What The Hell Happened To... 07.20.09: Dylan in the 1970s

Posted by CA on 07.20.2009

Is it possible that the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century has a work that you haven't heard of? Well, of course it is...

This is the most ambitious writing I have attempted yet, but it has to be done. One of the greatest artists of any time has gone still unnoticed and it must be corrected. Please join me as ‘What The Hell Happened To…' takes a good hard look at Bob Dylan in the 1970s

Background

In 1967, Bob Dylan released Blonde on Blonde and forever changed the way all avid music fans would look at song structure and album creation. This was the height of Bob Dylan's influence on music. His visage was absolutely iconic on the cover of Blonde on Blonde. So, perhaps it was universal justice that he be thrown back into the underground. Shortly after the release of Blonde on Blonde Dylan was in a fairly severe motorcycle accident (the severity of which is up to dispute to this day). After which, he would go into seclusion in Woodstock, NY with his new wife, Sara. Little was heard from Dylan for two years, until the release of John Wesley Harding in 1969. This low-key, folk album was released in an environment supporting the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request, and Jefferson Airplane's After Bathing at Baxter's. In an era celebratory with the transcendent psychedelic path that he had started with Blonde on Blonde, Dylan released an album that was entirely unconcerned with keeping up and received armies of critical acclaim. John Wesley Harding was well-received across the board by critics and fans, but made a clear attempt to fall under the radar with little promotion, or pomp and circumstance, at Dylan's request. This is a theme that Dylan would continue for the next decade, as he continued a prolific path. According to revisionists however, Dylan would only make three albums in the 1970s; 1975's Blood on the Tracks, 1976's Desire, and 1979's Slow Train Coming. I disagree. I think there was a lot more to what Bob Dylan produced in that decade. Let's begin…

New Morning

Track Listing:

1. If Not for You – (Dylan) 2:42
2. Day of the Locusts – (Dylan) 4:00
3. Time Passes Slowly – (Dylan) 2:35
4. Went to See the Gypsy – (Dylan) 2:51
5. Winterlude – (Dylan) 2:22
6. If Dogs Run Free – (Dylan) 3:40
7. New Morning – (Dylan) 3:58
8. Sign on the Window – (Dylan) 3:40
9. One More Weekend – (Dylan) 3:10
10. The Man in Me – (Dylan) 3:08
11. Three Angels – (Dylan) 2:07
12. Father of Night – (Dylan) 1:31

Label: Columbia
Release Date: 10.21.70
Running Time: 35:17
Producer: Bob Johnston

The Players:
David Bromberg – Dobro, Guitar
Harvey Brooks – Bass
Ron Cornelius – Guitar
Charlie Daniels – Guitar, Bass
Bob Dylan – Organ, Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Vocals
Howard Feiten – Guitar
Hilda Harris – Vocals
Al Kooper – Organ, Guitar, Piano, Horns
Russ Kunkel – Percussion
Billy Mundi – Percussion
Albertine Robinson – Vocals
Maretha Stewart – Vocals

What Else Was Going On In 1970?

The following cannot be overstated, 1970 was a HUGE year in music history. In one year there are important releases from the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Doors, Janis Joplin, three of the four newly solo Beatles, The Velvet Underground, Neil Young, Frank Zappa….oh, this is just getting tiring, read the list and you'll understand.

The Who - Live at Leeds
Waylon Jennings - Waylon, Don't Think Twice, Ned Kelly, & Singer of Sad Songs
The Velvet Underground - Loaded
Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day
Van Morrison - Moondance & His Band and the Street Choir
Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die
Todd Rundgren - Runt
Three Dog Night - It Ain't Easy
T. Rex - Beard of Stars
Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills
The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out
Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley
Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
Paul McCartney - McCartney
Nick Drake - Pink Moon & Bryter Layter
Neil Young - After the Goldrush
Led Zeppelin - III
The Kinks - Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Badfinger - No Dice
The Band - Stage Fright
Janis Joplin - Pearl
The Jackson 5 - ABC
Iggy & the Stooges - Funhouse
The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead & American Beauty
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh & Burnt Weeny Sandwich
The Faces - First Step
Elton John - Elton John
The Doors - Morrison Hotel
Derek & the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Déjà Vu
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory & Pendulum
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

What Song Do You Know?

