Bob Dylan – Icon of many music styles IV

     Millennium he celebrated by work, his song Things Have Changed won Golden Globe Award for the Best Original Song and Academy Award for Best Song. Dylan's greatest recent album was Love and Theft, which was realized on September 2001. This album was produced by Bob Dylan, but under pseudonym Jack Frost. Next years he released songs, and after five years he brought new studio album. During this period he recorded some songs and realized some different projects (He was grateful to Johnny Cash, who helped him and how Dylan said, „for standing up for me way back.“ He recorded song for Johnny Cash TV tribute. Releases movie – Masked & Anonymous – by Larry Charles). The movie had a limited run in Theatres and got many good critics.

On June 23, 2004, Dylan was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Music) by University of St.Andrew. On October of the same year, Dylan published his autobiography – Chronicles: Volume One, where he wrote also about the process, which ignited him to start to write own songs. The book was nominated for a National Book Award.

Martin Scorsese made film about Dylan's biography – No Direction Home. The movie presented Dylan during years 1961 (Dylan came to New York) and 1966 (Dylan had motorcycle accident). The film received Peabody Award and Columbia duPont Award.

In 2005 Bob returned to recording studio to record Tell Ol' Bill and in the next year album Modern Times, which was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
In his 65 years old, Bob became the oldest living musician to top the Billboard albums chart.

On May 3, 2006 there was premiere of Dylan's DJ career, hosting in weekly radio program for XM Satellite Radio. BBC Radio 2 started transmission of Dylan's radio to UK on December same year and BBC 6 Music on January next year.

On August 2007 the movie I'm Not There by Todd Haynes won Award. This movie was inspired by Dylan's life, original soundtrack and the other tracks were Dylan's songs, especially recorded for the movie by various interprets. Later Haynes wrote about person Dylan:
The minute you try to grab hold of Dylan, he's no longer where he was. He's like a flame: If you try to hold him in your hand you'll surely get burned. Dylan's life of change and constant disappearances and constant transformations makes you yearn to hold him, and to nail him down. And that's why his fan base is so obsessive, so desirous of finding the truth and the absolutes and the answers to him - things that Dylan will never provide and will only frustrate.... Dylan is difficult and mysterious and evasive and frustrating, and it only makes you identify with him all the more as he skirts identity.

On October 2007 Columbia Records (recording studio) released Dylan's anthology, and there was also released DVD The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965. In the same month, there was opened the first public exhibition of Bob Dylan paintings in Germany, with 170 watercolors and gouaches.

In the end of last year Dylan recorded new version of A Hard Rain's A- Gonna Fall, double CD (Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan).
And what about his plans: Dylan is working on the next volume of his autobiography Chronicles: Volume One. He plans tour through Texas, Mexico, South America, Canada, Iceland, Russia and Europe.

Bob Dylan's private life.

He married Sara Lownds on November 22, 1965. They had four children (Jesse Byron, Anna Lea, Samuel Isaac Abraham, Jacob Luke) and Dylan adopted Maria Lownds, daughter of his wife Sara Lownds' first marriage.

On June 1986 Dylan married Carolyn Dennis and they had daughter Desiree Gabrielle Dennis.

Discography:
1962 – Bob Dylan
1963 – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
1964 – The Times They Are a-Changin
1964 – Another Side of Bob Dylan
1965 – Bringing It All Back Home
1965 – Highway 61 Revisited
1966 – Blonde on Blonde
1967 – John Wesley Harding
1969 – Nashville Skyline
1970 – Self Portrait
1970 – New Morning
1973 – Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973 – Dylan
1974 – Planet Waves
1975 – Blood on the Tracks
1975 – The Basement Tapes
1975 – Desire
1978 – Street-Legal
1979 – Slow Train Coming
1980 – Saved
1981 – Shot of Love
1983 – Infidels
1985 – Empire Burlesque
1986 – Knocked Out Loaded
1988 – Down in the Groove
1989 – Oh Mercy
1990 – Under the Red Sky
1992 – Good as I Been to You
1993 – World Gone Wrong
1997 – Time Out of Mind
2001 – "Love and Theft"
2006 – Modern Times

