Bob Dylan All the Songs
Page 89
This Dream Of You
Bob Dylan / 5:54
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Mike Campbell: guitar; David Hidalgo: accordion; Donnie Herron: violin, steel guitar; Tony Garnier: upright bass; George G. Receli: drums / Recording Studio: Dave’s Room, Hollywood, California: October 2008 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Production
“This Dream of You” is the only song on the album written exclusively by Bob Dylan. Who does the narrator ask, “How long can I stay in this nowhere café / ’fore night turns into day?” These words in the refrain shed light: “All I have and all I know / Is this dream of you / Which keeps me living on.” God is present and, as always, haunting. Thus, the line of the second verse, “There’s a moment when all old things / Become new again,” is an allusion to Ecclesiastes (1:9): “What has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again, and there is nothing new under the sun.”
In this song, Dylan steps back from folk songs and the blues. He composes instead a romantic, pop-soul masterpiece. He told Bill Flanagan, “Only a few of those radio ballads still hold up and most of them have Doc Pomus’ hand in them. ‘Spanish Harlem,’ ‘Save the Last Dance for Me,’ ‘Little Sister’… a few others. Those were fantastic songs. Doc was a soulful cat. If you said there was a little bit of him in ‘This Dream of You,’ I would take it as a compliment.”67
“This Dream of You” proves once again the eclecticism that characterizes Dylan’s most recent albums. No longer are his records composed of songs in just one style. This romantic tune is tinged with Mexican and Cajun overtones. Donnie Herron probably plays violin and steel guitar. Dylan sings with a very moving voice, with Willie DeVille’s intonations.
FOR DYLANOLOGISTS
Bob Dylan was inspired by the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The line “Shadows dance upon the wall” is drawn from Coleridge’s poem “A Day-Dream.”
Shake Shake Mama
Bob Dylan / Robert Hunter / 3:37
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, organ, guitar (?); Mike Campbell: guitar; David Hidalgo: guitar; Donnie Herron: steel guitar; Tony Garnier: upright bass; George G. Receli: drums / Recording Studio: Dave’s Room, Hollywood, California: October 2008 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Production
Blues singer Robert Brown, known as Washboard Sam, recorded “Do That Shake Dance.” Mance Lipscomb recorded “Shake Shake Mama” on November 26, 1964, as his own composition (Conversation with the Blues by Paul Oliver, 1965). Dylan wrote his version in collaboration with Robert Hunter. There are no hidden meanings in this song. The intent is to come back to the core values of the blues. Paradoxically, Dylan has so far never performed “Shake Shake Mama” onstage. The songwriter makes no concessions while performing this pure blues song. No accordion, no violin, just musicians who sound like a garage band. Saturated guitars, hypnotic riff on slide, heavy drums, and Dylan delivering his vocal with a cracked voice—so authentic. With this simplicity in the interpretation and the depth of the groove, “Shake Shake Mama” is one of the best tracks on Together Through Life.
I Feel A Change Comin’ On
Bob Dylan / Robert Hunter / 5:25
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, organ; Mike Campbell: guitar; David Hidalgo: accordion; Donnie Herron: guitar (?); Tony Garnier: bass; George G. Receli: drums / Recording Studio: Dave’s Room, Hollywood, California: October 2008 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Production
After listening to “Ain’t No God in Mexico” by Billy Joe Shaver, Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics of “I Feel a Change Comin’ On.” In the penultimate verse, he even sings “I’m listening to Billy Joe Shaver / And I’m reading James Joyce / Some people they tell me / I got the blood of the land in my voice.” The name of James Joyce was just a Celtic touch, as Dylan told Douglas Brinkley: “Tying Billy Joe with James Joyce. I think subliminally or astrologically those two names just wanted to be combined.”166 The narrator is “[l]ooking far off into the East” and he “feel[s] a change coming on.” What change is he referring to? Dylan and Hunter leave the listener to decide. Each refrain ends, “And the fourth part of the day is already gone,” which may be a reference to the book of Nehemiah (9:1–3), “The book of the law of the Lord their God was read for one-fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and did obeisance to the Lord their God.”
“I Feel a Change Comin’ On” is an excellent slow rock song with an irresistible groove, provided by the talented George G. Receli and Tony Garnier. The accordion again brings a Cajun tone so important to Dylan. Mike Campbell performs two magnificent solos (3:21 and 4:56). The songwriter plays organ and provides an excellent vocal performance with “the blood of the land in his voice,” as he himself says in his lyrics.
FOR DYLANOLOGISTS
Is this song a tribute to Sam Cooke? Dylan performed “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Cooke at the concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on March 28, 2004, where Cooke performed in February 1963.
It’s All Good
Bob Dylan / Robert Hunter / 5:28
Musicians
Bob Dylan: vocals, organ, guitar (?)
