In the meantime here is a pretty crystal clear (almost complete) 1961 soundboard featuring some renditions of songs that ended up on the first album and featuring some of that trademark early on stage wit.
Hammonds Folly's debut is not an album i often go to but a pleasure when i do. His first "love & theft"...remarkable for his two originals (lyrics) and the two "theft"...
I'm starting a few hours earlier than expected but here goes. Our next album: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1962) The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his self-titled debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, this album represented the beginning of Dylan's writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album are Dylan's original compositions. It opens with "Blowin' in the Wind", which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary soon after the release of the album. The album featured several other songs which came to be regarded as among Dylan's best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: "Girl from the North Country", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right". Dylan's lyrics embraced news stories drawn from headlines about the Civil Rights Movement and he articulated anxieties about the fear of nuclear warfare. Balancing this political material were love songs, sometimes bitter and accusatory, and material that features surreal humor. Freewheelin' showcased Dylan's songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The success of the album and Dylan's subsequent recognition led to his being named as "Spokesman of a Generation", a label Dylan repudiated. Recording for this album took place over a one year period (April 1962 - April 1963) and was completed in eight recording sessions of which sparked many songs (of which many did not end up on the record) Early pressings also accidently included four extra songs that I will also be upholding for discussion as they are technically released at the time. Alternate takes (where available) may be discussed along with the relevant day's song Songs for this album in discussion order: 1. "Blowin' in the Wind" 2. "Girl from the North Country" 3. "Masters of War" 4. "Down the Highway" 5. "Bob Dylan's Blues" 6. "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" 7. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" 8. "Bob Dylan's Dream" 9. "Oxford Town" 10. "Talkin' World War III Blues" 11. "Corrina, Corrina" 12. "Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance" 13. "I Shall Be Free" Period extra songs to discuss* 1. "Mixed Up Confusion" (withdrawn single) 2. "Rocks and Gravel" 3. "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" 4. "Rambling Gambling Willie" 5. "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" (Freewheelin' sessions version) If I am missing anything from the period, please let me know.... First song to follow...
Blowin' in the Wind Background: "Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962. It was released as a single and included on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. It has been described as a protest song and poses a series of rhetorical questions about peace, war, and freedom. The melody is based on the traditional song "No More Auction Block" The song was recorded a total of three times during the sessions and once during the period of the album as a demo for Witmark & Sons publishing company, take III is the one used on the album. Thoughts to follow
Blowin' in the Wind I am sure that all there is to be said about this song has been said over the years but this song is great, and for a song that the man himself claims he wrote in "10 minutes" it is quite the achievement especially for someone so young. Though penned a Protest song I think the rehtorical nature of it can appeal to the everyman which is why I think the song has endured so long (aside from being a just a great piece of music) This is also where we see some of the first examples of Dylan's great Knack for poetry in lyrical form of which will become a recurrent trademark for him. I will say for me personally this isn't a total favourite of mine (Don't think it is even the best track on the album) though that is because the "folk" Dylan is not a favourite of mine however this song still get's a high rating from me. A very strong start 4.5/5
I found this thread on April 30 and wanted to add my dos centavos to Dylan's first album (which for me is 3/5 compared to his entire body of work), but since you posted Freewheelin' a day early and it is a seminal album for me (the first Dylan I heard), I'll jump in here: My appreciation for Blowin' in the Wind could fill a few pages. I was just about to turn 13 when it was released—it was the first song that awakened my redneck southern self and ultimately moved me to reject the whole racist culture I grew up in. So... big, big song for me. And many in my generation. Blowin' in the Wind is 5/5.
Sam Cooke was blown away when he heard 'Blowin' In The Wind' He couldn't believe such a powerful and moving song had been written by such a young person. He wrote ' A Change Is Gonna Come' in response.
This will be an amazing thread. I wish I could participate in it, but there's no way I can give these albums the attention they deserve right now (I like to give each album and song a focused, note-taking listen for threads like these, and that plus everybody's comments always gives me a deeper appreciation). But I'll follow along quietly, and maybe chime in on occasion.
