Rolling Stone recently came out with its 50 greatest artists of all time, called “The Immortals.”
Musicians, producers and singers voted. One man stood in front of Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones, among others, and was behind only The Beatles at No. 2.
That man was Bob Dylan.
| It may not be for everyone, but for fans of folk music or poetry, this is as good as it gets |
In 1964, 23-year- old Dylan was starting to build his reputation and make his living off a single acoustic guitar and harmonica.
In the coming years, Dylan would explode by moving into an electric, full-band setting. But he strolled solo into the legendary Philharmonic Hall in New York City Oct. 31, 1964. At the time, it was the most prestigious auditorium in the country.
Forty years later the concert was released in volume six of Dylan’s Bootleg Series.
A two-CD set of the all-acoustic show, “Live 1964: Concert at Philharmonic Hall,” came out Tuesday and has received rave reviews.
The show came two months after his last entirely acoustic studio album, “Another Side of Bob Dylan.”
“Live 1964” starts with the classic tune “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” sung to an audience sitting in silence trying to hear every word, as some songs were unreleased and unknown to them.
The first disc showcases a few of Dylan’s many political songs. Among them are “Who Killed Davey Moore?” a story about a boxer who fell into a coma and died following a boxing match. This song actually prompted national debate about the nature of boxing. The song “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues” was so controversial that CBS ordered Dylan to play something else on the Ed Sullivan Show. Dylan responded by walking out of the studio moments before airtime.
Dylan chats with the audience and provides comic relief at many points during the show.
This is in stark contrast to his shows today, during which he only introduces his band.
As good as disc one is, disc two is even better. A fantastic version of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” precedes an absolutely beautiful four-song duet with Joan Baez, known to be Dylan’s lover. She joined Dylan on stage numerous times in the early days.
Baez’s harmonies mix brilliantly with Dylan’s lead vocals, and she sings “Silver Dagger” solo, with Dylan providing accompaniment.
The CDs come with a 52-page booklet of rare Dylan photos and an excellent essay written by author and die-hard Dylan fan Sean Wilentz, who attended the concert as a 13-year-old.
Wilentz wrote that “above all, it brings back a great concert by an artist performing at the peak of his powers – one would climb many more peaks to come.”
Robert Sheldon of The New York Times wrote in an article that “his developing control of those gifts and his ability to shape a meaningful program added up to a frequently spellbinding evening by the brilliant singing poet laureate of young America.”
Rolling Stone, before placing Dylan No. 2 among all-time greats, gave the album a rare five stars.
And it truly is deserving of every one of those stars. It may not be for everyone, but for fans of folk music or poetry, this is as good as it gets.
