Who sings back-up on "The Boxer" (on Dylan's Self Portrait)*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Ted Bell, May 31, 2010.

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  1. Ted Bell

    Ted Bell Forum Dentist Thread Starter

    on Dylan's self portrait? It sounds like Dylan himself, possible imitating Paul Simon. Is there a story behind this?
     
  2. jostber

    jostber Forum Resident

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  3. babyblue

    babyblue Patches Pal!

    Location:
    Pacific NW
    Funny, I've been listening to Self Portrait a lot on my mp3 player lately. The album is not nearly as bad as its reputation, but "The Boxer" is pretty hilarious. Yes, it's definitely Bob on backing vocals trying to imitate Simon and Garfunkel, though it sounds more as if he's singing two completely different songs. It is sort of fascinating waiting for the few moments when the vocals do manage to actually match up. I don't know if there's a story behind his version. He probably just liked the song and decided to do it S&G style.
     
  4. Ted Bell

    Ted Bell Forum Dentist Thread Starter

    Yeah, I just purchased Self Portrait to round out my Dylan CD collection and put it on the player. Don't see myself listening to it too much in the future, though.

    I have read that Simon wrote "The Boxer" about Dylan, but I think he's denied it.
     
  5. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    I always thought it was the "new" (Nashville Skyline voice) Dylan duetting with the "old" Dylan, and I always thought it was genius. Twisted genius, but genius nevertheless.:winkgrin:
     
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  6. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    +1
     
  7. Peter_R

    Peter_R Maple Syrple Gort Staff

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    +2
     
  8. hello people

    hello people Forum Resident

    Location:
    Earth
    I think it's one of the rare times he has overdubbed
     
  9. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    This is a track that I absolutely hate. Played the album last week, in fact, and couldn't wait for this sonic abomination to be over. I'm not completely anti-Self Portrait. There's plenty good stuff on it, but this one is a real stink-bomb, IMHO.
     
  10. ceevert

    ceevert Forum Resident

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    Fullerton, CA, USA
    +3
     
  11. babyblue

    babyblue Patches Pal!

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    Pacific NW
    As is most of what Dylan does! :agree:
     
  12. Edgard Varese

    Edgard Varese Royale with Cheese

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    Te Wai Pounamu
    In the book The 50 Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time (Self Portrait features highly) the authors say something like (I'm paraphrasing): "Dylan does both Simon and Garfunkel's voices, badly".
     
  13. babyblue

    babyblue Patches Pal!

    Location:
    Pacific NW
    Self Portrait was one of the last Dylan albums I bought and I've never listened to it much. But hearing many of its songs at random with other music really brings out the strengths of much of the material. I've found it somehow mixes well with the Together Through Life songs, believe it or not.
     
  14. casey33

    casey33 New Member

    Location:
    Lompoc,California
    I've listened to Self Portrait recently,and thought it's not as bad as I remembered it to be.Being a double LP from varied sources Nashville,Isle of Wight etc. seems to me the biggest obstacle to overcome.A shopping bag full of ingredients that don't quite make a gourmet meal.I did find many enjoyable songs however.Dylan himself told A.J.Weberman "There's two good songs on there".At this point in time I'd say more than that.
     
  15. ceevert

    ceevert Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fullerton, CA, USA
    In one respect, it's hard to make a case for this album as particularly good music. In another respect, view it as Dylan trying to break away from the bulls**t legend he was surrounded with at the time. That said, there is much enjoyable on this, but it's hardly a masterpiece. It goes a lot of places, some successfully, some not so. But I don't think it should be cavalierly dismissed as garbage. I look at it as the first "official" Dylan bootleg.

    As we've seen since, "official bootlegs" can be much better.
     
  16. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    Because he's NOT doing Simon and Garfunkel's voices, he's doing his own.
     
  17. sirmikael

    sirmikael Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa
    Listening to this song right now, and you're exactly right. I absolutely love it, for the reason that he sings with himself, in his 'old' and 'new' voices.
     
  18. bumbletort

    bumbletort Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, Md, USA
    Sure ain't Artie.
     
  19. bumbletort

    bumbletort Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, Md, USA
    Lie la lie.
     
  20. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    So then did Dylan have to take up smoking again to get the "old" voice back? :D
     
  21. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    I don't consider SP
    or Dylan to be official albums , more
    compilations of outtakes and such , not
    sure why people get their nickers in
    a bunch over them
     
  22. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    Dylan was not an official album, as Bob was on Asylum at the time & CBS released it to cash in. Self Portrait, however, was most certainly an official album, much like Tattoo You was.
     
  23. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    When one considers the nutcases intruding on Dylan's private life and family at that point, I'm surprised SP and the Boxer aren't even worse attempts to alienate that part of fan(atic) base. Although I do like about 1/3 of SP anyways
     
  24. Paul W

    Paul W Senior Member

    Dylan
     
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