I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Album # 411
Album Title: Time Out Of MindArtist: Bob Dylan
Genre: Country, Blues, Rockabilly
Recorded: Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida
Released: September, 1997
My age at release: 32
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Not Dark Yet
Recently, I watched Beastie Boys Story, an unusual documentary in that it was filmed while being presented in front of a theatre audience. Surviving members of the band, Michael "Mike D" Diamond, and Adam "Ad Rock" Horovitz, were co-hosts on a stage with a coordinated multimedia presentation playing behind them. Together, the pair recounted their 40-year friendship and the history of their Hall of Fame hip-hop group.
Near the end of the documentary, as they discussed the retirement of the band following the death of bandmate and friend Adam "MCA" Yauch, Horovitz shared the following quote: "I'd rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever."
Here's the thing. I understand his popularity and appreciate his mountainous talent. He is a multi-instrumentalist and phenomenal songwriter whose brilliant lyrics draw from a broad range of social, philosophical, political and literary influences. He is an important part of American entertainment and was an integral force in the counter-culture of the sixties that led to positive change through the civil rights movement and beyond. How could I not admire this living legend?
He has received ten Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Nobel Prize for literature. He has a special citation from the Pulitzer Award and has been inducted into multiple Halls of Fame. He is a singular force in the world of art, literature and popular culture.
 |
| Bob Dylan receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama (2016) |
I get all of that, but, I could never get "it" -- that special magic that Dylan's music seems to hold for his legions of die-hard fans. I've tried. My roommate Brendan from Teacher's College played Dylan records all the time in our townhouse. In fact, on a 14-hour road-trip from Thunder Bay to London, Ontario, he and I took turns picking cassettes from our respective collections. He tried his best to get me to see the light Dylan was shining -- It just failed to illuminate me and, as each cassette played, I sat transfixed to the road ahead...waiting disinterestedly for either it, or the journey, to end.
 |
| The 14-hour drive from Thunder Bay to London |
Consequently, when the record became the next on my list, I played it with begrudging reticence. I thought to myself: "I'll give this the necessary two listens, get a quick post hammered out (probably about that Thunder Bay to London trip) and move on."
Several days later, I have played the record at least six times. I admit, it is fantastic and will certainly be part of my regular rotation for years to come. I was transfixed by the moody and atmospheric music on my first few listens. As I dug deeper, I immersed myself in Dylan's dark, rich poetry -- full of clever turns of phrase, literary connections and well-measured figures of speech. This record is an absolute delight and I suddenly find myself saying..."I finally get that elusive it".
Naturally, I wondered why it took me this long. Perhaps it was because Dylan wrote and recorded Time Out Of Mind when he was exactly my age? Maybe it was the introspective themes of love, loss and mortality (which haunt me daily) are at its core?
Who know?
Who cares really?
"I'd rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever". So, I willingly accept that my disdain for this artist was poorly placed.
No comments:
Post a Comment