The Eleventh Hour of Dylan

This will be my eleventh, and for the time being, final blog post of His Bobness' albums. As I've finished listening to all of his albums in The Complete Album Collection Vol. 1 box set, this entry will see me focusing on his releases post-2013 (when the collection was issued). So, let's get cracking!


SIDE TRACKS (2013) (18/9/24)
This is an interesting collection of odds and sods that were either issued as singles or unreleased outtakes and live versions. Some tracks here were included as new songs on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II (1971), which is just a great selection of his stuff from 1963-1971. It's one of my favourite Dylan compilations, in fact. So, the usual suspects are here, the live version of Tomorrow Is A Long Time, from the aforementioned compilation, along with I Shall Be Released, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, Down in the Flood, and one of my big faves, Watching the River Flow. Also present are singles Positively 4th Street, Mixed-Up Confusion, Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? and 2000's excellent Oscar-winning Things Have Changed. There are also some 'famous' outtakes like Up to Me from the Blood on the Tracks sessions and Lay Down Your Weary Tune from the sessions for The Times They Are A-Changin'. Two outtakes from Oh Mercy which wound up on 1994's Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 set, namely Series of Dreams and Dignity, are also included. 

I think the idea was to have a supplemental disc (or two) which filled in the gaps on non-album tracks, and it does a pretty good job. There's some live version from the Rolling Thunder Revue tours in the mid-seventies and a couple of alternative takes as well. The only song that sticks out to me as being absent is the wonderful Rita May, which thankfully, I have a copy of on Masterpieces. Nice way to end the box set!

SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT (2015) (26/9/24)
Bob's thirty-sixth studio effort consists wholly of covers made famous by ol' Blue Eyes himself, Mr Frank Sinatra. The vocal stylings of the two could not differ more, but somehow, this seems to work. There's a melancholy feel that permeates the material, and the fact that there is no drummer lends an airey quality to the production. It all just floats over you, with Dylan's world-weary rasp taking you through his favourite Sinatra tunes. 

Once again produced by Dylan himself using the name Jack Frost, he has a similar line-up of musicians he employed on 2012's wonderful Tempest album. Despite the lack of drums, George Receli is here on percussion duties, joining bassist Tony Garnier, guitarists Stu Kimball and Charlie Sexton along with Donnie Herron's wonderful pedal steel. There are also brass musicians adding to the colour of the music. 

I'm pretty sure I bought this on CD soon after it was released. I was quite fascinated by the concept, despite only knowing three songs on the tracklisting, which were Some Enchanted Evening, What'll I Do and The Night We Called It A Day. With only ten tracks, and a running time that barely breaks thirty-five minutes, it's an easy listen. Nothing earth-shattering, but it's pleasant enough, and I quite like Autumn Leaves and album opener I'm a Fool to Want You, which at nearly five minutes, is the longest song on offer. 


FALLEN ANGELS (2016) (3/10/24)
Again, we are treated to a record of covers from His Bobness, and I think this is even more enjoyable than Shadows in the Night. Again with his usual band of suspects, plus guitarist Dean Parks and some horn musos, Dylan produces this album under the Jack Frost moniker. And again, like his previous offering, all of the songs had been recorded by Sinatra, except for Skylark. 

He opens the album with a big favourite of mine, Young At Heart, with Dylan and his band delivering a lovely version. The album has a gentler, swoonier vibe for mine as well, except for the hint of swing that creeps into That Old Black Magic. I also really like his take on All the Way, It Had to Be You and Maybe You'll Be There. By the time Come Rain or Come Shine ends the record, you're left feeling a little recharged. Well, I was anyway. I think at the time it came out I was hoping that Dylan would focus on making an original album next. Like, after the two covers albums in the 90s, he gave us Time Out of Mind! Ooooh, what's next?!

TRIPLICATE (2017) (21/11/24)
Ahhh, another album of covers! Who saw that coming? Not just another simple covers album though...this time we get three times as much, as hinted at in the title. Released as either 3CD or 3LP sets, this offering gives us around 90min of Dylan crooning us softly with these songs. Possibly could have been a double disc, or even shaved down to 80min to fit on one CD. Maybe the idea was to emulate the old records of yore?