Ever seen a little movie called The Big Lebowski? That soundtrack was a veritable goldmine of great songs that have gone unnoticed. But it was clearly "The Man In Me" from Dylan's New Morning that ruled the day. To this day, I have friends that are surprised to find out that "The Man In Me" is a Dylan song, even though they've heard the track a million times during stoned Lebowski viewings. The song was covered by the Clash during their studio sessions for London Calling, but never charted in the U.S., neither did any other single from New Morning. But, the opening track, "If Not For You" is a rare example of Dylan co-writing, as he shared credit with none other than George Harrison. Harrison's version of the track would also be featured on his historic release from that same year, All Things Must Pass.

The Album

New Morning was released immediately after the failed attempt that was Self-Portrait, suggesting that it was maybe part of Dylan's plan to see how far away from the mainstream he could possibly get. This album is a watershed in the man's career. Perhaps the only Bob Dylan album that can be considered completely content with the world, New Morning finds Bob Dylan in a very strange and easy place. This is the best that Dylan's voice will ever sound, as he calmly moves through jazz, blues, country, and rock influences like they were absolutely natural. "If Not For You" marks an absolutely marked difference from prior Dylan releases as an upkeep of his reputation as a completely aloof genius, but for the first time being completely accessible. This is a love song, it doesn't mind being anything else. That is the exact attitude that best describes the entire record. "Day of the Locusts" is simply breezy, as one can imagine Dylan writing while sitting in a rocking chair on a summer day. "Went to See the Gypsy" finds Dylan playing with what a full band can sound like along with his esoteric lyrics (perhaps for the first time in his career). "Winterlude" recalls the sweet radio ballads of Dylan's youth with an authentic care for the song. "New Morning" is a track just as epic in scope as "Like A Rolling Stone" or "Tangled Up in Blue", but with an easy and comfortable feeling, that maybe Dylan will be alright and that life is worth living. "The Man in Me" is purely happy in Dylan's love for his wife. Up until this point, it had been argued that Dylan was a misogynist, but after "The Man In Me", that is an impossible point to hold. The album closes with "Father of Night". This track gives you the feeling that this could be the last album that Bob Dylan would ever make, but that there were no regrets for the artist or listener. Of course, this wouldn't be the case. Luckily for us, Dylan wouldn't be okay.

Planet Waves

Track Listing
1. On a Night Like This – (Dylan) 2:59
2. Going, Going, Gone – (Dylan) 3:28
3. Tough Mama – (Dylan) 4:16
4. Hazel – (Dylan) 2:49
5. Something There Is About You – (Dylan) 4:43
6. Forever Young – (Dylan) 4:57
7. Forever Young (Continued) – (Dylan) 2:48
8. Dirge – (Dylan) 5:37
9. You Angel You – (Dylan) 2:54
10. Never Say Goodbye – (Dylan) 2:53
11. Wedding Song – (Dylan) 4:42

Label: Asylum
Release Date: 01.17.74
Running Time: 36:47
Producer: Rob Fraboni

The Players:
Rick Danko – Bass, Violin, Vocals
Bob Dylan – Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals
Levon Helm – Mandolin, Percussion, Vocals
Garth Hudson – Organ, Keyboards, Saxophone
Richard Manuel – Piano, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals
Robbie Robertson – Guitar, Vocals
Maretha Stewart – Vocals

What Else Was Going On In 1974?

Musically, 1974 was a vastly different world than it was in 1970. Glam and Progressive Rock were in full swing while the seeds for punk and heavy metal were being planted and none of this was anywhere close to Bob Dylan. While in 1970, Dylan's influences were prevalent among contemporaries, 1974 was a new generation of musician that was either far too commercial to care about Dylan's music or far too underground to acknowledge his existence.

