Another poll
M. Kapolka
>Another poll begins:
>
Name (optional): M. Anthony Kapolka
Date of birth: 10/9/66
Sex: M
First listened to Bob : 1986
First Dylan concert: 7/10/87, Philadelphia, PA
Number of concerts seen: 10
Nationality: United States
Region/city: Pennsylvania (then and now)
Religion of birth (optional): Methodist with Catholic influences
Current religion (optional): Methodist
Education/College(s): Lebanon Valley College; U Pgh
Graduated?: 1987; 1987; 1989
Major/minor: Chemistry; Comp Sci; Comp Sci
Job/Profession: Grad Student
Dylan concert preferences:
X Will go to any show that doesn't interfere with
work/money concerns
(my wife's schedule is also a factor here.)
X Go because you love Dylan('s act)
X Go because neither Dylan nor I will be around forever.
>Collections:
X Will buy selected product of home country
I will not, for example, buy a copy of an album on
cassette.
X Will buy all product in one format
I collect Dylan on CD because I feel like I was able to
get in on the "ground floor", as late as I started.
X Will buy all bootlegs you can find
(on CD)
X Will buy selected 'related' material
X Collects selected books
X Collects selected audio tapes
X Collects a few video tapes
>Periodicals:
X r.m.d. poster
X r.m.d. reader
X Look Back subscriber
X Isis subscriber
X Wicked Messenger reader
>Preference (order these):
1 Studio work
2 Concerts
3 Concert tapes
4 Interviews
5 Live albums
6 Sessions
7 Acting (film/video)
8 Poetry
9 Art work
>You:
Want to meet Dylan
Maybe yes, maybe no. I had my chance, but didn't.
>Considers Dylan to be:
X Christian
X A role model
Isn't every good Christian a role model?
X A minor prophet
In the sense that I think his art leads people to God. (Listen to that
'81 interview for a discussion of this)
X A springboard for thought
X America's best songwriter (ever)
X A classic performer
X Charismatic performer
X An ok voice
X A musical genius
I am more apt to call him a lyrical genius.
>You consider yourself to be (equate must with wants):
X An interpreter (must write/linger over literary pieces)
X A major fan (must see and buy!)
X A Dylan promoter (put him everywhere)
X A Dylan evangelist (insist to others that he's great)
Once, I told my wife: "This Dylan... he's as great as
Shakespeare, and so few people seem to appreciate him."
She said, to me: "How many people do you see reading
Shakespeare today?"
I am trying to get away from my Dylan-promoting,
incidentally. What is obvious to me is not what is
obvious to the rest of the world, I think. Is truth
so subjective? It must be.
X An archivist (must document as much as possible, including
the biographic)
Well, I am only selectively archivistic....
>Yes or No questions:
Did you find the concert at West Point a philosophical problem?
No. Heavens no.
Would you go mad if Dylan advertised for a sneaker company?
No. I would probably be too busy laughing. The underlying question here is
really 'Would you get mad if Dylan became commercial?' My feelings are
that it would just be 'all a big joke, whatever it was all about'. I
don't take things so seriously, and I think potential good could come
from it, depending on how the 'commercialism' was used.
Do you think Dylan is an attractive man?
No. When you tabulate this questions- I'd be interested in seeing a M/F
split in the responses...
Would you let him marry your sister?
This question may tell more about my sister then about Dylan if I were
to answer it. I really don't see any relevance to it.
>Has Dylan ever had a comeback?
In a popular sense, yes, of course. In an aesthetic sense, has Dylan
ever been far enough away to have lost it? Maybe. Some years were
leaner then others, certainly. The bottom line, is Dylan's work
consistantly high quality? I think so.
>Do you think Dylan has good artistic judgment?
Yes.
>Is there anyone who has worse taste in clothes than Dylan?
Obviously there are such people. This is another irrelevant question, I
think.
>Is there anyone who makes better music than Dylan?
Dylan makes a certain kind of music better then anyone else.
He does not cover all styles of music, however, and nothing should be
taken away from those who beat a different drum.
>Lists:
>The best three albums:
Three? Pull my teeth out, it would be less painful.
1 Bringing It All Back Home
2 Blonde on Blonde
3 Blood on the Tracks
>The worst three albums:
1 Dylan (this really is a non-album)
2 Nashville Skyline
3 Basement Tapes
I've gone along with #3 because, for some reason, I almost never play
it. I must be too serious, or something...