Anyway, this is what the title suggests: a triple helping of Shadows in the Night or Fallen Angels. The repertoire isn't limited to songs that Sinatra sang here though. The production is just as good as the former albums, and Dylan’s voice fares even better. Once again self-produced under the alias of Jack Frost, the usual suspects appear in his band, namely Charlie Sexton (guitar), Dean Parks (guitar), Donnie Herron (steel guitar), Tony Garnier (bass) and George Receli (drums). There is also a fair bit of horns sprinkled throughout the album. 

The running time of this release, coupled with the amount of songs I wasn’t familiar with, was something of a deterrent preventing me from listening to this album. The high costs of purchase (3CD = $50, 3LP = $100) was also a bit of a block. So, to complete my Dylan blogging, I relented and took it all in, on the Spottersfy, in one sitting.  

I was instantly won over by the opening track, I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans. I'd not heard it before, but dug the vibe and loved the sound of the band and Dylan's performance. Other highlights for me along the way included his tender cover of As Time Goes By, his take on These Foolish Things, a song I'd not heard before called I Could Have Told You and his go at Sentimental Journey. I also really liked a song called Braggin', which decried the use of the concept, saying that if you've got it good, people will find out without you boasting. 

I don't know if it's something that I'll ever listen to again, particularly as I it's the only Dylan album I don't own. It's long, and it's very similar to the albums that preceded it. So, if I'm in the mood for ol' Croon-Eyed Zimmy, I'll probably spin one of those. I enjoyed the listen, but it's done now. I've ticked it off, and I can't see me ticking it again. But now, the occasional track may turn up on a playlist. You just never know how the algorithm will work.


ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS (2020) (23/11/24)
This is actually one of my favourite Dylan albums. Top 5? Probably not. Top 10? Yeah, I think so! It also holds a very special place in my heart because it was a gift from my family on Father's Day in 2020. Lachlan spearheaded the idea of giving me the CD, because he knew I would want the new Bob Dylan album, and he was right. He he he... I'm not sure if it was a birthday or Christmas present now, but I also got given the record on vinyl a little later down the track. In fact, I'm listening to it right now as I type these words.

Before the album came in June 2020, Dylan released a single in March, as COVID was beginning to tighten its grip on the world. I'm pretty sure I listened to it that day on the Spottersfy. It was the song Murder Most Foul, which is the last song on Rough and Rowdy Ways. It's quite an extraordinary piece of work for a few reasons. For one, it's Dylan's longest studio recording, clocking in at nearly seventeen minutes. Also, it deals exclusively with the death of JFK, a subject that Dylan avoided addressing until this time. In true Dylanesque fashion, he paints a picture of the murder and the aftermath, and also weaves in pop culture references from the years following Kennedy's death. It is quite stirring, and I struggle to listen to it without shedding a tear. Another point of note is the appearance of Fiona Apple on the piano. She was purportedly very nervous about sitting in on the session, wanting her performance to be perfect. Apparently Dylan said to her that she didn't need to be perfect, she just needed to be herself.

The rest of the album is a marvel, and as I've already expressed, one of Dylan's best. Kicking off with the sublime I Contain Multitudes, Dylan swings from genre to genre with ease. It's quite a diverse album musically, with the opening track delving into old-school folk and acoustic pop. From there we have a bluesy stomper in False Prophet before the torch song-like My Own Version of You. That's just Side 1 of the two disc vinyl.

It's a great journey, with Dylan again producing, although not credited this time around. In the fold remain guitarist Charlie Sexton, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron and bassist Tony Garnier; but George Receli is replaced by Matt Chamberlain on the drums, and in Dean Parks' stead is guitarist Bob Britt, who featured on Dylan's Time Out of Mind album. It's a cracking band. They rock on tracks like the excellent Goodbye Jimmy Reed and they roll on the exquisite I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You.

