New Morning - Album
New Morning (Album) by Bob Dylan
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Artist Biography For Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Born Robert Allen Zimmerman On May 24 1941 In Duluth Minnesota United States Is An American Singer-Songwriter. Often Regarded As One Of The Greatest Songwriters Of All Time Dylan Has Been A Major Figure In Popular Culture During A Career Spanning More Than 60 Years.
Dylan Started His Musical Odyssey In 1959 When He Began Playing In Dinkytown Minneapolis While Attending The University Of Minnesota. Shortly After Starting To Play He Changed His Stage Name To Bob Dylan After Being Influenced By The Poetry Of Dylan Thomas Before Legally Changing His Name In 1962. Much Of His Best Known Work Is From The 1960s When He Became An Informal Documentarian And Reluctant Figurehead Of American Unrest Promoted By Joan Baez. Some Of His Songs Such As "Blowin' In The Wind" And "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Became Anthems Of The Anti-War And Civil Rights Movements With Joan Baez And Dylan Singing Together At The March On Washington In 1963. However He Later Became Disenchanted With The Civil Liberty Protest Scene Feeling That He Had Been Used By Them. His Album Bringing It All Back Home Marked A Move Away From The Folk Scene And A Move Towards Rock And Roll And Dylan Began To Consciously Distance Himself From His Early Association With Civil Rights. He Also Started To Become Irritated When Being Interviewed Often Given Facetious Or Irreverent Answers To Questions. Bringing It All Back Home Was A Controversial Album As It The First On Which He Played Electric Guitar. This Was Seen By Some Of His Fans As A Betrayal Of This Folk Roots With Some Saying That It Obscured His Meaningful And Poetic Lyrics. The Second Half Of The 1960s Was Marked By A String Of Well Received Releases With His Song "Like A Rolling Stone" Released In July Of 1965 Later Being Named "The Greatest Song Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine In 2004 Placing #1 In A List Of 500 Titles. It Also Marked The Formation Of Dylan's Backing Band The Hawks Who Would Later Call Themselves Simply The Band . Dylan Embarked On A World Tour Of Australia And Europe In 1966 During Which He Seemed To Be Under A Lot Of Strain And Pressure By Both His Fans The Music Press And His Own Promoters. Dylan Himself Admitted That He Began Taking Drugs Seriously Whilst On This Tour And Found It Immensely Hard Work. On Returning To New York He Crashed His Motorbike Sustaining Serious Injuries In The Process And Went Into A Period Of Withdrawal While He Recuperated. During The Late 1960s Dylan Again Changed Stylistic Tradition Moving Away From The Psychedelic Culture Of The Time. It Was Then That He Recorded All Along The Watchtower Perhaps More Famously Recorded By Jimi Hendrix. The 1970s Were A Period During Which Dylan Was More Sporadic In His Output Releasing Some Poorly Received LPs. He Rarely Appeared In Person Until 1974 When He Began Touring Again With His Backing Band The Band. He Also Wrote One Of His Most Extensively Covered Songs Knockin' On Heaven's Door As Well As What Is Now Recognised As One Of His Best Albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards The End Of The 1970s Dylan Discovered Christ And Released Some Albums Of Gospel Music. He Started To Talk To The Crowd About His Faith During His Performances And Wouldn't Play Any Of His Early Work Which Alienated Some Of His Previous Fans. Dylan Today Still Remains An Influential And Popular Artist Despite A Period Of Little Note Between 1980-2000 His 2006 Album Modern Times Reached The US Chart At #1 As Did His 2009 Album Together Through Life In The US Britain France And Several Other Countries. His 2012 Album Tempest Was Also Critically Acclaimed. Since 1988 Dylan Has Been On The So-Called Never Ending Tour During Which His Performances Have Provoked Controversy With Some Critics Claiming That His Lyrics Have Become Incomprehensible An Experience Which Is Not Helped By His Tendency To Change His Set-List And Vocals Almost Every Performance. Bob