Love in the Time of Swine Flu: Bob Dylan's "Together Through Life"

Interesting that Bob Dylan should release Together Through Life, a Mexican-flavored album, as Swine Flu makes its way from a five year-old Mexican boy towards a worldwide pandemic proportions. Virtually every song on this bluesy, loose new record is seasoned with the south-of-the-border accordion of Los Lobos' David Hidalgo.

But then again, Bob has never been one to shy away from apocalypse. His early masterwork "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" was written in the throes of the Cuban Missle Crisis. And his greatest "late period" record, “Love and Theft,” was released on September 11, 2001.

Of course these are coincidences, and Together Through Life is at least as evocative of Chicago as it is of the Mexican border, but here as always Bob has his toe dipped in the wellspring of America's collective unconsciousness.

The guitars and vocals on Together Through Life have a sting on them that was missing from the more Western Swing-y Modern Times (A pretty record I must admit I found a little dull at times). Dylan digs down deep and delivers some of his most brutal vocals ever, especially on "My Wife's Home Town" where he shouts and guffaws like B.B. King on "How Blue Can You Get?" And much of the fine guitar work here is courtesy of Tom Petty's ace collaborator Mike Campbell.

Many of Together's songs deal with one of Bob's favorite subjects: love gone wrong. On Modern Times, he pledged to stay with his lover when the deal goes down, here it seems like the deal has gone down, and now it's time to get out while you can. As he (and co-lyricist Robert Hunter) says in "Forgetful Heart":

The door has closed forevermore
If indeed there ever was a door

Some have faulted Together Through Life because it is not "profound" like say Time Out of Mind. There are no proclamations on aging, or prophesies of doom, so Together Through Life is not what one would call a "major work." And that's one of the best things about it.

For all of his protests, visions and poetry, a good amount of Dylan's music from the beginning, from "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" to "Thunder on the Mountain," has been a hoot, an excuse to dig into the blues with fellow musicians, and Together Through Life seems to fall into this category. Sure, Blood on the Tracks may be a "better" record, but sometimes you just want to throw on Planet Waves.

Big politician
Tellin' lies
Restaurant kichen
All full of flies
Don't make a bit of difference
Don't see why it should
But it's alright
'Cause it's all good

Bob's heavy message to the world in 2009, a world of Obama, Bernie Madoff-with-all-my-money, bailouts, White House photo shoots that re-enact 9/11 and swine flu? Here's another record, some of the songs are fast, some are slow. Hope you like it. And if you don't, there'll be another one sooner or later. With everything that's going on right now, it's nice to hear.

Bob Dylan: He'll Know His Song Well Before He Starts Singin'

Part 2 of the Together Through Life with Bob countdown: an historic series of random snapshots from the life of the master in the days leading up to his forthcoming record.

YouTube is chock full o' great Dylan performance clips from every phase of his career. In fact, Dylan has so many phases, it's almost like he's five or six different people. Maybe someone should make a movie about his life with different actors representing his various guises. Anyway, here are a few of Rock Turtleneck's favorite Dylan performance clips.

First up is "Solid Rock" from 1980. He is truly a man possessed here, as the literally rocking spirit of the song (which appears on Saved and Biograph) moves him to center stage to do what can only be called the Bob Dance. This is a very long way from the folkie loner-with-a-guitar stance of his earlier era, so it's no wonder few knew what to make of Born-Again Bob at the time.


Next is "Shelter from the Storm" from Dylan's 1976 Hard Rain TV special, a show which would make a fabulous Bootleg Series DVD release. Here we catch Dylan in a mutated phase of the Rolling Thunder tour. He's been on the road for longer than anyone can remember, his marriage is in shambles, and Shelter hath given way to Storm. Might as well throw on a Jesus-style do-rag and play some slide guitar.