Compilations:
1967 – Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
1971 – Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
1971 – masterpieces
1985 – Biograph
1991 – The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3: Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991
1994 – Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3
1997 – The Best of Bob Dylan Vol. 1
1997 – The Best of Bob Dylan Vol. 2
2000 – The Essential Bob Dylan
2005 – The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack
2005 – The Best of Bob Dylan
2007 – Dylan

Live Albums:
1974 – Before the Flood
1976 –Hard Rain
1979 – Bob Dylan at Budokan
1984 – Real Live
1989 – Dylan & The Dead
1993 – The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
1995 – MTV Unplugged
1998 – The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall"

Concert
2001 – Live 1961-2000: Thirty-Nine Years of Great Concert Performances
2002 – The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
2004 – The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall
2005 – Live at the Gaslight 1962
2005 – Live at Carnegie Hall 1963

Singles
1962 – Mixed Up Confusion
1964 – Blowin' in the Wind
1965 – The Times They Are a-Changin
1965 – Maggie's Farm
1965 – Subterranean Homesick Blues
1965 – Like a Rolling Stone
1965 – Positively 4th Stret
1965 – Can you Please Crawl Out Your Window?
1966 – One of Us Must Know
1966 – Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
1966 – I Want You
1966 – Just Like a Woman
1967 – Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
1969 – I Trew It All Away
1969 – Lay Lady Lay
1969 – Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
1970 – Wigwam
1971 – Watching the River Flow
1971 – If Not for You
1971 – George Jackson
1973 – Knockin' on Heaven's Door
1973 – A Fool Such as I
1974 – On a Night Like This
1974 – Something There Is About You
1974 – Most Likely You Go Your Way
1974 – All Along the Watchtower
1975 – Tangled Up in Blue
1975 – Hurricane
1976 – Mozambique
1977 – Rita Mae
1978 – Is Your Love in Vain?
1978 – Baby Stop Crying
1978 – Changing of the Guards
1979 – Gotta Serve Somebody
1979 – Precious Angel
1980 – Man Gave names to All The Animals
1980 – Solid Rock
1980 – Saved
1981 – Shot of Love
1981 – Heart of Mine
1983 – Union Sundown
1984 – Jokerman
1984 – Sweetheart Like You
1985 – Tight Connection to My Heart
1985 – When The Night Comes Falling from the Sky
1986 – Band of The Hand
1986 – Got My Mind Made Up
1988 – Silvio
1989 – Everything Is Broken
1989 – Slow Train
1990 – Unbelievable
1993 – My Back Pages
1995 – Dignity
1998 – Love Sick
2000 – Things Have Changed
2006 – Someday Baby
2007 – Most Likely You'll Go Your Way

Movies:
Main roles:
1967 – Don't Look Back
1969 – Eat the Document
1978 – Renaldo and Clara
2003 – Masked & Anonymous
2005 – No Direction Home

Actor:
1973 – Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1987 – Hearts Of Fire
1990 – Backtrack aka „Catchfire“
1999 – Paradise Cove
2003 – Masked and Anonymous

Concerts:
1967 – Festival
1972 – The Concert For Bangladesh
1978 – The Last Waltz
1986 – Hard To Handle
1993 – The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
1995 – MTV Unplugged

Books:
1971 – Tarantule
1972 – Writings And Drawings
1985 – Lyrics: 1962
1994 – Drawn Blank
2004 – Chronicles: Vol. One
2004 – Lyrics: 1962 – 2001
2005 – The Bob Dylan Scrapbook, 1956-1966

Biography:
2007 – I'm Not There by Todd Haynes

Appearances
1967 – Festival
1971 – The Concert for Bangladesh
1972 – Rock of Ages
1978 – The Last Waltz
2002 – Postcards of the Hanging
2003 – Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan
2005 – A Musical History
2006 – Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan DVD

I want you


Desolation Row Live 1966


Don't Think Twice, It's Alright


A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

Bob Dylan – Icon of many music styles III

     In 1970 Dylan released two alums. In the same year he had co-written with George Harrison opening track of The Beatles' album All Things Must Pass - I'd Have You Anytime. He cooperated with George also in Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh. In this year, Dylan had poor studio activities, he recorded only two songs, but next year he recovered it and recorded the second compilation Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, singles George Jackson, Watching The River Flow, new recording When I Paint My Masterpiece.