>Best three songs:
1 It's Alright Ma
2 Dirge
3 Every Grain of Sand
This list changes quite a bit, of course. SHB should be on this list.
It should be.
>Worst three songs:
1 Ballad in Plain D
2 The Wedding Song
3 Sara
Detect a pattern? These are, again, only today's picks.
>Three other most favored musicians:
1 Robert Fripp (Crafty Guitarists)
2 Joy Division
3 Dominic Scarlatti
>Three worst musicians:
1 Milli Vanilli (or are they the best non-musicians?)
2 anti-semitic rap groups
3 that bald woman from Ireland who really should know better
>of Dylan's office will shine on you. Entertainment Connections, however,
>won't send you a thing.
I know a guy whose friend got a postcard from them once, but he claims
he threw it away, not realizing its full value.
--
Anthony Kapolka ant...@cs.pitt.edu
BU...@vax.museum.upenn.edu
This is long, so skip it if you're not interested in polls and
(ahem) finding out more about us as well as about Dylan.
I'm sure Michael Shafto considers me a groupie. . . But here's
the thing. Consider the following possibilities - for grading the
Dylan obsessions. Answer the simple questions (___) and then check
the ones you're into (My answers/checks are here, just erase and put
in your own.) Post yours or send it to me (please e-mail unless you
want to make raunchy, juicy comments alongside the ones you've checked
or didn't), and we'll develop a profile of what we, the r.m.d. folks,
might be like. And then we'll hire a sociologist (or maybe a flock
of psychiatrists). And Dylan's office can certainly use this as a
marketing tool for their man.
Name (optional): Rebecca A. Buck
Date of birth: 8/23/46
Sex: F
First listened to Bob : 1964/5
First Dylan concert: 1/17/80, Spokane, WA
Number of concerts seen: 64
Nationality: United States
Region/city: The Midwest (Ohio, Marblehead even)
Religion of birth (optional): Byzantine Catholic
Current religion (optional):
Education/College(s): Oberlin College; Boston University
Graduated?: Yes, 1968; Yes, 1972
Major/minor: English; Religion
Job/Profession: Museum Registrar
Dylan concert preferences:
Will go to shows that are convenient
X Will go to any show that doesn't interfere with
work/money concerns
Will go to any show that is possible, even if it
does interfere with work/money concerns
Will go to any show
X Go because you love Dylan
Go because it's a thing to do
Go to meet/communicate with other Dylan people
Make it into a lifestyle
I won't tell you whether I do any taping, but if you e-mail, tell
me if that's something you do. What do you use? WF-Professional?
D-3s, 5s, 6s? And microphones, are they uni or omni? Sennheiser?
Another brand? After all, Bob doesn't need to know which of us
betray him as well as love him, but those who do that kind of thing
could 'find' each other.
Collections:
Will buy selected product of home country
X Will buy all official U.S. product
Will buy all product, U.S. and other, including
promos
Will buy all product in one format
Will buy all bootlegs you can find
X Will buy bootlegs that are historical or special
in some way (Great White Wonder, Ten Of Swords, etc. ...)
X Will search out and buy all 'related' material
(T-shirts, programs, Rolling Thunder belt
buckles ... )
Will buy selected 'related' material
Will buy all you can find
X Collects all literature
(The bibliography is up to about 3200
pieces with at least a thousand left
to enter.)
Collects books and selected articles
Collects selected books
X Collects all audio tapes
Collects selected audio tapes
Collects a few audio tapes
Collects tapes only of concerts one has seen
Collects all video tapes
X Collects selected video tapes
Collects a few video tapes
Does not collect Dylan material.
Periodicals:
X r.m.d. poster
X r.m.d. reader
X Look Back writer
X Look Back subscriber
Wanted Man writer
X Wanted Man subscriber
Isis writer
Isis subscriber
X Wicked Messenger contributor
X Wicked Messenger reader
Relix
X Has selected historical periodicals (T.B.Z.B., etc.)
Preference (order these):
1 Studio work
2 Concerts
3 Concert tapes
4 Poetry
5 Live albums
6 Interviews
7 Acting (film/video)
8 Art work
9 Sessions
You:
X Do not want to meet Dylan
Want to meet Dylan
Have met Dylan
Have written to Dylan
X Have written a fantasy letter
(I offered to be his archivist, it was great. But
of course, with Dylan's mentality, an archivist is
probably what he wants least.)