There isn't a bad song to be had here. Another big highlight for me is Crossing the Rubicon, which features a very swampy bluesy rock-type refrain that builds and falls throughout the track. It's a such a good album. I hope that his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour gets to Australia. It'll be my fifth time seeing him live and I hope I get that chance.


SHADOW KINGDOM (2023) (24/11/24)
I remember watching this on TV when it was live-streamed during the COVID years. Initially, I thought it was actually live, until a some songs revealed a looped background or musicians deliberately not playing what was being played. All very tongue-in-cheek, and very Bob. The selections were mostly from his output in the sixties, as the full title of the film reads Shadows Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan. 

In true Dylan style, the songs are quite different in these performances from his studio versions. They have been reworked, and some cases re-imagined. To add to the show-type feel of the film, all the songs flow into each other, with no silence separating them, rather a little flourish from the band. The songs possibly work better without the video, as you're not distracted by the gimmicky black and white vignettes accompanying each track. With just the music, you appreciate the new arrangements more, and Dylan's phrasing of his old work. Some songs have additional riffs that weren't on the original release, or the style is quite radically changed. The instrumentation is very similar on all the songs, mainly using acoustic guitars, accordion and double bass. There are no drums or percussion either, but Dylan gives us an occasional burst of harmonica, as the cover art would suggest. No musicians are credited on the album (or the film), but you can spot Charlie Sexton a mile away, and apparently T. Bone Burnett had a hand in there as well. 

From the opening When I Paint My Masterpiece, every song is a joy. The tender, heartfelt Forever Young is given another life, and feels as fresh as it ever did. What Was It You Wanted, from 1989's Oh Mercy (and the newest song here apart from Sierra's Tune), keeps its sense of malice although the doom is dialed down slightly. Two album tracks from Blonde on Blonde are rejigged with old-time music-hall verve, with Pledging My Time rolling along vibrantly and Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine positively bouncing. A track included on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol.II, Watching the River Flow is still a big foot-tapper, but the bluesy feel is replaced with a kind of Cajun swing. That one is a big highlight for me, and it was issued as a single in April 2023 as a teaser for the album's release in June. I remember listening to it on the Spottersfy, excited that the album was going to be available for purchase. Although, it took me until our trip to QLD in October this year to nab myself a copy. In fact, my recent listening was the first time I've heard it in full since the record landed on the Spottersfy. 

The most radical reworking is possibly It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, which is almost delivered like a soliloquy, with sparse instrumentation that fades and rises throughout. It's a fitting end to the film before the credits roll and it ends the selection of songs nicely. The album (and the film) feature hugely enjoyable performances that are easy to listen to. In fact, when it ends, it feels like we were short-changed, but after 54 minutes of excellence, it's possibly anymore would have been too much. Always leave them wanting more, huh? It's such an enjoyable listen, and there's not a bad performance here. 

There were only two tracks I was unfamiliar with, them being The Wicked Messenger from John Wesley Harding and the instrumental closing track that ran over the credits, Sierra's Tune. The latter was newly written, especially for the film. Not sure who Sierra is or was, but there you are. 

Wow, so that's all of the Dylan albums listened to now. I'm not sure if we'll get anything new from him again, or if he'll tour down this way, but he's still going and I'm still enjoying. Still discovering and re-discovering. Thanks for all the music, Bob!

Space Oddity

Depending on which version you're familiar with, Bowie's major label debut album celebrates 55 years of being in the universe today. I embarked upon doing a blog for each of Bowie's albums in 2021, but got to November and crashed. Thankfully, I only have three records to go, including Blackstar, which I'll blog about in January next year, finally finishing my blog-about-Bowie project. 

Getting back to Space Oddity or David Bowie or Man of Music/Man of Words, Bowie's second album is a far departure from the twee 1967 self-titled album released through Deram Records. Two years is a long time in music, and the growth in Bowie's songwriting and vocal delivery had shifted up a gear. The stunning opening track (and depending on the album release, eponymous as well) remains a marvel fifty odd years on. It is arguably the highlight of the record, and while this album fails to meet the lofty heights of Bowie's later releases like Hunky Dory or the Ziggy Stardust record, there are some other great tracks here. 