In 1972 we could see him in movie Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, where he had role as Alias, member of Billy's gang. He also wrote the song from this movie (Knockin' on Heaven's Door), which to these days has about 150 artists in their repertoires.

Year 1973 he started by recording album on Atlantic Records (recording studio). In this year his contract with Columbia Records expired and he signed contract with David Geffen's Asylum Records (recording studio).

He recorded album Planet Waves with The Band. This album has two versions of the song Forever Young.

New year and new tour with The Band. Now it was through North America. From this tour there was live double album Before The Flood. This album was released on Asylum Records and in the mind of 70's also by Columbia Records.

After this tour, he had problems in his private life (he and his wife became estranged). He wrote a lot of songs about his problems in his marriage and recorded new album Blood on the Tracks. In the end of the year, he re-recorded some songs in Sound 80 Studio by production assistance of his brother David Zimmerman.

In 1975 he visited boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter in the prison and after that he wrote the successful protest song Hurricane. He believed such as Rubin, the boxer is innocent.
New tour again and new album Desire, with many of Bob Dylan's new songs. TV documented part of this tour. Same year brought the film Renaldo and Clara.
When I wanted to write about Bob Dylan, I try to find more info what I had. I haven't idea, that he has such rich discography. I found, that he brought each year some albums, singles, songs or movies. He didn't write only for himself, but also for other interprets (for example Eric Clapton). It means much, much hard work.
Lyric album Street Legal came in 1978.

In the beginning of the year 1979, he participated in Bible study class. He wanted to find Christ in his life. In that time Dylan released two albums with gospel music. One of them named Slow Train Coming and one song from that album (Gotta Serve Somebody) got Grammy Award as Best Male Vocalist. The second album named Saved. Christianity character of the albums didn't accept so well by some of his fans.
Musical retrospective Shot of Love was released in the springtime of 1981 but met only negative appreciation by critic.

During his life, he engaged in many public appearances, which were organized helping to some groups of people in the world (for example Live Aid concert in 1985).
He went through more music styles, such as country, rock and roll and also rap. In 1988, Bob Dylan went into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Bob Dylan is author, songwriter, singer, musician and poet in the same person.

New decade and new Awards. In 1991 he went into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame and he celebrated it by tour with Santana.

Next year he became to country style and recorded two albums with old folk and blues songs (Good as I Been to You – 1992, World Gone Wrong - 1993) 25 years after famous Woodstock Festival, he brought Woodstock 94.

As 80's, also 90's were rich on albums (Good as I Been to You – 1992, World Gone Wrong – 1993, Time Out of Mind), songs and other activities around the music. He collaborated with many interprets (Mike Seeger, Daniel Lanois, Michael Bolton, Ralph Stanley, Paul Simon, etc.).

In 1997 president of US Bill Clinton presented Bob Dylan in the East Room of the White House.

In 1998 he made duet with bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley on song The Lonesome River and in the middle of next year he traveled on tour with Paul Simon. He recorded album Self Portrait and finished these 90's by movie Paradise Cove by Robert Clapsaddle (role of Alfred the Chaffeur).


Forever Young


Lay Lady Lay


Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Bob Dylan & Eric Clapton

Bob Dylan – Icon of many music styles II

     In 1961 he leaved this town and went to New York and visited the musical icon Woody Guthrie, who was in hospital in New Jersey. The days of life of Woody were going to finish. Woody was great inspiration for Bob. Such as later Dylan said "You could listen to his songs and actually learn how to live." In hospital Dylan met Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and they became friends.

During year, Bob played at various clubs; in July he presented himself in radio, in program "Saturday of Folk Music". He got public recognition when The New York Times published positive review by critic Robert Shelton. In September, he was invited by folk singer Carolyn Hester to play on harmonica on her album. This helped Dylan to sing contract with Columbia Records (John Hammond from that recording company listened him during recording Hester's album).

In 1962 Dylan recorded album Bob Dylan. There were folk, blues, gospel and also own songs. Maybe that does why he was unknown interpret; the album had little impact (only 5000 copies were sold). Columbia wanted to finish the contract, but Hammond and Johnny Cash ranged oneself with Bob. The contract continued and Bob recorded many songs. Someone of them was recorded under pseudonym Blind Boy Grunt.

In 1962 he changed his name to Robert Dylan and signed contract with Albert Grossman, who was his manager to 1970.

