Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline' breezy and pleasant...but mysterious

Bob looks happy.

Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline has always fascinated me because of the context in which it was released in 1969. From 1965-67, Dylan released four albums that are undeniably great. Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde are unlike anything ever created in music history. Full of impressionistic poetry and raucous rock and roll, the three broke new ground in unfathomable ways.

After that came John Wesley Harding and it was a departure. Coming after his much-chronicled motorcycle wreck and an extended break, the record was acoustic and quieter. It still contained strong poetry, but it hinted at new directions. This was especially true on the album's final two songs, 'Down Along the Cove' and 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight.' Dripping with Pete Drake's sweet steel guitar, both songs are warm and seem light years away from 1965.

Then came Nashville Skyline. If the final two songs of John Wesley Harding hinted at a departure then Nashville Skyline took it further. It was a mainstream country album, and the song's lyrics reflected a simpler and more straightforward approach. There were no magic swirling ships to be found. Dylan had re-invented himself again.

The album has three indisputably great songs. 'Lay Lady Lay' may be the greatest love song in pop music history. Incredibly, Dylan's vocals are warm and seductive and Kenny Buttrey's drum work is fantastic.'Tonight, I'll Be Staying Here With You' is equally penetrating and Drake's steel guitar playing during the instrumental break is shimmering. It is one of many great songs in Dylan's catalogue that does not get the attention it deserves. 'Girl from the North Country' is his famous duet with Johnny Cash and is as charming as a summer day is long.

The rest of the album is far less meaty. This does not mean the songs are bad. In fact, there is not a bad song on the album. However, some are so lightweight they might float away with a gentle wind.

As stated earlier, my primary fascination with this album has to do with the context in which it was released.It came on the heels of four profound efforts. As the release date for Nashville Skyline approached, it had to have produced intense anticipation. After getting through the Dylan/Cash duet that opens the album, I can only guess at the reaction of the pseudo-intellectuals who love nothing more than to imagine interpretations of Dylan songs that aren't there.

After that opening song, there is the instrumental 'Nashville Skyline Rag.' It is a breezy and well-performed song, but after listening to a minute or two of it, I am sure many thought: What is this doing on a Bob Dylan album? With many of Nashville's best playing on it, the level of musicianship cannot be denied. However, it appears more suited for a soundtrack of a film about jaunting through the back roads of Tennessee than a Dylan album.

Based on what I understand about the country music scene in 1969, the songs 'I Threw It All Away,' 'One More Night,' and 'Tell Me That It Isn't True' are all songs that could have been played on country radio. The songs are all about the ups and downs of love.

The song 'Country Pie' appears to be about pie. Who doesn't like pie?

As with most actions taken by Dylan, a person cannot help but wonder why he released the album when he did. Surely, he understood the impact it would have on those riding on his bandwagon.

After all the triumphs of the previous years, had he simply developed writer's block? Or did he finally become fed up with all those trying to anoint him as the ‘spokesman’ of his generation? His next album, Self Portrait, might cause one to decide that the answer to both those questions is 'yes.' It was weaker and even more of a departure than Nashville Skyline.

We can speculate endlessly about these questions and others, but the bottom line is we do not know. And it really does not matter. Because of this, we should accept Nashville Skyline for what it is. It really has a happy vibe to it, and because of this, it deserves a spot in your collection.

Bob Dylan on songwriting and more

When musician Bob Dylan turned 70 last year, he received accolades befitting a living legend. While his popularity has ebbed and flowed during the last 50 years, his impact on popular music cannot be denied.

He has made notable contributions to folk, rock, country and even Christian music during his career. How many artists have a resume like that?

When I write that he has made notable contributions, I mean that he has written and performed songs that likely will be played 100 years from now. The scope of his achievements is breathtaking.

During his early folk phase he wrote songs like 'Blowin' in the Wind' that became an anthem of the civil rights movement, and 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' perfectly reflected the anxiety surrounding the Cold War. 'Like A Rolling Stone' is a rock and roll song so forceful that it influenced a generation of songwriters, and the country-flavored 'Lay Lady Lay' is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.

For insight into Dylan I suggest reading the January/February issue of 'American Songwriter' magazine. The issue is a tribute of sorts to Dylan and includes an interesting interview with him originally done back in 1991. It touches on many songs he wrote as well as other topics.

Though long known for his love of folk singer Woody Guthrie, Dylan said he considers Hank Williams the best songwriter. Dylan said: “Hank Williams never wrote 'This Land Is Your Land.' But it’s not that shocking to me to think of Hank Williams singing 'Pastures of Plenty' or Woody Guthrie singing 'Your Cheatin' Heart.' So in a lot of ways those two writers are similar.”

Other songwriters on his radar include Randy Newman.

"To me, someone who writes really good songs is Randy Newman. Now Randy might not go out on stage and knock you out, or knock your socks off. And he’s not going to get people thrilled in the front row. But he’s gonna write a better song than most people who can do it. You know, he’s got that down to an art."