Haven't even thought of it
Considers Dylan to be:
A deity
A major prophet
X A minor prophet
A personal saviour
X A springboard for thought
X America's best songwriter (ever)
One of America's best songwriters
A passable songwriter
X A classic performer
A decent performer
A poor performer
X A musical genius
A musical competent
Musically inept
X A rock and roll hero
X A great voice
An ok voice
A lousy voice
An enigmatic voice
X Enigmatic in general
A sell-out
A fake
A good manager
X Not often aware of his surroundings
X Just plain out of time
X Charismatic in everything
X Charismatic performer
X An old goat
A poet
A role model
Jewish
Christian
X Pantheistic
The spokesperson of a generation (gag)
You consider yourself to be (equate must with wants):
A groupie (must have physical contact)
A follower (must have spiritual contact)
An interpreter (must write/linger over literary pieces)
X An archivist (must document as much as possible, including
the biographic)
X A major fan (must see and buy!)
An enthusiastic fan (see some, buy some)
A casual fan (see a few, buy a few)
A Dylan promoter (put him everywhere)
A Dylan evangelist (insist to others that he's great)
Someone who makes money off Dylan
An Associate (c'm on Don Was!)
X A cynic
Not in this group, here by mistake
Yes or No questions:
Did you find the concert at West Point a philosophical problem?
No
Would you go mad if Dylan advertised for a sneaker company?
Yes
Do you think Dylan is an attractive man?
Yes
Would you let him marry your sister?
No
Has Dylan ever had a comeback?
No
Do you think Dylan has good artistic judgment?
No
Is there anyone who has worse taste in clothes than Dylan?
No
Is there anyone who makes better music than Dylan?
No
Lists:
The best three albums:
1 Street Legal
2 Bringing It All Back Home
3 John Wesley Harding
The worst three albums:
1 Dylan
2 Self Portrait
3 Basement Tapes
Best three songs:
1 Senor
2 Abandoned Love
3 Isis
Worst three songs:
1 Donald White
2 Emmett Till
3 I Shall Be Released
Three other most favored musicians:
1 Leonard Cohen
2 John Prine
3 Mojo Nixon
Three worst musicians:
1 Pete Seeger
2 Tracy Chapman
3 Arlo Guthrie/Joan Baez tie
Well, that's about it. I imagine there are a bunch of other things Dylan
can be and mean to you and to me, though I think I covered the major
bases above. This comes from a couple of things. Quite frankly, I
was appalled by the other songwriters/musicians you people listed as
liking. Dylan may be the same genus as some of those, but he's certainly
not the same specie.
In my limited mind, Leonard Cohen may be almost Dylan's Canadian equal
and John Prine is damn good. Mojo would be fine if he just didn't drop
his trou in live performances and insist that Don Henley must die.
Torture would obviously be better for Don. But most everyone, and
even Dylan at his mediocre and worst, is just plain not worth
listening to. I except Bob Wills, Elvis, early Rolling Stone, Robert
Johnson, the Louvin Brothers and Marty Robbins, of course. This from
someone who believes in reincarnation. If I had five lifetimes left
to nirvana I wouldn't waste my time with Tracy Chapman and Paul Simon.
But then ... that's what makes us all unique, I suppose. So I thought
it would be interesting, for me, to learn what how you rate yourselves
as Dylan fans. Also, the class 2 slavish thing caught my interest in
a personal moment.
So answer, please, this poll. You will have good fortune and Jeff Rosen
of Dylan's office will shine on you. Entertainment Connections, however,
won't send you a thing.
Rebecca Buck
bu...@vax.museum.upenn.edu
joe turk
>I'm sure Michael Shafto considers me a groupie. . . But here's
>the thing. Consider the following possibilities - for grading the
>Dylan obsessions. Answer the simple questions (___) and then check
>the ones you're into (My answers/checks are here, just erase and put
>in your own.) Post yours or send it to me (please e-mail unless you
>want to make raunchy, juicy comments alongside the ones you've checked
>or didn't), and we'll develop a profile of what we, the r.m.d. folks,
>might be like. And then we'll hire a sociologist (or maybe a flock
>of psychiatrists). And Dylan's office can certainly use this as a
>marketing tool for their man.
