A Bob Dylan Christmas album. The mind reels! All of Bob Dylan’s U.S. current and future royalties from sales of Christmas In The Heart will be donated in perpetuity to Feeding America (once called Second Harvest), the organization that provides needed supplies to food banks across the country. That’s why I’ll be buying a copy–plus, I’m curious to hear Dylan sing “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” This CD goes on sale October 13.
The mind does reel indeed. I’ll be curious to hear your review.
My favorite recent CD (not a Christmas album) is John Fogerty’s countryish The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. He does mostly covers like John Denver’s “Back Home Again,” Pat Boone (!)’s “Moody River,” The Kendalls’ “Heaven’s Just a Sin Away,”, The Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved” (with Springsteen), Jumpin’ Gene Simmons’ “Haunted House” and Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party” (with Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmitt).
Great stuff!
I just ordered THE BLUE RIDGE RANGERS RIDES AGAIN, Jeff. Thanks for the recommendation. Sounds like fun!
I just saw Dylan in concert a few weeks ago and all those years of “endless” touring have taken a real toll on his voice–it’s now sort of a combination growl/death-rattle. I love Bob, but I don’t think I’ll be playing his version of “Here Comes Santa Claus” around the kiddies! (Although it just might work for something like “Merry Christmas Baby.”)
The first concert I ever attend was a Bob Dylan concert in 1965, Deb. He was at the height of his powers. HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED had just come out. It was a magical night. However, as you point out, the years have taken their toll on his voice. I haven’t liked any of Dylan’s albums for the past 20 years.
Dylan and Christmas. Feels like we’ve slipped into some strange parallel universe. Maybe the same one in Battlestar Galactica, where the sleeper Cylons were triggered by “All along the Watchtower.”
“All Along the Watchtower” may be my favorite Dylan song, Evan. The Jimi Hendrix version, of course. Dylan and Christmas–it is an odd pairing.
I just don’t think I can bear hearing him sing Christmas songs. Maybe I can donate money for him not to.
The charity aspect of the Dylan album is the reason I’m buying it mostly, Patti. Dylan’s voice is shot and the whole idea of Dylan singing Christmas songs is a tad surreal.
I’d just give the charity the dough and skip the CD, George. Since you’re not doing that, you must want the CD in spite of what you say. That last Bob Dylan song I heard – from the previous album – was terrible, as Deb says above, his voice is shot. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy listening to Dylan, but it’s the good, creative stuff I like (his songs on the Traveling Wilburys album, for instance) , not the mumbly tired voice covering “Here Comes Santa Claus”. You say”surreal”, I say “wrong”.
I usually listen to CDs like the Dylan Christmas album and pass them on to friends who are interested, Rick. I do the same with books like THE DI VINCI CODE that would never be included in my collection.
I agree with you about “All Along the Watchtower”, by the way. I like both the Dylan and Hendrix versions.
I like both the Dylan and Hendrix versions of “All Along the Watchtower,” Rick, but the Hendrix version explodes with energy–even after 40 years.
I believe that Dylan himself said that Hendrix’s version of AATW was “definitive.”
I’ve heard about a dozen “covers” of AATW, Deb. Nothing comes close to Hendrix’s “definitive” version.
Agreed. I love U2, but their version was meh to say the least.
That’s the problem with covering a classic, Deb. Unless you can bring something new to the table, your version pales in comparison with the classic version.
We last saw Dylan perform on a show with Paul Simon at Jones Beach ten years ago and he didn’t sound great even then. Neither one of them, by the way, is exactly what you’d call “chatty” with audiences. They did do about three duets of each other’s songs (I can’t remember the details so many years later but I think “Like a Rolling Stone” was one of them) and it was rather bizarre.
I also agree on “All Along the Watchtower” as a favorite.
My memories of Dylan are from that 1965 concert I attended, Jeff. I find the Dylan of the past 20 years hard to listen to.
Jeff, I totally agree about Dylan’s lack of rapport with the audience. At the concert I saw, he was headlining a bill with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. Willie did a breezy set, but he has a great connection with his audience and he did lots of old favorites, so everyone was singing along. Mellencamp’s set was fabulous–he did the old hits, but some new songs thrown in, and he also had a nice connection going with the crowd. Dylan, aside from introducing his band, made zero comments to the audience and played as if he were jamming with some buddies, no audience connection whatsoever. This may account for the fact that, by the end of the show, over half the audience had already left.
Even back in 1965, at the Dylan concert I attended, Dylan was curiously detached from the audience, Deb. The first half was acoustic. The second half was electric and some of the audience started booing. A contingent of Hell’s Angels, who were acting as “Security” for Dylan, went back and kicked the shit out of the protesters.
Wow, Dylan using Hell’s Angels as security? I thought that was only the Rolling Stones at Altamont!
There was a fetish at that time about using Hell’s Angels for security at rock concerts, Deb. Altamont ended that.
Dangit George, you’ve been everywhere and seen everything!
I’ve been around the block a few times, Drongo. But I fear my traveling days are coming to an end. Too much hassle for too little fun.