I'm no Bob aficianado. I have no acoustic/electric axe to grind. Indeed, most of the Dylan albums I have are compilations. What I can tell you is that those compilations, even those released this century, don't have a great deal on them from after the 1970s. Whilst he might have had a lot of critical acclaim since then, I think it's safe to say that his days of troubling the singles chart are over.
He has still got it right on later occasions, though. This like, Most of the Time, from the 1989 album Oh Mercy. It didn't chart, of course, but for me it's as good as anything he ever did.
Most of the time
I'm clear focused all around
Most of the time
I can keep both feet on the ground
I can follow the path
I can read the signs
Stay right with it
When the road unwinds
I can handle whatever
I stumble upon
I don't even notice
She's gone
Most of the time
Most of the time
It's well understood
Most of the time
I wouldn't change it if I could
I can't make it all match up
I can hold my own
I can deal with the situation
Right down to the bone
I can survive
And I can endure
And I don't even think
About her
Most of the time
Most of the time
My head is on straight
Most of the time
I'm strong enough not to hate
I don't build up illusion
'Till it makes me sick
I ain't afraid of confusion
No matter how thick
I can smile in the face
Of mankind
Don't even remember
What her lips felt like on mine
Most of the time
Most of the time
She ain't even in my mind
I wouldn't know her if I saw her
She's that far behind
Most of the time
I can't even be sure
If she was ever with me
Or if I was ever with her
Most of the time
I'm halfway content
Most of the time
I know exactly where it all went
I don't cheat on myself
I don't run and hide
Hide from the feelings
That are buried inside
I don't compromise
And I don't pretend
I don't even care
If I ever see her again
Most of the time
I've seen His Bobness in concert 66 times (it'll be 68 by the end of the month), but I've only ever seen him play this masterpiece once, on February 7th 1990, the penultimate night of his legendary six night Hammersmith Odeon residency that year. There are several different audience recordings of that show doing the rounds of collectors, one of which features a strangulated half gasp/half scream from an extremely over-excited nearby punter as Bob sings the opening line of Most of the Time. That'll be me.
ReplyDeleteHalf gasp, half scream - well, it is certainly deserving of that reaction.
DeleteThose are some poignant lyrics. Who knew? ;-)
ReplyDeleteGod, aren't they just? Heart-rending. In a way, they remind me of the poem Sleeping Alone by John Osbourne.
DeleteOh, that's very good. Martin, my sincere apologies if you have already spoken about this and I've forgotten, but have you written any poetry as well as your short stories/novels?
DeleteNo apology necessary. But oh, I'm a terrible poet. I strive for gravitas but only managed to be a pretentious ass... But here's one, a parody of a proper poem by Michael Rosen. And another, that my creative writing poetry tutor quite liked... My favourite of my own poems is called Inch but it isn't online anywhere. I'll see if I can dig it out, sometime, give it a polish and see if it stands up (spoiler alert: it probably won't).
DeleteExcellent! I prefer your first one to Michael Rosen's inspiration (I love how succinct it is) and the second one is superb and intriguing. I have in mind that it's about writing.. sending off manuscripts... something along those lines? (no pun intended). Either that or penguins ;-)
DeleteIt is about writing, specifically about being workshopped or critiqued.
DeleteOh Mercy is the best Dylan album since Blood On The Tracks, and this track is the very best on there.
ReplyDeleteThinking of the time between those 2 albums, we must surely be due another great Bob collection (and not the Christmas one)
Definitely (over)due.
DeleteNow you're talking. This is God tier; Dylan at his finest.
ReplyDeleteYes, peerless.
DeleteI think troubling the singles chart long since stopped being important to someone like Bob. I really enjoyed his last album, but there were absolutely no "bangers" on there. (And I use that word with the caveat that I loathe it deeply.)
ReplyDeleteBob's Bangers sound like the sort of hot dog van that only gets visited post-pub, when culinary discernment is trumped by beer...
DeleteBroughty Ferry has such a burger van
Deletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04tc4bx
Given the cast and the fact it was written by Neil Forsyth who gave us the brilliant Guilt it is a bit disappointing.
The Twitter feed @bobservant however is the stuff of legend.
Ah yes, Bob Servant on Twitter is excellent.
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