Additionally, while he feels that turmoil is not always necessary when producing memorable work, it does help in some respects. This lends support to the belief that the greatest art is often produced during difficult circumstances.

"Your life doesn’t have to be in turmoil to write a song like that but you need to be outside of it. That’s why a lot of people, myself included, write songs when one form or another of society has rejected you. So that you can truly write about it from the outside. Someone who’s never been out there can only imagine it as anything, really."

Additionally, Dylan advises that being a poet is not all fun though some of his comments were tongue-in-cheek.

"It's within me to put up myself and be a poet. But it’s a dedication. It’s a big dedication. Poets don’t drive cars. [Laughs] Poets don’t go to the supermarket. Poets don’t empty the garbage...They behave in a gentlemanly way. And live by their own gentlemanly code. And die broke. Or drown in lakes. Poets usually have very unhappy endings."

Then again, this may all be a moot point for new musical poets because he feels the world may have enough songs unless there are special circumstances.

"The world don't need any more songs. No. They've got enough. As a matter of fact, if nobody wrote any songs from this day on, the world ain't gonna suffer for it...There's enough songs. Unless someone’s gonna come along with a pure heart and has something to say. That's a different story."

Dylan is fantastic, and this interview is worth finding for those interested.

Country music dominating my listening habits these days

For reasons I can't explain, I have been listening to a lot of country music lately. Then again, good music is good music. Here are some tunes you might want to consider:

'Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line' by Waylon Jennings
'Flowers on the Wall' by The Statler Brothers
'King of the Road' by Roger Miller
'Don't Come Home a-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)' by Loretta Lynn
'Jackson' by Johnny Cash with June Carter
'Daddy Sang Bass' by Johnny Cash
'Mama Tried' by Merle Haggard
'Okie from Muskogee' by Merle Haggard
'Harper Valley P.T.A.' by Jeannie C. Riley
'Crying in the Chapel' by Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires
'Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town' by Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
'Skip a Rope' by Henson Cargill
'Wichita Lineman' by Glen Campbell

'The Joshua Tree' by U2 is emotional, personal and vivid

Even a casual listen of The Joshua Tree reveals that it is an intensely personal album. Themes of love, faith, and America reverberate throughout it. However, by embracing a more commercial approach to record making, U2 produced not only an intelligent record, but one that sounded great on the radio. It was now possible to cruise to the Irish band.

Most Americans first became aware of the band in 1983 when they released War. However, that album was the culmination of seven years of hard work. The band started in 1976 when the four members were still in high school. In 1980, they released their first album Boy and then released October the following year.

However, after releasing October, the band was on the verge of breaking up. Lead singer Bono, guitarist the Edge, and drummer Larry Mullin, Jr., each questioned whether rock and roll was a godly use of their talents. All three are Christians, and their doubts nearly ended the band. The Edge was the last of the three to decide to stay, and once he made his decision, their career took off.

Their next release was War and was their commercial breakthrough in the United States. They followed that up with The Unforgettable Fire in 1985, which many considered a step backward. In fact, one book listed the album as one of the fifty worst albums of all time.

However, superstardom arrived with The Joshua Tree. Blending radio-friendly hooks with personal subject matter, U2 arrived as the next big thing in 1987. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With or Without You" both hit the top of the single's chart.

Bono once said that "I Still Haven't Found What I’m Looking For" is more about doubt than faith. If nothing else, the song is about the dissatisfaction of this world when knowing that heaven awaits. Even the faith people currently contain in their heart pales when compared to the next life.

"With or Without You" revisits an often-told rock and roll tale. The "love too much to let go" idea is a standard rock and roll theme, but the band handled it well. The Edge's jagged guitar work blended nicely with lyrics full of imagery about breaking, tearing, and pain.

Perhaps the album's best song is "One Tree Hill." Written as a eulogy for a friend who died in a motorcycle wreck, the song communicates the pain of loss with the hope of one day being re-united. The song climaxes with Revelation-type imagery: "I'll see you again when the stars fall from the sky/And the moon has turned red over One Tree Hill."

In addition, "Where the Streets Have No Name," "In God's Country," and "Trip Through Your Wires" all received heavy radio airplay.

The album's massive success followed the same general pattern of the breakout albums of Bruce Springsteen and Prince a few years earlier. Springsteen and Prince were artists who had enjoyed both commercial and critical success early in their careers. However, they took the next step in popularity when they took their imaginative lyrics and merged them with more commercial melodies. This allowed them to penetrate a much larger audience.

U2 gets on some folks' nerves because they are too serious or they are perceived as taking themselves too seriously. While it is true that they should lighten up every now and then, it is hard to criticize anybody because they are too sincere. We live in an age of fluff and marketing manipulation. Even if you do not like their music, they deserve a pat on the back for at least trying to make a difference.

Resources: The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll, The Rolling Stone Album Guide; 'The Joshua Tree' liner notes