As it isn't as focused as his later albums, there are many shades of colour and feel throughout. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed is a bit folk-rock, and the epic nine and a half minute long (yes, that's right!) Cygnet Committee is feels like an early attempt at prog rock. He would explore that vein again on The Width of the Circle, which appeared on the follow-up album The Man Who Sold the World. Janine is a fairly straightforward pop/rocker and Letter to Hermione is firmly planted in the soil of the ballad. None of these tracks are that spectacular, but they are very listenable.

For me, the album ends better than it starts. Once you're wowed by Space Oddity, nothing immediately after it hold your interest as well. The forty second throwaway (Don't Sit Down) only serves to show a little of Bowie's humorous side, I'm guessing. My next major highlight of the album is the eighth track Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud which is full of stirring orchestrations and an engaging fantasy narrative. This gives way to God Knows I'm Good, which could have sat at home on Hunky Dory, feeling very similar that album's Andy Warhol. The mostly acoustic tale of morality centres on a shoplifter who asks to be ignored by God, and then saved by Him. Interesting song idea.

The closing track is my favourite song here, apart from Space Oddity, of course. Memory of a Free Festival is another long number, breaching the seven minute mark, but's quite an entrancing one. Starting with only Bowie's vocal and his playing of a child's Rosedale Electric Chord Organ, we are told of the happenings of the eponymous festival held in Beckenham earlier in August 1969. Some of my favourite Bowie lyrics ever are in this song, like:

"Oh, to capture just one drop of all the ecstasy that swept that afternoon/

To paint that love upon a white balloon..."

After a few minutes, the rest of the band arrives noisily as the refrain 'the sun machine is coming down and we're gonna have a party' is sung over and over again. The band eventually fades out, and we're left with Bowie singing the line on his with the organ as the song began. It's just terrific, and I love it. 

This album was produced by Tony Visconti, who would go on to produce many of Bowie's future releases. He also contributes bass, as does legendary session bassist Herbie Flowers. Rick Wakeman plays mellotron and harpsichord, and would find himself appearing on more Bowie albums as well, before declining Bowie's offer to be in The Spiders from Mars and joining Yes. 

While it's not very cohesive, the seeds of greatness are definitely planted here. I give it 3/5, after a damn good listening-to yesterday. 

NEXT UP: Hunky Dory - 17th Dec

Album of the Week - Vol. 28

Max Q MAX Q (1989)
Week: Thu 31st Oct to Wed 6th Nov, 2024
Format: CD, iPod
Producer: Michael Hutchence & Ollie Olsen
Tracklisting:
1. Sometimes *
2. Way of the World *
3. Ghost of the Year
4. Everything *
5. Concrete *
6. Zero 2-0
7. Soul Engine
8. Buckethead
9. Monday Night by Satellite *
10. Tight
11. Ot-Ven-Rot
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 46:07


The side project of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence and multi-instrumentalist Ollie Olsen, Max Q came into the public eye as the eighties were turning into the nineties. Apparently the pair met when they both worked on the cult classic movie Dogs In Space, a film I only know by reputation. They released one album and never toured or played live as a band. A modest success upon release, Max Q achieved gold status in Australian sales, and even landed the group ARIA award nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist and Single of the Year for Way of the World. It fared worse in other countries and has remained something of an obscure footnote in the stories of the late Hutchence, and the recently passed Olsen.

This was a tricky one to get hold of, as the album is now OOP (out of print)! I can't remember exactly what lit the fire under me to try and get a physical copy, but it must have stemmed from it not being available on the Spottersfy. Apparently there are legal reasons behind the record not being reissued and that will also block any attempt to have it on a streaming service. You can find it if price isn't an option. At the time of writing, there are CDs on eBay going for $100-200. In a horrible coincidence, I managed to score a much cheaper copy a few weeks ago, on the same day that Ollie Olsen died. As a result, his death has increased the asking prices of anything related to Max Q. Long story short (too late!), I own a copy of the album now, and thanks to a new CD shell, it looks pretty great. Some minor scratching on the disc, but nothing that affects playback.