I have always noted, after telling fellow music enjoyers here in
the cultural Rocky Mountain front (Don't forget folks...Bob came here
in 1959 BEFORE going to New York), about r.m.d,
a strange look of "Dylan
Fanatic!!" in their facial expressions. Especially after talking
about recent posts, interpretations of songs, etc. In a way it sort
of irks me; but then maybe there aren't many songs by today's popular
artists worth analyzing (or the musician themselves), so I can
excuse this as a reflection of the 1990 popular music scene (note
the word "popular"....I'm neglecting innovative neat stuff like
Sonic Youth, etc.). To many people, the fact that I mention and talk
about r.m.d. makes me a Dylan-obsessed admirer who has'nt quite been
able to shake off the 60's (60s, '60s?) music as the final curtain in
creativity. I can usually shake this off by quickly moving onto
discussing the latest of what I consider great new non-radio airplay
stuff. Are we Dylan admirers (and I'm sure admirers of many other
fantastic musicians as well!) worthy of this improper designation?
Of course not, but I can't help noticing it nonetheless.
Looks like a neat poll, Rebecca. My post to follow soon.
John Howells
<Another poll begins:
<
<This is long, so skip it if you're not interested in polls and
<(ahem) finding out more about us as well as about Dylan.
<
I've already answered this poll in email, but I thought some of this
could be interesting on the net too.
<
<Dylan concert preferences:
<
Rebecca left out one option: no desire to see Dylan live at all, which
is what my concert preference is. Anybody else feel this way or am I
the only one?
<
<Preference (order these):
<
I forgot what I said in mail, Rebecca. Whatever I said there should stand,
I guess. Here's what I remember, though:
1 Studio work
Of course, his claim to fame. His greatest work has been done on his
classic albums. Is there any doubt?
2 Concert tapes
Dylan has always been an outstanding performer and even his minor concert
appearances are worth hearing. When he's great, he's phenomenal. When he's
bad, he's merely mediocre.
3 Sessions
You mean like the George Harrison session, the Johnny Cash session, the
Doug Sahm session, etc? Do you mean to include Infidels outtakes and such?
This is all studio work and I'm not sure what distinction you're trying to
make. Whatever it is, it's right up near the top as far as my interest
goes.
4 Live albums
I assume you mean official live albums? Concert tapes are better because
they tend to be more complete. Live albums are good for their sound
quality, but sometimes track selection leaves much to be desired.
5 Poetry
Things like Tarantula, liner notes, program notes, etc. All worth having.
6 Interviews
Interviews and press conferences from 1965-1966 are really fun to hear, but
most of his post-1966 interviews tend to be on the dull side.
7 Art work
I wouldn't go to any extreme lengths to locate Dylan artwork.
8 Acting (film/video)
Not much there to be interested. Dylan is no actor.
9 Concerts
You must mean attending concerts. Since I don't go to concerts anymore,
I have little interest in seeing Dylan live. Maybe if I could hop a time
machine and go back to 1966...
<
<You:
<
X Do not want to meet Dylan
I don't think Dylan would want to meet me, so wanting to meet him would be
fruitless and a little embarrassing. If he expressed an interest in meeting
me (for whatever reason I can't imagine), then I certainly would want to do
the same.
<
<Considers Dylan to be:
<
X A springboard for thought
Naturally, his songs are thought-provoking.
X America's best songwriter (ever)
A little strong to claim this, but I think it may well be true overall.
X A classic performer
Then and now (a little more Then, though) - a powerful and unique singer.
X A musical competent
However, musically he's no better than competent. This isn't a putdown at
all! I would rather hear a competent musician with something interesting to
communicate than 10,000 awesomely technically perfect players with nothing
to say. Dylan a musical genius? Hardly.
X A rock and roll hero
Absolutely!
X A great voice
Possibly the greatest singer who ever lived. Not in the operatic sense, of
course, but in the emotional sense. Dylan's sense of phrasing (not as great
now as it once was IMHO) is unmatched. His ability to surprise has always
been one of his great strengths as a singer. When I hear Dylan sing, I'm
not knocked out by the power behind his voice; it's the audacity that
gets to me.
X A poet
Not in the strict sense of the word, but his lyrics have the stuff that
great poetry is made of.
