Eighth Wonder of the Dylan

The eighties were a difficult period for Bob Dylan. He struggled to find his voice and the weight of expectation on him kept growing with each album that flopped. It has been interesting sifting through this period of his, as I'd not heard much of it. Bizarrely, the Bootleg Series set from 1980-1985 that came out in 2021 has been the most interesting part of this section of the journey. I was wary of his 'Christian trilogy' of albums, them being 1979's Slow Train Coming, 1980's Saved and Shot of Love from 1981, but I found them not too hard listen to, particularly the former. Infidels (1983) is definitely a big highlight for this decade so far, as Empire Burlesque (1985) and Knocked Out Loaded (1986) weren't great. I am keen to press on though, because I know that 1997's absolute masterpiece Time Out of Mind isn't far away now. Not that I haven't listened to it lately or anything, but it's interesting following the course he plotted leading up to that point. So, onward!

29. DOWN IN THE GROOVE (1988) (22/3/23)
It would seem that for many, the nadir of Dylan's album output is either this one, or the previous offering Knocked Out Loaded. Yeah, it's a bit average. Kicking off with a pedestrian cover of Let's Stick Together (did we need another one?), this album threatens to underwhelm; and it makes good on that threat. 

The only two songs I knew were Death Is Not the End (thanks to Nick Cave et al's cover on 1996's Murder Ballads) and Silvio, much to my surprise. I have memories of hearing the latter on the radio around the time it came out, but I thought it was called 'Sylvia'. I'd forgotten all about it until I spun this! It's not brilliant, but it's a decent enough listen. The track was co-written with the Grateful Dead's Robert Hunter, and some members of the band are also present too. Hunter co-wrote the questionable Ugliest Girl in the World as well. Dylan's next project would be their live album together, 1989's Dylan & the Dead, so not a big shock that they are contributors here. Getting back to Death Is Not the End, it's interesting to note that the band on that song nearly make up an Infidels reunion. You have Sly & Robbie back on drums and bass, and Dire Strait's Mark Knopfler and Alan Clark on guitar and keyboards respectively. Oh, and ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor as well. Knopfler is credited as a co-producer, so it's possibly a lost Infidels outtake. Can't confirm or deny that.

Other big name guests include Ronnie Wood, Mitchell Froom, Danny Kortchmar, Eric Clapton, The Clash's Paul Simonon, The Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and Kip Winger! No wonder it's not very cohesive as an album. Only two songs are fully written by Dylan on his own, with Death Is Not the End being one of them. It's a fairly unremarkable affair, and not one I'll visit that often, methinks.

30. DYLAN & THE DEAD (1989) (30/3/23)
Well, this does what it says on the tin. It's Dylan playing live with The Grateful Dead, with the tracks culled from their 1987 tour. With a running time of nearly forty five minutes and only seven songs, some tracks outstay their welcome. The shortest song here is I Want You, which nearly hits four minutes, with the longest offender being Joey from 1976's Desire, creeping past nine minutes! While it's kind of nice to hear it getting an airing, it does go on a bit. The renditions of Slow Train and Gotta Serve Somebody are probably the album highlights for mine, and Queen Jane Approximately is a nice surprise inclusion, but the performance is a little lacklustre. By the time the final songs All Along the Watchtower and Knockin' On Heaven's Door roll around, it feels like you've spent longer in the presence of this album than you actually have. Just a mini-document of the Dylan & the Dead stadium tour, akin to the one Dylan did with The Band which resulted in the far superior Before The Flood in 1974. Apparently bootlegs of some shows circulated heavily at the time, creating much fervour for the release of this record, which ultimately failed to deliver.

31. OH MERCY (1989) (30/3/23)
Dylan is very nearly out of the wilderness here. This is his best studio offering since 1983's Infidels, which was four middling albums ago. Indeed it was this record's opening track, Political World, that started Dylan on the path out of his funk. According to the liner notes of The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006, Dylan wrote all the verses to that song in one sitting, the words simply pouring out of him. Something he'd not experienced for years. Indeed, from the first few moments of the song, you can feel that there's a change in the air. There's a freshness to the sound, and the music isn't just a product of its production or era. I think a lot of that credit goes to producer Daniel Lanois, who would go on to helm 1997's magnificent Time Out of Mind. 

As well as production, Lanois contributes multiple guitar parts, bass and omnichord, failing to appear on only one track, Disease of Conceit. His opening bits of dobro on Political World set the tone for an earthy, rootsy feel that permeates the rest of the record. It's just so enjoyable to listen to! After the effort of the last few albums, this one is a welcome relief. I've spent more time with this album than any of his other efforts from the eighties, even Infidels. While Oh Mercy has its strong highlights like Everything is Broken and Most of the Time, it's all good. The most solid and consistent Bob Dylan album since the seventies, in my opinion. 

