Author Archives: TonyAttwood

By Tony Attwood I have slowly and laboriously been looking at the subject matter of Bob Dylan’s songs from the earliest compositions from the late 1950s up to 1984 and I feel this might be a moment to take stock. … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst  It is a mythical part of town, the part of Harlem between East 96th and 110th Street. Officially its name is East Harlem, but after nicknames like Negro Harlem and Italian Harlem (way back when one Al … Continue reading →

By Aaron Galbraith and Tony Attwood In this series were will usually try to select from multiple artists, but for this one we wanted to highlight the work of one artist in particular – Bettye LaVette. Here’s an article and … Continue reading →

  By Larry Fyffe It is one thing to say that persons may well be remembered long after they die, or that they live on forever by becoming part of the earth in which they are buried, or that individuals … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood and Aaron Galbraith “Halleulujah I’m ready to go” was first played by Bob Dylan on 11 June 1999 and continued through 37 outings until 28 April 2002. It is generally noted as a traditional piece, rather than … Continue reading →

The Never Ending Tour… 1990 1990 Part 1: Vomiting Fire can be seen and heard here.  Details of all the earlier episodes are at the foot of this article By Mike Johnson (Kiwipoet) We can already sense that Dylan’s setlist … Continue reading →

by Paul Robert Thomas This article continues from Every Grain Of Sand, A Perfect Finished Plan. Part 1. Every Grain of Sand, Part 2 New Life? Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst He’s quite the dreamer, our hero. Browsing through the collected Lyrics, dreams and dream descriptions turn out to be among the constants in the catalogue. After sad, happy and dark dreams like in “Bob Dylan’s Dream”, “Talkin’ … Continue reading →

By Larry Fyffe As noted, time-travelling has it’s ups and downs. Singer/songwriter/musician Bob Dylan travels back in time to visit the prophet Moses who hands him a pen, and asks him to write a biblical verse for the children of … Continue reading →

Musical selection by Aaron Galbraith, commentary by Tony Attwood We’ve decided to have a little look at some of the performances by women of Dylan’s songs, and there’s surely no better place to start than “I Believe In You.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UDUqS0Y7Zas … Continue reading →

This article continues from Every Grain Of Sand, A Perfect Finished Plan. Part 1. By Paul Robert Thomas III “Then onward in my journey I come to understand” EVERY GRAIN OF SAND:  Verse one, line one. “In the time of my’ confession … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Between 4 September 1999 and 30 August 2002 Bob and his band played the song “I am the man Thomas” 59 times as a concert opener.  The song comes from Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst “He is one of the most compelling white blues singers ever recorded. He is a songwriter of exceptional facility and cleverness,” rouse the liner notes on Bob Dylan (1962), and “he’s an uncommonly skillful guitar player.” Well … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood So, if you have been following the series you will know by now what’s going on.  Bob had converted to Christianity, but then within 18 months although still writing religious pieces was also writing songs which (I … Continue reading →

By Paul Robert Thomas I: “Alternatives To College” I don’t usually respond to other contributors’ articles but John Stokes’ well researched and scholarly essay Dylan And The Sick Rose (Dignity #3) on Dylan’s Every Grain Of Sand prompted me to write on … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Starting with Dylan’s writings in the late 1950s I’ve tried to allocate a simple description title to each song Bob wrote during the year.  About 50 descriptions have been used ranging from those which encompass one or … Continue reading →

If you’ve not seen them before you might like to look at Bob Dylan And The Cowboy Jesus Bob Dylan and Cowboy Jesus Part II (The Riddler) Bob Dylan And Cowboy Jesus Part III Bob Dylan And Cowboy Jesus Part … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst British guitarist Steve Howe (London, 1947) has, in addition to his impressive musical skills, an enviable talent for being in the right place at the right time. With his first band, he’s already taken to the studio … Continue reading →

By Aaron Galbraith and Tony Attwood For some songwriters of renown, one could imagine “Dark Eyes” being the pinnacle of their writing careers.   Bob Dylan has played it eight times – those performances spread out between 1986 and 1995.  Here … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.  Psalm 36:11 (Let me not be trampled underfoot by proud oppressors, or driven from my home by wicked … Continue reading →