Thirdly we have "Crossroads," wherein fellow Robert Johnson disciples Dylan and Clapton pay tribute to their idol with a spirited version of one of his most famous songs. Dylan is remarkably jovial here in this 1999 benefit performance for Slowhand's Crossroads rehab center. He also plays some nice lead guitar, which is no surprise to anyone who has seen him live in the past 10 years or so.


And let's bring it all back home with a truly awesome performance of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" from George Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh. For all of Bob's accomplishments, he may never have written a better song than "Hard Rain" and may never have done a better version than this one here.

And for that matter, has anyone ever written a more beautiful verse than:
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',
But I'll know my song well before I start singin',
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Bob Dylan's Clothes Are Dirty, But His Hands Are Clean

Part 1 of the Together Through Life with Bob countdown: an historic series of random snapshots from the life of the master in the days leading up to his forthcoming record.

One of the treats of being a Dylan fan, and being well versed in most of his 40+ albums, is that a semi-forgotten treasures ocassionally rises to the surface and sounds fresh and new and commands my attention for at least a week. Right now, the heavy-rotation Dylan record in the Rock Turtleneck offices is Nashville Skyline, released 40 years ago this month.

For a record that sounds so down-home and friendly, Nashville Skyline is amazingly radical. Dylan's fans were used to their oracle telling it like it is: "Money doesn't talk it swears"; "He not busy being born is busy dying"; "Don't go mistaking paradise for that home across the road."

Now suddenly Dylan was telling us "Oh me, oh my/Love that country pie," which, if you really think about it, is at least as valid as any of his other prophesies. For this was a man who had checked out of Desolation Row and was now sitting back with his wife and kids, watching the river flow in Woodstock, NY. And only a few months later, millions of hippies would head to Woodstock and do the same.

Dylan completely changed his voice and singing style to fit his pastoral surroundings and unabashed love of pure country music, showcasing a pretty, slightly Kermit-the-Froggish timbre that was full of warmth and a million miles from "Positively 4th Street."

The beautiful, sexy ode to matrimonial congress "Lay Lady Lay" is easily the most famous track from Nashville Skyline, and one of the most beloved songs in his catalog. One of my favorite things about the tune is the way he mixes the third and second person: "His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean/And you're the best thing that he's ever seen."

But the album is full of other gems, including "To Be Alone with You," "Tell Me That it Isn't True" "Country Pie" and "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You." The success of the album paved the way for a country-infused strain of rock & roll, making Nashville Skyline indirectly responsible for the Eagles. But we'll let that slide becuse it's a record that, like many of us has aged and sweetened with aplomb.

Bob showcased his radical new "country gentleman" style on the premier episode of the Johnny Cash Show in 1969. After performing "I Threw It All Away" and "Living the Blues" (which would appear on Self Portrait the following year) Dylan sat down with his friend John for a wonderful version of "Girl from the North Country." Take it away boys.



To get his voice in country mode, Bob spent a lot of time in the crucible of Mr. Cash, and they recorded many songs beyond "Girl from the North Country" in a series of sessions that featured Carl Perkins on guitar. The Dylan/Cash sessions are one of the great Dylan boots, and for a limited time you can download them here courtesy of the RT. Is it rolling, Bob?

Download: The Dylan/Cash Sessions, 1969

Beyond Here Lies Somethin': Bob Dylan's "Together Through Life"

Things are heating up in Zimmerland with just a week to go before the release of Bob Dylan's 46th album Together Through Life.

Amazon.com has first dibs on the new video for Together's lead-off track "Beyond Here Lies Nothin.'" You can see it here:

Amazon.com: "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" video

The video consists of a montage of Bruce Davidson’s Brooklyn Gang series of photographs, one of which graces the cover of Together Through Life.

Despite being created approximately a half-century apart, the song and video work wonderfully together, capturing a particular strain of American rebel spirit that no longer exists, or seems like it no longer exists, or may never have existed in the first place.



