Bob Dylan - "License to Kill"

With the latest release from the Bob Dylan archives 'Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985)' I had mixed feelings until I actually played it. The mixed feelings was that it was a period of Dylan's music that I haven't revisited much at all over the last decade or so. The releases that this volume covers is 1981’s Shot of Love, 1983’s Infidels, and 1985’s Empire Burlesque. 'Infidels' was easily my favourite of the three but 'Empire Burlesque' was an album I thought may have sounded a bit dated now but hearing the outtakes was actually enjoyable and worth revisiting it. But back to 'Infidels', which was released in 1983 and was his first secular release since the christian trilogy of 'Slow Train Coming', 'Saved' and 'Shot of Love'. It was produced by Mark Knopfler and featured his guitar skills, guitarist Mick Taylor (yes, the former Rolling Stones one), keyboardist Alan Clark, bassist Robbie Shakespeare, and drummer Sly Dunbar (Sly and Robbie). As you can see from that line up of guests - the chances of something great was very high and it delivered. Surprisingly, an outtake of "License to Kill" wasn't on the 'Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985)' album, although a live version from the David Letterman Show was included on the 5th disc of the deluxe 5-CD version. But Bob Dylan recently released this video from the 'Infidels' sessions at The Power Station studio in New York to make up for the loss.

"Isis" - Bob Dylan

The other day, during my day job, which I won't get into right now, a customer came in and I requested an order number or a name as a reference, she replied with her name, which was Isis. "Really? Bob Dylan has a song called Isis" I replied.... I can't control my music nerd-ness sometimes. Anyway, she said "I was named after that song". Fucking brilliant! It made my day. I don't even know her parents but I know they are the coolest parents on this planet. And maybe they love Bob Dylan's 'Desire' album more than I do. She may even have a sister called Sara.

Bob Dylan - Isis (1976) from Freddy Batman on Vimeo.

Bob Dylan - "Scarlet Town"

Bob Dylan's 35th album 'Tempest' was released recently and I'm happy to say, as you probably already know, he is still on a roll. Okay, it's not quite another 'Highway 61 Revisited' or 'Blonde On Blonde' but it is up there with 'Time Out Of Mind', in my opinion. On "Scarlet Town" Bob Dylan has added banjo and fiddle to the acoustic guitar and piano. It has such a beautiful melody and even the late period Dylan croaky vocals add to the beauty. He is one of the very few veteran rock stars that doesn't live off the past... he is much more about the present. Legend!!

Bob Dylan - "Motorpsycho Nitemare"

"Motorpsycho Nitemare" is classic Bob Dylan wit. Released in 1964 on his 'Another Side of Bob Dylan' album it is as close as he got to a parody, in a time of protest songs. The parody here is the Hitchcock movie 'Psycho'. The protagonist is a traveling salesman who finds a farmhouse as a place to spend the night. His plan is not so straightforward when the farmer opens the door with a rifle in hand. He tells the farmer he is a doctor and is allowed to stay on two conditions... he milks the cow in the morning and he stays clear of his daughter Rita. It goes horribly wrong when Rita invites him to shower with her. In the end, to get out of milking the cow and off the farm, he tells the farmer how much he likes Fidel Castro, to which he gets chased off the property by the farmer in a rage. It is a hilarious tale in a style that only Bob Dylan could deliver. The Psycho references are everywhere.... from the "looking like Tony Perkins" line, the offer of a shower with the reply of "been through this movie before" and the mention of being in the swamp without the freedom of speech... the swamp was where Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) dumped the car with the body after the famous shower scene murder. This was early on in a career that went from height to height.

Bob Dylan - "Sara"

It was 1976 and Bob Dylan was going through another artistic high or resurgence after his iconic 60's output. He had only just released 'Blood on the Tracks' a year earlier and now with the release of 'Desire' he was back at his best again. I was a big fan of 'Desire' and it was my first vinyl purchase before I went through his back catalogue. The recording of 'Desire' was at a chaotic period for Dylan with the huge array of collaborators and friends that came through the sessions and subsequently the 'Rolling Thunder Revue' tour that followed. The guests included musicians such as Scarlet Rivera on violin, Emmylou Harris on backing vocals and while the sessions started off with up to five guitarists in the studio, including Eric Clapton, they were narrowed down to a band of session musicians... although, the Rolling Thunder Revue tour was full of additional guests. The final result of 'Desire' was an album unlike any other Dylan record. The violin was prominent and the song styles varied and there was a strong folk presence but this time more frivolous at times but on the serious subjects he still had that protest singer's sharp tongue... which was prevalent in 'Hurricane". 'Sara" was a tribute to his wife Sara (Lownds) and it was written when the marriage was on shaky ground... they had already experienced a separation a year earlier. Sara apparently turned up in the studio when Dylan sang it... in what was then a serenade, with her sudden appearance. This song was Bob Dylan's attempt to reconcile with his wife and it worked. Well, it supposedly bought him another year or so with his wife until they finally divorced. This has to be the greatest love song ever written. His most soul baring and heart wrenching moment. In fact, his whole fucking soul is in this song.