Versions of the songs from this record that appeared on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006 aren't the massive improvements that revealed themselves on other Bootleg Series albums. Instead, they show the progression of the song, and how the arrangements changed while they were being workshopped. The dreamy, swampy take of Most of the Time here is reduced to just guitar and harmonica on Tell Tale Signs. It's an interesting to hear the song so stripped back, but this version is a better listen. The music and vocals just wash over you, rather than the song being delivered. Other highlights for me include the sinister Man in the Long Black Coat and What Was It You Wanted, which I first heard being sung by Willie Nelson at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary concert. Closing off with the almost sentimental Shooting Star, this album is forty minutes of a reinvigorated Dylan, who began to remember what it was like to be Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, it wasn't to last.

32. UNDER THE RED SKY (1990) (13/4/23)
Right from the awkward and syncopated beats of album opener Wiggle Wiggle, the disappointment is palpable. Not only is that track one of Dylan's worst efforts ever, it fills you with a sense of foreboding for the rest of the record. Despite having Slash (yes, that Slash) adding some guitar work, it's just awful:

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a gypsy queen

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle all dressed in green

Yeah, you can imagine, even if you haven't heard the song.  Coming on the heels of the excellent album Oh Mercy, this feels like a giant step backwards. Instead of Daniel Lanois on production duties, His Bobness teamed up with Don and David Was, crediting himself as Jack Frost for the first time. So, that earthy and dreamy feel on Oh Mercy has gone, and the album sounds like it was made in the mid to late eighties. It doesn't help that the songs just aren't as good either. Although, Born in Time isn't a bad listen, although the version on Tell Tale Signs is much more palatable. I quite liked 10,000 Men as well. 

Like some of his mediocre eighties offerings, Dylan has littered this album with big names, including Elton John, George Harrison, David Crosby, Bruce Hornsby, Al Kooper and the Vaughn brothers. Famed session musos David Lindley and Waddy Wachtel also contribute. But they fail to elevate the album to the same heights of Oh Mercy. The penultimate track Handy Dandy (terrible title!) sounds like it could have been a reworking of Like a Rolling Stone. For me, whatever spark Dylan had rekindled in the late eighties just got squashed. I don't know if his involvement with the Traveling Wilburys was a factor, but yes, I'm looking forward to leaving this period. 

Onwards!

Seventh Son of a Seventh Dylan

Well, I can't stop the momentum now! I'll just keep on trucking. Or something. I was super keen to jump into Infidels after wading through the Christian trilogy, and as patchy as the eighties were for Dylan, I'm hoping to find some lost treasures. To me, anyway. So, let's get it started!

25. INFIDELS (1983) (6/2/23)
I would argue that this is Dylan's strongest effort melodically since Slow Train Coming and lyrically since Street Legal, or perhaps to fall in line with every rock critic on Earth, Blood On The Tracks. Forever the album his future offerings get compared to, for some reason. I guess that's seen by many as his last 'classic album'. 

For a change of pace and scene, after finishing his heavily religious run of records, Dylan headed to The Power Station studio in New York with the view to seeking a co-producer who was up on all the latest technology. The studio utilised the latest digital equipment, so this would be Dylan's first digitally recorded, and mixed, long player. Allegedly, he'd considered or contacted Elvis Costello, David Bowie and Frank Zappa before landing on Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler. 

The effect on the album's production is palpable, as it sounds like Dylan has joined the eighties, with the drums in particular standing out as having a very different sound from his previous few records. The rhythm section of Infidels is made up of the legendary Jamaican duo Sly & Robbie, namely drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. Additionally, Knopfler recruited Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark, and Benmont Tench also appears on a few tracks. There's also some tasty guitar work from ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor.

There's some great stuff here, and the album kicks off with the classic Jokerman. It's worth pointing out that this song does contain some religious imagery, and there are spiritual themes throughout the record. I think he may have toned things down, but his Christianity is still important to him. I first heard this track on a compilation Dylan CD I bought in the late nineties, The Best of Bob Dylan. Since then, I've heard pieces of this album. One of the highlights, License to Kill, was wonderfully covered by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the 30th Anniversary Concert in late 1992 (album came out the following year). Sweetheart Like You was covered by Rod Stewart on his 1995 offering A Spanner In The Works, which I somehow own a copy of. Recently I stumbled upon the video of an alternate version of Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight on the YouTubs. It was released to promote 2021's The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980-1985, which features outtakes from this album, Shot of Love and Empire Burlesque. I became quite taken with the song, which lead me to obtain said Bootleg Series 2CD set. I haven't listened to it yet, as I'm waiting until I've spun all the albums first. 

Overall, it's a pretty strong effort, and my highlights are Jokerman, License to Kill, I and I and Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight, although I prefer the alternate version. Neighbourhood Bully isn't a bad listen either. The tone is consistent and the production is sound, and it's nice to hear Dylan not being preachy. 

Apparently the song Blind Willie McTell was pulled from the Infidels tracklisting by Dylan, a move that flummoxed Knopfler. Eventually the track was released on the first Bootleg Series set, Vol. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) in 1991, to much fervour. It hit No.19 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs list as well. I can't remember the song that well, as I did make my through all those songs after reading the online article. However, it is now hailed as a highpoint from his eighties output. So, maybe I'll think similarly after a few listens. It is on Springtime in NY.. as well, you see. Maybe it didn't fit because it's quite stripped back compared to the rest of the album. Anyway, that's that record. Nice one, Zimmy!

