Hey check out my review of Bob Dylan’s new album, Rough And Rowdy Ways on With Just A Hint Of Mayhem.
“Today and tomorrow and yesterday, too The flowers are dying like all things do” Thus begins Bob Dylan’s 39th studio album. His first of new material …
‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ – Bob Dylan
It was reported by the BBC today that Bob Dylan has just broken the record for oldest artist to have a number one album of new, original material in the UK. This is great new for Dylan & his fans. It also comes hot on the heels of his first US Billboard chart number one, with the fantastic new single Murder Most Foul.
At 79 years old, Dylan has overtaken previous record holder, Paul Simon, who hit the top spot in 2006, at the age of 74, with Stranger To Stranger. Dame Vera Lynne holds the record for oldest artist to have a number one album with her 2009 greatest hit’s collection, We’ll Meet Again. She was 92. Maybe in 13 years time, Dylan can beat her too.
This is a significant achievement & I’m happy for DYlan. Check out this great animated lyric video for Dylan’s most recent single, False Prophet.
And while we’re on the topic of Bob Dylan, he’s just uploaded this video to his YouTube channel. An alternative take of If Not For You.
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Day 16. Blues influenced Folk singer Huddie William Ledbetter, aka Lead Belly, is one of the most important musicians in American Folk music. Perhaps best known in contemporary times for Nirvana’s cover of his Wheer Did You Sleep Last Night?, Lead Belly wrote or adapted a great deal of songs which have become Blues & Folk standards today. Midnight Special, Goodnight Irene, Pick A Bale Of Cotton & many more.
Well, you wake up in the mornin’, you hear the work bell ring
And they march you to the table, you see the same old thing
Ain’t no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan
But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the manLet the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin’ light on meYonder come miss Rosie, how in the world did you know?
By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand
She come to see the governor, she want to free her manLet the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin’ light on meIf you’re ever in Houston, well, you better do the right
You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down
The next thing you know, boy, oh, you’re prison boundLet the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin’ light on meLet the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin’ light on me
Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (BLM) Spotify playlist?
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Day 14. There’s a fair argument to be made that Jimi Hendrix was probably the most influential musician of the mid-20th century. His incendiary brand of guitar playing & the gritty, aggressive sonic textures he was able to wring from his instrument were pioneering & went on to inspire pretty much all modern Rock music. Many will dismiss this and say that the Kinks (or any number of other musicians) used distortion on their guitars, but that wholly fails to understand what it was about Hendrix’s sound that was so unique. It wasn’t just distorted, it was sustained & loose. It felt like Hendrix was guiding it rather than playing it. It sounded effortless & made generations of Rock fans a) want to play guitar & b) be massively underwhelmed by their own lack of ability.
Purple Haze is a funk inflected Blues Rock stomper. Waves of harmonic distortion crash against “blues & Eastern modalities” (Wikipedia). The psychedelic connotations which many fans & critics ascribed to the lyrics were brushed aside by Hendrix, who described Purple Haze as a “love song”.
Check out this live version from his set at the Atlanta Pop Festival, 1970. The same set where he played his famous rendition of the US national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. To quote someone from the comments (with the respectable username Spongeboob 69): “His playing is so effortless he probably finds walking harder”.
Purple haze, all in my brain
Lately things they don’t seem the same
Actin’ funny, but I don’t know why
Excuse me while I kiss the skyPurple haze, all around
Don’t know if I’m comin’ up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
What ever it is, that girl put a spell on meHelp me
Help me
Oh, no, noOoh, ah
Ooh, ah
Ooh, ah
Ooh, ah, yeah!Purple haze all in my eyes
Don’t know if it’s day or night
You got me blowin’, blowin’ my mind
Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?Ooh
Help me
Ahh, yeah, yeah, purple haze
Oh, no, oh
Oh, help me
Tell me, tell me, purple haze
I can’t go on like this
(Purple haze) you’re makin’ me blow my mind
Purple haze, n-no, no
(Purple haze)
Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (BLM) Spotify playlist?
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Day 4. Legendary guitarist & blues singer Robert Johnson is the main protagonist of one of the most enduring legends in American mythology. The tale goes that he met The Devil at a crossroads at midnight. He handed The Devil his guitar & The Devil tuned it for him. From that day forth, the guitar would stay magically in tune & Johnson’s guitar playing would be almost supernatural in ability. Various myths tell of how he was a terrible guitar player who the other blues singers laughed at. He went away & came back with amazing ability. His death, at the age of 27, is thought to have been him paying the price of his faustian Deal.
I have chosen Come On In My Kitchen for no other reason than it is my favourite Robert Johnson song. If you haven’t heard it before, you should definitely give it a listen. There’s a strong argument to be made for Robert Johnson & his contemporaries being the fathers of pretty much all modern music.
Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm
Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmmYou better come on in my kitchen
Well, it’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoors
Ah, the woman I love, took from my best friend
Some joker got lucky, stole her back again
You better come on in my kitchen
It’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoorsOh, she’s gone, I know she won’t come back
I’ve taken the last nickel out of her nation sack
You better come on in my kitchen
It’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoors
Oh, can’t you hear that wind howl?
Oh, can’t you hear that wind would howl?
You better come on in my kitchen
Well, it’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoorsWhen a woman gets in trouble, everybody throws her down
Lookin’ for her good friend, none can be found
You better come on in my kitchenBabe, it’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoors
Wintertime’s comin’, it’s gon’ be slow
You can’t make the winter, babe, that’s dry, long, so
You better come on in my kitchen, ’cause it’s goin’ to be rainin’ outdoors
Want to listen to some great music? Check out the Song of the Day (BLM) playlist on Spotify.
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Scruffy Theory 