A 67-gun salute to singer/songwriter/Rock Turtleneck favorite Bob Dylan, who turns 67 today.
In honor of the occassion, some time-honored, slightly nutty pearls of life wisdom from the man himself, courtesy of his 1991 Lifetime Achievement Grammy award speech.
After an extremely eloquent speech by Dylanophile Jack Nicholson (which unfortunately is not on YouTube), Dylan roared out of the gates with his crack band and played a searing version of "Masters of War."
With its furious tempo and churgled vocals (even for Bob), it was so different from the folkie Freewheelin' version that it was hard to recognize until it was almost over. But this was only days after the first Gulf War had started, and the fury of the performance and the stinging guitar solos of Cesar Diaz brought to mind Jimi Hendrix's Vietnam-channeling performance of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock.
After the performance, Dylan, hopped up on an ungodly mixture of Boujoulais and Robitussin, stumbled over to accept his award and almost walks off without saying a word, which is almost what one would expect from the Bard of Hibbing. But then Dylan ambled back to the microphone:
"Well, my daddy, he didn't leave me much, you know he was a very simple man, but what he did tell me was this, he did say, 'Son, you know it's possible to become so defiled in this world that your own father and mother will abandon you... and if that happens, God will always believe in your own ability to mend your own ways.' Thank you."
Bob Dylan, "Masters of War" 1991 Grammy Awards
'Nuff said. Dylan looked so much older then. Seventeen years later, he still on the road, headin' for another joint. In fact, tonight he's in Newfoundland, playing the Mile One Center in St. John's. Would go but these gas prices are killing me.
Happy Birthday, Bob!
Bonus epic Dylan performance:
Bob Dylan, "Visions of Johanna" 1966 tour clip from No Direction Home
Bonus bonus epic Jack Nicholson performance:
Jack Nicholson, Toast scene from Five Easy Pieces, 1970
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