26. REAL LIVE (1984) (15/2/23)
I didn't realise that Dylan had released so many live albums! Not even heard of this one, me. Following hot on the heels of Infidels, this offering features a few of his new tracks and some classics, although the latter songs may sound a little different than their studio counterparts. I don't think true Dylan fans are bothered by this. He's been changing the way he plays his songs since the seventies! Having said that, critics seem to want Dylan to just recreate his work as they remember it. Indeed his versions of Highway 61 Revisited and Maggie's Farm are reworked with the former another shadow of its live Hard Rain self. 

His band of this tour included Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan and ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor on guitar, who's in top form here, particularly on the Infidels cut I and I, and the aforementioned Highway 61 Revisited. License to Kill gets a faithful airing before a couple of solo Dylan numbers, which the crowd enthusiastically singalong with; It Ain't Me, Babe and Tangled Up in Blue. Another solo recording is near the end of the album, Girl From the North Country, which to my ears, sounded like a Dylan caricature! It came across to me like someone trying to take the piss out of Dylan, not the real deal! Maybe he was satirising himself in some weird way. Be that as it may, I would offer the solo tracks up as the album's highlights.

Carlos Santana guest guitars on the album's closing number Tombstone Blues, which again was unrecognisable from the original version Dylan recorded for Highway 61 Revisited in 1965. All in all, another middling live effort. Not great, not terrible.

27. EMPIRE BURLESQUE (1985) (17/2/23)
Well, Dylan has definitely landed in the eighties now! The production and sound of this record threaten to overshadow the actual songs, and in some cases, succeeds. A quick glance at the tracklisting had me resigned to the thought that I wasn't familiar with any of the material on the album, but I did end up recognising a couple, as I'd heard them covered by other artists before. Firstly, Emotionally Yours was performed by The Ojays at Bob's 30th Anniversary Concert, so I knew that one. Albeit, it's not a big fave, but it's a pleasant enough listen. The other track I knew was the seven and a half minute When the Night Comes Falling From the Sky, thanks to The Black Crowes recording a version of during sessions for their By Your Side album. While it didn't make the record, it was issued as the B-side of Only a Fool in 1999. They keep the song down to a svelte four minutes, so I was surprised when Dylan's original just seemed to not end, he he he...

There's a heap of famous players on this one too. Sly & Robbie return on a few tracks, and Alan Clark puts in an appearance as well. Mick Taylor plays on album opener Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love), which was previously known as Someone's Got a Hold of My Heart during the Infidels sessions. Three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers are present as well, namely keyboardist Benmont Tench, guitarist Mike Campbell and the late bassist Howie Epstein. Session pro Jim Keltner plays drums on a few tracks, and even Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood contributes a guitar lick or two. Despite such stellar musicians, the album is bit of a mess. Dylan had decide to take on the role of producer and I'm not sure if that helped or hindered. The record is very much a product of its era, and it makes the songs less appealing. Not to say that the album is unlistenable, but what makes Dylan unique is somewhat diluted by synths and eighties drums. 

The final song, Dark Eyes, is a breath of fresh air. It's just Dylan and a guitar with a splash of harmonica. Not his best work, but after the songs proceeding it, the track is most welcome. Apparently the song was written at the behest of the producer Arthur Baker, who was handling the mixing duties on this record. Dylan liked the idea of ending the album with a sparse guitar and harmonica number, so he went and wrote Dark Eyes the night Baker suggested it. Interesting effort this album, but not an endearing listen, I don't think. 

28. KNOCKED OUT LOADED (1986) (1/3/23)
This is an interesting album, huh? He he he... while it might be seen by many as the nadir of his eighties output it's not unlistenable. There's just nothing that really grabs you. Popular opinion states that the eleven minute epic Brownsville Girl is the album's one redeeming feature, and its length makes it responsible for almost a third of the record's running time, and over half of the second side in the vinyl format. It hasn't grabbed me like it has grabbed others, but it's the only song here that sounds Dylanesque, in terms of lyrics and character. Co-written with the actor Sam Shepard, the track started off as New Danville Girl, and became an outtake of the Empire Burlesque record. I had heard this incarnation, as it was included on the Springtime in NY.. set, which I dipped into before listening to this album. Again, not blown away by it or anything, but a cool enough track. Might be a grower.

The last two songs on the second side were co-writes, one with Tom Petty and one with Carole Bayer Sager. Both fairly middling affairs despite the presence of Heartbreakers on the former, Got My Mind Made Up and Blondie's drummer Clem Burke on the latter, Under Your Spell. Filling out the rest of the album are two original tracks (Driftin' Too Far From the Shore and Maybe Someday), covers of songs by Kris Kristofferson, Little Junior Parker and a reworked traditional number called Precious Memories. Yeah, might not give this one that many spins. 

BONUS: THE BOOTLEG SERIES Vol. 16: SPRINGTIME IN NEW YORK 1980-1985
I really enjoyed listening to this set. I've given it a good few goes since spinning Empire Burlesque. Some songs are alternate takes or rehearsals of songs from that album, or earlier efforts Shot of Love and Infidels. All in all, it's a pretty entertaining listen, and an excellent sum of the parts of albums Dylan was making at the time.

