I agree with some of this, not all. I listen to Love And Theft and Modern Times more than John Wesley Harding. If we're being totally hardcore, the most spectacular version of Dylan ended with the motorcycle crash. He's an old man who hasn't had a voice for a long time, but I don't consider most of his latter day work mailed in. He just sees the world differently than when he was 25 and he works with the tools he has.
I don't think so. "It Ain't Me Baby" is specifically romance-oriented. "Things Have Changed" encompasses the totality of his life's work and meaning and what millions of people think of it. "Things Have Changed" is a big finger to everyone who applauds it.
When you're lost in the rain in Juarez when it's Easter time, too And your gravity fails and negativity don't pull you through Don't put on any airs when you're down on Rue Morgue Avenue
It Ain't Me Babe" is romance oriented on the surface, but certainly lends itself to interpretation. By the same token, "Things Have Changed" was written for a movie, so it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how Dylan felt about himself or his audience.
"Things Have Changed" was written, and then used for a movie. Regardless of the circumstances of creation, the song has everything to do with how Dylan views his history, life, music and audience.
You may or may not be correct, but in general I think there’s a certain danger in reading too much autobiography into Dylan’s work.
True. He could always change his mind, which he's done in the past, but I see no evidence of it. After nearly twenty years he's still opening concerts with the song as if it were his personal state of the union address.
The criticism was scathing on many levels. The one that got me was the statement indicating that since 1999, Dylan's "contempt for ideals..is resolute". Dylan has been suffering this kind of analysis since 1964, when the poetry of his lyrics started offending some listener's ideals. Dylan answered this stuff in the only real address he has ever delivered (that long Musicares speech in 2015). He said, "Why me?"
Man, I need to listen to that song again! I've only heard it a few times as it isn't on a proper album and the film passed me by. It sounded to me as though the song was written specifically for the film as it fits the mood and attitude of the main character. I'm not sure I'd want to read anymore into it than that. Dylan is the master of cynical put down songs. I personally find Positively Fourth Street a hard song to bear lyrically but it didn't stop me listening to Dylan for the next 45 years. Dylan says so much about life in general in Love & Theft that I'd have a hard time believing anyone would not want to hear and appreciate what he says.
Guess he has nothing to say these days .. When the times change maybe there will be a “You want it Darker” Till then keep on putting out cover tribute albums-a Count Basie album would be cool...with the wonderful musicians he uses.
Things Have Changed is about the main character in the movie. There is an interview clip on the DVD I believe in which the director tells the story of showing Bob a rough cut of the film and then the next contact he had with Bob was when he sent him the song. Something like that. The film is great and many of the lyrics directly apply to the main character in the film.
He has been saying more in the last few years than he has in decades. His long speech to the Musicares event in 2015 revealed more than he ever did in any media contacts. Word is that he is working on a second book too.
You know his activities when he is off the road? Yes he did start it a while back when volume 1 came out, but there has been word (everything with Dylan is rumor) that he started seriously working on it again recently.
His publishers put out publicity a couple of years ago saying that "Chronicles 2" was imminent. We're still waiting.