Dylan's Strong Influence Over The Past Few Years Is Becoming Even More Prominent Amongst A Growing Group Of Younger Emerging Artists Such As George Ellias And Devendra Banhart. Dylan's Early Lyrics Incorporated Politics Social Commentary Philosophy And Literary Influences Defying Existing Pop Music Conventions And Appealing Widely To The Counterculture Of The Time. While Expanding And Personalizing Musical Styles Dylan Has Shown Steadfast Devotion To Traditions Of American Song From Folk And Country/blues To Rock And Roll And Rockabilly To Gaelic Balladry Even Jazz Swing And Broadway. Dylan Performs With The Guitar Keyboard And Harmonica. Backed By A Changing Lineup Of Musicians He Has Toured Steadily Since The Late 1980s. He Has Also Recently Performed Alongside Other Iconic Artists Such As Paul Simon Joni Mitchell Tom Petty And Eric Clapton. Although His Contributions As A Performer And Recording Artist Have Been Central To His Career His Songwriting Is Generally Held As His Highest Accomplishment. Nobel Prize For Literature 2016 - On October 13 2016 Dylan Was Awarded The Nobel Prize For Literature For “for Having Created New Poetic Expressions Within The Great American Song Tradition”. The Prestigious Award Has Been Given Annually Since 1901 And Previous Nobel Laureates For Literature Include Harold Pinter And Samuel Beckett. Here Is The Speech Written By Dylan Although Unable To Attend Http //www.Nytimes.Com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-Dylan-Nobel-Prize-Acceptance-Speech.Html?_R 0
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Biography - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan Born Robert Allen Zimmerman On May 24 1941 In Duluth Minnesota United States Is An American Singer-Songwriter. Often Regarded As One Of The Greatest Songwriters Of All Time Dylan Has Been A Major Figure In Popular Culture During A Career Spanning More Than 60 Years.
Dylan Started His Musical Odyssey In 1959 When He Began Playing In Dinkytown Minneapolis While Attending The University Of Minnesota. Shortly After Starting To Play He Changed His Stage Name To Bob Dylan After Being Influenced By The Poetry Of Dylan Thomas Before Legally Changing His Name In 1962. Much Of His Best Known Work Is From The 1960s When He Became An Informal Documentarian And Reluctant Figurehead Of American Unrest Promoted By Joan Baez. Some Of His Songs Such As "Blowin' In The Wind" And "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Became Anthems Of The Anti-War And Civil Rights Movements With Joan Baez And Dylan Singing Together At The March On Washington In 1963. However He Later Became Disenchanted With The Civil Liberty Protest Scene Feeling That He Had Been Used By Them. His Album Bringing It All Back Home Marked A Move Away From The Folk Scene And A Move Towards Rock And Roll And Dylan Began To Consciously Distance Himself From His Early Association With Civil Rights. He Also Started To Become Irritated When Being Interviewed Often Given Facetious Or Irreverent Answers To Questions. Bringing It All Back Home Was A Controversial Album As It The First On Which He Played Electric Guitar. This Was Seen By Some Of His Fans As A Betrayal Of This Folk Roots With Some Saying That It Obscured His Meaningful And Poetic Lyrics. The Second Half Of The 1960s Was Marked By A String Of Well Received Releases With His Song "Like A Rolling Stone" Released In July Of 1965 Later Being Named "The Greatest Song Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine In 2004 Placing #1 In A List Of 500 Titles. It Also Marked The Formation Of Dylan's Backing Band The Hawks Who Would Later Call Themselves Simply The Band . Dylan Embarked On A World Tour Of Australia And Europe In 1966 During Which He Seemed To Be Under A Lot Of Strain And Pressure By Both His Fans The Music Press And His Own Promoters. Dylan Himself Admitted That He Began Taking Drugs Seriously Whilst On This Tour And Found It Immensely Hard Work. On Returning To New York He Crashed His Motorbike Sustaining Serious Injuries In The Process And Went Into A Period Of Withdrawal While He Recuperated. During