Highlights for me include the alternate take of Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight from Infidels, which is a massive improvement on the album version, Angelina (outtake from Shot of Love), the band versions of Too Late and Blind Willie McTell (Infidels outtakes) and the alterate take of Emotionally Yours from Empire Burlesque. Someone's Got a Hold of My Heart was meant for Infidels, and that version here was recorded before it morphed into Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love) from Empire Burlesque. The latter is also included in this with an alternate (and better, in my humble opinion) mix. 

I stumbled across a promo video for the aforementioned Too Late on the YouTubs a little while ago. Some of the lyrics were very familiar to me, although I was pretty sure I hadn't heard that track before. It dawned on me that those lyrics were from Foot of Pride, an Infidels outtake that appeared on Dylan's first Bootleg Series CD set, Vol. 1-3: Rare and Unreleased in 1991. I still haven't heard that version, but I was quite familiar with it from Lou Reed's rendition of it at the Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert in 1992. A different take of the song is on this set, and it's pretty good. Interesting to hear how it morphed from Too Late into Foot of Pride. 

The liner notes express that every version that appears here has not been released before. So, they differ from the takes and mixes that are also on any other Bootleg Series album. I found it a more engaging and interesting listen than the three albums put together. Shot of Love is hit and miss, and Empire Burlesque is patchy as heck, but Infidels still holds up pretty well. This is a fascinating document of Dylan chasing a particular sound, and the songs come and go as he works towards his sonic goal. Some become different tracks as they develop, some never get fully realised, and others just go the wayside. But what Dylan chooses to include on an album is not necessarily an accurate document of what those sessions entailed. Really enjoyed this! Might be a few more Bootleg Series discs in my future...

Album of the Week - Vol. 24

Push the Sky Away NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (2013)
Week: Tue 14th to Mon 20th February 2023
Format: Spotify, iPod, CD and vinyl
Producer: Nick Launay with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Track listing:
1. We No Who U R *
2. Wide Lovely Eyes
3. Water's Edge
4. Jubilee Street *
5. Mermaids *
6. We Real Cool
7. Finishing Jubilee Street
8. Higgs Boson Blues *
9. Push the Sky Away *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 42:40

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of its release this week is Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' fifteenth studio album, Push the Sky Away. I was alerted to this fact by various social media posts from the official Nick Cave accounts. It got me thinking about the album, and how much I liked it. To give me a bit of a push, the next round of posts detailed that for a limited time, the live album launch they performed at Fonda Theatre in L.A. during February 2013, was available to stream for free. I didn't need much encouragement! To https://ptsa.nickcave.com/live-stream (link now defunct) I ventured, and streamed I did! I'd ever seen the show before, and apparently it was released live via YouTube when they first performed it, but it was only available for 24 hours afterwards. I don't believe that it had been seen since. Well, legally anyway. 

The concert started with the band playing the album in full, filmed in black and white footage. Noticeably absent is longtime Bad Seeds drummer Thomas Wylder, who was battling illness at the time, so percussion and drum duties fell to Jim Sclavunos and the newly-returned Barry Adamson. Although Adamson only plays bass on two tracks on Push the Sky Away, he remains on stage throughout the show, contributing guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. His appearance on this record is one of many notable facts, as this was his first time on a Bad Seeds album since 1986's Your Funeral...My Trial. It was great to see the late Conway Savage behind a keyboard, and the mighty Martyn P. Casey on the bass, of course. Cave's right hand man since the late nineties, Mr Warren Ellis, is ever present on an array of loops, instruments and even a little conducting of the small string section. George Vjestica plays on a couple of tracks on the record too, but I am unsure if he is onstage for this concert. There was at least one person I didn't recognise. 

The band, and previously mentioned string section, are also joined by a group of young children from the Silverlake Conservatory, all donned in wireless headsets. Kids from Ecole Saint Martin sing on three of the songs of Push the Sky Away, but these children sing on almost everything they're on stage for. This live performance is just as mesmerising as the recording, with Cave occasionally calling attention to the singing children. Ahhh, scary Uncle Nick, he he he...  

Once the album is flawlessly recreated, the film stock changes to full colour and the group launch into some of their old classics, starting with From Her to Eternity. The children remain with the band for O Children and The Ship Song before they retire for the night. As they begin to leave someone in the crowd yells for them to play Stagger Lee, to which replies "Well, we can't right now..", he he he, protective Uncle Nick. They then run through terrific renditions of Red Right Hand, Deanna, Love Letter and The Mercy Seat. Anyway, the performance was very enjoyable, and if you're a fan and it's still available, I highly recommend it. 

Back to the album in question! I think I bought this shortly after it came out. I had dabbled in Nick Cave's music since 1995's Murder Ballads, but have never really warmed to his eighties output. But I had amassed most of his albums since that landmark offering. While I've listened to bits of them, I don't own the Grinderman albums either. I think it was either word of mouth, or good reviews, or something which drew me to wanting this album, and I bought it without hearing any of the tracks. 