The nifty deluxe edition looks like the way to go here. For a mere $15.99 you get the standard CD of Together Through Life, plus a CD containing the "Friends & Neighbors" episode of his great Theme Time Radio Hour show, a DVD featuring a "lost" Dylan interview from No Direction Home plus a TTL sticker and poster. Say what you will about the man, but in these recessionary times, he delivers honest value for the dollar.

As we count down to the release date, Rock Turtleneck will be having all sorts of exciting Dylan related content to keep our loyal readers buzzing with excitement. But for now, Bob's gonna take us out with a sweet rendition of "Standing in the Doorway" from his star-studded 2003 film Masked & Anonymous.

Saturday is Record Store Day

If you're a music lover (which is quite likely if you're reading this), you know the once-cherished pastime of hanging out in a record store and flipping through stuff to see what's new and make a new discovery, has almost completely disappeared from modern life.

Only ten years later, this scene from 1998's High Fidelity, with cassette tapes, smoking indoors and aisles of LPs, is looking as dated as a film depicting roller derby or travel by blimp.


That is why you need to support Record Store Day, which is tomorrow, Saturday April 18. Many independent record retailers are offering special promos and giveaways, so shop early and shop often.

Chances are there's a record store in your neighborhood that's participating. Visit recordstoreday.com to find out.

Go in, buy something on a whim. Remember? You used to do it all the time. Take it home and crank it up. Whether it's Fleet Foxes, Frank Zappa or Frank Sinatra, get yourself or a friend the gift that keeps on giving.

Personally, I've got my eye on the new Wilco concert DVD Ashes of American Flags. Buy it on Record Store Day and you'll also receive a free download of one of the shows featured in the film.

Michael Jackson: I Want You Back

In what is shaping up to be a milestone week for mentally ill rock legends, Michael Jackson has succeeded in removing his vast collection of mind-boggling bric-a-brac from the auction block.

The collection of hundreds of items was seized during the foreclosure of Neverland but had never been authorized for sale. Now that Jacko has sold out a million shows at London's O2 arena, he apparently has some of his financial clout back as well.

Like everyone else, I was a fan and admirer of Jacko's in the 70s and 80s, but completely wrote him off for obvious, disturbing reasons in the 90s. My respect for the gloved one came flooding back the other other day, however, when the New York Times published a photo of this work of insane genius from the Jacko collection:

The concept of taking real and imagined icons (something tells me MJ thinks they're all real), putting them in Thriller drag then hiring a portrait artist to paint it... the list of people who could think that up and keep a straight face is very short indeed.

This portrait begs many questions. Would Abe Lincoln have been able to assemble his Team of Rivals had he been wearing dark shades and a glitter glove? Despite inventing the theory of relativity, did Einstein secretly yearn to Moonwalk? When E.T. phoned home, did it ring at Neverland?

Anyway, many years ago, Michael Jackson was a prodigiously gifted all-around entertainer. For all his success, I don't think he ever topped the work he did with the Jackson 5. And if you're wondering what too much success at an early age can do to a person, well now you know.

Here's the Jackson 5 doing "I Want You Back," introduced by a certain Jello pudding-loving comedian. Plus a couple slightly lesser-known faves by the bruthas Jackson.

Phil Spector: To Know Him Is To Love Him

Rather than discuss the sad circumstances of his mental deterioration and murder conviction, let us take a moment to celebrate some of the high points of the beyond-over career of songwriter, producer, arranger & visionary Phil Spector, one of a handful of rock musicians who is routinely and universally called a genius.

Teddy Bears: "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (1958)
Phil wrote and produced his first hit at age 18, inspired by the inscription on his father's gravestone. That needle-nosed nebbish on guitar? That's Phil.


The Ronettes: "Be My Baby" (1963)
One of those songs that's so simple and so great, it's hard to imagine it not existing. Ronnee of the Ronettes was married to Phil for many years, and not surprisingly, was routinely abused both physically and mentally. Luckily, she got out of there alive. Also the favorite song of mentally disturbed yet gentle genius Brian Wilson.