The Late 1960s Dylan Again Changed Stylistic Tradition Moving Away From The Psychedelic Culture Of The Time. It Was Then That He Recorded All Along The Watchtower Perhaps More Famously Recorded By Jimi Hendrix. The 1970s Were A Period During Which Dylan Was More Sporadic In His Output Releasing Some Poorly Received LPs. He Rarely Appeared In Person Until 1974 When He Began Touring Again With His Backing Band The Band. He Also Wrote One Of His Most Extensively Covered Songs Knockin' On Heaven's Door As Well As What Is Now Recognised As One Of His Best Albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards The End Of The 1970s Dylan Discovered Christ And Released Some Albums Of Gospel Music. He Started To Talk To The Crowd About His Faith During His Performances And Wouldn't Play Any Of His Early Work Which Alienated Some Of His Previous Fans. Dylan Today Still Remains An Influential And Popular Artist Despite A Period Of Little Note Between 1980-2000 His 2006 Album Modern Times Reached The US Chart At #1 As Did His 2009 Album Together Through Life In The US Britain France And Several Other Countries. His 2012 Album Tempest Was Also Critically Acclaimed. Since 1988 Dylan Has Been On The So-Called Never Ending Tour During Which His Performances Have Provoked Controversy With Some Critics Claiming That His Lyrics Have Become Incomprehensible An Experience Which Is Not Helped By His Tendency To Change His Set-List And Vocals Almost Every Performance. Bob Dylan's Strong Influence Over The Past Few Years Is Becoming Even More Prominent Amongst A Growing Group Of Younger Emerging Artists Such As George Ellias And Devendra Banhart. Dylan's Early Lyrics Incorporated Politics Social Commentary Philosophy And Literary Influences Defying Existing Pop Music Conventions And Appealing Widely To The Counterculture Of The Time. While Expanding And Personalizing Musical Styles Dylan Has Shown Steadfast Devotion To Traditions Of American Song From Folk And Country/blues To Rock And Roll And Rockabilly To Gaelic Balladry Even Jazz Swing And Broadway. Dylan Performs With The Guitar Keyboard And Harmonica. Backed By A Changing Lineup Of Musicians He Has Toured Steadily Since The Late 1980s. He Has Also Recently Performed Alongside Other Iconic Artists Such As Paul Simon Joni Mitchell Tom Petty And Eric Clapton. Although His Contributions As A Performer And Recording Artist Have Been Central To His Career His Songwriting Is Generally Held As His Highest Accomplishment. Nobel Prize For Literature 2016 - On October 13 2016 Dylan Was Awarded The Nobel Prize For Literature For “for Having Created New Poetic Expressions Within The Great American Song Tradition”. The Prestigious Award Has Been Given Annually Since 1901 And Previous Nobel Laureates For Literature Include Harold Pinter And Samuel Beckett. Here Is The Speech Written By Dylan Although Unable To Attend Http //www.Nytimes.Com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-Dylan-Nobel-Prize-Acceptance-Speech.Html?_R 0 read less
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Dylan Started His Musical Odyssey In 1959 When He Began Playing In Dinkytown Minneapolis While Attending The University Of Minnesota. Shortly After Starting To Play He Changed His Stage Name To Bob Dylan After Being Influenced By The Poetry Of Dylan Thomas Before Legally Changing His Name In 1962. Much Of His Best Known Work Is From The 1960s When He Became An Informal Documentarian And Reluctant Figurehead Of American Unrest Promoted By Joan Baez. Some Of His Songs Such As "Blowin' In The Wind" And "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Became Anthems Of The Anti-War And Civil Rights Movements With Joan Baez And Dylan Singing Together At The March On Washington In 1963. However He Later Became Disenchanted With The Civil Liberty Protest Scene Feeling That He Had Been Used By Them. His Album Bringing It All Back Home Marked A Move Away From The Folk Scene And A Move Towards Rock And Roll And Dylan Began To Consciously Distance Himself From His Early Association With Civil Rights. He Also Started To Become Irritated When