THE EARLY YEARS GALLERY
My first awareness of Bob Dylan has stayed with me from that time and like a lot of the ’old guard’ - I remember when……………………
this was not Elvis Presley, this was not Little Richard either, although I vividly remember later finding out about their influence upon Dylan - I loved Elvis - The Beatles ruled the world, in ways they still do! But in the early 60’s before the age of technology and information, we pieced together what we could, catching the occasional TV appearance, buying singles, eagerly awaiting the next album, sure to wear the needle through the vinyl. To get to see him, to be just aware of what he was creating, how he influenced the Beatles, Donovan, The Animals, and so, so many others.
My appreciation for the man has always been that of a traditional fan, sometimes critical of the latest offering at the time, but always quietly and with respect, considering that I just couldn’t know why ... so that’s enough. Just trying to keep up and always eventually adopting the new comfort blanket of norm , when ... ’The moving finger writes and having writ, moves on’.
Finding the mirrors and the patterns of documented resonance being reflected in daily life, I still find the warmest of comforts from listening to the earliest of his creations, but also enjoy the myriad of twists and interpretations projected in his deliveries of ’new’ old classics and the immediately accepted new albums alike.
Both Agreeing It Was Best
’You burst on the scene, already a legend’. The sub plot of Dylan’s early emergence was headed up in his wild and windy relationship with Joan Baez, herself a fascinating subject. Their relationship is perhaps as interesting because of what is not known rather than what is...
It Aint Me Babe
Someone to open each and every door for us! interpretation is always in the eye of the beholder. Colours of the mind, words of the heart, spirit of truth! Harmony and harmonica, calculated commentory of times that are a changing.
If I Could Stay With You Forever
A snatched moment, a glimpse of what might have been, ’Bobby’ and ’Joanie’ in line, in harmony and crossing paths once again. A poignant moment, once again in full public domain.
Because Something Is Happening Here
Pure Rock ’n Roll roots, nothing like it, neither will it be like it again! Look at this moment and see all that followed this lead. The flux of creativity, non-compromising fluidity, in the raw. Without this contribution what a singularly poorer place this world would be!
Positively
I painted this study in a gold lacquer on a graphite background and titling it from one of my all time favourites. I think it was from around ’4th St’ time. Bob Dylan’s life was always destined to wind it’s way down the path of awareness and realisation, though always taking the route guaranteed to be most intriguing.
Song To Woody’
A very great man once said, some people rob you with a fountain pen’ it didnt take too long to find out just what he was talking about. Greenwich village,’63, I blowed inside out n upside down, the man there said he loved my sound,he was ravin bout how he loved my sound.........a dollar a days worth.
I Dont Believe You
Stark electric reality. The confidence to face the world, the spirited split second stare that comes soul deep! The first riff, the full-on sound of a man in demand. Taking his message to the world, we didn’t know yet that the key talents included an ability to constantly re form, metamorphoses as if at will, but that didn’t matter, did it?
So Much Older Then
Maybe portraying the dimensionality of what ’Dylan’ was and was to become. The last harmonica chord is still piercing the ether and will do so as long as we care to believe it.
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