So, what is the album like? The issue with some side projects is that the artist(s) can indulge themselves a bit too much when they are freed from the expectations of fans of their 'main band' (and the A&R reps from their label). Happily, that's not the case here, although Zero 2-0 comes across as a bit of wanky filler utilising the recording of a conversation or an answering machine. Far out, that was such a trend in the nineties, wasn't it? Thankfully the track is mercifully short and segues into Soul Engine, which isn't a bad track. Kind of funky. 

Touted as electronica or synth-pop depending on where you read about such things, the album is pretty poppy. There are keyboards there, but there are drums, albeit those electric sounding drums that were just starting to leave the mainstream. There's no drummer credited though, only percussion/bowed cymbal/Tibetan thigh bone/scream from John Murphy, who was a renowned session player in the country who sadly passed away in 2015. Gus Till is credited as playing piano, keyboards and MIDI programming, so there could be a drum machine in use. There's plenty of tasty guitar riffing with a bit of wah pedal thrown in now and again, courtesy of Arnie Hanna and Michael Sheridan, and bass is courtesy of Bill McDonald.

Olsen wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, with Hutchence contributing to six of the eleven tracks. Not sure what tracks (and if) Olsen plays on, as the album credits only list the musicians in the band. Despite the fact that the vocals are obviously handled by Hutchence, they are both only credited as songwriters and producers. It must be said, Hutchence's vocals are the arguably the strongest element of the album. Free of conforming to his usual croon and swagger delivery in INXS, Hutchence really lets rip on a few tracks. 

The first single, Way of the World, features a snarling, menacing vocal from him that feels like he's trying to channel Nick Cave. Cave himself has gone on the record to say that Michael Hutchence was one frontman he always felt envious of, marvelling at his ability to connect to audiences in stadiums. It's just as good as I remember it, and if memory serves correctly Hutchence is obscured in the song's video clip. There was some kind of secrecy around who was in the band, which the album's cover also at pains to hide its band members. The back cover does feature Hutchence and Olsen's names fairly prominently, so I don't know what the subterfuge was in aid of. With lyrics like "Whether it's God or the bomb/It's just the same/It's only fear by another name", you're not listening to Shiny Happy People here. Yes, quite a downbeat number, and a little gloomy in theme, but I dig it.

The second single, and opening track, Sometimes is a song that I took a particular shine to when it was released in late 1989. So much so, that I purchased the cassingle! I wonder if it is still in a box somewhere? Must have a squirrel through the garage. It has a fabulous wah-soaked guitar riff that's catchy as heck and the chorus gets stuck in your head. I'd forgotten that it riffs on Summertime from Porgy and Bess at the end too. Those two singles are the best tracks on the album without a doubt. Apparently Monday Night by Satellite was issued in early 1990, but I don't remember hearing it. It's not a bad track! Another highlight of the album for me. Interestingly, all the singles released from the album were tracks solely written by Olsen, suggesting Hutchence's ego was not in play, and he put the best interests of the group ahead of himself. 

Another track I quite like is Everything, which features quite a catchy chorus built around the repetition of the word. That is followed by a slower, almost-ballad-like Concrete that has some nice guitar work and a soulful vocal from Hutchence. It’s also a little spooky hearing him sing “they want to crown me/For the Ghost of the Year” on the third track knowing that he wouldn’t see the end of the nineties. Such a waste of talent. Penultimate number Tight is quite nifty too. Did I say a bit of wah guitar earlier? There is wah guitar aplenty!  

The whole album is more than listenable. It's nothing earth-shattering, but it's nonetheless pleasant, and always interesting. Even after multiple listens, I have no idea what the title of the last track Ot-Ven-Rot means either. If you find a copy in your local Ca$hies, nab it!

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Oooh, I found it!