10cc - Sheet Music
Waylon Jennings - This Time & The Ramblin' Man
Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece & It's Too Late to Stop Now
Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night
Todd Rundgren - Todd
Thin Lizzy – Night Life
Sweet - Desolation Boulevard
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Rush - Rush
Roxy Music - Stranded & Country Life
The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock ‘n Roll
Ringo Starr - Goodnight Vienna
Queen - II & Sheer Heart Attack
New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon
Neil Young - On the Beach
Mott the Hoople - The Hoople
Kiss - Kiss & Hotter Than Hell
Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
Joe Walsh - So What
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (‘)
Elton John - Caribou
Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado
Deep Purple - Burn
David Bowie – Diamond Dogs & Live
Bryan Ferry - Another Time, Another Place
Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain
Bob Marley - Natty Dread
Badfinger - Wish You Were Here
AC/DC - Jailbreak

What Song Do You Know?

"Forever Young" was one of the only tracks from any of the albums that I will discuss today that got any live support from Dylan. It was a staple of Dylan's live shows with the band. More importantly, Rod Stewart ‘created' a massive international hit in 1988 with "Forever Young". I say ‘created', because the song was not credited to Bob Dylan, but was so close in sound and content that Stewart eventually had to share royalties from his version with Dylan. "Forever Young" was also used in a Pepsi Superbowl commercial this year with rapper will.i.am singing. The song has been covered by Harry Belafonte, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Meat Loaf, The Pretenders, and Diana Ross. The charting single from Planet Wave was "On a Night Like This", which peaked the US charts at #44.

The Album

Planet Waves marks the first time that the full Band come together with Dylan for a studio album. One would think that such an affair would gather wide acclaim, but it wouldn't be until 1975 that Dylan would find his way back to massive acclaim with the official release of The Basement Tapes and Blood on the Tracks. Like New Morning, Planet Waves is an album more concerned with Dylan's domestic life than finding a new sound. Planet Waves finds Dylan still in a happy place, but now not only because of his love for his wife, but his love for his children. The album's lead track, "On a Night Like This" is fun and the Band plays tightly behind him. This track is reminiscent of the Bobby Charles' songs that the Band was so fond of. "Going Going Gone" and "Something There is About You" are beautiful ballads expressing Dylan's love for Sara and "Forever Young" is a wonderful hope for his newborn child. The Band and Dylan play dirty together with the scrounging track "Dirge" and close with what I believe to be Dylan's strongest ballad "Wedding Song". "Wedding Song" also foreshadows Dylan's personal future he shows glimpses at a man trying to grasp at the straws of a relationship. This is a theme that would dominate his next few albums, and dictate the future of Bob Dylan's career as his marriage and family life would fall apart.

Street Legal

Track Listing:
1. Changing of the Guards – (Dylan) 6:36
2. New Pony – (Dylan) 4:28
3. No Time to Think – (Dylan) 8:19
4. Baby Stop Crying – (Dylan) 5:17
5. Is Your Love in Vain? – (Dylan) 4:30
6. Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) – (Dylan) 5:42
7. True Love Tends to Forget – (Dylan) 4:14
8. We Better Talk This Over – (Dylan) 4:04
9. Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat) – (Dylan) 6:16

Label: Columbia
Release Date: 6.15.78
Running Time: 50:18
Producer: Don DeVito

The Players:
Billy Cross – Guitar
Carolyn Dennis – Vocals
Steve Douglas – Saxophone
Bob Dylan – Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals
Bobbye Hall – Percussion
Jo Ann Harris – Vocals
Steve Madaio – Trumpet
David Mansfield – Guitar, Mandolin, Violin
Alan Pasqua – Keyboards
Jerry Scheff – Bass
Steven Soles – Guitar, Vocals
Helena Springs – Vocals
Ian Wallace – Percussion

What Else Was Going On In 1978?

I begin writing this with an audible ‘sigh'. I honestly don't know how to describe the music environment in 1978. While the seeds for punk and metal were sown in 1974, they had fully bloomed in 1978, with some of the most important albums in each genre debuting. New wave also hit in a big way in '78 with releases from Blondie, Nick Lowe, and Elvis Costello. Furthermore, aspects of what was then classic rock came through with releases latter day releases from The Who, The Kinks, and Neil Young. Singer/songwriters were all the craze as Warren Zevon made what might have been his most influential album. The last breaths of an old world bubbled up with good albums from Muddy Waters and Herbie Hancock. To make things even more interesting, extremely important musicians, who had been influenced by Dylan, came through with releases from Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. I don't know that there is a proper summation for 1978. Just check out the list below.

