Monthly Archives: January 2009

Dylan’s “John Brown”: not just the song it is the staggering performance

by Tony Attwood It is not the song “John Brown” that works so perfectly within its own context – the story of the mother proudly telling everyone her son is fighting in the war and then coming back shot to … Continue reading

Posted in MTV Unplugged (Live), The Songs | 6 Comments

Dylan’s “Series of Dreams” complete with the missing verse & a brilliant alternate version.

by Tony Attwood Note: This article was Updated July 2018 with 3 recordings added including the version with the “extra” verse.  But since then all the versions with the extra verse have been removed from the internet as far as … Continue reading

Posted in Bootleg Series volume 3 | 35 Comments

Neighborhood Bully: how not to write a song in praise of something

By Tony Attwood There is something I really don’t like about Neighbourhood Bully, despite Dylan’s assertions that it is not about Zionism.  Maybe it is not.  Maybe it is just about the state of Israel.  I would always appreciate that … Continue reading

Posted in Infidels | 45 Comments

Foot of Pride: Bob Dylan’s rambling masterpiece which tears us limb from limb

By Tony Attwood Writing the second version of this review it struck me what a curious mixture of songs Bob wrote in 1983.  Here is the sequence of composing, as far as it can be put together, around the time … Continue reading

Posted in Bootleg Series volume 3, The Songs | 44 Comments

Standing in the doorway: a work of solemn genius from Bob Dylan

Review by Tony Attwood.  Updated May 2018 with addition of this extraordinary live version of the song, and the opening verse at the end. “Time out of mind” starts just about as low as you can imagine – “Love Sick” … Continue reading

Posted in The Songs, Time out of mind | 7 Comments