The first notes of album opener We No Who U R drew me in and I loved the track instantly. Although I did enjoy the rest of the album as a whole, it would take a few more listens before I 'got' some songs. Jubilee Street was probably the next track that I really took to. It seemed to be the perfect marriage between previous Bad Seed eras and the new one. The voices of the children in the song's climax just added that little something that made you feel that this was a bit special. Whereas We No Who U R used imagery and feeling in weaving a melody, Jubilee Street is more of a narrative affair, harking back to songs like The Carny and Red Right Hand. The closing title track also became a firm favourite. Almost hypnotic, and somehow sorrowful and uplifting at the same time, it's just a brilliant final song. Set right down in Cave's lower register, it feels like the full stop some albums want but never get. 

Other songs took me a while to really appreciate, and I don't think I've ever really taken to Wide Lovely Eyes, although it's a pleasant enough listen. Written for Cave's wife Susie Bick (who also graces the cover), the constant jarring loop took a bit of getting used to. While it's my least favourite song on the album, it's still pretty good. Two songs really came alive for me after I saw Nick Cave perform at the Fremantle Arts Centre in November 2014 for his solo Australasian tour. Despite being billed as solo Cave, there were still some Bad Seeds in tow, namely Ellis, Casey, Wylder and Adamson. The intention was make those shows an intimate affair, and not a full-blown Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds tour. But yes, the two songs in question were Mermaids and Higgs Boson Blues. I'd always kinda liked them, but after watching Cave draw the crowd in with the latter just changed the way I heard the song. He reached out and touched members of the audience like an evangelical figure, rather than a singer. His swagger and charisma was something to behold. Mermaids really came alive that night as well, with Ellis' wonderful guitar solo at the song's end garnering praise from Cave: "Warren, that was bloody lovely". The studio recording fades out unfortunately, and there's no solo, something that was rectified on the performance of it on Live from KRCW, which was issued in late 2013. I was nearly won over by Water's Edge that night as well, with Cave's suggestive interpretive dance painting a clearer picture than the studio recording. Casey's thundering bass on We Real Cool had a similar effect on me, and I dig both tracks now.

The concept of the song Finishing Jubilee Street, I absolutely love. The narrative just follows Cave after he has completed writing Jubilee Street and falls into a dream. The song didn't really do it for me though. It felt a bit like it was tacked on, despite its direct relevance to the album. I have since grown to really dig the track. I managed to let go of what it might have been, and accept it for what it is. There's a dreamy quality to it, which enhances the feverishness of Cave's descriptive lyrics. Anyway, it's an album I have come to cherish now, and it would be right up there with my favourite Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds records. It's possibly the record that has seen me cross over from casual listener to definite fan. 

There are definite eras in The Bad Seeds as members come and go, and Push the Sky Away ushers in another one. The aforementioned Grinderman albums Cave recorded with Bad Seeds alumni Ellis, Casey and Sclavunos bookend 2008's excellent Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! record, which was the last long player he released with The Bad Seeds. This mini-era was somewhat overshadowed by the thankfully short-lived arrival of Cave's moustache. Push the Sky Away is also the first album produced after the departure of founding Bad Seed Mick Harvey in 2009. Cave's right hand man for many years, the hole Harvey left the group was now being filled by Ellis, who brought loops and soundscapes to this record, cementing the new direction the band would be moving in. Where Ellis' songwriting contributions were peppered throughout earlier albums he played on, he is front and centre with Cave on this one. All songs being written by the two of them, save for Water's Edge and Finishing Jubilee Street which have drummer Wylder receiving co-credit. Sadly, this album would also be the last recorded appearance of Bad Seed Conway Savage, who passed away in 2018 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour the year before. 

Unlike some of my other subjects of the Album of the Week blog posts, I made sure to listen to this record in a variety of ways. Firstly, I wanted a headphone experience, so I streamed it via the Spottersfy. Next, it became my soundtrack in the car as I went to and from a gig over the weekend, via my iPod. At opportune times at home I spun the vinyl and the CD as well. I managed to nab the vinyl copy on Record Store Day in April 2019, while we were in St Kilda, having just seen Norah Jones a night or two beforehand. One thing I liked about listening to it in different ways is that you hook into different aspects. I really liked the vinyl experience, as Mermaids gets a chance to sink in a little bit before you flip the disc. Something that's missing in today's listening. And also holding a record-sized cover of the album artwork. 

Push the Sky Away is the sound of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds entering a new playing field. I've really enjoyed the subsequent releases of Skeleton Tree (2016) and Ghosteen (2019), with the three albums making up an unofficial trilogy of sorts. Cave and Ellis' duo effort Carnage from 2021 is also excellent. Cave teased via The Red Hand Files that there was a new Bad Seeds album coming out this year. The bad news was that he had yet to write it, he he he. I'm very interested to see what comes next.

Happy 10th anniversary, Push the Sky Away!

The Sixth Time's a Charm for Dylan!

Awrighty, well, it's been nearly five years since I stopped listening to Dylan's albums in succession. Not that I ever stopped listening to him, mind. Still do that plenty. But, I've not revisited the box set of CDs since 2018! Far freaken out! So, I decided to jump back in, me. 