X Christian
Well, he considers himself to be a Christian. Who am I to disagree?
<
<You consider yourself to be (equate must with wants):
<
X A major fan (must see and buy!)
I guess that's right. More like must hear!
X A cynic
I like to think I'm cynical to some degree.
<
<Yes or No questions:
<
<Did you find the concert at West Point a philosophical problem?
No. I can't imagine anyone who would. What's Dylan supposed to do for the
rest of his life - constantly rail against the establishment and sing
anti-war songs forever? Singing anti-war songs to people already commited
to peace is a little like preaching to the choir.
<Would you go mad if Dylan advertised for a sneaker company?
No. Anything Dylan wants to do is fine by me. He's not on this Earth to
live up to my expectations, and I'm sure he feels the same way about me :-)
<Do you think Dylan is an attractive man?
Yes, at least in his younger days. I've always thought he was one of the
most photogenic people I've ever seen, with very expressive features. Am I
sexually attracted to him? No.
<Would you let him marry your sister?
You bet!
<Has Dylan ever had a comeback?
Depends on what you mean by "comeback". I don't think he's ever really gone
away long enough to have to comeback. SPY magazine says his career since
1968 has been one of being perpetually "back". If you mean has he regained
the popularity he had in 1965, then the answer would have to be no.
Obviously Dylan doesn't sell double-platinum (he never did), but his
reputation is pretty secure and will probably continue to make records for
as long he likes.
<Do you think Dylan has good artistic judgment?
Yes. Not as much now as in the past where his artistic instincts were 100%
right. Now I'd say he hits it about 80% of the time. I'd say that's pretty
good. He was never known to make a foolish move.
<Is there anyone who has worse taste in clothes than Dylan?
Yeah - me!
<Is there anyone who makes better music than Dylan?
Certainly. I can think of at least a dozen artists right offhand who make
better music than Dylan. Doesn't mean I necessarily prefer them, though.
I think Elvis Costello & the Attractions were the greatest live rock group
that ever existed, so that should tell you something right there.
The real question should be "Is there anyone who does more interesting
records and concerts than Dylan", and the answer would be "very few if
any". Even though I'm nuts about EC & the Attractions, you always sort of
know what to expect when you pick up an EC album or hear one of this shows.
Dylan is much more surprising.
<Lists:
<
<The best three albums:
Oh boy, I love these lists!
1 Blonde On Blonde
I know, what a cliched thing to say! But it's true. No one has ever even
come close (well, maybe Elvis Costello's "Get Happy!")
2 Highway 61 Revisited
Another cliche, but this album is so damn good that sometimes I think it's
better than Blonde.
3 Desire
A neglected masterpiece.
<The worst three albums:
1 Self Portrait
Totally wretched.
2 Dylan
Not really Dylan's fault because it was put out without his knowledge or
consent. But he did, after all, record this junk!
3 Nashville Skyline
Pleasant enough to listen to, but vacuous and embarrasing.
<
<Best three songs:
1 Like a Rolling Stone
Bob must agree too, 'cause he does it all the time. No matter which version
I hear, it always gets to me. The song that changed the world :-)
2 Desolation Row
Epic song with so many great images and metaphors.
3 Memphis Blues Again
Cleverly written, brilliantly sung on the originally album - this song says
a lot to me and never once takes itself too seriously. The most important
song on the entire Blonde On Blonde album.
<
<Worst three songs:
1 Who Killed Davey Moore?
Awful, dull, simplistic, pandering.
2 Emmett Till
The subject matter is important but disgusting. Dylan could have done
something interesting with the story of Emmett Till, but the result is
strictly Amateur Hour.
3 John Brown
See above.
<
<Three other most favored musicians:
1 Elvis Costello
I've already said enough about old Declan MacManus.
2 Graham Parker
I think he's one of the great modern songwriters.
3 Captain Beefheart
I think I mentioned someone else when I sent the poll to Rebecca, but I
should have thought of Don Van Vliet.
This is in the field of "rock", but I could also mention Miles Davis,
Thelonious Monk, and other jazz greats.
<
<Three worst musicians:
Depends on what you mean by worst. I can think of a lot of terrible
musicians - those who can't really play at all - but I can think of many
more polished musicians who grate against me for reasons having nothing to
to with music at all. Looks like that's what you were driving for here.
