When I was in high school, I first heard Bob Dylan. Unlike a lot of people who got into Dylan in the 60's, I was first exposed to the man's later works. I know I heard him on Traveling Wilburys, Volume One but I didn't get a good idea of what he was about from that album. The George Harrison and Tom Petty songs were instantly more familiar.
A few months later I bought Oh Mercy, a Bob Dylan album recorded here in Louisiana with Daniel Lanois producing (and bringing his trademark echoing warmth that can be heard on U2's The Joshua Tree). Now this was something else. The rough voice, the literate lyrics, and the staccato delivery clearly set this Bob Dylan apart. I wanted to listen over and over again. I know Oh Mercy inside and out, though I'm not sure if I've ever really internalized it as a songwriter and producer. Boy I'd love to try, but that's another post. A few months later, I heard the classical Bob Dylan and I was forever changed.
Bryan Copeland and I were both enthralled with Dylan. I remember that I had Greatest Hits Volume 2 (maybe Volume 1, too) and it blew my mind. The songs were both stripped down and yet very full of passion. And, boy, were they smart. Around that time, Bryan got the Bootleg Box Set. This thing was just amazing. There were so many great songs and since it spanned about twenty five years, you could hear Dylan's style change and evolve. This both inspired me and made me feel like I had no business trying to do what this guy did. I mean how do you write songs like "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again," or "Series Of Dreams?" The whole prospect was stupefying.
One track in particular still stands out in my mind from the Bootleg Set. It's a live recording of a young Bob Dylan reading a poem he wrote about the ailing Woody Guthrie. This recording and poem are burned into my mind forever. Hearing "Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie" is like being in a dark room as a lyricist. Except: click! Someone has turned on the lights and you see the whole picture for the first time. This is how it's done. You may never be able to do it this perfectly. And even for something that dates to the mid-60's, there's such burning rhythm and diction here that it could stand along modern beat poets and rappers. The negative part of this mammoth work of poetry is that it positively ruined me for writing songs for a while. I felt like "how do you even contend with something like that?" I'll break a few laws of typepad and ruin you too. See what still inspires me (and thankfully no longer saps my ability to write!)
Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie
I love this poem too. I especially enjoy actually reading it on a page -- the words just seem to ebb and tide. If you remember, I wrote my main thesis in my Literary Criticism class on this piece. I don't think I did it justice with my naive view of the world back then (like I could do better now), but Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie always brings me back to that time in my life. Thanks for reminding me of it!
Posted by: Molly | December 19, 2008 at 08:46 PM