Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Tony Attwood, updated 12 October 2017 This is one of two reviews of this song on the site.  There is a link to the second review at the end of this piece.   This is another Dylan song which … Continue reading →

“His fans had already had enough of this kind of song,” says Clinton Heylin. Not this fan. But then I suspect I start from a quite different point of view.  And really that’s the problem with a critic like Heylin … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Updated 19 October with a few changes and this link to newly released version – here it is “Every Grain of Sand” is one of the few songs that Dylan has described in terms of writing – … Continue reading →

Masters of War is always officially cited as being written by Dylan, but although the lyrics are totally original, as indeed is the accompaniment, the melody is not. If one was starting from scratch in investigating this song the clue … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood If I am asked for a simple explanation as to why I like Dylan’s music so much, and why it has been part of my life since my teens and onwards for some 50 years, I answer, … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Clinton Heylin calls On a night like this “anodyne”, but he’s never been a songwriter.  If he had he would know it is as hard to write a memorable bouncy love song as it is to write … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood “Up to Me” is one of those songs that if you didn’t know it, and you were suddenly find it on Biograph or an out-take album you would probably start by thinking “hey this is just Tangled … Continue reading →

In 1965 Dylan made a comment to the effect that he used to know what he wanted to write about before starting a song, but that since then he has taken a different route.  The implication is that he started writing and … Continue reading →

This article revised 24 December 2017 including the addition of the video of the live version. By Tony Attwood This overtly religious song has an interesting sub-plot, the issue of rejection, of being the outsider.  It is the theme that … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Where there is Dylan, there is the blues.   Where there is the blues there is always incredible variation, despite the fact that most blues are based on two chords.  Although interestingly here we are down to two … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood “True love” doesn’t do that much for me.  It’s just another song, although it has a really interesting use of chords in the verse.  When has Dylan used A / C sharp minor / B minor as … Continue reading →

Do you love me, or are you just extending goodwill? What a stunning opening – perhaps one of the most extraordinary openings of all of Dylan’s songs – and as we quickly see this is actually a song about Dylan, … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood “If you see her, say hello” is one of those songs that has within it has a complete multiplicity of what Dylan is.  And it is also one of those songs that some of the “experts” on … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood Updated April 2018 including a link to a live version. ———————- From Haiku 61 Revisited When you get this old, You get less sentimental About everything. ———————- Dylan has endlessly been accused of taking other people’s lyrics … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood *Yes, I know he played it once live on 12 November 1980, but “never” makes a better headline. This review revised and updated 13 April 2007. Having reviewed Angelina it makes sense to move on to Caribbean … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Updated 27 Sep 2020 with the Levy recording added at the end. The last review I wrote in this series was “Angelina” in which I suggested that the reason Dylan didn’t include that song on the album … Continue reading →

Angelina by Bob Dylan Please note that this review was written before I heard the Ashley Hutchings version of the song, at which point I changed my mind quite dramatically.   But that often happens!  If you want a more informed … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Much of the commentary over the years has focussed on ..mocked my God, humiliated my friends – a line that relates to the torment of Christ as reflected in Matthew 10:34 and to which I shall return … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Has Dylan ever constructed another song which ends with a fade repetition of one line?  Writing this I can’t remember any, but now I’ve thought to look I’m sure to find many. Dead Man fades out with, … Continue reading →

Updated 13 Nov 2017 with links to other versions of the song – I really hope you try them if you have not heard them before – they offer a completely different set of insights into the song.  Reading my … Continue reading →