- Part 1: 1965. Crying like a fire in the sun
- Part 2: 1975. The vagabond who’s rapping at your door
- Part 3: All your reindeer armies.
- Part 4: 1990 – 1995
- Part 5: 1996 – 2001 You think will last.
Part 6: Crazy Patterns
By Mike Johnson
[I read somewhere that if you wanted the very best, the acme of Dylan’s pre-electric work, you couldn’t do better than listen to side B of Bringing It All Back Home, 1964. Four songs, ‘Mr Tambourine Man,’ ‘Gates of Eden,’ ‘It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)’ and ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’ represent the pinnacle of Dylan’s acoustic achievement. In this series I aim to chart how each of these foundation songs fared in performance over the years, the changing face of each song and its ultimate fate (at least to date). This is the sixth article on the fourth and final track, ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.’ You can find the previous articles in this History in Performance series here: ]
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As this series has progressed, we have seen this song change from a strident farewell to an anguished farewell, to something more introspective and contemplative. We have also seen the role of the harmonica in extending the emotional range of the song, whatever the mood.
A more pensive, brooding mood is one thing, but the question I have as we move into the first years of Dylan on keyboard is, has the song, in performance, become a little too lush and gentle? This lushness is reinforced by a full chorus instrumental lead-in and exit from the song, dominated by the dreamy slide guitar. This brackets the lyrics with this instrumental mood.
Where has the stringency gone? The Dylan bite? Rather than a wake-up call, hasn’t it become almost a lullaby? Shrouded in nostalgia, can it still perform as a ‘I’m sending you on your way’ kind of song? What has happened to the boot in the backside?
You, dear readers, will have to make up your own minds on these questions as you listen to the performances in this post. It is, after all, a song with a wide and complex emotional punch. Perhaps it can survive this lavish treatment.
Interestingly, while 2002 was the year Dylan shifted to the keyboards, he stuck to the guitar for this particular song. We have to wait until 2003 before we hear a piano-driven version. Despite all the different approaches, the song has mostly retained its acoustic roots.
The lack of harmonica, with its edgy emotional feel, also reinforces the laid-back, almost balmy atmosphere of this Munich performance. It’s beautiful enough, my question is, is it too beautiful?
2002
One of the YouTube commentators has this to say about the 2002 performances: ‘The silent spaces breaking up most (not all) lines are a crucial part of the power of this version of BB. The soft singing is mystical and vulnerable yet at times becomes accusatory especially when he sings the word YOU at the end of a line. A sense of lived-in wisdom pervades each line. That he is singing to/about himself consciously or unconsciously is evident to this listener.’ (@TheGoodjeffman)
That’s a very perceptive comment. Maybe I’ve got it all wrong. Maybe this is the way we might speak to ourselves when we are in our darkness, not to put ourselves to sleep but to remind ourselves of a deeper truth.
When we come to 2003, we find the harmonica restored, albeit briefly, at the end, and the piano fattening out the chords. The approach to the song, however, remains the same as in 2002 (Birmingham).
2003
The vocal is pretty rough in that recording, which brings out the backing beautifully. This next recording from Newcastle, also 2003, is clearer in terms of Dylan’s vocals. In my NET series, I suggested that Dylan’s harp style during these years sounded a little like a muted trumpet. Not up close and harsh, but distant and dreamy.
By 2004, Dylan begins to toughen up the vocal performance while the musical ambience pretty much stays the same, although the harmonica disappears. The slight increase in tempo, at least in this Chicago performance, has mitigated the lullaby effect to some extent.
2004
In 2004 we find Dylan experimenting with the chord structure, resulting in what I called a ‘madrigal’ effect in the NET series, used with other songs as well. It makes for a peculiarly antique sound, and a major shift in terms of the arrangement (East Lansing).
2004
While the song featured consistently through 2002 – 2004, in 2005 we find a mere four performances. I’m never quite sure how to interpret these sudden drops. Is it a sign that Dylan is losing interest in the song, or that other songs have come to the fore? Is it a result of a conscious decision by Dylan, or does it just come about as Dylan just plays what he wants from night to night?
The four 2005 performances reveal no slackening of interest. In this Seattle performance, Dylan delivers a wonderful vocal performance, both rough and tender, offsetting the backing which is as lush as ever. The recording is worth a listen for Dylan’s vocal performance alone. The harp cuts in, as sharp and whimsical as ever. This doesn’t sound like an afterthought. It sounds like the fruition of the previous four years in terms of arrangement and mood.
2005
That performance was no accident. While we get some upsinging on the ‘you’ which may be annoying, this Oakland performance is another masterful rendition of the song in this style.
2005
At this point, Dylan drops the song until 2008, when it reappears for ten performances. I can only assume that this was a conscious decision. Perhaps some songs had to go to accommodate a new tranche of songs from the 2005 album Modern Times. What is not so clear is why he should pick it up again in 2008. These golden oldies tend to rise to the surface as some of the newer songs fade from sight.
As we might expect after such a break, the song returns with a new tempo and arrangement. Dylan has shifted from the piano to the organ. As I explored in the NET series, not all Dylan fans were happy with Dylan’s bouncy, rinky-dink organ sound, and no one would claim 2008 to be a peak performance year. Certainly, this is not my go-to version of the song. It’s hard to resist the thought that Dylan has, at this point, lost his emotional connection to it. Even two jazzy harp choruses can’t save it. If you find yourself tapping your feet in time, you might be getting soft.
2008
In 2009, we get more of the same, still bouncing along (one of the comments describes it as ‘jaunty and boppy’), and the lyrical line doesn’t seem to fit the musical line. The backing instrumentals sound like they’ve been lifted from Together Through Life, released that year, ‘If You Ever Go to Houston’ perhaps.
It clings on with nine performances. This one’s from Sheffield.
2009 Sheffield
Again in 2010 we get the same jaunty arrangement, but, at least to my ear, this comes off a little better than the previous two years. Dylan’s ultra-rough voice gives the performance a certain authenticity, if that’s the right word, and the harp break is sharp and interesting. Curiously, my feet did begin to tap. Oh dear! This one’s from Tokyo.
2010
In 2011, Charlie Sexton rejoined the band as lead guitar and things started to get interesting again. We’ll pick that up in the next article.
Until then
Kia Ora