Being Interviewed Often Given Facetious Or Irreverent Answers To Questions. Bringing It All Back Home Was A Controversial Album As It The First On Which He Played Electric Guitar. This Was Seen By Some Of His Fans As A Betrayal Of This Folk Roots With Some Saying That It Obscured His Meaningful And Poetic Lyrics. The Second Half Of The 1960s Was Marked By A String Of Well Received Releases With His Song "Like A Rolling Stone" Released In July Of 1965 Later Being Named "The Greatest Song Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine In 2004 Placing #1 In A List Of 500 Titles. It Also Marked The Formation Of Dylan's Backing Band The Hawks Who Would Later Call Themselves Simply The Band . Dylan Embarked On A World Tour Of Australia And Europe In 1966 During Which He Seemed To Be Under A Lot Of Strain And Pressure By Both His Fans The Music Press And His Own Promoters. Dylan Himself Admitted That He Began Taking Drugs Seriously Whilst On This Tour And Found It Immensely Hard Work. On Returning To New York He Crashed His Motorbike Sustaining Serious Injuries In The Process And Went Into A Period Of Withdrawal While He Recuperated. During The Late 1960s Dylan Again Changed Stylistic Tradition Moving Away From The Psychedelic Culture Of The Time. It Was Then That He Recorded All Along The Watchtower Perhaps More Famously Recorded By Jimi Hendrix. The 1970s Were A Period During Which Dylan Was More Sporadic In His Output Releasing Some Poorly Received LPs. He Rarely Appeared In Person Until 1974 When He Began Touring Again With His Backing Band The Band. He Also Wrote One Of His Most Extensively Covered Songs Knockin' On Heaven's Door As Well As What Is Now Recognised As One Of His Best Albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards The End Of The 1970s Dylan Discovered Christ And Released Some Albums Of Gospel Music. He Started To Talk To The Crowd About His Faith During His Performances And Wouldn't Play Any Of His Early Work Which Alienated Some Of His Previous Fans. Dylan Today Still Remains An Influential And Popular Artist Despite A Period Of Little Note Between 1980-2000 His 2006 Album Modern Times Reached The US Chart At #1 As Did His 2009 Album Together Through Life In The US Britain France And Several Other Countries. His 2012 Album Tempest Was Also Critically Acclaimed. Since 1988 Dylan Has Been On The So-Called Never Ending Tour During Which His Performances Have Provoked Controversy With Some Critics Claiming That His Lyrics Have Become Incomprehensible An Experience Which Is Not Helped By His Tendency To Change His Set-List And Vocals Almost Every Performance. Bob Dylan's Strong Influence Over The Past Few Years Is Becoming Even More Prominent Amongst A Growing Group Of Younger Emerging Artists Such As George Ellias And Devendra Banhart. Dylan's Early Lyrics Incorporated Politics Social Commentary Philosophy And Literary Influences Defying Existing Pop Music Conventions And Appealing Widely To The Counterculture Of The Time. While Expanding And Personalizing Musical Styles Dylan Has Shown Steadfast Devotion To Traditions Of American Song From Folk And Country/blues To Rock And Roll And Rockabilly To Gaelic Balladry Even Jazz Swing And Broadway. Dylan Performs With The Guitar Keyboard And Harmonica. Backed By A Changing Lineup Of Musicians He Has Toured Steadily Since The Late 1980s. He Has Also Recently Performed Alongside Other Iconic Artists Such As Paul Simon Joni Mitchell Tom Petty And Eric Clapton. Although His Contributions As A Performer And Recording Artist Have Been Central To His Career His Songwriting Is Generally Held As His Highest Accomplishment. Nobel Prize For Literature 2016 - On October 13 2016 Dylan Was Awarded The Nobel Prize For Literature For “for Having Created New Poetic Expressions Within The Great American Song Tradition”. The Prestigious Award Has Been Given Annually Since 1901 And Previous Nobel Laureates For Literature Include Harold Pinter And Samuel Beckett. Here Is The Speech Written By Dylan Although Unable To Attend Http //www.Nytimes.Com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-Dylan-Nobel-Prize-Acceptance-Speech.Html?_R 0 read less
