This is what happens when people have too much money.
They distort not only the legal system, they tear the basic fabric of our country apart.
We revere the rich, believing they made it upon hard work, but the truth is not only do they have educational and family advantages, they bend the rules repeatedly to win. Meanwhile, they tell everybody else to just pick themselves up by their bootstraps so they too can succeed, which is utter hogwash. If you think Trump made his money by being honest and forthright you have no idea how business works, you can’t handle the truth.
Thiel is a guy who wants to eviscerate college, create a unique layer of super-tech titans, and have you pay fealty all the while. At least, unlike the bankers, his fortune is predicated upon the establishment of useful ventures, but now he wants to wag the tail of the dog, run the rest of us, and that’s not right.
And speaking of fortunes, what is PayPal worth if we don’t use it?
Think about that, we’re sheep headed to slaughter. We protested in the sixties and we’re all about eviscerating unions in the twenty first century. We demonize immigrants, we think everybody’s standing in our way, not knowing the game is rigged and the only way to wield power is to join together, but we’re so busy bullying each other, pushing each other DOWN the greased ladder, desirous of reaching the heights, that we can’t see that there’s a gap in the structure, there are no steps to the top, those who’ve reached the pinnacle have no intention of letting us get there. Whether it’s fat cats in Malibu flaunting a law that gives the public access to their beaches or their brethren avoiding taxes, there’s a giant middle finger pointed at the middle class, meanwhile these “icons” get fawning press and adoration.
That’s what pissed off Peter Thiel, bad press. It’s like the guy never had a loss, like he was entitled to sunshine, lollipops and rainbows till the end of time. But that’s not how life works, you experience the hard knocks and try to cope. And it used to be that money couldn’t help with most of the travails.
But today some people have so much money it’s tilted the playing field. Hell, the Kochs just got a LAW SCHOOL named in their honor. The little people, the academics, raised a ruckus, but they were no match for the cash, which Koch had donated. This serial polluter who has silently financed candidates and made you believe there’s a plethora of tea partiers out there who resent the status quo when the truth is it’s the fat cats who incited the far right.
And for every corporation that refuses to do business in Georgia or North Carolina because of social policy, there are scores who are leaving states based on taxes and fighting regulation tooth and nail. It’s little different from a narco building soccer fields while torching not only his enemies, but the general public caught in the crossfire.
“Gawker” breaks the law, sue ’em. We have a First Amendment, if it’s breached the enterprise is liable. But the law says if someone’s a public figure all is fair game unless it’s printed with malicious aforethought, and truth is an absolute defense. And Peter Thiel IS gay. So there’s nothing to be said, there’s no liability for “Valleywag,” and it’s tough noogies. But it’s not, because this dude needed revenge. As if Nick Denton ran society. Hell, politicos and execs laugh at the “New York Times,” it’s amazing how the Grey Lady can be manipulated, what it doesn’t know, and that’s the most important media outlet in the world! You ignore bad press and let it go. Furthermore, isn’t all press good press?
No one likes Nick Denton. Certainly not before his recent relationship and attendant mellowing. His enterprise is worth many fewer zeros than those of the titans. But he’s got a right to exist, and isn’t it the right, and ultimately the job, of the press to keep the playing field even?
Most people didn’t care that “Valleywag” outed Peter Thiel. But they did care about the Hulk Hogan case, because it was paraded all over the news, especially the trial. Despicable people doing despicable things. But that’s America, where the sideshow is the main show. This case would have gotten no traction without Thiel’s backing. Because that’s how the system works. It’s about deep pockets and access to money and before some had BILLIONS the system worked okay.
But now it’s been distorted. And to see others come out and defend Thiel makes me puke. Is this how far we’ve come? That a “wronged’ guy bends the system to his own will? This is more like Russia than the United States, where oligarchs rule until Putin grabs power and pushes them down.
We’ve all been pushed down in America. Our only hope is the media, artists and us. The media has to keep the transgressors accountable. The artists have to speak the truth. And we have to stand together, with a backbone, for what’s right, knowing without our dollars, without our spending power, the whole system grinds to a halt.
Instead, the press prints glowing reviews of everybody with a buck, they’re the ones who built up not only Trump, but every Silicon Valley “disrupter.” And the artists just want what the billionaires have, meanwhile partaking of their goodies along the way, not only the private plane trips, but the overcompensated private gigs. The fat cats can see every star up close and personal, with only a small circle of friends. You and me can’t get a ticket, because even at the public show these rich bastards buy up all the good seats, they’re the ones driving up the prices. And the artists keep looking for sponsorships and you can’t go to an event that’s not supported by some heinous corporation. Meanwhile, you and me are the enablers. We don’t seek the truth and we never execute our power, we just put our trust in the untrustable.
Hulk Hogan would have sat at home and steamed. People would have forgotten there was a sex tape, if they ever knew at all. At best he would have sued and settled and we all would have moved on.
But NO! Some jerk decided to distort the game, diverting attention from worthy subjects, doing his best to put the perpetrator, in this case “Gawker,” out of business. Drug-taking, fake-wrestling, screwing their friends’ wives athletes get to triumph, but those ferreting out truth under the law are not.