1 Bruce Springsteen
A fake. I'm sorry, but I have yet to find one single redeeming feature
about Springsteen. I've never heard a song by him that I liked. The
overly-hyped "Born To Run" album was completely unimpressive when I first
heard it, and worse - a total ripoff.
2 Madonna
I don't know... Self-absorbed, arrogant, untalented. I just wish she'd go
away.
3 Prince
See above.
--
John Howells
how...@earth.arc.nasa.gov
how...@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov
John J. Wood
While I applaud the idea in general, I do not feel comfortable disclosing
*personal* information such as religion. I believe there are some things
that each individual has the right to keep to that self. In short, privacy.
I apologize if this disappoints some folks, especially since Rebecca worked
hard on composing the questionnaire, but I cannot answer the questionnaire
without finding out the purpose of obtaining the information, and whether
that purpose has a worthwhile cause (if the information went ot a group
that I do not associate with and/or don't feel comfortable with).
This is not a flame at all: just my reasons for not answering the
questionnaire. Thank you.
*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
!John J. Wood | !
! jo...@troi.cc.rochester.edu | !
*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
! !
! !
*-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=*
Shane Youl
Name (optional): Shane F. Youl
Date of birth: 11-Sep-1951
Sex: M
First listened to Bob : 1964/5
Number of concerts seen: 10/11?
Nationality: Australian
Region/city: Melbourne, Victoria
Religion of birth (optional): Roman Catholic
Current religion (optional):
Education/College(s): De La Salle College;
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Graduated?: Yes
Major/minor: Mathematics
Job/Profession: Computing Services Manager
Dylan concert preferences:
X Will go to any show that doesn't interfere with
work/money concerns
X Go because you love Dylan
Collections:
X Will buy selected product of home country
X Will buy all bootlegs you can find
X Will buy bootlegs that are historical or special
in some way (Great White Wonder, Ten Of Swords, etc. ...)
X Will buy selected 'related' material
X Will buy all you can find
X Collects all literature
(The bibliography is up to about 3200
pieces with at least a thousand left
to enter.)
X Collects books and selected articles
X Collects selected books
X Collects selected audio tapes
X Collects selected video tapes
Periodicals:
X r.m.d. poster
X r.m.d. reader
Preference (order these):
1 Concerts
2 Concert tapes
3 Live albums
4 Studio work
5 Sessions
6 Interviews
7 Poetry
8 Acting (film/video)
9 Art work
You:
X Do not want to meet Dylan ;-)
Dylan:
X Does not want to meet me. :-(
Considers Dylan to be:
X A springboard for thought
X One of America's best songwriters
X A classic performer
X A musical genius
X A rock and roll hero
X A great voice
X Enigmatic in general
X Charismatic performer
X A poet
You consider yourself to be (equate must with wants):
X An interpreter (must write/linger over literary pieces)
X An archivist (must document as much as possible, including
the biographic)
X An enthusiastic fan (see some, buy some)
Yes or No questions:
Did you find the concert at West Point a philosophical problem?
No
Would you go mad if Dylan advertised for a sneaker company?
No
Do you think Dylan is an attractive man?
Yes
Would you let him marry your sister?
None of my business
Has Dylan ever had a comeback?
Does BoB count?
Do you think Dylan has good artistic judgment?
Most of the time.
Is there anyone who has worse taste in clothes than Dylan?
Yes, lots of people.
Is there anyone who makes better music than Dylan?
Yes. There are a few besides Dylan who I would pay to see.
Lists:
The best three albums:
1 Blonde on Blonde
2 Bringing It All Back Home
3 The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The worst three albums:
This is too difficult
Best three songs:
This is one set; ask me again in a couple of months
1 Visions of Johanna
2 Desolation Row
3 Love Minus Zero/No Limit - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Worst three songs:
This is too difficult
Three other most favored musicians:
1 Robert Johnson
2 Richard Thompson
3 Beatles, Stones & Kinks from the '60s
Three worst musicians:
Who cares?