16 Similar Artists To Bob Dylan - Frogtoon Music
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Note I Found This 1970 Write Up By A Rolling Stone Reviewer That I Thought Interesting Well Friends Bob Dylan Is Back With Us Again. I Don't Know How Long He Intends To Stay But I Didn't Ask Him. Didn't Figure It Was Any Of My Business. Put Simply New Morning Is A Superb Album. It Is Everything That Every Dylan Fan Prayed For After Self Portrait. The Portrait On The Cover Peers Out Boldly Just Daring You To Find Fault With It And I Must Admit That If There Is A Major Fault On The Album I Haven't Found It. Nor Do I Care To. This One Comes Easy And That's What It's All About Isn't It? A Newly Re-Discovered Self-Reliance Is Evident From The First Measure To The Last Fadeout The Same Kind Of Self-Reliance That Shocked The Old-Timers When This Kid Dared To Say "Hey-Hey Woody Guthrie I Wrote You A Song." That May Have Been His Own Modest As It Turns Out In Retrospect Anyway Way Of Saying "Here I Am World." Calling His Latest Outing New Morning May Very Well Be His Way Of Saying "I'm Back." But That's Reading Things Into It Already And I'd Like To Get Through This Review Without Reading Much Into What's Already There Because What's There Is Very Impressive Indeed And Needs No Help From The Likes Of Me. Instead Let's Look At What Is There Pausing Now And Again To Comment On It. To Begin With There's The Cover. Dylan Looking Like He's Been Through Some Rocky Times But Confident. And The Back Cover With Young Zimmerman And Victoria Spivey Self-Appointed "Queen Of The Blues " Standing By Her Piano. He's Holding A Guitar That Big Joe Williams Had Just Given Him And She Is Beaming Up At Him Immensely Pleased. The Look On His Face Seems To Say "I Thought I Could Do It And I Could. Shit Man I'm Bob Dylan That's Who I Am." And Indeed That's Who He Was. And Is. "If Not For You" Starts It All Off. A Kind Of Invocation To The Muse If You Will Only This Time Instead Of Crying "I Want You So Bad " He's Celebrating The Fact That Not Only Has He Found Her But They Know Each Other Well And Get Strength From Each Other Depend On Each Other. 'Twas Always Thus It Seems And The Kooperishly Bouncy Organ And Brisk Tempo Go Back A Long Ways. Everyone Seems To Think That "Day Of The Locusts" Is About Dylan Picking Up His Degree At Princeton But It Could As Easily Be Any Kid In This Day And Age Perplexed Uptight And Not A Little Unnerved By This Juncture Of His Life Graduating From College. But Putting All That Aside Musically This Is Where The Whole Thing Gets Off The Ground. Dylan Makes His First Appearance Here Playing Piano Piano Cuts Wisely Ticked Off On The Cover Probably By Kooper Who Knows A Great Keyboard Artist When He Hears One And Who Hears One In Dylan And The Entire Production From The Locust Organ Discord To The Subtly Mixed-Down Vocal Backup Is Just Fine. This Cut Sounds Like A Lot Of Work Was Put Into It Which Is A Break From Dylan's Usual Studio Practice Of Doing A Song About Twice And Leaving It At That. After The Hero Of "Locusts" Has Run Off To The Black Hills He Tells Us That "Time Passes Slowly." More Superb Pianistics Here Although The Erratic Ending Makes Me Think That This Was Done On The Spot In The Studio. No Matter It's A Nice Piece Of Fluff And It Fits. "Went To See The Gypsy" Is What The Side's Been Building Up To And There Is No Doubt In My Mind That It Is A Masterpiece. The Hardest Rocker From Dylan In A 'coon's Age It Builds Beautifully Ending In Some Fantastic Electric Guitar Work. Dylan's Voice Is Back In Its Raspy Rowdy Glory After A List Of Unusual Achievements Credited To The Gypsy By His Dancing Girl We Hear Bob Growl "He Did It In Las Vegas And He Can Do It Here " Really! I Whooped The First Time I Heard That. For Some Unknown Reason The Story Line In This Song Reminds Me Of The Scene In Juliet Of The Spirits Where Juliet And Her Friend Go To See The Androgynous Indian At The Grand Hotel. And The Meaning If Indeed There Is One Of The Line About The "little Minnesota Town" Escapes Me But I Don't