We may not be able to prosecute Peter Thiel, but we can shame him. We can refuse to do business with him. We can mention his shenanigans every time his name comes up.
But we won’t. Because we revere the business titans. They’re stars.
Even though they’re messing up this great nation of ours, even though one of their ilk may very well become President.
This is the era that built the band’s reputation. Sure, tons of hits came earlier, which were documented so well on the 1966 compilation “Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass),” but it was after this that the band truly started testing limits, showing they were more than a hit machine, it’s these works which truly made the band legendary.
THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST
Released for Christmas ’67, this LP is seen as a giant misfire, a poor imitation of the Beatles, inspired by their legendary “Sgt. Pepper.” But if this came out today, by a star band, it would be seen as a solid effort. Alas, back then you actually had to buy music, so that which was not laden with hits sat in the bins. Sure, the Beatles ushered in the album era, but it wasn’t until a couple of years later, certainly the seventies, that so many got the message. There might have been underground FM radio in San Francisco and New York in 1967, but elsewhere it was years away.
“She’s A Rainbow”
This is as close to a hit as “Satanic Majesties” contains. Upbeat but complicated it hearkened back to what came before yet was most certainly innovative. Furthermore, it’s dated not a whit. If you were there back then, paying attention, you’ll nod your head. If you’re a newbie you’ll be stunned how poppy the track is. There’s this canard that the bands of yore were so busy testing limits that they didn’t care about either melody or commercialism, this is patently untrue. You get this on one listen, it’s more enticing than seemingly everything on Active Rock radio today.
“2000 Light Years From Home”
The piece de resistance, the reason you bought “Satanic Majesties,” an almost five minute journey into outer space when that was truly the final frontier and “Star Trek” ruled and we hadn’t yet been to the moon.
The goal was to get a big rig stereo, but this sounds good even on small systems, and is especially good on headphones. The song speaks of alienation, a core concept of the era, funny how Bernie and Trump are appealing to this segment of the population but the acts are busy being upbeat and telling us how much better they are than us. Art is about having more questions than answers. And that’s how the Stones broke through, when they were still close to broke and no one knew Mick went to the London School Of Economics.
“Citadel”
What a riff! With a memorable chorus to boot!
Most people don’t know this, but if you play it twice you can’t get it out of your head, you’ve got to play it ad infinitum, truly a find.
“In Another Land”
A Bill Wyman track which is a period piece that entranced me back then and that I still like today.
BEGGARS BANQUET
Was released at the same time as the White Album. But unlike the Beatles, the Stones were coming off a stiff, few were waiting with bated breath, furthermore, in the U.S. the cover resembled that of the White Album in its simplicity, so the record was considered an afterthought by many.
BUT IT’S NOT!
Arguably the best Stones LP ever, “Beggars Banquet” was unexpected and broke new ground by being more simplistic, instead of adding more the band took it down to the studs, and the result is staggering, a journey into the minds of artists that we just want to get closer to.
“Sympathy For The Devil”
This was not a hit! It only gained notoriety in the wake of “Let It Bleed” and the Altamont movie, “Gimme Shelter.” Funny to think the band was once considered dangerous, that they were aligned with dark forces, but this track enhanced that reputation.
“Street Fighting Man”
Ditto. Its fame came with time. Furthermore, despite the anarchy of 1968, this was seen as a bit inauthentic. The Bay Area bands could own the revolution, but these English cats? Not really.
“Stray Cat Blues”
Listen to the intro, with the alternating male and female moans… This is the most dangerous cut on the LP, this was the true rock and roll ethos, bands of boys going on the road and taking advantage.
I can see that you’re fifteen years old No, I don’t want your ID
Underage girls, the rockers were famous for them. It was a different era, one in which you could even put these words on wax.
“No Expectations”
Where Rod Stewart got the sound he made famous on his first three albums. This country-influenced number is everything today’s Nashville’s hits are not. Funny how the Tennessee town is imitating the rock of yesteryear yet the progenitors were in thrall to the crooners of yore.
“Dear Doctor”
Risk rewards. Instead of trying to create radio-friendly fodder, the Stones dropped an even more country-influenced track, which despite its at times tongue-in-cheek vocal ends up being authentic. The kind of track you sing along to at home, it’s just you and the record.
“Parachute Woman”
Hooky, an immediate groove, this sound is the backbone of “Exile On Main Street.” This track got no traction back when but it’s beloved today. It’s infectious. Rock would rule if there was one cut as magical as this today.
“Factory Girl”
There are no factories and the musicians are all screwing models.
Most people don’t align with perfect 10’s. Furthermore, exterior is far from everything. You don’t want someone looking over your shoulder, but someone who loves you.
“Salt Of The Earth”
There’s not a dud on “Beggars Banquet,” you can listen from start to finish without lifting the needle, without pressing “skip.” One of Keith’s best vocals, the way the track transitions from a low production acoustic number to a kitchen sink production works, what a finish!
P.S. Eventually the original bathroom stall cover was released in the U.S., but our nation is still puritanical. The Stones, Jimi with “Electric Ladyland” and “Queen” with “Bicycle Race”…the artwork was seen as too much for Americans, no wonder we were in thrall to these English cats who tested limits.
LET IT BLEED
My favorite Stones LP, a return to production, a cornucopia of sounds, it’s “Sticky Fingers” that gets all the love, but “Let It Bleed” was just a bit less obvious, a bit more soulful.
“Gimmie Shelter”
There was nothing like dropping the needle on this gem. It got little airplay but it became a bedroom staple. Some tracks are just undeniable. Meanwhile, credit Merry Clayton for adding an exuberance, a sexuality that puts the track over the top, the same way the female vocal does at the end of “Exile”‘s “Let It Loose.”
“Midnight Rambler”
Once upon a time there really was a Boston Strangler, the sixties were a dark era. This cut ended up being the highlight of the live show, with Mick’s scarf thrusts and lighting changes. You’ve got to love a track that changes tempo.
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
A choir and then Al Kooper’s French horn and then poignant lyrics in a seven and a half minute track that accelerates into hyperspace…WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
There used to be a Chelsea Drugstore, it was ultimately featured in “A Clockwork Orange,” I made a pilgrimage, the place was relatively benign but I tingled walking through the inspiration for this masterpiece.
Yes, it was a one listen smash. But it wasn’t until “Sticky Fingers” that everybody was on board. Fans were thrilled, but it wasn’t until “The Big Chill” that this track became iconic, deservedly so!
“You Got The Silver”
Possibly Keith’s best vocal ever, a magical cut, I prefer it to “Happy.”
“Monkey Man”
That twinkly sound, that riffing guitar, this was an explosion in your brain, it’s cuts like these that cemented the rock revolution. Just an album track, but unique in its own right. It twists and turns and if you hear this and don’t want to go on the road with the band…YOU’RE NO FUN!
“Live With Me”
The first side’s “Monkey Man.” Almost as good. Every cut on “Let It Bleed” is a winner. Put it in the time capsule, it was on the tour for this LP that the act first got the moniker “The World’s Greatest Rock And Roll Band.”
GET YER YA-YA’S OUT
“Sympathy For The Devil”
In its slowed-down live iteration, it’s all about the groove. Be sure to wait for the solos, they’re the highlight of the LP, you grimace and wince, playing your air guitar, this album doesn’t live up to its hype as one of the best live LPs ever, but Mick Taylor was now in the band and the unit reached new heights, he drove them there, Ronnie Wood fits the image, is friends with Keith, but Taylor was more lyrical, he stretched Keith, he’s a legend who deserves credit.
STICKY FINGERS
The victory lap, the Beatles were toast, the Stones were the biggest act in the world and it’s this album that made them such.
“Brown Sugar”
The party didn’t start until this played. It was the weekend anthem. You poured down your drink, you got up and boogied, it freed you from your inhibitions, it’s pure magic from start to finish, and one cannot write about it without mentioning the great work of the gone and seemingly forgotten Ian Stewart and Bobby Keys.
“Sister Morphine”
My favorite track on the album. Dark and sincere. Never a hit single, rarely played on the radio, no one who grew their hair out did not know it.
“Moonlight Mile”
So subtle, so good. It finished and you felt abandoned. They took you to the edge of the park in the dark and left you there. No one ever talks about this anymore, but this is GENIUS!
“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”
Mick Taylor’s coming out party, a fully-integrated member of the band, Taylor shines and then in the second half of the track he obliterates you, so exquisite, so lyrical, with Bobby Keys adding flavor.
Everything on “Sticky Fingers” is great, it’s just that the whole LP is a bit more obvious and less dark than what came before, and for those us living in the land of alienation we found it a bit less appealing, but that’s like comparing Gehrig and Ruth, Jordan and Pippen, it’s all fantastic!
EXILE ON MAIN STREET
Straight to number one and then straight to the dumper. Everybody who heard “Sticky Fingers” wanted to own it, but without hits it didn’t sustain. And it was a step back from the obviousness of “Sticky Fingers.” “Exile” requires dedication to understand, to get. Put in the time, it’s worth the reward.
“Tumbling Dice”
The single that got more juice, more of a hearing, when Linda Ronstadt covered it!
The mix wasn’t right. The vocal was buried. The hook wasn’t obvious. But if you saw the band live in this era, they could lock on to the groove, and the chorus became majestic. Still, the band seemed to have forgotten how to write a hit, and hits help sell the product, never forget that.
However, with the Beatles finished, with AOR rampant, with “Rolling Stone” respectable, the band’s summer tour was a story so big it’s hard to fathom today. It’s as if you put Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Jay Z, Kenny Chesney and Paul McCartney on the same bill and then brought Tupac back from the dead. There was not a publication that did not cover it, it was the apotheosis of the impact of rock and roll, it was the boomers’ victory lap, they’d won, they’d taken over.
“Soul Survivor”
Knowing I was going to see the band, I played this double LP all night and this was the first cut that jumped out, with the staccato, machine gun, guitar.
“Loving Cup”
Phish covers this. It fits their style perfectly. A tight band that starts off in one place and then journeys to another. If this were on “Let It Bleed” it would be better known, but it works on every level.
“Let It Loose”
Probably the best track on “Exile,” stay until the end, with the female wail, it’s as if she’s in the throes of sexual ecstasy and once again you want to get closer, the Stones have done this better than any band, they’re the circus you want to join.
“Casino Boogie”
Talk about capturing lightning in a bottle… It’s loose, but tight. You can’t help but nod your head. Riffs are all fine and dandy, but groove is the essence of the magic, it’s when you touch people’s souls that you become a legend.
“Ventilator Blues”
When your spine is CRACKIN’!
This is what you get when bands are in control as opposed to labels. When it’s about music as opposed to money. This has got more power, more nougat, than a slew of Top Forty hits, it evidences humanity and power, if you know “Exile” you know this!
“I Just Want To See His Face”
Where did this come from?
You’re sitting at home, in the dark, alone, the record is playing and suddenly there’s this subtlety, this otherworldly sound coming out of the speakers. Another Mick Taylor gem. He took the band into places it’s never returned to.
And, of course, “Exile” contains Keith’s anthem “Happy,” the Angela Davis tribute “Sweet Black Angel,” and it’s hard to mention “Ventilator” without including “Stop Breaking Down,” but the truth is for being such a famous album “Exile” is essentially unknown, it’s a Dead Sea Scroll hiding in plain sight, but no one wants to take the time to learn the language, to listen to all 18 tracks. Considered to be too long, an unnecessary double disc package way back when, every cut now seems essential on this project that easily fits on one CD.
GOATS HEAD SOUP
A disappointment, a misfire, the whole world was watching and the Stones just couldn’t deliver, there was no exceptional cut, nothing to hook you, just a bunch of good stuff, and when you’re the Stones, that’s not good enough.
“Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)”
My favorite song on the album, the lyrics tell a story, the changes in amplitude hook you, the sounds too, but there’s nothing else on the album quite as good.
“Silver Train”
What kind of a world do we live in where Johnny Winter does a better version of your second side opener than you?
“Star Star”
The song with the advance hype, it would have had more success if the title included the F-word, but the truth is it’s a middling Chuck Berry rip-off, something you can enjoy that leaves you kind of blah. Not an anthem, but they meant it to be. The Stones seemed to be so busy living the life of the rich and famous that they lost touch with the street.
“Can You Hear The Music”
A minor, totally forgotten cut, it’s an unheralded number which is the heart of the LP, if only they cut out the stabs for stardom and focused on this more intimate stuff.
“Winter”
Ditto on this. Great atmosphere.
“Hide Your Love”
Great groove, great vocal, another unheralded winner. Rock was sterilized when you had umpteen tracks and the ability to comp the vocal, bands haven’t locked on with each other for eons.
IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N ROLL
Another bummer. The band had lost the formula. Less commercially successful than its predecessor, this album was better, but it all ran together.
“It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll”
More famous for its title than its music. A middling hit back in ’74. Eh.
“Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”
A total winner. A Temptations cover that succeeds on its own merits, because of its instrumentation and Mick’s impassioned vocal, the best cut on the LP, worth listening to, you’ll smile.
“Time Waits For No One”
Mick Taylor’s swan song, this is the second best cut on the album. Pay heed to his fingerwork, listeners knew how great this was back when, but fewer were paying attention than in the “Sticky Fingers” era, even though you wouldn’t know that based on the press.
BLACK AND BLUE
Seen as an album of odds and ends, a pastiche best avoided, it’s funny how this album has only grown in stature over time, its rather stripped-down sound is more accessible than that on the two LPs that preceded it, it was an empty calorie listen way back when, but today it’s filling and fulfilling.
“Hot Stuff”
Seen as trend-following disco drivel in ’76 the aging process has aided it, but it’s still a half-baked dud.
“Hand Of Fate”
The second best cut on “Black And Blue” it got no airplay back then, it seemingly didn’t exist, but it gets love today. This would fit in perfectly with their ’69-’72 canon, a great groove, a one listen like.
“Fool To Cry”
An actual hit, as opposed to the misfires from previous LPs, it went all the way to number 9 in the U.S., eclipsing “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll”‘s number 16, but it was weird and wimpy, syrupy, yet still Stones-like. You didn’t hate it, but you didn’t love it.
“Crazy Mama”
Better than “Silver Train” and “Star Star” on “Goats Head Soup,” maybe it’s the production that puts it over the top. Completely minor, but inoffensive.
And then comes…
“Memory Motel”
This track came back to life when Mick duetted with Dave Matthews and the result was included on the 1998 live album “No Security,” but before that you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone but a hard core fan who knew it. But if you purchased “Black And Blue,” and not many did, it wasn’t a stiff but it was far from a hit, you discovered this gem at the end of side one.
It’s a journey, a story, it humanized the band, and as the song wore to the conclusion of its seven minutes there was an element of majesty.
You’re just a memory And you used to mean so much to me
Was that the Stones?
Most of their contemporaries had faded with the sixties. The Stones had carried on and hit new peaks, but now despite beaucoup box office, the legend outstripped the art, this was back when albums still counted, before live was everything, before the LP was just the blueprint for the show.
Who knew a renaissance was just around the corner?