--
____ _____ ____ ____
Shane Youl / \ / / / \ / \
CSIRO Division of Mineral Products / /_____ / /_____/ / /
PO Box 124 Port Melbourne 3207 / / / / \ / /
AUSTRALIA \____/ _____/ / / \ \____/
Internet : s...@dmp.CSIRO.AU
Phone : +61-3-647-0211 SCIENCE ADVANCING AUSTRALIA
Ron Mura
Name (optional): Ronald A. Mura
Date of birth: 12/8/54
Sex: M
First listened to Bob : 1965
First Dylan concert: 1/6?/74, Philadelphia
Number of concerts seen: 23
(1974 - 4, 1975 - 3, 1978 - 2, 1980 - 1,
1981 - 1, 1986 - 3, 1987 - 1, 1988 - 2,
1989 - 5, 1990 - 1)
Nationality: U. S.
Region/city: New England
Religion of birth (optional): Catholic
Current religion (optional):
Education/College(s): U. Mass.; Temple
Graduated?: Yes, 1976 & 1978
Major/minor: Linguistics; Spanish; Math
Job/Profession: Director of Data Communications
(computers & networks)
Dylan concert preferences:
X Will go to shows that are convenient
[I would go to more if fewer boorish people attended and/or
the promoters and halls treated the people who buy tickets
with more respect]
Will go to any show that doesn't interfere with
work/money concerns
Will go to any show that is possible, even if it
does interfere with work/money concerns
Will go to any show
X Go because you love Dylan
Go because it's a thing to do
Go to meet/communicate with other Dylan people
Make it into a lifestyle
Collections:
Will buy selected product of home country
X Will buy all official U.S. product
X Will buy all product, U.S. and other, including
promos
[I will buy any product that has material that has not
been previously released. I don't buy repackaged
collections of material that is already on albums.]
Will buy all product in one format
Will buy all bootlegs you can find
X Will buy bootlegs that are historical or special
in some way (Great White Wonder, Ten Of Swords, etc. ...)
[I'll buy bootlegs if the sound quality is very good.]
Will search out and buy all 'related' material
(T-shirts, programs, Rolling Thunder belt
buckles ... )
Will buy selected 'related' material
Will buy all you can find
Collects all literature
(The bibliography is up to about 3200
pieces with at least a thousand left
to enter.)
Collects books and selected articles
X Collects selected books
Collects all audio tapes
X Collects selected audio tapes
Collects a few audio tapes
Collects tapes only of concerts one has seen
Collects all video tapes
Collects selected video tapes
Collects a few video tapes
Does not collect Dylan material.
Periodicals:
X r.m.d. poster
X r.m.d. reader
X Look Back writer
X Look Back subscriber
Wanted Man writer
X Wanted Man subscriber
Isis writer
X Isis subscriber
Wicked Messenger contributor
X Wicked Messenger reader
Relix
Has selected historical periodicals (T.B.Z.B., etc.)
Preference (order these):
1 Studio work
2 Sessions [I assume this means informal studio sessions]
3 Concert tapes
4 Concerts
5 Live albums [might be #1 if better selections of material]
6 Poetry
7 Art work [I think his more recent stuff is quite good
but it's hard to find.]
8 Interviews
9 Acting (film/video)
You:
Do not want to meet Dylan [I don't have a strong feeling either way.
Want to meet Dylan If we met, there wouldn't be much to say.
I wouldn't want to add to the hysteria
he experiences. I think I understand him
very well through his work, so there's
nothing I feel I have to ask. He wouldn't
know me at all, and I expect that small
talk/first encounters are not comfortable
for him. So I'm inclined to respect his
privacy.]
Have met Dylan
Have written to Dylan
Have written a fantasy letter
(I offered to be his archivist, it was great. But
of course, with Dylan's mentality, an archivist is
probably what he wants least.)
Haven't even thought of it
Consider Dylan to be:
A deity
A major prophet
X A minor prophet [in tune with the schizophrenia of man more
X than a prognosticator of events]
A personal saviour [he provides consolation and strength for some
people, but not a saviour in a religious sense]
X A springboard for thought [to say the least!]
X America's best songwriter (ever) [arguable but it's my opinion]
One of America's best songwriters
A passable songwriter
X A classic performer
A decent performer
A poor performer
X A musical genius
A musical competent
Musically inept
A rock and roll hero [I'm not sure what this really means,
other than a passing fad]
X A great voice [excluding 1989-1990, and recognizing
that tonal quality is a matter of personal
preference]
An ok voice
A lousy voice
An enigmatic voice
X Enigmatic in general
A sell-out
A fake
A good manager
X Not often aware of his surroundings [when he is performing, his
whole focus is on delivering feelings and
settings--through the music--from deep within]
Just plain out of time
X Charismatic in everything
X Charismatic performer
An old goat
A poet [he was in the '60s]
A role model
X Jewish
X Christian
X Pantheistic
The spokesperson of a generation (gag)
X Contrary [I added this one, but its one of his
main attractions for me!]