Mike Campbell: guitar
David Hidalgo: accordion
Donnie Herron: steel guitar
Tony Garnier: upright bass
George G. Receli: drums
Recording Studio
Dave’s Room, Hollywood, California: October 2008
Technical Team
Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan)
Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Lyrics
Bob Dylan gives another example of his ability to portray a world on the verge of crumbling. With “It’s All Good,” Dylan, with the assistance of Robert Hunter, returns to his apocalyptic images of the 1960s, as seen in certain lines of each verse: “Big politician telling lies,” “Wives are leavin’ their husbands,” “Some of them so sick, they can hardly stand,” “The widow’s cry,” “Cold-blooded killer.” What is this world in which the narrator lives? A world of disinformation. It is a harsh argument that Dylan uses to belittle all arrogant narcissists, all (pretentious) elites who constantly say, “It’s all good.” Another interpretation is possible: the narrator, who says, “I’ll pluck off your beard and blow it in your face,” has lost his mind. What he therefore describes is just pure fantasy, unless it is society that has brought on his dementia.
Production
Dylan’s album ends with a blues song dominated by a riff played on accordion and steel guitar. The tension is palpable. The songwriter uses intonations reminiscent of Muddy Waters. His voice is sententious, above the crowds. Dylan, who had self-produced his previous two albums, likes the blend of acoustic (drums played with brushes, bass, acoustic guitar, accordion) and electric instruments (guitars, organ). Admittedly, the result is compelling and was favorably received by the critics and the public.
Dylan said that the title “It’s All Good” came to mind because he heard people around him repeating this catchy phrase all day long. What is certain is that by listening to the greatest blues performers for so many years, Dylan has grasped how to capture their spirit using his incomparable talent. He played “It’s All Good” in concert for the first time on October 31, 2009, in Chicago.
Christmas
In The Heart
Here Comes Santa Claus
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Winter Wonderland
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Little Drummer Boy
The Christmas Blues
O’ Come All Ye Faithfull (Adeste Fideles)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Must Be Santa
Silver Bells
The First Noel
Christmas Island
The Christmas Song
O’ Little Town Of Beth
lehem
DATE OF RELEASE
October 13, 2009
on Columbia Records
(REFERENCE COLUMBIA 88697 57323 2 [CD] / 88697 57323 1 [LP])
Christmas in the Heart:
Dylan’s Holiday Album
The Album
Only a few days separate the recording of Christmas in the Heart and the release of Together Through Life. Bob Dylan had thought about devoting an entire album to hymns and Christmas carols for a long time, perhaps seeking the same challenge as Frank Sinatra (Christmas Songs by Sinatra [1948], A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra [1957]) and Elvis Presley (Elvis Christmas [1957], Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas [1971]).
In an interview with Bill Flanagan in 2009, Dylan said, “It was my record company who compelled me to do it,” after saying, “The idea was first brought to me by Walter Yetnikoff, back when he was president of Columbia Records [1975–1990].”167 The idea gradually made its way to the forefront. In 1983, during the sessions for Infidels, Dylan recorded a version of “Silent Night” with Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor on guitar. Then, during the American tour in the fall of 2001, he played several Christmas carols during sound checks. Then again in 2006, as host of the radio program Theme Time Radio Hour, he broadcast different Christmas songs, including “Poor Old Rudolph” by the Bellrays, “Truckin’ Trees for Christmas” by Red Simpson, and “Santa Claus” by Sonny Boy Williamson.
Childhood Memories
In May 2009, Dylan took the step of releasing Christmas in the Heart with fifteen songs, including four pure Christmas carols. The eleven other songs are in the Christmas tradition. As he told Bill Flanagan, “These songs are part of my life, just like folk songs. You have to play them straight too.”167 With one exception, perhaps: for “Must Be Santa” he adapted the version of a Texas polka band called Brave Combo.
Overall, the atmosphere is the same, one that refers back to the songwriter’s childhood in Minnesota, with “plenty of snow, jingle bells, Christmas carolers going from house to house, sleighs in the streets, town bells ringing, nativity plays.”
With Christmas in the Heart, Dylan makes a double homage: to the Christian tradition (although he came from a Jewish family in Duluth that did not celebrate Christmas) and to American popular music. Most of the songs on the album were previously recorded by the most famous crooners: “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Winter Wonderland” by Elvis Presley; “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Silver Bells,” and “The First Noel” by Bing Crosby; “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem” by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra (among others); “The Christmas Blues” by Dean Martin; “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra; and “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole.
Thus, it is a true exercise in style that the creator of “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone” makes this his thirty-fourth studio album, certainly the most atypical one of his entire discography. Christmas in the Heart was available in stores on October 13, 2009. The album ranked number 1 on the Billboard Holiday and Folk Album charts. More surprisingly, Christmas in the Heart reached number 9 on the Billboard Rock Album charts and number 23 on the US Billboard Top 200 Album charts. However, outside the United States, with the exception of Norway (fifth place), the album was not as successful: number 37 in Germany, 40 in the United Kingdom, and 119 in France. Dylan did not receive a penny from the sales. All royalties benefited the humanitarian organizations Feeding America in the United States, Crisis in the United Kingdom, and the World Food Program.
