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Dylan Revisited

@dylanrevisited.bsky.social

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Revisiting Bob Dylan's back catalogue one album/bootleg/live record at a time. Visit www.dylanrevisited.com for more. If you like my threads, why not support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DylanRevisited/membership

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 14d

The latest episode of the Dylan Revisited podcast is out now.

Listen now to revisit the peak and completion of Bob Dylan’s protest phase on The Times They Are a-Changin'.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d...

The Times They Are a-Changin' (1964)

Podcast Episode · Dylan Revisited · EP6 · 26m

podcasts.apple.com

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Reposted by Dylan Revisited

SemprePhi @semprephi.bsky.social · 15h

They were once connected, before the Atlantic started forming …

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 15h

No way - that's amazing. Just looked it up - the Scottish Highlands as well. Thanks for the tip.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 16h

A song that Bob Dylan recorded way back in 1962 for his debut album.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVTq...

Bob Dylan - Gospel Plow (Official Audio)

YouTube video by BobDylanVEVO

www.youtube.com

Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 16h

Tremendous take on the old spiritual Gospel Plough by
@robertplant.com that finds landfall somewhere between the Atlas and Appalachians.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeMQ...

Robert Plant - Gospel Plough (Official Audio)

YouTube video by Robert Plant

www.youtube.com

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 16h

Cheers as ever Colin. Interesting to dive into the reality after seeing the film.

Reposted by Dylan Revisited

Colin J Donnelly @cjdonnelly72.bsky.social · 1d

Fascinating thread😎

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

The set continues with Dylan joined onstage by another Van Ronk protégé.

Find out who when I conclude my revisit to the Riverside Church set later this week.

Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

Dave Van Ronk also played Poor Lazarus on the day but I don’t know who performed first.

Still, it wouldn’t be the last time that Dylan usurped his mentor’s song selections.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LgF...

"No Direction Home" - Bob Dylan House of The Rising Sun [1080p]

YouTube video by Yoel Benibgui

www.youtube.com

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

When Dylan asks for a knife from the audience, it provokes howls of laughter and forces Yellin to explain what’s happening for the benefit of the radio audience.

Then Dylan again flips the jovial mood with another quiet murder ballad, Poor Lazarus.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ1f...

Po' Lazarus (Live at the Riverside Church)

YouTube video by Bob Dylan - Topic

www.youtube.com

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

Dylan returns to the low-key, hushed mood created by Handsome Molly with the traditional murder ballad Naomi Wise (sometimes called Omie Wise).

Again, it’s an unfussy and assured rendition, though again followed by more harmonica holder fiddling.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Vb...

Bob Dylan- Noami Wise/Omie Wise (LIVE Riverside Church 1961)

YouTube video by Swingin’ Pig

www.youtube.com

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

Next comes the kind of shambling but funny in-between song routine that early audiences often remember Dylan for.

At Riverside, he fiddles with his harmonica holder that “feels like it’s tryna strangle me” before pointing out that he made it out of an old coat hanger.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

Dylan keeps things simple with a basic strummed guitar and plain vocal.

It’s a decent performance of a nice song that he’ll return to a couple of times in live shows over the next year.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIsL...

Handsome Molly (Live at the Riverside Church)

YouTube video by Bob Dylan - Topic

www.youtube.com

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

The host, who I think is Bob Yellin, also notes that “he sings a lot of songs by Woody Guthrie” but unusually for Dylan around this time, his four-song selection didn’t include any Dust Bowl Ballads.

Instead, he opened his set with the traditional Handsome Molly.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

In the film, Dylan ends his Riverside set with All Over You – a real song that he wrote to win a bet, available on The Witmark Demos.

In reality, Dylan didn’t perform any self-penned songs at Riverside despite being introduced as someone who “sings a lot of his own material”.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

I can’t find any evidence that the pair played at the real-life event.

Also, it took place in the theatre space attached to the church so I’m not sure the pews are accurate either.

But we don’t look to Hollywood for historical veracity, so let’s not worry too much about that.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

The Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown recreates the Riverside scene as the meet-cute of its hero and Elle Fanning’s Rotolo stand-in Sylvie Russo.

When Timothee Chalamet’s Bob sits next to Sylvie in a church pew, she’s watching Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry (another harp man).

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

The pair persuaded some of best local folk and blues talent to play for free, including Dave Van Ronk, Victoria Spivey, Rev. Gary Davis, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Tom Paxton.

Bob Dylan wouldn’t have been a big draw but his-then manager Terri Thal managed to get him on the bill.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

The Riverside Church event was promoted as A Day of Live Folk Music to be broadcast from 9am-9pm on the church’s newly launched radio station, WRVR-FM.

Folklore Centre owner Izzy Young co-produced the show along with Greenbriar Boys banjo player Bob Yellin.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

Rotolo remembers seeing Dylan play harmonica – one of her favourite instruments – at Gerdes Folk City in the months before that July.

However, her eyes then were more on Dylan’s onstage partner Mark Spoelstra, who she though had “a nice pair of shoulders”.

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

By the time she calls him “non-linear”, it feels like she’s just nailed everything you need to know about Bob Dylan as an artist and a person in one short paragraph.

No wonder he fell hard for her on first sight, though Suze had noticed Bob before that fateful meeting .

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

She described Dylan as “funny, engaging, intense and…persistent”, though the real kicker is her caveat:

“These words completely describe who he was throughout the time we were together; only the order of the words would shift depending on mood or circumstance.”

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

Not that she wasn’t as equally enthusiastic about their first encounter at the all-day folk concert on July 29th.

In her wonderful memoir A Freewheelin’ Time, Rotolo wrote:

“It was as if we knew each other already; we just needed time to get better acquainted.”

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 1d

“She was the most erotic thing I’d ever seen…fair skinned and golden haired…The air was suddenly filled with banana leaves.”

That’s how Bob Dylan described meeting Suze Rotolo at the Riverside Church in 1961.

Her version of events was…well, it was less Dylan-esque. 🧵

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Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 2d

Verlaine? That would make sense - he often used his finger rather than a pick, right?

Dylan Revisited @dylanrevisited.bsky.social · 2d

Just discovered that he was once married to Meg White.