Mike Schneider: Bob Dylan’s Ballads of Murder, Drowning & Other Songs of Love
If one of the defining tendencies of post-modernism is breaking down borders between high and low culture—such as between Beethoven and Elvis, Dylan is a supreme post-modernist. The cultural compass inscribed by his work is huge, flattering us by the depth of his learning and song awareness. We can follow or not—the songs don’t care.
Daniel Burston: John Prine, Working Class Poet (1947-2020)
John Prine was a national treasure, whose songs about love, loss and aging – many written while he was still a relatively young man! – reflect his working class roots. But even so, they have a universal and timeless relevance.
Video: All Along the Watchtower — Playing for Change
I remember having a daydream about the opening acoustic guitar part of “All Along The Watchtower” ending with a Native American scream and a big native drum on the downbeat. … Continue reading
Video: Patti Smith sings A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” at the 2016 Nobel Prize ceremony
. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son And where have you been, my darling young one I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve … Continue reading
Mel Packer: Is It Time To Be Outlaws Again?
Only large-scale civil disobedience will make our leaders address economic injustice. In 1989, Bob Dylan recorded a song titled “Everything Is Broken”. That song seemed to go largely ignored, perhaps … Continue reading
