Author Archives: TonyAttwood

Bob Dylan And Harold Pinter part 1 by Larry Fyffe Bob Dylan becomes aware of English playwright Harold Pinter’s motifs concerning lower and middle class families even before he performs on TV in the “log cabin” for the Canadian Broadcasting … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst Previously in this series Dignity Part 1: A bloody mess Dignity Part II: You can never play too much Bob Wills Dignity Part III: One line brings up another   Herodotus finds it worth mentioning in his … Continue reading →

Selection by Aaron Galbraith, words by Tony Attwood The Lakes of Pontchartrain This is a rarity – for we can start with an explanation of how Bob came to learn one of the songs that needs covering in the “Why … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Links to the previous articles in this series appear at the foot of this piece and on the “All Directions” Index In this series I am trying to put forward the notion that while there is a … Continue reading →

By Larry Fyffe In the empty lot where the ladies play blindman’s bluff with the key chain And the all-night girls they speak of escapades out on the ‘D’ train We can hear the night watchman click his flashlight Ask … Continue reading →

Dignity Part 1: A bloody mess Dignity (1989) part II: You can never play too much Bob Wills by Jochen Markhorst It suits well, the poetic perfection of the opening verse. So much so that the poet uses it as … Continue reading →

By Larry Fyffe If you’re talking about Bob Dylan and rocknroll, you’re talking about both the lyrics and music of  Chuck Berry who hypes up rhythm and blues: Bertha Mason shook it, broke it Then she hung it on the wall … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood If I wanted to point you to just one moment in Dylan’s songwriting life that justified the title “All directions at once,” and if I really was told, “just one moment, no more, just one,” I would … Continue reading →

by Aaron Galbraith and Tony Attwood If you have been following the “All directions at once” series you may have noticed a mention of the traditional song “Hang me oh Hang Me” Philip Saville invited Bob to perform three songs … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Mike Smith has reminded Aaron and myself that Dylan wrote a series of instrumental pieces for  Olivier Dahan’s film “My own love song.” This gives us a problem on Untold Dylan, because I have for years proudly … Continue reading →

The series so far… Stuck inside of Halifax with the Tombstone Blues Again Bob Dylan: The Titanic Tombstone Blues (Part II) Bob Dylan And The Tombstone Blues (Part III) Bob Dylan And The Tombstone Blues (Part IV) Bob Dylan And … Continue reading →

Previously: Dignity Part 1: A bloody mess by Jochen Markhorst II          You can never play too much Bob Wills “The list could be endless,” says Dylan, referring to the many archetypes appearing in “Dignity”. Thus, the songwriter implicitly reveals that … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood This is part 8 of “All Directions at once.  Previous episodes are… 1: A song is like a painting, you can’t see it all if you’re standing too close 2: All directions at once: how Dylan’s lyrics empower those … Continue reading →

By Aaron Galbraith and Tony Attwood For you baby: Dylan and Ginsberg and the influence of the Beat generation Vomit Express by Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg. What’s it all about? See you later Allen Ginsberg (1 and 2). Tracing … Continue reading →

  By Peter McQuitty Girl From the Red River Shore and Mother of Muses are unusual in the Dylan canon. These songs are not about any of the earthly muses who have inspired Dylan’s work and they are not about … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst I           A bloody mess  Oh Mercy! is quite a beautiful album anyhow. Otherwise we would have been forced to impose a serious reprimand on Dylan for omitting the masterpieces “Series Of Dreams”, “Born In Time” and “Dignity”. … Continue reading →

By Larry Fyffe Whether the singer/songwriter is simply catching the waves breaking on rocky shore of some unconscious Jungian sea, or instead has actually read a particulat poem, in the lyrics of  Bob Dylan, the influence of the emotionally detached … Continue reading →

A list of the other articles in this series is given at the foot of this piece. by Patrick Roefflaer Released: October 26, 1993 Photographers: Ana Maria Vélez Wood (front) & Randee St. Nicholas (back) Liner Notes: Bob Dylan Art-Director: … Continue reading →

By Larry Fyffe Poet William Blake critiques organized religion for suppressing sex as a unifying fiery force within the physical world; he envisions sexual union as a holy spirit that ought to be enjoyed by humankind rather than the spiritual … Continue reading →

Commentary by Tony, research and opening comment by Aaron: Here’s a track which Bob tried out five times in soundchecks in 78, this one is from Paris. It’s called Fix It Ma. Not the best sound quality but here it … Continue reading →