You consider yourself to be (equate must with wants):
A groupie (must have physical contact)
X A follower (must have spiritual contact)
An interpreter (must write/linger over literary pieces)
[My understandings of his work go from the music to my soul;
they don't pass through language.]
An archivist (must document as much as possible, including
the biographic)
X A major fan (must see and buy!)
An enthusiastic fan (see some, buy some)
A casual fan (see a few, buy a few)
A Dylan promoter (put him everywhere)
A Dylan evangelist (insist to others that he's great)
Someone who makes money off Dylan
An Associate (c'm on Don Was!)
A cynic [I am, but not much in relation to Dylan.]
Not in this group, here by mistake
Yes or No questions:
Did you find the concert at West Point a philosophical problem?
To a certain extent. Not in the performance for the military,
but in appearing at a rigid institutional/governmental setting.
Would you go mad if Dylan advertised for a sneaker company?
I wouldn't go mad, but I would be very disappointed (as I am
when I see any act I like going that route).
Do you think Dylan is an attractive man?
No, but then I don't spend much time deciding which men are
attractive!
Would you let him marry your sister?
I wouldn't expect or want to be in the position of authorizing
my sister's marriage, but I would have my reservations!
Has Dylan ever had a comeback?
Depends what is meant by "comeback." I would classify the return
to performing in 1974 after 8 years as such.
I wouldn't classify any other time as a comeback as a performer,
but (as Olof has pointed out), there have been periods of
great and prolific creativity and periods of limited production.
Do you think Dylan has good artistic judgment?
I think he is superb at knowing how to perform a song. In terms
of choosing which material is released, I would definitely say
"no."
Is there anyone who has worse taste in clothes than Dylan?
Sure, lots. He does model some peculiar outfits; I'll grant that.
Is there anyone who makes better music than Dylan?
Not in my opinion.
Lists:
The best "three" albums: [This is tough.]
1 John Wesley Harding
2 Highway 61 Revisited
3 Blood on the Tracks
4 Basement Tapes
5 Slow Train Coming
The worst three albums:
1 Dylan
2 Down in the Groove
3 Dylan and the Dead
[I like too much of _Self Portrait_ to put it here.]
Best "three" songs:
1 Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands
2 As I Went Out One Morning
3 Gates of Eden
4 Precious Angel
5 License to Kill
Worst three songs:
1 some of the really early stuff like "Two Train's A-runnin'"
[I would not put "Donald White," "John Brown," or even "Emmett
Till," in this category, although they are certainly not great.]
2 Straight A's in Love [I'm picking on this because it's one I can
think of; there are several outtakes that deserve to be!]
3 whichever songs on _Wilburys Vol. 3_ Dylan wrote!
[If we can include songs Dylan didn't write, then make "They Killed
Him" from _Knocked Out Loaded_ #1.]
[Guess I'm one of the few that thinks "Joey" is a great song.]
"Three" other most favored musicians/performers:
1 Leonard Cohen
2 Loudon Wainwright III
3 Jean Redpath, David Blue, Bill Morrissey, Greg Brown, Andy M. Stewart,
Tony Bird (tie)
"Three" worst musicians/performers:
1 Crosby, Stills, and Nash
2 Jackson Brown
3 James Taylor
4 The Who
5 Paul Simon [except for a couple of songs like "America" and
"Sounds of Silence"]
Rebecca wrote:
>Quite frankly, I
>was appalled by the other songwriters/musicians you people listed as
>liking. Dylan may be the same genus as some of those, but he's certainly
>not the same specie.
You'll have to be more specific if you want a discussion :-).
>In my limited mind, Leonard Cohen may be almost Dylan's Canadian equal
>and John Prine is damn good.
I think Cohen is almost Dylan's equal, without limiting it to
"Canadian." As far as not the same species, Prine strikes me that way.
--
- Ron Mura, Boston, Mass. rm...@world.std.com