999 - 999
XTC - White Music & Go 2
Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric
Wire - Chairs Missing
Willie Nelson - Stardust
The Who - Who Are You
Waylon Jennings - I've Always Been Crazy
Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy
Various Artists - Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
Van Morrison - Wavelength
Various Artists - The Last Waltz
Van Halen - Van Halen
Tom Waits - Blue Valentine
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - You're Gonna Get It
Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation & Live & Dangerous
Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo
The Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food
The Ramones - Road to Ruin
Queen - Jazz
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
Wings - London Town
Patti Smith - Easter
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool
Neil Young - Comes a Time
Muddy Waters - I'm Ready
Lou Reed - Street Hassle
Kiss - Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, & Paul Stanley
The Kinks - Misfits
Judas Priest - Stained Class
Johnny Thunders - So Alone
Joe Walsh - But Seriously Folks
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses & Bursting Out
The Jam - All Mod Cons
Herbie Hancock - The Piano
Genesis - And Then There Were Three…
Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
David Johansen - David Johansen
Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight
The Buzzcocks - Love Bites & Another Music in a Different Kitchen
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bob Marley - Babylon by Bus & Kaya
Blondie - Parallel Lines
Black Sabbath - Never Say Die
AC/DC - Powerage & If You Want Blood You've Got It

What Song Do You Know?

Street Legal did chart at #11 in the U.S., but didn't have any charting singles. A few of my hippie readers might recognize "Senor" as one of Jerry Garcia's favorite songs to play during his solo live performances (a version of which is included on the soundtrack to the 2003 Dylan movie, Masked and Anonymous). Outside of that, there is little that would be recognizable to the passing Dylan fan. "Is Your Love In Vain?" is known to many Dylan-philes as the best song on Street Legal.

The Album

Perhaps the most controversial of my picks here, Street Legal tends to be a topic of much argument amongst Dylan fanatics. Crafted in the wake of his broken marriage, after any hope of reconciliation that was present on Blood on the Tracks, Street Legal finds a virulent Dylan striking out into new sounds while exhibiting exactly how sharp his lyrics could still be. On this album there is no hope or longing…there is only judgment and broken relationships. Dylan's stories here are heartbreaking. Almost as if to hide his pain, the lyrics are shrouded behind a full wall of sound. His band and the arrangements seem to be the focus of the record, for the first time in his career. Transitioning from the period he created with John Wesley Harding, all of the songs found here are epic in scale. Every story is detailed and every bit of music gigantic. This album seems almost methodical in its drunken recklessness, much like the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. "Changing of the Guards" sets the pace from the very beginning and continues up to the closing "Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat)". Each story is different, but the overall album has a cohesive sound. Detractors of Street Legal complain that the lyrics become lost in these overpowering arrangements. I find that to be a strength here, as one can finally stop studying Dylan's lyrics and joyfully become lost in them. A lot has been made of the influence that beat poetry had on Dylan, but Street Legal is the only album where I feel that has been fully realized.

Why Have These Albums Been Forgotten?

Reason 1: The Genius Effect

This tends to happen with the few artists that are both prolific in production and consistent in quality. Neil oung, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, and Bob Dylan are the key examples of what I'm discussing. If an artist is consistently spot-on with their work, so much so that one just assumes a new album will be fantastic, it almost seems that the work suffers from not being awful. As if it were from a Mel Brooks script, the artist would almost benefit more from a bad work than a good one. Let's take an example, in the very same year that Dylan released New Morning, he released the comparatively awful Self Portrait. If you do a quick search of critical works about Dylan albums, you'll find that Self-Portrait has been referenced incredibly more often than New Morning. Even in biographies about Dylan, more type is used explaining what was going on during his low points than his highs from the same period. People come to expect the artist to be great, so great works aren't what surprise them. With Neil Young, Trans is talked about much more often than Tonight's the Night or On the Beach. Tom Waits flub The Black Rider seems much more influential than his comparatively superior work Bone Machine.

Reason 2: Hey, Do You Remember When That Guy Changed The World?