Ike & Tina Turner: "River Deep, Mountain High" (1966)
This awesome, strange song was Phil's production to top all productions, and Phil considered it his best work at the time. A huge hit in Europe, it only made it to #88 on the US charts. YouTube has a bunch of great live versions of Ike & Tina doing their thing on this track, like this one.


Phil also worked extensively with The Beatles, coming in to tidy up the abandoned Let it Be project in 1970 and producing George Harrison's epic emancipation All Things Must Pass and John Lennon's first two solo masterpieces John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. Interestingly, both of the Lennon albums were sonically miles away from his famous "Wall of Sound" sound.

Here are fellow short-tempered egomaniac geniuses Spector and Lennon laying down backing vocals on "Oh, Yoko!" If there was any doubt that Phil was mentally imbalanced, here he is taking production orders from Yoko Ono.

A Hard-Working Man and Brave

Today, a tribute to the carpenter who put the Good in Good Friday by the man who put the True in Troubador Woody Guthrie. The Woodman lets us know that the brave Jesus Christ was killed for telling the truth, and were he to show up today in New York City, things wouldn't be much different.



Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land
A hard-working man and brave
He said to the rich, "Give your money to the poor,"
But they laid Jesus Christ in His grave

Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty little coward called Judas Iscariot
Has laid Jesus Christ in His Grave

He went to the preacher, He went to the sheriff
He told them all the same
"Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the poor,"
And they laid Jesus Christ in His grave.

When Jesus come to town, all the working folks around
Believed what he did say
But the bankers and the preachers, they nailed Him on the cross,
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

And the people held their breath when they heard about his death
Everybody wondered why
It was the big landlord and the soldiers that they hired
To nail Jesus Christ in the sky

This song was written in New York City
Of rich man, preacher, and slave
If Jesus was to preach what He preached in Galilee,
They would lay poor Jesus in His grave.

In 1987, at the top of their game, U2 recorded a dynamite cover of "Jesus Christ" at Sun Studios for the Guthrie/Lead Belly tribute record Folkways: A Vision Shared. It's probably one of the most underrated tracks in the U2 catalog, and the entire album is well worth owning.


mp3: U2, "Jesus Christ"

Amazon.com: Folkways: A Vision Shared, $6.99

The Ones Mastered 9.09: The New Beatle Remasters

Perhaps Paul had some of his fortune tied up with Bernie Madoff. Maybe Ringo owes some quid to the taxman. But just as they were fading from the public eye, The Beatles have something new for sale.

Only days after Macca & Ringo played on stage together for the first time since the 2002 Concert for George, Apple Corps announced that long-awaited remastered versions of the entire Beatles studio catalog will be released on September 9. In BeatleLand, even release dates are cheeky, as the date is 9.09.09, or Number 9.

If you are a fab dweeb, you also know that the Beatles Rock Band video game is being released on the same date.

The records, from Please Please Me through Abbey Road, and including the essential singles/leftovers comps Past Masters I and II, will be available in both stereo and mono editions. Each CD will also include an extra DVD with a making-of-the-album documentary, which is more than enough for a lot of Beatlemaniacs to soil themselves.

As anyone familiar with Beatles recordings will tell you, their stereo separation often leaves much to be desired. For example, "Lady Madonna" has all the vocals on one side and the piano-driven music on the other. On headphones or an iPod, it's actually quite annoying. So the prospect of cleaned up and enhanced mono recordings is exciting indeed. I also remember reading somewhere that the White Album sounds better in mono than stereo, but I guess we'll just have to see.

And anyone who has heard the soundtrack to the Cirque deSoleil show LOVE knows, remastered Beatles sounds pretty incredible.

To help you remember the release date, the Fabs have worked up a little ditty. Take it away boys.

In the Pines: Kurt Cobain 15 Years Later

R.I.P. to the late great Kurt Cobain, found dead in his Seattle home 15 years ago today.