The second album was recorded in 1963, its name was The Freewheeling' Bob Dylan. Bob presented himself as singer and songwriter. Many songs from this album were protest songs, the most famous was Blowin'in the Wind. Apropos, this album inspired also The Beatles.
Other famous songs from that album were A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall and Lord Randall. Dylan had been introduced as singer with accompanied acoustic guitar.

Bob didn't train his voice and his voice had unusual sound, it was that why he was different from other singers.

He met Joan Baez, who became his lover and advocate. She helped him with career. Some other interprets (The Turtles, The Byrds, The Hollies, etc.) singed and recorded his songs, but nobody coudn't sing his songs like himself.

In 1963 he engaged in civil rights movement, he sing at rallies, he presented on BBC television. In the same year he had conflict with media: He recorded new album, The Times They Are a-Changin' (famous songs were Ballad of Hollis Brown, North Country Blues, Boots of Spanish Leather, One Too Many Mornings, Brechtian, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol, etc.).

Next album (Another Side of Bob Dylan) was already next year. In this album you can feel rock and roll came to dominate in his music. He moved from folk scene to rock and roll. Also he changed his look and wardrobe.

Year 1965 was very rich on his activities: He started to use electric guitar. He recorded album Bringing It All Back Home, single Subterranean Homesick Blues, music video Don’t Look Back. He went to tour in England, recorded album B side, with maybe one of the most known song Mr. Tambourine Man, he had controversial presentation in Newport, other single (Like a Rolling Stone – got No 2 in US and No 4 in UK charts).

This song Like a Rolling Stone became number one on Rolling Stone magazine of its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

In 1966 Dylan agreed to record in Nashville (also Nashville is name of the city. Who doesn't know, Nashville is like Mecca of country music). Here had met great sessions, which produced the album Blonde on Blonde.

Many critics say three albums from 60's (Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde) were great cultural achievements of that century.

Year 1965 was successful not only in Dylan's professional life, but also in private. He married Sara Lownds.

Next year he traveled on world tour in Europe and Australia, when every his shows consisted of two parts – in the first he singed and played on acoustic guitar and harmonica, in the second backed by band The Hawks he singed and played high voltage electric music.
In this year, his first child Jesse Byron Dylan was born.

After tour he returned to US, especially to New York. The pressures on him increased, his manager had to prepared schedule of new concert tour, his publisher waited for his manuscript of novel. This period was hard for him, accordingly he had motorcycle crash and he broke several vertebrae in his neck. This accident showed him, what is important in his life and got change to leave that pressures for 18 months.

During this time he resumed his work, he started to edit his film from his tour in 1966, recorded with The Hawks many of his old and new songs. Many of these songs were compiled in five CD The Genuine Basement Tapes.

The Hawks renamed to The Band and recorded independent album Music from Big Pink and started their own successful career.

In October 1967 Bob Dylan returned to Nashville and recorded his first album after motorcycle accident. The name was John Wesley Harding.

Twenty month after Woody Guthrie death (on October 3, 1967), Bob made live concert at Guthrie memory.

The album Nashville Skyline brought duet with Johnny Cash and the hit single Lay Lady Lay.


Like A Rolling Stone


Knockin' On Heaven's Door


Hurricane

Bob Dylan – Icon of many music styles I.

     He inspired by his unique music, where he is interpret, author, guitar player, player on electronic mouth harmonica and strange looks in same time. A lot of interprets was inspired by him. Thanks to him, phenomenal guitar player Jim Hendrix decided to start sing. He inspired Mick Jagger,Madonna and Michael Jackson, in folk style for example Joan Baez, band Frames.

Somebody say, Bob Dylan has croaking voice, which nourish soft poetry. When he sing, sometimes he doesn’t finished some phrases and started with another and he does it again and again. He switches between sing, harmonica and other instruments.
Same as Chuck Berry, Bob swing rock’n roll authors, interprets and bands (Beatles, Jim Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Donovan, etc.).

He was born on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota US. It isn’t interesting that his grand parents came from Europe. Many grand parents of people, who are inhabitants of US, came from this continent. Why is it so? After 1492, when Christopher Columbus had found America, there came people to create a new life. (Try to see History of country). His father’s grandfather came from Russian Empire after anti-Semitic pogroms) and grandmother came from Turkey. Both immigrated to US in 1905. His mother’s grand parents (they were also Jews) came from Lithuania to US in 1902.