As a footnote to proceedings, in between these sessions Rhona and I watched Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese on the Netflicks. Although it played fast and loose with the truth, the live performances were quite captivating. I toyed the idea of doing a Dylan tribute concert from the era, but it didn't eventuate unfortunately. I did manage to get my hands on the double CD of The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue though. Together with 1976's live album Hard Rain, it makes for a nice document of that tour. I came to dig some of the versions on those albums more than the studio recordings. I'd always loved the Hard Rain reworking of Maggie's Farm, but I really started loving the performances of A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, One Too Many Mornings, Isis and I Shall Be Released (which featured Joan Baez on backing vocals). One wonders what the 14 disc set issued in 2019 contains...

But anyway, on with the albums!

21. BOB DYLAN AT BUDOKAN (1978) (18/1/23)
As is usual for a live Dylan album, a lot of the songs here vary significantly from their studio counterparts. There's reggae influenced takes on Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (arguably the album's low point) and Knockin' On Heaven's Door, along with full band arrangements of Mr Tambourine Man, Simple Twist of Fate, Shelter From the Storm and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). The performance of Maggie's Farm is different again from the Hard Rain version, which would have only been two years beforehand. Interestingly, the guitar riff used in this take of I Shall Be Released sounds remarkably similar to the main guitar line repeated throughout Not Dark Yet, from the excellent 1997 record Time Out Of Mind. I found most of it pretty easy to listen to, despite the ravaging it got from the critics at the time of release. Not one to look back, Dylan rarely performs his songs the same way, so I guess we're all a little more forgiving of this now. Well, some of us are. I know what to expect at a Dylan concert. Sometimes you won't recognise a song until the chorus! The clumsy intro of the album's closing track The Times They Are A-Changin' suggest that the band don't even really know how they're going to be playing any given song either.

22. SLOW TRAIN COMING (1979) (21/1/23)
I've hit the run of Dylan albums that I was dreading. They're possibly the reason I put off listening to the rest of the box set. Hmmm, maybe not that possibly. This album, and the following Saved and Shot of Love were released hot on the heels of Dylan's conversion to Christianity. In 1971, he made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and was seen at The Wailing Wall wearing a yarmulke. Dylan spouted that he was searching for his Jewish identity, but shortly afterwards he began studying at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in California. To jump into gospel-tinged compositions that either celebrate God/Jesus, or share lessons from the Bible, must have been fairly alienating for an artist who had never really written faith-based music. And at that, not the faith he had been raised with. Having said that, the music is quite appealing, at least to my ears. 

Recorded at Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, and produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, the production gives most of the tracks a funky groove. The prominent organ paired with the fabulous rhythm section of bassist Tim Drummond (Neil Young, CSNY, Eric Clapton) and drummer Pick Withers (Dire Straits) make for an enjoyable soundscape. A young fella named Mark Knopfler also plays some lead guitar on the record. Dylan had caught a Dire Straits concert and pretty much invited him to be part of his next album straightaway. Little did Knopfler know that it would be the first of three offerings of Christian rock! He would return to the Dylan fold again in the eighties, producing the Infidels album. 

Kicking off with album highlight Gotta Serve Somebody, your ears are drawn to Beckett's keyboard as it permeates the plod of the drums and bass. I'd forgotten that the song came from this album, so it was a nice surprise on my first spin. One of my favourite lines from it is:

"You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy

You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy"

It just tickles me when Dylan is a little playful, and I love the idea of someone calling him 'Zimmy'. I'd name the title track as another highlight as well, although the official title is shortened to just Slow Train. The only cut that feels like a straight-out gospel song to me is the album closer When He Returns, which sees Dylan almost preaching to a lone piano backing. It doesn't feel overly religious to me, and the musicality makes up for any zealousness in the lyrics. While I was dubious about listening to these albums, I've come away from this one quite pleased. I've even given it a few spins!

23. SAVED (1980) (31/1/23)
Well, this one takes it up a notch, huh? The preachiness increases and the funk lessens. Although Beckett and Wexler return as producers, and the sessions are again at Muscle Shoals, there is a distinct shift in vibe. Tim Drummond remains on bass, but drummer Pick Withers has been replaced by session legend Jim Keltner. Gone are Beckett's funky keyboards as well, with Neil Young bandmate Spooner Oldham tackling the keys. The subject matter is much more biblical, with songs like Covenant Woman and In The Garden, which details Judas' betrayal of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Kicking off with a snippet of country standard A Satisfied Mind, the album then launches into the borderline evangelical title track, co-written with Drummond. Yeah, nah. Not one I'll probably ever play again. It's nice that Dylan was happy with his deepening faith, and let's face it, artists are moved by what's relevant to them at the time of writing. But yeah, this isn't why I listen to music. The cover was altered in future editions to show Dylan performing live, rather than the religious illustration on the original.