Really Care. Side One Ends On Two Comic Notes. "Winterlude" Is Lewd And Makes Me Wish I'd Learned To Ice Skate When I Was Still Back East. The Line About Going To Get Married And Then Coming Back And Cooking Up A Meal Reminds Me Of Bing Crosby Crooning "In The Meadow We Can Build A Snowman" In "White Christmas." And "If Dogs Run Free" Puts Me In Mind Of A Beatnik Poetry Reading At The Fat Black Pussy Cat Theatre In Greenwich Village. Everybody — And Especially Maeretha Stewart — Sounds Like They're Having A Good Time And Al Kooper Can Play In My Piano Bar Any Time He Wants. On The Surface The Second Side Would Seem To Be The "serious" Side Of The Record But That Notion Is Belied Immediately By The Fact That Somebody's Guitar Bob Is That You? Is Horribly Out Of Tune. But There Is A Lot Of Gusto To Dylan's Singing And For A Change The Backup Girls Add Just The Right Touch. The Unquestioned Masterpiece Of The Album Is "Sign On The Window." It Ranks With The Best Work He's Done And The Fact That He Plays Such Moving Piano And Sings With Just Everything He's Got Makes It One Of The Most Involved And Involving Pieces He's Ever Recorded. It's Right Up There With "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowland " "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues " "Like A Rolling Stone " And The Unreleased "I'm Not There" In Intensity. "She And Her Boyfriend Went To California." And Baby That's A Long Long Way. It's Gonna Be Wet Tonight On Main Street And With That Pronouncement Dylan Communicates A Despair Mixed With Resignment. And Is The Cabin In Utah The Panacea That It Would Seem The Glue To Mend This Broken Heart? I'm Not Convinced And Dylan Doesn't Sound Like He Is Either. If Poetry Can Be A Story That Must Be Sent By Telegraph Then This Is Certainly One Of Dylan's Foremost Achievements As A Poet. Words Music Singing Piano Work All Of The Highest Order. Yes Doubting Thomas He Can Still Do It. And How! And If There Is Any Doubt Left Try On "Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat Volume Two " Otherwise Known As "One More Weekend." It's Such A Good Rocker And So Full Of Energy That I Still Haven't Bothered To Listen To The Words. No Matter They Surely Say What They Must Which In The Grand Old Rock Lyric Tradition Is Not Much. Speaking Of Lyrics Who Among Us Would Have Thought That We'd See The Day When Bob Dylan Would Start Out A Song With "La La La La La ...?" I've Never Heard Dylan Sounding So Outrageously Happy Before. The Tune To The Verse Is Similar To "I Shall Be Released " But The Sentiments Here Show That The Release Has Already Happened. I Just Love This Number And I Hope That The Likes Of Joe Cocker Will Think Twice Before Attempting A Cover Version Of It. The Second Side Ends With Two "religious" Songs That Will Doubtless Be Plumbed For "meanings" They Don't Contain. "Three Angels" Is An Old-Fashioned Dylan Word-Riff The Kind Of Thing That We've Seen Before In "Gates Of Eden" And "Desolation Row." It Is So Corny That It Is Funny And This Is The One Cut On The Album That Makes Me Wonder If It'll Stand Up Under Repeated Playings. And Regardless Of What Others Say About "Father Of Night " I Think That Dylan Found A Good Gospel Riff On The Piano And Used It. Anybody Can Make Up Words To It They Simply Aren't That Important. I Guess It Could Also Be Seen As The Leavetaking Of The Muse Too But I'll Leave It To Others Far More Erudite Than Myself To Figure That Out. Praising The Maker Of The Night Is An Awfully Good Way To End A New Morning Anyway. * * * In The End This Is An Album That The Less Said About It The Better. I Have My Favorite Moments Like The Part In "Sign On The Window" Where He Modulates Up And Then When He Says "Looks Like It's Gonna Rain" He Hits A Major Chord — Right Out Of The Blue But So Will You. It Seems Almost Superfluous To Say That This Is One Of The Best Albums Of The Year One Of Dylan's Best Albums Perhaps His Best. In Good Conscience All I Can Really Say Is Get It Yourself And Prepare To Boogie. After All What Better Recommendation For An Album — Be It Dylan Or A Bunch Of Unknowns — Is There?