The Album Cover
The cover was designed by Coco Shinomiya, who had already worked on Together Through Life. The sleeve features an antique print reworked by Visual Language. On the back sleeve, the illustration is by Edwin Fotheringham (T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello) and represents the Magi, also referred to as the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings, who visited Jesus after his birth, guided by the star of Bethlehem. The inner sleeve features a black-and-white photograph by Leonard Freed representing an orchestra of four Santa Clauses. On the back sleeve, there is also a beautiful drawing by the talented Olivia De Berardinis picturing the famous pinup queen Bettie Page dressed as Mrs. Claus and titled Stocking Stuffer.
The Recording
Dylan self-produced this album, again under the pseudonym Jack Frost. Two new musicians joined as members of his road band. The first was the excellent guitarist Phil Upchurch, who had played with bluesmen such as Otis Rush and Jimmy Reed and had recorded with jazz musicians including Woody Herman, Stan Getz, and Quincy Jones. The second was the keyboardist Patrick Warren, who, among many artists, had played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks, and Joe Cocker. The other musicians were former members of Dylan’s road band, Tony Garnier, George G. Receli, Donnie Herron, and David Hidalgo.
The recording features backup singers, including Amanda Barrett, Bill Cantos, Randy Crenshaw, Abby DeWald, Nicole Eva Emery, Walt Harrah, and Robert Joyce. The sound engineer, David Bianco, also worked on Together Through Life. The recording sessions took place in May 2009 at Groove Masters, Jackson Browne’s private studio in Santa Monica, equipped with a Neve 8078 console automation system.
Here Comes Santa Claus
Gene Autry / Oakley Haldeman / 2:36
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Phil Upchurch: guitar; David Hidalgo: guitar; Donnie Herron: steel guitar; Patrick Warren: celesta; Tony Garnier: bass; George G. Receli: drums, percussion; Amanda Barrett, Bill Cantos, Randy Crenshaw, Abby DeWald, Nicole Eva Emery, Walt Harrah, and Robert Joyce: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Groove Masters, Santa Monica, California: May 2009 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Production
Gene Autry, also known as the singing cowboy, had the idea for this song (Oakley Haldeman wrote the music) after participating in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. In 1947, the song reached number 5 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Following this success, the tune was covered by numerous performers. The most popular were Elvis Presley (Elvis Christmas) and Gene Autry (A Gene Autry Christmas).
“Here Comes Santa Claus” is the opener of the album, and Dylan plunges us into a Christmas world with this hit, which he interprets in a rather curious way: sometimes close to a cartoon voice, sometimes rasp, but ultimately touching. Accompanied by great musicians, the author of “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” takes listeners to a joyous parallel universe. Dylan’s version remains close to hits of the genre: bells, celesta, and excellent backup singers. Dylan as Santa Claus? It is a very good surprise.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Gloria Shayne Baker / Noël Regney / 3:03
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Phil Upchurch: guitar; David Hidalgo: guitar, violin (?); Donnie Herron: violin; Patrick Warren: piano, organ, celesta; Tony Garnier: upright bass; George G. Receli: drums / Recording Studio: Groove Masters, Santa Monica, California: May 2009 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Production
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is a special kind of Christmas carol. The song was written in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which could have become a nuclear apocalypse. The lyrics are by Noël Regney and the music by his wife, Gloria Shayne Baker. This plea for peace was originally recorded by the Harry Simeone Chorale, selling a quarter million copies during the 1962 Christmas holiday season. The following year Bing Crosby released his version. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” was covered by numerous artists. Dylan’s version remains quite faithful to Bing Crosby’s rendition. The rather martial rhythm is highlighted by George G. Receli on snare drum and probably David Hidalgo on classical guitar. The arrangements fit the style of the piece, even if the excellent Phil Upchurch does not hesitate to play some bluesy phrases on electric guitar. As for Dylan, his voice is still rocky and closer to the distincti
ve tone of Tom Waits than to Bing Crosby, but he delivers a superb interpretation with amazing candor.
Winter Wonderland
Felix Bernard / Richard B. Smith / 1:53
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Phil Upchurch: guitar; David Hidalgo: violin, guitar (?); Donnie Herron: steel guitar, violin; Patrick Warren: piano, celesta; Tony Garnier: upright bass; George G. Receli: drums, percussion; Amanda Barrett, Abby DeWald, and Nicole Eva Emery: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Groove Masters, Santa Monica, California: May 2009 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: David Bianco
Genesis and Production
“Winter Wonderland” resulted from the 1932 collaboration between conductor Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard B. Smith, who wrote the text while he was in the West Mountain Sanitarium in Scranton, Pennsylvania, being treated for tuberculosis. Possibly from his bedroom window, he heard a bird singing a love song and saw where he could build a snowman. More than two hundred artists added the song to their Christmas repertoire, including Guy Lombardo, Johnny Mercer, Perry Como, Dean Martin, and Elvis Presley. Dylan’s version is a true and happy surprise. His deep voice magically transports us to the snowy fields of Pennsylvania.