A link in a chain of bluesmen that includes Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, Howlin' Wolf, James Brown, Lennon, Dylan, Jagger/Richards, Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Beck and Jack White, Kurt shaped the blues to suit his needs and like the aforementioned, captured and personified the spirit of his times.

I was fortunate enough to see Nirvana live at the New York Colliseum in the fall of 1993, a few days before their now-legendary Unplugged performance for MTV. Genius, euphoria and doom weighed heavily in the air. Here are Kurt & Co. in what I think is their finest moment: covering Lead Belly's "In The Pines" renamed as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" - truly one of the great rock vocal performances of all time.

What a loss. Rest in peace.

Kinda Fonda Wanda Jackson

Congratulations to Wanda Jackson on her well deserved. long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame the other day. Unlike fellow 2009 Hall of Fame inductees Metallica, Wanda is talented, original, pleasant to the eyes and the ears, and criminally underrated.

Born in Oklahoma in 1937, she is often called the "Queen of Rockabilly." Other suitable monikers might include "The Female Elvis," “The Amelia Earhart of Rock & Roll," "The Fujiyama Mama" and "The Raven-Haired Hillbilly Spitfire."

A half century before Beyonce Knowles told the single ladies "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it," Wanda posed the musical question "If our love's the real thing, where is my wedding ring?"


Wanda was still in high school when country star Hank Thompson invited her to record with him on the Decca label in 1954.

The stunning brunette started TCBing with a promising hillbilly singer named Elvis Presley, who encouraged her to unchain the rock & roller within. Soon she was touring with Elvis, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis and creating a wild, fun and very sexy sound.




To get a little Wanda in your life, start with Rockin’ with Wanda, available on Amazon or iTunes for a measly $5.99. It’s one of the best party records you’ll ever hear. Give it a spin when you’re sitting on your deck, patio or roof with a bucket full of cold beers, some hot dogs on the grill and your best buddies.

Wanda Jackson, the original Fujiyama Mama, is still on the road, headin' for another joint. Catch her if you can.

Rebirth Of A Ladies' Man: Leonard Cohen Live in London

“It’s been a long time since I stood on this stage in London. It was about 14 or 15 years ago. I was just 60 years old… just a kid with a crazy dream.”
- Leonard Cohen, introducing “Ain’t No Cure for Love” on Live in LondonDroll though his banter may be, there is something of an overnight-success vibe to Leonard Cohen lately. And his new Live in London, recorded last year at the O2 arena and available as a DVD or 2-CD set, feels like a long overdue benediction.

Despite residing on the same lofty musical terrain as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Lou Reed and Van Morrison, Cohen has reaped few of the financial or commercial rewards as these artists. (I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard Cohen on mainstream radio. And a few years ago, a manager ripped him off for millions.)

But in recent years, Cohen has been getting the fair shake he has so long deserved, from tributes by R.E.M. and Kurt Cobain to Jeff Buckley’s and Rufus Wainwright’s covers of “Hallelujah,” the closest thing anyone’s written to an honest-to-god standard in decades.

Live in London is well timed to coincide with the increased interest in Cohen and his upcoming world tour. It’s a fantastic concert and makes a perfect entry point into his catalog, which goes back to 1967’s Songs of Leonard Cohen. (Before he was a singer, he was a poet and novelist; his first book was published in 1956.)

London finds Mr. Cohen showering himself in the love of his fans and playing up the spiritual and sensual underpinnings that give songs like “Suzanne” “Sisters of Mercy” and “The Future” such power and grace.

In addition to being a fantastic performance, Live in London is also beautifully recorded – it’s warm and rich, and his band provides sympathetic support in all the right places. And as the DVD shows, the legendary ladies' man is a riveting stage presence, sharply dressed in a pinstripe suit and fedora.


Leonard Cohen: Live in London is a treat for the heart and the mind, a stunning snapshot of a triumphant third act by an artist finally getting his due.

mp3: "The Future" Live in London

If, like me, you feel like you're late to the Cohen party, here's a Cohen primer: his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 – one year ahead of Metallica.