Slice it however you want, I don't know of any artist that remained as vital as Dylan did, for as long as Dylan did. It should be difficult for any music fan to follow a musician's work as closely as Dylan required from 1963's Freewheelin' to 1966's Blonde on Blonde. Dylan made enough important music in that three year period to last any musician a lifetime. The albums discussed here should be a little overshadowed considering the work that Dylan did just before them. Most major works on Dylan focus on the three years that he was at his most prolific. Even Scorsese's epic 2005 documentary No Direction Home only covers Dylan up to 1965. In the sixties, Bob Dylan changed the world. In the seventies, Bob Dylan just made great albums.

Reason 3: Dylan, The Recluse

Following his 1966 motorcycle accident, Bob Dylan folded back into his small Woodstock home with new wife Sara. This is a moment extremely well documented by the only biography I consider truly canonical on Dylan, Robert Shelton's No Direction Home. Dylan became a ghost of popular music; often talked about but rarely seen. Even after the market success of John Wesley Harding, Dylan did not go on tour and wouldn't provide a public performance until asked a favor by friend George Harrison to appear at 1971's Concert for Bangladesh. But even when he did begin touring regularly, in support of 1975's Blood on the Tracks, he seemed to protect the songs about his happy personal life. Only "Forever Young" appeared on any of the three major live releases from Dylan during the seventies. It would seem that Dylan really wanted to make this music for himself and his family, unfortunately, he has been fairly successful at that.

Reason 4: Bad Timing Is Bad Timing, But Folk-Rock Just Doesn't Make Any Money

It would almost seem like Dylan spent the seventies constantly pressing on the wrong pressure points of the music market. In 1970, he released an unassuming album during a time when assuming was the least an album could be to be listenable in the mainstream. It worked with John Wesley Harding because it ran directly in the face of what people were expecting from Dylan. But to strike gold twice from the same trough, in a year that might be the most important in pop music history, that's just too much. In 1974 and 1978, Dylan was simply working against the times. With exciting music coming from new genres, like punk, heavy metal, disco, and new wave, it makes complete sense that Dylan's work would be overlooked. Furthermore, Dylan was competing against artists that framed their careers around him, like Warren Zevon, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. Unfortunately, Street Legal ended up sounding more like Dylan following his own protégés.

Reason 5: True Artists Are Never Happy

While this is an argument that I will eventually write about on its own, for some reason, ‘true' music fans (aka music geeks) just want the people they idolize to be suffering more than them. Just take a look at critical responses to artists like the Counting Crows, Tori Amos, Ben Folds, Metallica, David Bowie, Ani Difranco, and the Black Crowes. Once their content begins to turn away from disillusionment and unhappiness to songs about being ‘okay with life', then fans start talking about how good they ‘used to be'. With the case of New Morning and Planet Waves you have an artist, made famous by his unhappy view of the world, writing about being content. It doesn't bode well for an overall legacy. Now, once he starts talking about being unhappy again, say on an album like Blood on the Tracks, Infidels, or Time Out of Mind, then the fans might start coming back.

Why Should We Remember These Albums?

Oh boy, this just keeps getting longer. First, Bob Dylan is the most important musician alive today. All of his work, even at its worst, should be poured over and celebrated. Past that, these are fantastic archives of the most important artist during a period that not many have actually talked about. These three albums show a transition from the world-changing, bard of Blonde on Blonde to the drunken, Christian missionary of Slow Train Coming. That is an important period of an important person's life and the best evidence we can get is on record from the man himself, plus it's also a great listen.

On an album by album basis, New Morning is a better album than John Wesley Harding. Dylan's vision for Harding was to create a relaxed, full band sound. He achieves it on New Morning. Furthermore, Dylan's work with George Harrison marks some important historical territory. First, any work between Bob Dylan and a Beatle is immediately one of the most important melding of the minds in pop music history. This wasn't just a random working between two artists. At the time this song was written, Dylan was using a studio on Harrison's property (creating the artwork that became the cover art for Self Portrait and Planet Waves). Also, Dylan's work with Harrison on "If Not For You" marks the first time that Dylan shares writing credits with an artist on an official LP, and NOT, as some would have you believe, on the later album Desire. Finally, New Morning is a standalone work from Dylan. No other album sounds like this one does. No other album sounds so comfortable and complete.