24. SHOT OF LOVE (1981) (2/2/23)
I found this album much easier to listen to than Saved. Although there are still strong Christian themes in songs like Property of Jesus and the opening title track, but to my ears, it's a little more palatable. The producer is now Chuck Plotkin (Bruce Springsteen, The Cowsills) and the sessions were recorded at Rundown Studios in Santa Monica. As well as the differences in production, there are also several big names contributing to the album. Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood play on album highlight Heart of Mine, and there are also appearances from keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) and guitarist Danny Kortchmar (Carole King, James Taylor, etc.). As such, there's more of a rock feel than an evangelical gospel one. 

Keeping Jim Keltner on the drums, and Tim Drummond on the bass (although the role is shared with Donald 'Duck' Dunn), the last of Dylan's Christian albums trilogy is an intriguing listen, but not unpleasant. One track here I really like wasn't included on the original release (and subsequently, not included in the tracklisting artwork), and I was about to be a little dismayed. Thankfully when the CD player clicked over to track six and The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar fired up, I was a happy man! It was just the B-side for the single release of Heart of Mine, but saw itself included on further pressings and releases of the album. Good thing too! I was only turned on to it via the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs online article from a few years back (No.90, if you're interested). Again there's lines about God in there, but its not preachy. I think that's the big difference here. The other well-known track is the album closer Every Grain of Sand, which came in at No.10 on that list I just mentioned. I don't think I'm as fond of it as some, but it's quite heartfelt and has a similar feel to Forever Young. Rather than giving advice though, he's looking at himself and how he sees God in everything on the planet. It's a nice way for Dylan to end the album, and with it, the Christian influenced period of his songwriting. 

Onto the next few albums! Which will also include The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980-1985! That set features outtakes and alternative versions from Shot of Love, Infidels and Empire Burlesque. I need to listen to the latter two before cracking the package! Till next time. 

Goodbye 2022

2022 was certainly a year. A year of highs and lows; good bits and bad bits. All the clichés! Despite bouts of COVID, surgeries, hospital visits, health scares and plumbing emergencies, there were some wonderful moments. Our daughter Alyssa graduated Year 12 and Rhona successfully finished the first year of her Masters degree! Our boy Lachlan starting taking drum lessons for the first time as well, and as a result, his skills and techniques have greatly improved. He always had a natural talent for drumming, but it's been wonderful to see him open to idea of being taught different rhythms and styles. 

We took the plunge and bought him a full acoustic kit in April too. After years of playing on his electric Roland, he was very excited to move to a 'real' set of drums. I did get him to tote his electric kit down to Bar Orient a few times to play with me, which was really fun as well. We did look at doing a big debut style gig as Bolger Boys in July last year, but a few things happened to quash that temporarily. We'll endeavour to get him some more experience in 2023.

Team Bolgies managed to enjoy a few breaks throughout the year, including Kalbarri, Nannup, Poplars Farmstay in the Swan Valley, Witchcliffe and Denmark before Christmas to catch up with family. We also enjoyed a quick jaunt to the Perth Royal Show followed by watching the fireworks from a balcony in Claremont with Chelsea Pizza. We celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary by all going out to dinner in Byford and marked everyone's birthdays as best we could. Our Christmas Day was a very comfortable thirty degrees, the coolest in over seven years, and our backyard dinner with the family went swimmingly! The kids' business, Lyssie's Lanyards, enjoyed a good bit of success and ended the year with us running two market stalls!

There were some big highlights in entertainment as well. After my foot surgery in August, I nabbed myself a copy of The Last of Us on the bedroom PS4, and am now up to my third play through! He he he...it might be a big favourite of mine. Hoping that the TV series airing this month is faithful! 

My Top 5 TV shows for 2022 were:

1. Better Call Saul (season 6)

2. Stranger Things (season 4)

3. House of the Dragon (season 1)

4. The Boys (season 3)

5. The Offer

There were other enjoyable shows that just didn't quite live up to their potential or fell flat in the last episode or two. Obi Wan Kenobi could have been something really special, but it was only okay. The second season of Upright was pretty good, but it felt like they tried to cram too much into it. The final episodes of The Resort, The White Lotus (season 1), The Patient were quite disappointing, despite some great performances and intriguing plotlines in all of them. They were just very unsatisfying, I guess. We just starting watching the new series of Willow, which is quite good so far. Here's hoping the momentum keeps on, um, momenting?

While I was laid up in bed after my foot surgery, I started watching Banshee, which I really enjoyed, particularly after loving Antony Starr's chilling portrayal as Homelander in The Boys. It was nice to be 'on his side' in a TV show. The fourth and final season was not as engaging as the first two, and as a result it took me longer to wade through it. On the whole, it was really pulpy, and very enjoyable if you like sex and violence in your viewing.

My Top 5 Movies of 2022:
1. The Adam Project
2. Neil Young: Harvest Time
3. See How They Run
4. The Stranger
5. Thirteen Lives

I didn't watch a huge amount of new movies this year, and these were the picks of the bunch. I found The Adam Project to be a very enjoyable adventure film that felt like the movies I watched as a pre-teen in the eighties. Not everyone agreed, but I don't care. While The Stranger wasn't quite what I was expecting, I did enjoy the performances of Sean Harris and Joel Edgerton. A tough watch, but quite engaging. I was hugely disappointed by the Bowie 'documentary' Moonage Daydream, which felt very indulgent and wanky to me. It could have been about a half hour shorter as well. Enjoyed the Neil Young doco on the making of the Harvest album much more. 