Blowin' in the Wind I will restrict my contribution to the first two lines. How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man I am not sure what Dylan's influences are here; but one might think of Robert Frost's The Road Not taken The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost | Poetry Foundation as a reflection on roads making a difference; and/or Rudyard Kipling If If— by Rudyard Kipling | Poetry Foundation which also asks the question about what it is to be "a man". The notion of manhood is vague but also hugely important in many cultures and bound up with coming of age, pride, patriotism, wisdom and more. Whether or not becoming "a man" is a good thing is also ambiguous; in one sense our sex is something about us over which we have no control, but the sense here might be something to do with how many hoops you have to jump through before your peers recognise your adulthood; or it might be something to do with how much of the world you have to see before having enough knowledge of life to be worth having. Since the song later makes reference to war and peace we might even conjecture that "defending the tribe" is probably one of the things bound up in manhood and perhaps even something we have to grow out of before really having wisdom. Note: Yes, ’n’ how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, ’n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The song is presented as a series of questions so Dylan is not able to present any answers; yet it is nevertheless an appeal for peace and rightly considered a protest song. The song was made famous by Peter Paul and Mary; and fine though their performance is, I wonder if the sweetness of their harmonies too much disguises the bite in the song which could be performed with much more anger, as I think it is on Freewheelin' and in some of Dylan's live performances.
What a great write up, written better than I could have articulated and while the notion of manhood in the song you mentioned is something that didn't cross mind at first I think you hit the nail on the head.
I was also unaware until recently that the middle verse of this song was added later and was originally intended to be the end verse before being swapped. I think that this third verse was a good call and serves to further flesh out the message of the song particularly the lyric: Yes, ’n’ how many times can a man turn his head Pretending he just doesn’t see? I am starting to think the influence of "No More Action Block" Is not just purely coincidental on this song as listening to this song earlier and reading about it has made me think about this line in particular and its possible/literal link to the civil rights movement in America and the indifference of the people until it is too late and the first line in the next verse about the sky being possible symbolism of freedom. Though when I think about the inclusion of some of these lines the ambiguous nature of the song is actually stripped back a little for me and it becomes a more cut and dry "protest" song does this lessen the impact of the song or make it a lesser piece? No. but it is interesting to think about, that is what I think is so masterful about songs like this, that what can initially be seen as a general message upon non-intent listening especially many years later can be read between the lines and decoded into a message far deeper yet still simple in nature especially when viewed through the lens of the period when it was recorded.
“Blowin’ In The Wind” - It’s an iconic song that has been co-opted by far too many other performers for me to even think of it as a Dylan song anymore. The song itself is worthy of a ‘5’, but, due to its cultural saturation, I have to bump it down. 4/5
The opening query has always seemed quite clearly a question of recognition, the circumstances actually specific; the answer, inferred, being – enough already, or far too many by now, and respect is past due. The line, though, does work, as the others, if read more broadly, and the wording leaves room for all kinds of different angles. This song is completely 5/5
Some of you may be familiar with the Peter Paul and Mary cover however what I did not realise was that is not actually the first cover of this song that award goes to the chad mitchell trio, I fully went into this cover expecting it to be terrible however I like the Irish folk song feel to it gives me Clancy Brothers doing "when the ship comes in" at the 30th anniversary concert vibes, check it out below:
Been thumbing Listening to Bob Dylan by Larry Starr. Disappointed with it, like I am with most Dylan commentaries, but I do like his unique take on the song in question, making the point Dylan’s harmonica breaks figuratively embody (in their exhalations) the blowing in the wind . . .
shoulda kept it like it was..song by song...don't cowtow to inferior species!!!..anyway......good to know of your journey..and changing of the guards...
Well it now is back to being a song by song (confusing I know) all that has really been missed is the first album. but we will be doing every song from freewheelin' onwards.
I guess my way of saying it’s a great song, but I’m rather sick of it and have become somewhat immune to its magic.
So familiarity breeds contempt? A lot of us could say that about music from the sixties we've been listening to since the sixties. I would love to jump in the wayback machine and feel what I felt the first time I heard Something's Happening Here or A Whiter Shade of Pale.
I wouldn't say contempt. I rated it a '4', which means very good on my scale. Being sick of it doesn't mean I don't like or appreciate it. That said, the songs that are the most top shelf to me I can hear a million times and never get sick of them. So, if a song does start to wear thin for me, for whatever reason, it's a sign that it's not quite at the highest level. And, there are many other Dylan songs I like way better than this one.
Today's song: Girl from the North Country Background: "Girl from the North Country" (occasionally known as "Girl of the North Country") is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City in April 1963, and released the following month as the second track on Dylan's second studio album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, The song was recorded in six takes however take two was the one used for the album (All the other takes remain unreleased?) The melody is based on a traditional english song "Scarborough Fair" of which Dylan learned from english folk singer Martin Carthy. The Song also shares it's name with a Musical from 2017 of which I may discuss uh...someday. My notes/thoughts on the song to follow:
