I think everyone is going to have a side character in the new movie that particularly comes across for them—for me it was Bob Neuwirth and Woody Guthrie, not, to my surprise, Pete Seeger (or maybe Ed Norton did Seeger too well, and his rectitude just turned into an undertow). That’s the fun of it. People really want to talk about it.
Great column, really enjoyed the exchanges. Especially appreciate the love for Rod Stewart's 'Every Picture Tells a Story' album. I'd rank his 1969-'72 four-album run – 'The Rod Stewart Album' (or 'An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down' in the UK), 'Gasoline Alley,' 'Every Picture,' and 'Never a Dull Moment' with any artist's output of the period. It's sad that he's best known for 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy,' but then again, he probably grimaced all the way to the bank ;^)
Such a great edition of Ask Greil. I've always loved your writing on Rod Stewart, and this response is beautiful. (Perhaps, someday, you can share that "Shorty" talk?)
I agree with Steven Swartz about this four-album run, and that simultaneously and unimaginably, he was also creating brilliant work with Faces at the same time.
Rod's own writing about this period (in his autobiography 'Rod') reads like a long-form version of a song from this era—alive & uplifting, self-deprecating, rich with wisdom & depth.
Yes, The Faces! "A Nod's as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse" - and Rod's "Gasoline Alley" - are two other albums that keep me going through the winter months. Not that they wouldn't be perfect in summer, spring or fall; I just tend to listen to them when it's brutally cold out, maybe because I first heard so much of this music when I was growing up in the frozen wasteland of too-far-upstate New York. It's comfort music for me. And considering that by 1978 he would become an international sex symbol, those early records really do contain an enormous amount of pain and vulnerability, as well as raunch, humor, and joy
I loved that the film included Bob Neuwirth as a character, but disappointed that he appears so late in the film as he was important to Dylan early on and like Baez and Ramblin Jack Elliott, got a second chance during Rolling Thunder. I want to re-read Elijah Wald's book, but in looking for my copy, I rediscovered the first Dylan biography by Anthony Scaduto published in 1971. That book was my personal education into Dylan when it came out in paperback a couple years later and I'm glad I still have the book. It's an invaluable history of the early years with source interviews from Baez, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk - just to mention three people who Dylan screwed over like he did everyone else. But you read the history of Dylan's arrival in NYC (and his folk music progression in Minnesota before that) and it's made clear, he was ruthlessly ambitious from the start and soon made every party or gathering he attended into his own personal Bob Dylan concert. He didn't really like to play with other people and always wanted to be the center of attention. And when he was done with you, he moved on without any shame or remorse. Of course, he had prodigious talent, which made it all valid, in a way. And I don't think he's a bad guy - but he's not a human on the level of Baez or Pete Seeger, either.
I had poor memories of the Scaduto book when I started to write "Folk Music." I reread it and found it had deep and intricate research on Dylan's first year in New York, presented with flair and drama. But hey, whatever you think of Bob Dylan, I think he passes the human test. Like everybody else. Pete Seeger stood so straight you'd never catch him blowing in the wind.
I’m in an extended argument with the President of the College where I teach about what I think are the problems with “A Complete Unknown”. I think it boils down to the same problems I had with “De-Lovely” - the movie about Cole Porter - it’s hard to care about a character who doesn’t care about others. Chalamet’s Dylan doesn’t grow or change; he curdles. “I’m Not There” does a far better job of letting the music tell the story. And we know more about Dylan after we see “I’m Not There”: with this movie, we get details but very few insights.
Jeff H A shrinking from life. A refusal to take chances like the greatest rock n rollers Michael Sragow likes the whole thing. Like Beauty and the Beast. Moral rectitude-there are at least six group members all of which speak their mind. I once gave you the rights to my work I take it back. If anyone wants to join in a duet or fivesome please do so. In organizing my materials I found the early stuff worked well without the offending letter. How hard have you tried to make something work?
I just read your comments on "A Complete Unknown." I disagree with you completely, both about the movie and your comments on the Wald book. I also like it more than the film made a few years ago. But that, I guess, is a matter of taste.
I don't know if you saw my lengthy piece on it, so here's the link:
As you can see, I'm quite favorable to it. Ditto for Wald's book which I think is quite good and accurate; I also discuss David Browne's new book "Talkin' Greenwich Village" which is superb. By the way, there is lots of new stuff about Danny Kalb and the Blues Project. In a way, his book answers your own column on Danny, in which you said something like "he died unremembered." Browne makes a case for his and his group's major role in the Village folk and blues revival.