Published: 03 Mar 2018, 20:42
New Morning Is Singer-Songwriter Bob Dylan's 11th Studio Album Released By Columbia Records In October 1970. Coming Only Four Months After The Controversial Self Portrait The More Concise And Immediate New Morning Won A Much Warmer Reception From Fans And Critics. Most Welcome Was The Return Of Dylan's More Familiar Nasally Singing Voice. However On Alberta #1 Self Portrait He Has A Slight Nasal Tone In His Voice But This Was His First Full Album With His Familiar Voice Since John Wesley Harding In 1967 He Had Taken On An Affected Country Croon Since Then . In Retrospect The Album Has Come To Be Viewed As One Of The Artist's Lesser Successes Especially Following The Release Of Blood On The Tracks In 1975 Often Seen As A Fuller Return-To-Form. It Reached #7 In The U.S. Quickly Going Gold And Gave Bob Dylan His 6th UK #1 Album. The Album's Most Successful Song From A Commercial Perspective Is Probably "If Not For You " Which Was Covered By George Harrison Who Had Played Guitar On A Version Of The Song Not Released Until 1991's Bootleg Series Volume 2 And Was Also An International Hit For Olivia Newton-John In 1971. Bryan Ferry Also Included The Song On Dylanesque.Note I Found This 1970 Write Up By A Rolling Stone Reviewer That I Thought Interesting Well Friends Bob Dylan Is Back With Us Again. I Don't Know How Long He Intends To Stay But I Didn't Ask Him. Didn't Figure It Was Any Of My Business. Put Simply New Morning Is A Superb Album. It Is Everything That Every Dylan Fan Prayed For After Self Portrait. The Portrait On The Cover Peers Out Boldly Just Daring You To Find Fault With It And I Must Admit That If There Is A Major Fault On The Album I Haven't Found It. Nor Do I Care To. This One Comes Easy And That's What It's All About Isn't It? A Newly Re-Discovered Self-Reliance Is Evident From The First Measure To The Last Fadeout The Same Kind Of Self-Reliance That Shocked The Old-Timers When This Kid Dared To Say "Hey-Hey Woody Guthrie I Wrote You A Song." That May Have Been His Own Modest As It Turns Out In Retrospect Anyway Way Of Saying "Here I Am World." Calling His Latest Outing New Morning May Very Well Be His Way Of Saying "I'm Back." But That's Reading Things Into It Already And I'd Like To Get Through This Review Without Reading Much Into What's Already There Because What's There Is Very Impressive Indeed And Needs No Help From The Likes Of Me. Instead Let's Look At What Is There Pausing Now And Again To Comment On It. To Begin With There's The Cover. Dylan Looking Like He's Been Through Some Rocky Times But Confident. And The Back Cover With Young Zimmerman And Victoria Spivey Self-Appointed "Queen Of The Blues " Standing By Her Piano. He's Holding A Guitar That Big Joe Williams Had Just Given Him And She Is Beaming Up At Him Immensely Pleased. The Look On His Face Seems To Say "I Thought I Could Do It And I Could. Shit Man I'm Bob Dylan That's Who I Am." And Indeed That's Who He Was. And Is. "If Not For You" Starts It All Off. A Kind Of Invocation To The Muse If You Will Only This Time Instead Of Crying "I Want You So Bad " He's Celebrating The Fact That Not Only Has He Found Her But They Know Each Other Well And Get Strength From Each Other Depend On Each Other. 'Twas Always Thus It Seems And The Kooperishly Bouncy Organ And Brisk Tempo Go Back A Long Ways. Everyone Seems To Think That "Day Of The Locusts" Is About Dylan Picking Up His Degree At Princeton But It Could As Easily Be Any Kid In This Day And Age Perplexed Uptight And Not A Little Unnerved By This Juncture Of His Life Graduating From College. But Putting All That Aside Musically This Is Where The Whole Thing Gets Off The Ground. Dylan Makes His First Appearance Here Playing Piano Piano Cuts Wisely Ticked Off On The Cover Probably By Kooper Who Knows A Great Keyboard Artist When He Hears One And Who Hears One In Dylan And The Entire Production From The Locust Organ Discord To The Subtly Mixed-Down Vocal Backup Is Just Fine. This Cut Sounds Like A Lot Of Work Was Put Into It Which Is A Break From Dylan's Usual Studio Practice Of Doing A Song About Twice And Leaving It At That. After The Hero Of "Locusts" Has Run Off To The Black Hills He Tells Us That "Time Passes Slowly." More Superb Pianistics Here Although The Erratic Ending Makes Me Think That This Was Done On The Spot In The Studio. No Matter It's A Nice Piece Of Fluff And It Fits. "Went To See The Gypsy" Is What The Side's Been Building Up To And There Is No Doubt In My Mind That It Is A Masterpiece. The Hardest Rocker From Dylan In A 'coon's Age It Builds Beautifully Ending In Some Fantastic Electric Guitar Work. Dylan's