The Whole Wide World is watching

The best of the web (with thanks to Expecting Rain)

by Martin Stein
 

And still the M&A reviews appear!  Sad news this month concerning the deaths of Warren Zevon and Johnny Cash. Meantime, life goes on all around us. 

1.      He Was a Friend of Mine – Dylan’s touching tribute to Johnny Cash can be found at www.rollingstone.com/features/coverstory/featuregen.asp?pid=1067 

2.      I shan’t Be Released –The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964 - The Philharmonic Hall Concert, recorded on Halloween night 1964 in New York City and originally planned for release this autumn, has now been put back until early 2004.

3.      North Country Blues – Promoters are trying to get Dylan to play The Band Room, a 100-seat venue in Farndale near Kirkbymoorside in North Yorkshire.  Tickets would retail at around £700! 

4.      Throw My Ticket Out The Window – A fanatic has set up a site dedicated to Dylan concert ticket stubs – not the real things mind, just pictures! Look for your .jpg at www.freewebs.com/graphite/dylanstubs.htm  

5.      The full European and UK tour dates are as follows:

October
9th – Helsinki Hartwall Arena
11th - Stockholm Globe
12th - Karlstad LofbergsLila
13th - Oslo Spektrum
15th - Gothenburg Scandinavium
16th - Copenhagen Forum
17th - Hamburg Docks
18th - Hamburg Docks
10th - Berlin Arena
22nd - Leipzig Arena
23rd - Prague T.Mobile Arena
24th - Budapest Arena
26th - Graz Eissporthalle
27th - Vienna Stadthalle
29th - Munich Olympiahalle
30th - Bolzano Palaonda

November
1st - Rome Pala Eur
2nd - Milan Fila Forum
3rd - Zurich Hallenstadion
5th - Freiburg Stadthalle
6th - Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle
8th - Dusseldorf Philipshalle
10th - Amsterdam Heineken Hall
11th - Amsterdam Heineken Hall
12th - Brussels Forrest National
13th - Paris Zenith
15th - Wembley Arena
20th - Sheffield Hallam FM Arena
21st - Birmingham NEC
24th - Carling Apollo Hammersmith
25th - Brixton Academy

6.      Walking Down The Line – The Bottom Line Club was recently bailed out when a satellite radio network offered to pay its back rent.  The Greenwich Village club was facing closure after the non-payment of $185,000 in back rent, having missed about 17 months' worth since 2000. 

7.   Reviews of two recent Dylan books - Dylan's Visions of Sin by Christopher Ricks and Chimes of Freedom: the politics of Bob Dylan's art by Mike Marqusee can be found in The Independent at http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/reviews/story.jsp?story=447329 

8.      An interesting career profile can be found on the free on-line encyclopaedia at www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan 

9.      There’s This Movie I Seen – Don’t Look Back has been voted the third best rock film ever. The review ask if the film is:

A) a cinéma vérité classic revolving around Bob Dylan's brief English tour
in May 1965.
B) a glimpse at one of rock's true geniuses just as he was entering his most
earth-shaking period.
C) a portrait of the artist as an endlessly arrogant bully, surrounded by
sycophants he indulges, folk-singing girlfriends he discards (Joan Baez, you
are the weakest link; goodbye), journalists he abuses for doing their jobs
and fans he verbally destroys just to prove he can.
D) all of the above.

After nearly 40 years of debate, the answer is still "D." D.A. Pennebaker,
one of cinema's true masters of vérité, shows 24-year-old Dylan acting both
witty (his answers to condescending journalists are still pretty funny) and
vile (his unsewing of Donovan is historic, but his berating of then-student
Terry Ellis, who eventually founded Chrysalis Records, is just mean).
Highlights include annoying hangers-on, manager Albert Grossman in full
deal-making action and what's essentially a music video for "Subterranean
Homesick Blues," complete with Allen Ginsburg wandering in the background.

10. In contrast Michael Corcoran has listed M & A as number 8 in the Ten Worst Rock Films   Ever. His full list is:

1. 'A Star Is Born' (1976 Kris & Barbra version)
2. 'The Song Remains the Same'
3. 'Jesus Christ Superstar'
4. 'Kurt & Courtney'
5. 'Roadie'
6. 'Almost Famous'
7. 'Give My Regards To Broad Street'
8. 'Masked and Anonymous'
9. 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
10. 'One Trick Pony'

11. B and B – Bob was a surprise guest during Bruce Springsteen's first encore of his final world tour concert, drawing a huge roar from the crowd. Springsteen introduced him by saying "Taking time to search out for the truth is the American way. I learned that from Bob Dylan." He performed "Highway 61 Revisited" with the E Street Band before disappearing offstage. 

12.   My Voice Ain’t Got No Form – a fascinating article on how classical singers can learn from Dylan’s voice and phrasing can be found at http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/story.jsp?story=448109  

Inside the Museum - The City of Hibbing public library has posted up the details of their Dylan collection and display.  Donated items are welcomed.

Martin Stein