I hadn't included in my review new information that was in the revised edition of Seeger's biography written by David K. Dunaway. He gained access to Pete's daily diary. His entry quoted in it revealed that Seeger objected to more than the soundboard being too loud---he disliked the direction Dylan was moving in and wondered whether he should ever have helped him. So it seems that Pete was a big disingenuous when he claimed repeatedly he just objected to not being able to hear Dylan's words.
Greil - I'm a little late to the Booth tributes and reactions to his passing. I spent Thanksgiving of '96 with him and recently dug up the phone interview after the visit. It's attached here. It's a lifetime ago but some interesting stuff about Michael Greene, Cobain, The House of Blues, and Otis Redding, etc.
I'm back. Why doesn't Steph or Owen contact Michael Sragow about being the man to pull this all together? There could be a scandalized version and a non scandalized version. Michael could be editor/participant. I wrote down all my Ty writings and have the best stuff overall with dates.
One day in 1976 when I was a senior in high school, I headed to the park in my 1968 Old Delmont . I planned on killing a few hours with the library book I just gotten - Mystery Train. A few hours turned into all day as I stayed and finished the book.
I was familiar with most of the music. My first ever concert was a Before the Flood show with Dylan and the Band. I worked five nights a week at a local truck stop in the kitchen and spend a good chunk of money every week on music. I'd installed a premium 8 track player in the Delmont and had a steamer trunk size tape case they held 40 8-track tapes. I was respected far and wide for the size and variety of my music collection. We figured it up one time that I had over 200 songs available for listening at my pleasure. Hard to believe, I know.
I listen to a lot of music and an awful lot of that music is filtered, understood and accepted or rejected through my experience reading " Mystery Train " I reread it periodically. ( In fact, I feel the urge coming on now!)
Sometime early this century, after a periodic rereading , I saw the Levon Helm Band with Larry Campbell . It was a terrific show (they played "Blind Willie McTell."!) I remember thinking that if anybody played " the old chicka-chicka-boom beat so potent it sounded like a syncopated version of Judgment Day." , it was Levon.
The combination of instruments that Stewart utilized on the four albums you mention and especially, for me, on Gasoline Alley are so wonderful. The staggered rhythm and those drums on Cut Across Shorty . . . never fails.
Great column, really enjoyed the exchanges. Especially appreciate the love for Rod Stewart's 'Every Picture Tells a Story' album. I'd rank his 1969-'72 four-album run – 'The Rod Stewart Album' (or 'An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down' in the UK), 'Gasoline Alley,' 'Every Picture,' and 'Never a Dull Moment' with any artist's output of the period. It's sad that he's best known for 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy,' but then again, he probably grimaced all the way to the bank ;^)
Such a great edition of Ask Greil. I've always loved your writing on Rod Stewart, and this response is beautiful. (Perhaps, someday, you can share that "Shorty" talk?)
I agree with Steven Swartz about this four-album run, and that simultaneously and unimaginably, he was also creating brilliant work with Faces at the same time.
Rod's own writing about this period (in his autobiography 'Rod') reads like a long-form version of a song from this era—alive & uplifting, self-deprecating, rich with wisdom & depth.
Thank you, Greil.
Here's the text of the "Cut Across Shorty" talk: https://search.app/MPBt1aUhvi8a2iHk8
Thank you, Emmerich.
Yes, The Faces! "A Nod's as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse" - and Rod's "Gasoline Alley" - are two other albums that keep me going through the winter months. Not that they wouldn't be perfect in summer, spring or fall; I just tend to listen to them when it's brutally cold out, maybe because I first heard so much of this music when I was growing up in the frozen wasteland of too-far-upstate New York. It's comfort music for me. And considering that by 1978 he would become an international sex symbol, those early records really do contain an enormous amount of pain and vulnerability, as well as raunch, humor, and joy
Those Rod Stewart albums are gems! Big fan here!
I loved that the film included Bob Neuwirth as a character, but disappointed that he appears so late in the film as he was important to Dylan early on and like Baez and Ramblin Jack Elliott, got a second chance during Rolling Thunder. I want to re-read Elijah Wald's book, but in looking for my copy, I rediscovered the first Dylan biography by Anthony Scaduto published in 1971. That book was my personal education into Dylan when it came out in paperback a couple years later and I'm glad I still have the book. It's an invaluable history of the early years with source interviews from Baez, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk - just to mention three people who Dylan screwed over like he did everyone else. But you read the history of Dylan's arrival in NYC (and his folk music progression in Minnesota before that) and it's made clear, he was ruthlessly ambitious from the start and soon made every party or gathering he attended into his own personal Bob Dylan concert. He didn't really like to play with other people and always wanted to be the center of attention. And when he was done with you, he moved on without any shame or remorse. Of course, he had prodigious talent, which made it all valid, in a way. And I don't think he's a bad guy - but he's not a human on the level of Baez or Pete Seeger, either.