His origin name is Robert Allen Zimmerman. (My uncle is Zimmerman too, but I don’t think that Bob Dylan is my family. It’s only small interest.)

He spent his childhood in Duluth and Hibbing. During his youth, he listened much time the radio, blues and country stations, later rock and roll. During the study in high school, he formed the music band named The Shadow Blasters. The band has short life, but his next band named The Golden Chords played popular songs.

Bob registered at University in Minnesota in 1959. His words about his beginning in folk music: "The first thing that turned me onto folk singing was Odetta. I heard a record of hers in a record store. Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar, a flattop Gibson. The thing about rock'n roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough... There were great catch phrases and driving pulse rhythms...but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew, that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings."

He started to interested in Dinky town folk music. With local folk enthusiasts. During this day he introduced himself as Bob Dylan. Why this name? The name Dylan came from name of Dylan Thomas, who was poet. Every time I thought, Bob is derivate from the name Robert, but it isn't true. Bob is from popular music in that time, there were Bobbies.

He finished his college in the end of freshman year and started to work in Minneapolis.


Mr. Tambourine Man


Blowin' In the Wind


House Of The Rising Sun

Jiří Grossmann

     Maybe he isn't so known, but everybody in this area known his songs.

     He was born in Jule 20, 1941 in Prague. His colleges said everytime he was very civil-spoken and sensible person, not able to vulgar communication or curses.
     Already as small child he started to learn to play on instruments, especially on piano. In the school he played on guitar. It's interesting he had able to play almost on any musical instrument. During study period, he conducted school orchestra and ahead of school-leaving exam he presented himself in some amateurish group. He played there on trombone and contrabass.
     During study on University (Architectural Faculty - 1958-62) he was song writer and composer, record as actor and singer in Karkulce (Karlín kultural cabaret), later in clubs Olympic and Sluníčko.
     From 1962 he was engaged in Plzeň, later in Army Art Group. Here he met his future's college Miloslav Šimek and they created never to be forgotten autor and actor duet.
     Suchý a Šlitr engage them in SEMAFOR. Success brought their presentation humor scripts. All program consistent of scripts and songs of Naďa Urbánková, Věra Křesadlová, Miluše Voborníková, Pavel Bobek, Jiří Helekal, Jozef Laufer etc.
     He sang many classic songs, for example Gimmi Det Ding (Gimmi Det Ding), Pupákova píseň lásky (Pupak's love song) with Miluše Voborníková, Drahý můj (Dear John) with Naďa Urbánková, José (Jose), Vzdálené bubny (The Distant Drums), Jako kotě si příst(Too Many Chiefs Not Enough Indians), Blizard (Blizzard), Své banjo odhazuji v dál (I Throw My Banjo Away), Oh, Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát (Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town), Skála (We Shall Not Be Moved), Svatební průvod (Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night)), Má dívka N (Ann), Houston (Houston), Čekej tiše (He'll Have To Go), Ano, pane Jiří (Yes, Mr. Peters), Vzdálené bubny (The Distant Drums), Závidím (I Yellow; Il ragazzo della Via Gluck) etc.
     His life was unfortunately very soon finished malign decease (Hodgkin's lymphoma) in December 5, 1971 (exactly 2 years later as Jiří Šlitr).
     On funeral many people came to say Good Bye to him. Singer Naďa Urbánková sang his song Závidím (Grossmann mummy ask her for it). This song was written by Jiří Grossmann when he had already known his end is coming. The part of this song is in his gravestone: „Vždyť já chci jen žít, jak žít se má ...“ (Well, I only want to live, live as to be}.

     Today, there is remind of his memory one Prague theatre on Václav square and one Prague passage. This name was got by Miloslav Šimek, who continue with Luďek Sobota and later with Jiří Krampol, unfortunately without Grossmann nobleness.

     His deathlessnes insure mainly by his great short story and shows with Miloslav Šimek. These stories came folk and sometime we forget that he was famous song writer.
     He played in some films (Crime in a Music Hall, Visiting Day of Miloslav Simek and Jiri Grossmann, Visiting Day No.2-6).

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Závidím


Drahý můj


Vzdálené bubny


Blizard