That’s right, now including Ron Wood in the place of Mick Taylor, the band dropped a bomb back in ’78, when no one was expecting it, the act freshened its sound and delivered an indelible one listen song that dominated not only the airwaves but the house parties as “Brown Sugar” had half a decade before.
Who knew Mick and Keith had “Miss You” in them? Who knew there were Puerto Rican girls just dyin’ to meet them? Who knew they could cover the Temps’ “Just My Imagination” even more successfully than they covered “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”? Who knew they could break down the sound and lock into the groove of “Beast Of Burden”?
When the Glimmer Twins had their backs to the wall they delivered.
But it was what came before that they built their rep upon.
The GOP establishment might be MOR, out of date, hymns for oldsters who refuse to acknowledge times change, but Hillary and her band of Dems are like the rock that got a forty year run and was then stunned when hip-hop eviscerated it.
Don’t point to the Desert Trip to validate rock’s relevance. That’s just oldsters with too much money claiming they’re important, when they’re absolutely not, except for their cash, which they dispense freely, like the Kochs, like George Soros, like everybody who’s lived too long and believes they’re entitled to rule the world.
But they’re not. It’s what you don’t know that’ll kill you. And that is the times keep a-changin’ and he not busy being born is dying and if you haven’t seen the Hillary movie there’s no media in your neighborhood.
There were a ton of good rock bands. But MTV stopped airing them because hip-hop got better ratings. And because rock became calcified, a cartoon, a caricature of itself. It went from honest to phony, jeans to spandex, and every band which built its rep on danger recorded a power ballad, figuring the suits would like it. If you can’t get on television doing what got you traction, give them what they want.
But the hip-hoppers did not.
Don’t think of Drake, think of Biggie and Tupac, both killed in the rap wars. We keep hearing the Donald and his minions are gonna wreak havoc not realizing we’ve already seen this movie, and we survived it.
And if you don’t like the popular culture analogy you don’t realize that’s what the election has become, issues, schmissues, titillate me, make me laugh, play to the cameras, do the unexpected. Hell, the whole Trump campaign has resembled nothing so much as the launch of a musical act, with all the publicity stunts and media manipulation. And the reason he’s got more mindshare than any musician is because he’s accepting the game has changed, he’s playing by new rules, he’s creating every day, not worrying if every track’s a hit, knowing that if you lose your hold on the public consciousness, you’re toast.
Where has Hillary BEEN for the past two weeks? Like an old rocker in the seventies she’s taking three years to make her next LP believing when it drops she’ll have three hit singles and can go on tour, er, be in the White House, for four years straight. But today, the work of the classic rockers goes straight to the dumper. Despite the run-up, the albums last a weekend, maybe a week at most, and then they’re forgotten. We’ve been hearing for years about Hillary’s coronation, it’s her time, she deserves it, she has experience. But that’s exactly what most people don’t want. The same old people providing the same old music, er, politics.
Now I’m not saying Hillary should rap, but it worked pretty good for Aerosmith, when the band hooked up with Run-DMC. Read the oral history, neither act was keen to do it, it was the behind the scenes people who made it happen.
And the behind the scenes people have to bring Hillary into 2016. Wherein telling people what they want to hear works only if you sometimes tell them what they don’t, which enhances your credibility. Hillary has the credibility of a five year old, who’ll say anything, deny anything, to not get punished and get ice cream. But ice cream melts and you’re left with nothing, and we don’t want a five year old running the country, but we do want someone who is looking forward as opposed to back.
And of course so many of the Donald’s policies are retro, like a rapper sampling, giving his audience a frame of reference. But if you don’t find his antics entertaining, you’ve got no sense of humor. Hell, I burst out laughing when he called Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas.” Oh, don’t get your politically correct knickers in a twist, funny is funny, like those jokes you tell in the dorm when no one is listening.
It’s Hillary’s election to lose. And she’s doing a good job of it. Because instead of making new music, that people want to hear, it’s the same damn thing over and over and over again. Check the charts, how many of the acts from the nineties are dominating today? How much of the sound of the nineties is dominating today?
Zilch.
Bernie’s triumphing because he’s all new, the music industry could learn a lesson, it’s the message more than the punim, embrace ageism at your peril.
And Trump’s triumphing because he’ll say the unsayable, throw bombs, do all the stuff your parents hate before they tell you to turn it down.
That’s what the Hillary supporters keep telling Trump, to turn it down. That his music doesn’t sound like the music that came before, he didn’t pay his dues, he didn’t go to music school, he didn’t go on the road, he hasn’t EARNED his success.
Like every new act that’s toppled what’s come before.
Hillary, you can’t win doing what you’ve done before. The game changed. And you seem not to have gotten the memo.
Stop worrying about making mistakes.
Start telling your truth.
Don’t fall for gotcha moments. Yup, coal mining has got to go, Trump would have doubled down, you caved, have the courage of your convictions.
Make news every day.
Don’t worry about being warm and fuzzy, what message are you sending to the young women of America, that to get ahead you’ve got to shave off your rough edges, that you can’t be strong, you have to smile and appeal to men?
Hogwash.
You’ve just got to make a hit record.
And a hit is always the same, it’s new and different.
We crave the new and different.