I had poor memories of the Scaduto book when I started to write "Folk Music." I reread it and found it had deep and intricate research on Dylan's first year in New York, presented with flair and drama. But hey, whatever you think of Bob Dylan, I think he passes the human test. Like everybody else. Pete Seeger stood so straight you'd never catch him blowing in the wind.
I’m in an extended argument with the President of the College where I teach about what I think are the problems with “A Complete Unknown”. I think it boils down to the same problems I had with “De-Lovely” - the movie about Cole Porter - it’s hard to care about a character who doesn’t care about others. Chalamet’s Dylan doesn’t grow or change; he curdles. “I’m Not There” does a far better job of letting the music tell the story. And we know more about Dylan after we see “I’m Not There”: with this movie, we get details but very few insights.
Jeff H A shrinking from life. A refusal to take chances like the greatest rock n rollers Michael Sragow likes the whole thing. Like Beauty and the Beast. Moral rectitude-there are at least six group members all of which speak their mind. I once gave you the rights to my work I take it back. If anyone wants to join in a duet or fivesome please do so. In organizing my materials I found the early stuff worked well without the offending letter. How hard have you tried to make something work?
I just read your comments on "A Complete Unknown." I disagree with you completely, both about the movie and your comments on the Wald book. I also like it more than the film made a few years ago. But that, I guess, is a matter of taste.
I don't know if you saw my lengthy piece on it, so here's the link:
https://quillette.com/2024/12/26/printing-the-legend-bob-dylan-james-mangold-complete-unknown/
As you can see, I'm quite favorable to it. Ditto for Wald's book which I think is quite good and accurate; I also discuss David Browne's new book "Talkin' Greenwich Village" which is superb. By the way, there is lots of new stuff about Danny Kalb and the Blues Project. In a way, his book answers your own column on Danny, in which you said something like "he died unremembered." Browne makes a case for his and his group's major role in the Village folk and blues revival.
I hadn't included in my review new information that was in the revised edition of Seeger's biography written by David K. Dunaway. He gained access to Pete's daily diary. His entry quoted in it revealed that Seeger objected to more than the soundboard being too loud---he disliked the direction Dylan was moving in and wondered whether he should ever have helped him. So it seems that Pete was a big disingenuous when he claimed repeatedly he just objected to not being able to hear Dylan's words.
Greil - I'm a little late to the Booth tributes and reactions to his passing. I spent Thanksgiving of '96 with him and recently dug up the phone interview after the visit. It's attached here. It's a lifetime ago but some interesting stuff about Michael Greene, Cobain, The House of Blues, and Otis Redding, etc.
https://medium.com/@jamestullybeatty/generosity-of-purpose-ee9f866113b5
I'm back. Why doesn't Steph or Owen contact Michael Sragow about being the man to pull this all together? There could be a scandalized version and a non scandalized version. Michael could be editor/participant. I wrote down all my Ty writings and have the best stuff overall with dates.
One day in 1976 when I was a senior in high school, I headed to the park in my 1968 Old Delmont . I planned on killing a few hours with the library book I just gotten - Mystery Train. A few hours turned into all day as I stayed and finished the book.
I was familiar with most of the music. My first ever concert was a Before the Flood show with Dylan and the Band. I worked five nights a week at a local truck stop in the kitchen and spend a good chunk of money every week on music. I'd installed a premium 8 track player in the Delmont and had a steamer trunk size tape case they held 40 8-track tapes. I was respected far and wide for the size and variety of my music collection. We figured it up one time that I had over 200 songs available for listening at my pleasure. Hard to believe, I know.
I listen to a lot of music and an awful lot of that music is filtered, understood and accepted or rejected through my experience reading " Mystery Train " I reread it periodically. ( In fact, I feel the urge coming on now!)
Sometime early this century, after a periodic rereading , I saw the Levon Helm Band with Larry Campbell . It was a terrific show (they played "Blind Willie McTell."!) I remember thinking that if anybody played " the old chicka-chicka-boom beat so potent it sounded like a syncopated version of Judgment Day." , it was Levon.
Thanks for everything!
Worriedman
The combination of instruments that Stewart utilized on the four albums you mention and especially, for me, on Gasoline Alley are so wonderful. The staggered rhythm and those drums on Cut Across Shorty . . . never fails.