you'll hear today

 

I think he went with that vocal approach in an attempt to infuse some spirit into a weaker composition. It didn't quite work out.

 

To say the least.

 

I think of "Down in the Groove" as containing three "chapters" - the covers, the leftovers, and the Hunter/Dylan songs. On to Chapter 3.

"Ugliest Girl in The World"

Dylan, experiencing quite the lyric-writing dry spell after "Empire Burlesque", turned to covers, co-composing, and the resurrection of old material throughout most of 1986 and 1987. While rehearsing with The Grateful Dead at their Club Front facility, he came across a binder of lyrics that Robert Hunter kept there for the members of the Dead to look through in the event they wished to put some of them to music. Dylan snatched up "Ugliest Girl In The World" and "Silvio". We'll get to "Silvio" next.

I love Bob Dylan. I love Robert Hunter. I like "Silvio". But I really, truly, honestly dislike "Ugliest Girl In The World". There was a reason no one in the Dead had touched this lyric, and Dylan's music does nothing for it. I'm honestly not sure if it is meant to be funny - it's not. And the chorus:

You know I love her
Yeah I love her
I'm in love with the
Ugliest Girl in the World

is essentially a non-chorus.

"Like A Rolling Stone" or "Truckin'" this ain't!

 

It's right up there with 'Had A Dream About You Baby' for me. Just a continuation of it, in fact (same key too),

 

Yeesh. Just awful.

If UGITW had come from some obscure country or R&B guy, I might have been able to rationalize it as a semi-charming novelty.

But it didn't.

 

The should have put Night After Night on Down In The Groove. I think it's a good song, love the sax!!

 

His contributions to the Wilburys album are the only tracks that have stood the test of time, I think the rest of the album sounds pretty dated.

When I listened to the album back in 1988 and read the reviews some weeks later I was totally perplexed by the bashing. I think it's a pretty solid 2nd tier effort. I remember that I quickly wore out a tape of that album in my car stereo.

 

Didn't get here yesterday, so forgive me, but just to comment quickly on Had A Dream About You Baby. Not a particularly good song, but not awful. Of the Hearts On Fire songs, I think Dylan did The Usual the best. But musically, man, I like hearing Clapton and Ronnie Wood playing together, in full eighties sound. As far as novelties go, it's excellent. Dare I say, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the full session for the soundtrack, which circulates.

Ugliest Girl In The World? More like least memorable song on the album.

 

As an aside...I saw Dylan twice in the summer of '88 just after Down In The Groove came out and the only song he played from it was "Silvio" which got a little airplay here for a week or 2 that same summer.

 

A song he recorded without Hunter's permission, but he would have said "Yes!" anyway, 'cuz it's Dylan.

 

Here's an announcement I'd like to see:

The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: Another Groove

 

I love Dylan. But is it possible for any artist to get any worse than HADAYB and UGITW?

Cathartic, or what?

 

I also saw him twice that summer, and actually found Silvio on 45 -- it did get some airplay, that's for sure.

 

Bob told Dave Alvin during some of the sessions that a lot of the unreleased stuff would end up on a "box set" someday, so don't worry.

 

I always wished Dylan let Clapton take a rip on Had A Dream About You Baby. It was never going to be a Dylan classic, but at least he could have let Clapton put a somewhat signature solo on it to give it something of a sound that was more than a by rote run through.

 

Are you REALLY sure you want that?

 

He didn't play it for the first couple weeks of Interstate '88, but then "Silvio" became a staple in the set, usually following the acoustic set. Dylan's people started initiating a "stage rush" during "Silvio" - allowing a few people to rush to the front of the stage causing the entire lower section to stand up for the remainder of the show - a little manufactured excitement. After a while they didn't need to stage it - regular attendees knew that security wouldn't stop anyone for a ticket check near the stage once "Silvio" was under way, so they'd just sprint for the front.

 

I had "the fever" quite bad back in 1988. I saw 13 of the 71 "Interstate '88" shows with "Silvio" at every single one of them.

 

Perhaps this an era best left to the boots?

Realistically, I'd like to see a Bootleg Series go from Infidels and ending before Oh Mercy. I bet there's two good discs there without a single clunker.

 

Just read this thread a few minutes ago. This was the first Dylan album I bought when it was first released. After seeing the spooky video of Tangled... on MTV and buying Blood,JWH and Desire. I skipped Knocked Out Loaded. At the time I was 18 and working at a record, video and electronics store and an older salesman told me it wasn't good. When this was released i bought it on the day it was released because of the cover. The cover really spoke to me that this was a major statement and was going to rock. I thought Lets stick together was a good opening. After this I became perplexed at such a large group of week covers. Silvio was good though.

About the back cover. This became my favorite part of this album. I always saw it as a joke. Bob as a street musician on a mobile stage parking at a random curb and playing for whoever was there at the time. I imagine the woman bewilderingly approaching out of curiosity and feeling as if her ears were being assaulted by the racket.

I was a big admirer of the waterboys and bought the Live Adventures when it was first released and really liked their version of Death is not the end. I went back to reassess this album thinking i missed something but i didnt.