Dylan's vocal on Lay Lady Lay

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by RickH, Aug 6, 2009.

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  1. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts Thread Starter

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    I've never really thought about this before, but was listening to "Lay Lady Lay" yesterday and took notice that Bob's vocal on this sounds quite unlike the typical Bob Dylan vocal delivery in that he's actually singing without the emphasizing words typical in his other classics. He almost sounds like someone else and made me think why didn't he deliver vocals like that on more songs.
     
  2. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff

    Wasn't there some story at the time that he had quit smoking just before the sessions, hence the "new" voice?

    My question is: what happened to it afterward?
     
  3. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    He sang like that on the "Nashville Skyline" album. It was a short-lived phase, perhaps influenced by the country flavor of his songs at the time. But it's Bob Dylan, so nobody really knows.
     
  4. reb

    reb Money Beats Soul

    Location:
    Long Island
    prob my fav dylan recording
     
  5. GowG

    GowG Forum Resident

    Location:
    Czech republic
    I love how Dylan sang this on Before the Flood. Amazing.
     
  6. Greg1954

    Greg1954 New Member

    Location:
    .
    You may find more of that delivery on 'Self Portrait' listen to the song Let It Be Me or others from when he was still recording in Nashville.
     
  7. street legal

    street legal Senior Member

    Location:
    west milford, nj
    The "new voice" continued somewhat into the next album as well, the classic masterpiece "Self Portrait". ;)

    Seriously, I did love Dylan's voice on the "Nashville Skyline" LP, & wish he had done more in that style.
     
  8. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    My fave on there was The Boxer, where the "new" Dylan duets with the "old" Dylan.
     
  9. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    I like his voice on Nashville Skyline but I believe the "quit smoking" story as much as I'd believe Bob Dylan was Santa Claus.
     
  10. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
  11. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff

    Agreed. Just another chapter in "Dylanology."
     
  12. dgsinner

    dgsinner New Member

    Location:
    Far East
    I, for one, am so very glad and thankful that he never used that voice again. I consider it a blessing from on high.

    Dlae
     
  13. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    It's Bob's Kermit the Frog period.
     
  14. JuhaS

    JuhaS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    According to Dylan's friends in the early years (of his career) that sound was already there in some of the home recordings made in 1960. So it really was just another one of his many voices.
     
  15. mr_mjb1960

    mr_mjb1960 I'm a Tarrytowner 'Til I die!

    Maybe because it probably hurt him to sing that low-it's definitly not in his normal range-that's probably why he doesn't sing like that anymore.
     
  16. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    I thought he was kind of "trying it on" and decided not to continue with it.
     
  17. Phlo

    Phlo Formerly dave-o

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    The throaty thing was trendy then...I think he heard "Get Back" or maybe "Lady Madonna" and decided he'd give it a go...
     
  18. wave

    wave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Allen Park, MI
    Same here. "Not Dark Yet" kind of has the same vocal quality to me, albeit rougher, which is probably I always liked that one, too.
     
  19. feinstei9415

    feinstei9415 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    During the Basement Tapes (summer/fall 1967) period, he used the "Nashville Skyline" voice in exactly the same way on a recording that he did with The Band "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean". This was two years prior to Nashville Skyline!
     
  20. babyblue

    babyblue Patches Pal!

    Location:
    Pacific NW
    Yes, there are tapes from before his first album where he uses this voice on a few songs. I always thought the quitting smoking excuse was BS because the change Was so drastic. He had to be purposely singing a different way.
     
  21. ashulman

    ashulman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Utica, NY
    Dylan used a different voice on EVERY album. In that case the difference is striking, but if you go back to the first album and listen to everything through Nashville Skyline, you will hear subtle but noticeable differences in attack, intonation, stressing of syllables, etc. There's no question in my mind he did this on purpose, though lord knows what purpose that might be.
     
  22. mavisgold

    mavisgold Senior Member

    Location:
    bellingham wa
  23. sharedon

    sharedon Forum Zonophone

    Location:
    Boomer OK
    I always heard it had something to do with the motorcycle accident.
     
  24. Greg1954

    Greg1954 New Member

    Location:
    .
    Accident was in 1966, we don't hear him change fully to the voice until '69.
     
  25. Giant Hogweed

    Giant Hogweed Senior Member

    Location:
    Exeter, Devon, UK
    I read that he caught a cold on purpose prior to recording. Personally I prefer it.
     
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