My Top 5 Albums of 2022:

1. For the Sake of Bethel Woods MIDLAKE

2. Resist MIDNIGHT OIL

3. Misadventures of Doomscroller DAWES

4. Listen to the Water LUKE STEELE

5. Revolver THE BEATLES (Super Deluxe 2022 edition)

Now, if there's one thing I'm going to endeavour to do more of in 2023 is to listen to new music. Or, at least, newer music. It's very easy to keep comfort listening, and push new albums or artists to the side. I'm even terrible with my favourite musicians! I bought Josh Pyke's To Find Happiness in June last year, and I still haven't given it a spin! I grabbed copies of Midnight Oil's Resist and Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' Carnage albums, as we were seeing both acts in concert, and they're both terrific! If I'd listened to Carnage when it came out I think I would have enjoyed their live show even more. Having said that, it was pretty damn great anyway. 

an image I made for Lachlan to keep up-to-date with upcoming concerts

My Top 5 Live Concerts of 2022:

1. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (Riverside Theatre, PCEC, 5th Dec)

2. Tame Impala (RAC Arena, 27th Oct)

3. The Church (Astor Theatre, 1st Sep)

4. Midnight Oil (RAC Arena, 25th Sep)

5. The OG Wiggles (RAC Arena, 9th Apr)

This is the first time since 2019 that I've been able to make such a list. Only managed one show in 2020 before the COVID lockdowns (Tool, RAC Arena, 14th Feb) and one festival in 2021 (By the C: Icehouse/Pete Murray/You Am I/Tex Perkins, City Beach, 27th Mar). These five shows were the only shows for 2022, and in an interesting twist, I went to all of them with Lachlan. Rhona and Alyssa came to The Wiggles and Midnight Oil, but it was big year for our burgeoning musician! He certainly came away from the concerts with a good appreciation of what goes into live performances. We got tickets for Tame Impala in early 2020! It was nearly three years by the time we saw them live, after numerous postponements due to COVID restrictions. Now 2023 is looking to give that total of five shows a serious run for its money. Our credit cards are paying the price of our future event attendance! He he he... 

I used that Instafest app to create the following graphic on NYE. It's only what I've listened to on the Spottersfy this year, not all the physical CDs and vinyl, of course. But, it was a nice snapshot of 2022. I'm not sure if it was 6 months, 4 weeks or all-time in the end, but I nabbed it! He he he... to mark the occasion, I also made suitable Spottersfy playlists for each day. I picked five songs each for the acts written in the smallest size font, then ten for the next biggest, and finally fifteen for the 'headline' artist. Very enjoyable experience in both the creation and the listening! I didn't think too much about what tunes to pick, just grabbed them. As I was listening to a lot of ONJ in preparation for the tribute night, she's a headline act, but I just went with ten tracks for her. 

DAY 1: 31st Dec (5hr 46min)  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7i4wAFN5QqcMkjadj9t0N0?si=SQflYJbSTcKEPCROk0WVog

DAY 2: 1st Jan (5hr 53min) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4eK7PfrHkZClgPRgWAwiZq?si=jwFm6mILT7KiDEXCV6KobA

DAY 3: 2nd Jan (5hr 2min)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7IWATF7oFrDY3s8R0AJcMy?si=r0aK1WuvTyeek-aZjF3ekg

Finally, I'm going to attempt to list all the books I read in 2022. We started up a regular reading time before the kids went to bed last year. We didn't do it every single night, but we did it a lot, and I managed to turn a few pages. Rhona has been working her way through the Harry Potter books, Alyssa has a box set of Disney Twisted Tales she's making good progress with, and Lachlan swapped between Diary of a Minecraft Zombie books and his new MAD magazines. Now, I think I managed to put away these titles:

Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young (which I'm sure I started in 2021...)
Miles: The Autobiography of Miles Davis (I started this one YEARS ago!)
Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello
Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd by Nick Mason
Something Quite Peculiar by Steve Kilbey
Batman: Year One by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli with Richmond Lewis (re-read)
Up from Down Under: How Australian Music Changed the World by Jeff Apter

Not a huge list, but a pretty big achievement for someone who recently struggled to read one (yes, one) book over a couple of years. Bit of a common theme there too, huh? He he he... I also have copies of The Storyteller by Dave Grohl and Face It by Debbie Harry ready to go once I have finished Roger Daltrey's Thanks a lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story. I've also recently unearthed my edition of Footprints: The inside story of Australia's best-loved band Powderfinger by Dino Scatena which I've only read half of.  

I nabbed a copy of the first book in the Dune graphic novel series in late 2021, and scored the second volume in August. I have to wait until 2024 for the third one though! I must endeavour to finish my Dune blog and watches of various forms of film. And such. 

As I started studying a diploma of counselling late last year, I'll have to make sure I still read for pleasure on occasion. Not just study texts. Anyway, here's hoping 2023 is going to be a good one!