Columbia recording artist (studio work as primary)
Paul Bullen
On the difference between live performances and recordings, keep in mind
that for Williams the 'performance' is not necessarily used as opposed to
studio recordings. It is opposed to 'songs'.
"...any album is constructed of performances, not of songs." (Paul
Williams, Bob Dylan: Peforming Artist, vol. 1, p. 163)
Gracyk, Williams, and I would all agree, I think, that Bob Dylan is
important as a performer. That is to say, his value does not lie only in
his ability to write good songs. He is also able to make good performances
of his songs.
We remember Irving Berlin and Cole Porter for the great songs they wrote,
not primarily for their own performances of those songs.
We remember the Historic Bob Dylan not just for having written the song and
lyrics to "Like A Rolling Stone", but for the powerful specific recorded
performance of that song that burst on to the scene in 1965.
Generally, Dylan's best performances are those he made with a view to
producing a record -- in the studio. This is as one might expect.
Paul Bullen * Political Science * University of Chicago
John R. Weikart
In article <v01540b00af0bc50d909c@[128.135.14.40]>, Paul Bullen
<bu...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>
> Generally, Dylan's best performances are those he made with a view to
> producing a record -- in the studio. This is as one might expect.
>
I can't agree with this. Some of Dylan's best performances have indeed
been in the studio. This would be hard to debate. But I think Dylan is
most important as an artist (as opposed to a pop culture figure) because
of his performances, the vast majority of which have been in front of live
audiences.
The 1979-1980 live performances of "Saving Grace" and "What Can I Do For
You," for example, are some of Dylan's very finest performances of all
times. They were not made with a view to producing a record. They were
performed night after night, whereas the recorded rendition of Like A
Rolling Stone, for example, was a one shot deal. I've rarely listened to
a Dylan concert that did not have at least one performance that has moved
me as much as Dylan's recorded work.
In fact, I think Dylan tends to eventually surpass his studio versions of
songs in live performance. For example, I think the performances of the
songs during the 1964 Halloween concert are as good or better than the
studio recordings of the same songs. Just a few others that immediately
pop into my mind:
"One Too Many Mornings" was good on record, but listen to the versions
from Manchester '66, the "Hard Rain" CD, or recent performances like, say,
October 9, 1995 to name one that was treed here a while back.
Shelter From The Storm is another that I immediately think of. Again,
"Hard Rain" has a superb version, but listen to the much slower one on
"Creatures Void Of Form" on the very same tour...so different and yet both
of them surpass the version on "Blood On The Tracks." How about the fast,
nearly rockabilly performances of the same song from the early 90s
(Hiroshima 1994 for example) or the more recently arrangement, the one
that starts so softly and then builds and builds. I heard a performance
of that one here in Austin in November 1995 that was just amazing. I
could go n and on with other examples, but I think I've made my point.
We're talking about hundreds and hundreds of concerts here....many of them
including performances at least as brilliant as anything he's put down on
tape in the studio. I just don't see any truth in your generalization.
Interesting that even Dylan's admirers cannot agree on where his greatest
talent lies. It goes to show, I think, of just how good he is at so many
things.
By the way, why might one expect Dylan's best performances to be in the
studio? This doesn't seem obvious to me.
Loren Terveen
It seems to me that Paul Williams was emphasizes that Dyan's creative
process was centered around "performance", i.e., playing, most often
with other musicians, to an audience, actual or imagined. The musical
product is created in real-time.
This contrasts with other musicians, most notably, the Beatles. After
1965 (or so), they would definitely not be described as peforming
artists, according to Williams' use of the term. Instead, they were
studio musicians, creating final products by assembling various bits
and pieces.
However, from the perspective of a *listener*, the vast majority of
what experience (from Dylan or other musiciaans) is via a recording.
But Williams' point was about Dylan's creative process, not about the
audience experience.
Loren Terveen
In article <v01540b00af0bc50d909c@[128.135.14.40]> Paul Bullen <bu...@midway.uchicago.edu> writes:
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>
>On the difference between live performances and recordings, keep in mind
>that for Williams the 'performance' is not necessarily used as opposed to
>studio recordings. It is opposed to 'songs'.
>
>"...any album is constructed of performances, not of songs." (Paul
>Williams, Bob Dylan: Peforming Artist, vol. 1, p. 163)
>
>Gracyk, Williams, and I would all agree, I think, that Bob Dylan is
>important as a performer. That is to say, his value does not lie only in
>his ability to write good songs. He is also able to make good performances
>of his songs.
>
>We remember Irving Berlin and Cole Porter for the great songs they wrote,
>not primarily for their own performances of those songs.
>
>We remember the Historic Bob Dylan not just for having written the song and
>lyrics to "Like A Rolling Stone", but for the powerful specific recorded
>performance of that song that burst on to the scene in 1965.
>
>Generally, Dylan's best performances are those he made with a view to
>producing a record -- in the studio. This is as one might expect.
>
>Paul Bullen * Political Science * University of Chicago
--
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