Voice Is Back In Its Raspy Rowdy Glory After A List Of Unusual Achievements Credited To The Gypsy By His Dancing Girl We Hear Bob Growl "He Did It In Las Vegas And He Can Do It Here " Really! I Whooped The First Time I Heard That. For Some Unknown Reason The Story Line In This Song Reminds Me Of The Scene In Juliet Of The Spirits Where Juliet And Her Friend Go To See The Androgynous Indian At The Grand Hotel. And The Meaning If Indeed There Is One Of The Line About The "little Minnesota Town" Escapes Me But I Don't Really Care. Side One Ends On Two Comic Notes. "Winterlude" Is Lewd And Makes Me Wish I'd Learned To Ice Skate When I Was Still Back East. The Line About Going To Get Married And Then Coming Back And Cooking Up A Meal Reminds Me Of Bing Crosby Crooning "In The Meadow We Can Build A Snowman" In "White Christmas." And "If Dogs Run Free" Puts Me In Mind Of A Beatnik Poetry Reading At The Fat Black Pussy Cat Theatre In Greenwich Village. Everybody — And Especially Maeretha Stewart — Sounds Like They're Having A Good Time And Al Kooper Can Play In My Piano Bar Any Time He Wants. On The Surface The Second Side Would Seem To Be The "serious" Side Of The Record But That Notion Is Belied Immediately By The Fact That Somebody's Guitar Bob Is That You? Is Horribly Out Of Tune. But There Is A Lot Of Gusto To Dylan's Singing And For A Change The Backup Girls Add Just The Right Touch. The Unquestioned Masterpiece Of The Album Is "Sign On The Window." It Ranks With The Best Work He's Done And The Fact That He Plays Such Moving Piano And Sings With Just Everything He's Got Makes It One Of The Most Involved And Involving Pieces He's Ever Recorded. It's Right Up There With "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowland " "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues " "Like A Rolling Stone " And The Unreleased "I'm Not There" In Intensity. "She And Her Boyfriend Went To California." And Baby That's A Long Long Way. It's Gonna Be Wet Tonight On Main Street And With That Pronouncement Dylan Communicates A Despair Mixed With Resignment. And Is The Cabin In Utah The Panacea That It Would Seem The Glue To Mend This Broken Heart? I'm Not Convinced And Dylan Doesn't Sound Like He Is Either. If Poetry Can Be A Story That Must Be Sent By Telegraph Then This Is Certainly One Of Dylan's Foremost Achievements As A Poet. Words Music Singing Piano Work All Of The Highest Order. Yes Doubting Thomas He Can Still Do It. And How! And If There Is Any Doubt Left Try On "Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat Volume Two " Otherwise Known As "One More Weekend." It's Such A Good Rocker And So Full Of Energy That I Still Haven't Bothered To Listen To The Words. No Matter They Surely Say What They Must Which In The Grand Old Rock Lyric Tradition Is Not Much. Speaking Of Lyrics Who Among Us Would Have Thought That We'd See The Day When Bob Dylan Would Start Out A Song With "La La La La La ...?" I've Never Heard Dylan Sounding So Outrageously Happy Before. The Tune To The Verse Is Similar To "I Shall Be Released " But The Sentiments Here Show That The Release Has Already Happened. I Just Love This Number And I Hope That The Likes Of Joe Cocker Will Think Twice Before Attempting A Cover Version Of It. The Second Side Ends With Two "religious" Songs That Will Doubtless Be Plumbed For "meanings" They Don't Contain. "Three Angels" Is An Old-Fashioned Dylan Word-Riff The Kind Of Thing That We've Seen Before In "Gates Of Eden" And "Desolation Row." It Is So Corny That It Is Funny And This Is The One Cut On The Album That Makes Me Wonder If It'll Stand Up Under Repeated Playings. And Regardless Of What Others Say About "Father Of Night " I Think That Dylan Found A Good Gospel Riff On The Piano And Used It. Anybody Can Make Up Words To It They Simply Aren't That Important. I Guess It Could Also Be Seen As The Leavetaking Of The Muse Too But I'll Leave It To Others Far More Erudite Than Myself To Figure That Out. Praising The Maker Of The Night Is An Awfully Good Way To End A New Morning Anyway. * * * In The End This Is An Album That The Less Said About It The Better. I Have My Favorite Moments Like The Part In "Sign On The Window" Where He Modulates Up And Then When He Says "Looks Like It's Gonna Rain" He Hits A Major Chord — Right Out Of The Blue But So Will You. It Seems Almost Superfluous To Say That This Is One Of The Best Albums Of The Year One Of Dylan's Best Albums Perhaps His Best. In Good Conscience All I Can Really Say Is Get It Yourself And Prepare To Boogie. After All What Better Recommendation For An Album — Be It Dylan Or A Bunch Of Unknowns — Is There?