And right now Bernie and Trump own the charts and you may be touring to aged acolytes, but it’s one person one vote in America and despite their connections and cash, they can’t help you win. Hell, Bernie out-fundraised you getting cash from individuals, like a modern act which understands everybody streaming is better than a few buying CDs.
Pissed you off there, didn’t I.
If you’re lamenting the passage of CDs, the death of downloads, the low per-stream payments… If you think YouTube is the enemy, you don’t realize Robert Kyncl has more power than everybody in the RIAA combined. The people voted for YouTube, and if you were smart you’d realize it’s being eclipsed by Spotify, et al, but you hate them even more.
You’re just like Hillary, no wonder you like her so much.
I’m hearing people complain that Bob Dylan is not of the stature of the other Oldchella acts. This is patently untrue. The only star of his caliber is Paul McCartney, maybe in the history of rock and roll (extending Paul’s fame and talent to the rest of the Beatles). Don’t equate grosses with talent. Don’t equate accessibility with talent. Don’t equate airplay with talent. Years from now, it might be Dylan’s material that maintains, certainly not that of the Stones, who have a soulful, blues-influenced sound and were great performers but were rarely groundbreaking. Waters had his moment, but it’s hermetically sealed, it doesn’t translate to modern times, you’re looking back through binoculars. The Who is maximum rock and roll, but despite breaking ground with “Tommy,” it was Bobby who was constantly testing limits. As did Neil Young, test limits and listen to his own heart, Young is Dylan-like, but I think even if you asked Neil he’d put Dylan atop the heap.
Not that this is about bringing the rest of the Oldchella acts down, they’re all great. It’s just that Dylan is on a higher plane, and too many people don’t know it. Forget today’s standards album, forget the ragged voice, forget the endless tour, let’s go back to the music.
1. “Blowin’ In The Wind”
Everybody starts somewhere, and it’s not obvious where they’re going to go from there. But then there are visionaries, who see something in acts, a talent, that few others can perceive. Credit John Hammond for seeing the genius in Bob Dylan. The first album consisting of mostly covers had no impact. It could not and did not prepare us for what came after, the second LP, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.”
Now this was 1963. The Beatles didn’t break in America until 1964. Surf music and pop music, the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons ruled, and they were both great acts, but if you can trace a line from them to Bob Dylan you’re a better person than me. Dylan had different influences, primarily Woody Guthrie and the folk scene, and with this LP Dylan became the king of the folkies, not because the songs were all over the airwaves, but because covers were all over the airwaves!
It’s hard to believe that once upon a time not only did everybody own a guitar, but they sat around in circles singing songs. And none was more popular than “Blowin’ In The Wind.” That’s where the answer is, my friend, even today. If you can tell me how this election is gonna turn out, what everybody’s gonna do for a job in the future, you’re a seer exceeding anybody pontificating.
Peter, Paul & Mary made it ubiquitous, but there’s a naked power in Dylan’s iteration. There’s more emotion, it’s not purely about melody, not even solely about the words, this guy obviously believes what he’s singing. We need more of that today.
Now if this sound resonates, if you want to dig a little deeper, listen to “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” My favorite cover is by Bryan Ferry, but this is definitely Bob’s song, you listen and feel the track is coming directly from his soul.
Catchier and more easily accessible is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” also made famous by Peter, Paul & Mary. Never underestimate the power of a manager. One can argue Albert Grossman ripped Bob off, but he also built his career, he’s responsible more than the aforementioned John Hammond. Grossman had a vision that Dylan’s songs could become iconic. Not in his own versions, but those of others. It was years before the public was ready for Bob himself.
“Girl From The North Country” resurfaced on “Nashville Skyline” in a duet with Johnny Cash, but the original is here on “Freewheelin,” as is “Masters Of War,” which has been resuscitated in this century of endless wars, students of the game can see how it’s still so appropriate, that’s timeless work!
2. “The Times They Are A-Changin'”
The anthem of the internet era, one wherein the young stole the present just like their parents did back in the sixties. Hell, oldsters still don’t know how to use their devices, never mind get their heads around the fact that music is now a service. This ain’t no ditty, just pure truth.
3. “It Ain’t Me Babe”
Released almost simultaneously with “Meet The Beatles,” “The Times They Are A-Changin'” album continued in Dylan’s folk vein, and although it contains classics, there were fewer famous covers. And then came the summer of ’64’s “Another Side Of Bob Dylan.” Not only was Zimmy putting out albums at a regular clip, the quality of the material was insane! This is probably the most famous song off of the LP, because it was covered by the Turtles, it was their breakthrough track, before most people had any idea who Bob Dylan was. But people were starting to read the credits, the modern rock era had begun, word started to spread.
If you want to go deeper, listen to the album opener, “All I Really Want To Do,” which Sonny & Cher so famously covered. And the Byrds had a hit with “My Back Pages,” I had to get old enough to understand I can be younger than that now. And if “Masters Of War” resonates, soak in the truth of “Chimes Of Freedom.”
4. “Bringing It All Back Home”
Yes, I’m including a whole album here, not just an individual song. Because this is my favorite Bob Dylan LP, it oozes truth that is so up to date it seems to come from the future. Unfortunately, it’s not instantly accessible. Dylan wouldn’t make that kind of music for years. But if you want to put in some time, “Bringing It All Back Home” will yield rewards.
a. “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
Has permeated the culture even though you may have never heard it.