Planet Waves stands as the only true studio recording of Bob Dylan with the Band. While The Basement Tapes will always be considered more important, that group of recordings is really little more than a collection of outtakes. Also, this album serves as the only record of the seeds of angst that built up into Blood on the Tracks. Songs like "Dirge" and "Wedding Song" provide key beginnings for Dylan's movement back to disenfranchisement while still being exemplary of a happy man. Finally, Planet Waves was the basis for Dylan's first real live tour since his accident and (arguably) best live recording of the decade, with Before the Flood.

Street Legal is the most individual of any Bob Dylan recording ever. This album is the closest that anyone can come to hearing Dylan on record as if he were live. Furthermore, the album provides a unique look into the Dylan that would become. By this I mean that Dylan would be plagued over the next several years by an alcohol problem. An alcohol dependency so bad that the Grateful Dead would refuse a request by Dylan to join the band in 1988 for fear of his unreliability. If one were to map Dylan's problems in the 1980s, they would begin with the marriage breakdown in 1975, but be defined by the angst Dylan shows on Street Legal. As a related and final note, this would be the last, not even important, but listenable album that Dylan would release until 1983's Infidels and even after that his work would be spotty until 1997's Time Out of Mind.

Fun With iTunes' Genius

When we look at Dylan's "The Man in Me", what comes up?

1. Lookin' Out My Back Door by the Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory
2. Ooh La La by the Faces - Ooh La La
3. Sweet Jane by the Velvet Underground - Loaded
4. Dead Flowers by the Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
5. My Mood Swings by Elvis Costello - Big Lebowski Soundtrack
6. Needle in the Hay by Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith
7. To Be Young (is to be sad is to be high) by Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
8. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by the Band - The Band
9. Queen Bitch by David Bowie - Hunky Dory
10. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere by Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
11. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good by Nina Simone - Big Lebowski Soundtrack
12. She Don't Use Jelly by the Flaming Lips - Transmissions From the Satellite Heart
13. Shakedown Street by the Grateful Dead - Dead Set
14. Going Up the Country by Canned Heat - Woodstock
15. Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan - Troubador
16. Dry the Rain by the Beta Band - The Three E.P.'s
17. Jesus, Etc. by Wilco – Kicking Television
18. Caravan by Van Morrison - Moondance
19. Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric
20. A Quick One, While He's Away by the Who - Live at Leeds
21. ‘Ol '55 by Tom Waits - VH1 Storytellers
22. All the Young Dudes by Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes
23. Wildflowers by Tom Petty - Wildflowers
24. Golden by My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves
25. This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) by the Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues

Boy, Dylan really confused Genius this week, but maybe this just shows how influential the man is. I have to express particular concern with picks from Wreckless Eric and the Flaming Lips though…just odd.

A Final Thought

First, let's talk about comments. JMAC, thank you very much. You seem to be a very well rounded and knowledgeable music fan. I consider it a measure of merit that you come back to read the column every week. As for your problems with the Front 242 argument, I would say the proof is in the pudding. While Front 242 was on Lollapalooza, they still weren't selling records. Also, I would argue that their addition of a guitar element was a reaction to the industrial audience and not an artistic choice. Furthermore, I believe the band was always considered a ‘more electric' industrial option by fans. In the end, it was Ministry fans finding Front 242 and not the other way around, which I think you and I both find a travesty. As far as Medicine is concerned...I agree, they're on the list. The Crow is a veritable who's who of candidates for this column.

SA recommended that I listen to Matthew Sweet and Rooney. I do appreciate Matthew Sweet's work, but my problem with Sweet is that his latter day discretions are happening right now. For the unlucky few of us that have listened to his cooperative effort with Susannah Hoffs, Under the Covers, it was a raging disappointment. Even more disappointing was finding out that the two are releasing a second volume, probably set to find other classic songs that can be murdered. With Rooney, I was extremely optimistic after hearing their cover of "Death on Two Legs" from the Queen tribute album and enjoyed their second album. I'm really hoping that the band grows into that sound.

Eric recommended Love Tractor and Moose. I must admit, I am completely unfamiliar with Love Tractor. I will check it out, but I fear that I will have the same argument that I have with Moose. While the band is really good, I'm not sure that they made an impact on music. Convince me that I'm wrong.

That's it for another week. Stay tuned, next week I'm going after David Bowie. Yeah, I'm going there.