First and foremost there’s the famous video replicated by so many modern acts, where the lyrics are written on cards which are displayed and then discarded. Refresh your memory here:
And despite being a jaunty trip, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” got no airplay whatsoever, this was before underground FM radio, the Beatles were still singing about love, but…
You don’t need a weatherman To know which way the wind blows
Innocuous in theory, but a radical group lifted this lyric and called themselves the Weathermen and blew up buildings. I’m not condoning their efforts, but this was back when music not only had power, but influence.
Twenty years of schoolin’ And they put you on the day shift
As poignant and accurate as the day it was written, whew!
The pump don’t work ‘Cause the vandals took the handles
Became part of the vernacular, people quoted the closing lyrics without even knowing the song, that’s cultural relevancy.
b. “Maggie’s Farm”
You never hear it referenced anymore, but back then it was a pejorative, when selling out was anathema and we hated the corporations.
c. “Mr. Tambourine Man”
The Byrds’ first hit. But this has power as opposed to sweetness. You can see why Jim McGuinn was inspired to cover it, this anthem for an era.
d. “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”
The piece-de-resistance, the pinnacle, the apotheosis.
Most famous for Roger McGuinn’s iteration on the soundtrack of “Easy Rider,” this seven and a half minute cut is laden with so much truth that I INSIST that you listen to the whole thing while reading along with the lyrics, which are here:
Yes, this is where that famous lyric first appears. Imagine writing a lyric so insightful that it permeates the culture and people don’t even know it came from your song, that’s ubiquity.
For them that obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Do what they do just to be Nothing more than something they invest in
And that’s America. The suck-ups playing by the rules jealous and angry that there are people who dare to go their own way.
Advertising signs they con You into thinking you’re the one That can do what’s never been done That can win what’s never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you
You can’t just pick yourself up by your bootstraps and get rich. You just can’t be Bill Gates. And rather than take the bait you should live your life, don’t fall for the bait.
While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society’s pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole That he’s in
People don’t like it when you break ranks, when you’re different, they want you to be like them, a miserable pawn in the game.
Now I was aware of Dylan’s hits, but I did not get him at first, probably like many of you. But then he reunited with the Band and went back on the road and I bought all the albums and listened to them over and over again so that I would be prepared for the show.
And in the winter of 1974, when our President was getting caught in a noose of his own device, Dylan sang the below lyrics at Madison Square Garden and everybody stood up and cheered. That’s the power of rock and roll.
But even the President of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked
Nixon resigned. Beware of who you put on the pedestal.
5. “Like A Rolling Stone”
It was the summer of ’65 and Dylan was all over the airwaves, with a rock and roll sound, outdoing his children the Byrds with a song with such attitude people would wince if it was recorded today.
You know it. Not everybody loved it. But it gets sweeter with time. Listen.
“Highway 61 Revisited” was the break, from folk to rock, it’s the album that got all the accolades, it spews not only attitude but anger and yes, the folkies resented it, but the rest of the public cottoned to it, because this is how they felt. Today you’re supposed to suck it up, put a smile on your face, be optimistic as you run through the gauntlet of the game. But in the days of yesteryear some questioned the game outright.
Listen to “Desolation Row” and “Ballad Of A Thin Man” also.
And know that if you leave the metropolis, if you venture out from the Twin Cities, it won’t be long before you encounter Highway 61. Everybody comes from somewhere, everybody’s got roots.
6. “Positively 4th Street”
For some reason this is not on Spotify, and I’m having trouble finding the original on YouTube.
A gigantic hit with with lyrics that cut to the bone.
You got a lot of nerve To say you got a helping hand to lend You just want to be on The side that’s winning
Legends write songs that are not of a time, but are forever, because of the truth encapsulated.
And most famously:
I wish that for just one time You could stand inside my shoes You’d know what a drag it is To see you
Eclipses any put-down I’ve seen or heard in the rap wars!
7. “Blonde On Blonde”
Was released fifty years ago Monday. And this double album is great, consistent, but I still prefer “Bringing It All Back Home.”
a. “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”
EVERYBODY MUST GET STONED!
Couldn’t be, was he really talking about drugs?
Media was puritanical. Which made it easier to pull the wool over its eyes, this was not banned, but played. Then again, was it about smoking at all?
“Like A Rolling Stone” broke down the barriers, Dylan was safe for mass consumption, this was everywhere.
But the heart of the album is “Visions Of Johanna,” “Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine,” the side long “Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands’ and “I Want You,” which you can love even if you think you hate Bob Dylan.
8. “All Along The Watchtower”
Yes, Dylan wrote it, Hendrix just covered it.
From “John Wesley Harding,” the return to roots, when the media caught up with the bard, this got a lot of press and it satiates, but my favorite cut is the second side opener, “Dear Landlord,” with lyrics I quote all the time:
Now each of us has his own special gift And you know this was meant to be true And if you don’t underestimate me I won’t underestimate you
I’ve learned that’s true. The person with the low IQ, the one who’s uninformed about so much, has much more wisdom than you in certain areas, just pay attention, you’ll see. Warren Buffett has nothing on me. Or you either.
9. “Lay, Lady, Lay”
This was more of a risk than picking up a Stratocaster, country was seen as backwards redneck music. But Dylan made it cool, and opened others’ eyes to it. This was a gigantic hit, and for those who said Bob couldn’t sing…turns out he could!
10. “Days Of ’49”
I include this not because it’s Dylan best cut, but because it’s from the maligned “Self Portrait,” Dylan’s first misstep, if only others’ greatness could be as good as this.
11. “Sign On The Window”
“New Morning” was the first Dylan album I purchased upon release. That’s right, I was late to the game, but what a treasure trove of material I could go back and experience.
And I know every lick, because when you paid for something back then you listened to it ad infinitum.
And this song is not famous, but it contains one of my favorite Dylan lyrics:
Build me a cabin in Utah Marry me a wife, catch rainbow trout Have a bunch of kids who call me ‘Pa’ That must be what it’s all about That must be what it’s all about
12. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”
A cut that’s endured from a third rate Sam Peckinpah movie that Dylan was featured in under the moniker “Alias.”
One cannot deny the haunting quality of the track though.
13. “Forever Young”
From “Planet Waves.”
Geffen stole Dylan from Columbia, the band went on the road, but the album was a stiff. Then Howard Cosell utilized the lyrics to describe Muhammad Ali and the song entered the canon, it gained legendary status.
14. “Tangled Up In Blue”
Time passes quickly. It was 1975, Dylan’s hits were long behind him, the tour did boffo at the b.o., but his cultural impact was in the rearview mirror.
And then came this.
He returned to Columbia and dropped an album that didn’t sound quite like anything that came before, where every word dripped truth and you could play the LP over and over and over again. “Idiot Wind” gets a lot of ink, but my favorites, other than this, are “Meet Me In The Morning,” “Buckets Of Rain” and, of course, “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.”
Meanwhile, “Tangled Up In Blue” is a story song you can visualize, it’s forever fresh, like life. I’ll never forget the first time I heard it, in the pre-satellite era, driving up the access road of Mammoth Mountain on a sunny May 1st day, I’d twisted the dial looking for a radio station after experiencing nothing but static in the desert and I tuned into this, I’ll never forget it.
15. “Hurricane”
We’ll never know the truth of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter but we do know this story song benefited his case.
This got airplay in an era when FM radio was king and not everything had to sound alike. A period piece, but it still stands on its own merits, and Scarlet Rivera’s violin is a revelation.
Meanwhile, check out “Mozambique,” and “Isis” and “Joey” if you want to go deeper.
16. “Gotta Serve Somebody”
You most certainly do, we all have a boss.
From the Jesus album, “Slow Train Coming,” which has a sound so enrapturing you’ll love hearing it even if you don’t catch a single lyric.
Go deeper, listen to “When You Gonna Wake Up” and “Man Gave Names To All The Animals.”
Credit Barry Beckett, who’s all over this LP, as well as his co-producer Jerry Wexler and, of course, in addition to the Muscle Shoals players, you’ve got Mark Knopfler.
17. “I And I”
“Jokerman” was the famous track on 1983’s “Infidels,” “Neighborhood Bully” got airplay, but this is the cut. Once again, something you’ll love even if you hate Dylan and don’t listen to the lyrics, but the lyrics make the track, along with the guitar and piano playing, an unheralded masterpiece.
18. “Things Have Changed”
From the 2000 film “Wonder Boys” based on the Michael Chabon book, it’s one of the few flicks that’s better than the source novel.
And the flick was very good.
But as soon as I heard this track in the theatre I knew it was a winner.
And it instigated hope in Dylan, in his abilities, showed after a meandering slew of albums that he still had it.
And I’d be lying if I told you his recent work was as entrancing, I think it’s lauded by those needing to feel superior, but maybe it will reveal itself to me in time.
Meanwhile, start here. And dig deeper where you have interest.
Not only is there a cornucopia of hits, there’s a journey, changes…Dylan’s lived a life, not beholden to the game, surprising us all the while, triumphing now and again, especially when we considered him down and out.
And maybe he’ll surprise us in the desert, by performing his hits faithfully, just to blow our minds and blow the others off the stage.
Or maybe he’ll do his usual show, just to mess with us, to battle our belief that the artist lives for us and should deliver what we want.
Dylan never did this. He went his own way and most likely we ended up following him.
He’s the embodiment of the sixties, wherein everything was up for grabs and everything could be challenged and you didn’t have to come from the right family or go to the right school in order to have a say, in order to leave your mark.
And you might listen to the above and still be unmoved.
But so many were.
And these are not just ditties that please our ears.
These songs changed minds, they impacted the culture, they affected the landscape.
If there’s one artist who’s playing Oldchella who’s a beacon, who’s an inspiration, who you can learn from, it’s Bob Dylan.
And he might not care.
But the rest of us do.
It’s not about money or fame, but the work, the underlying art. It’s about hearts and minds, not just the wallet and the booty. Songs are more than commerce, when done right they’re anything but evanescent.
