NME Dylan/Folk Rock Issue 2003
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NICK DRAKE TIM BUCKLEY BOB DYLANBOB DYLAN INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RARE PHOTOS AND THE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5 UK £ 5.99 & NASH STILLS CROSBY, FOLK ROCK BOOM 1964-1974 NEIL YOUNG JONI MITCHELL THE BYRDS CAROLE KING CAROLE MORRISON VAN STEVENS CAT DONOVAN TAYLOR JAMES DVD - EREDV519 Features the classic tracks 99.9F ˚, Marlene On The Wall, When Heroes Go Down, Left Of Center, Luka, Solitude Standing, Tom's Diner and many more. 2004 Includes bonus tracks from her concert DISTRIBUTED BY at the Montreux Festival in 2000. AVAILABLE AT eagle vision A DIVISION OF EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED www.eagle-rock.com “FESTIVAL!” MURRAY LERNER’S CLASSIC FILM, originally released in 1967, is now on DVD for the first time. Filmed across four Newport Folk Festivals in the early sixties it combines live footage and interviews with the artists and with members of the audience. FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDE BOB DYLAN • JOAN BAEZ • DONOVAN, PETER,PAUL & MARY • JOHNNY CASH, JUDY COLLINS and many more. EREDV499 DISTRIBUTED BY AVAILABLE FROM eagle vision A DIVISION OF EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT LTD www.eagle-rock.com Britain catches Dylanmania, Donovan versus Dylan, The Byrds fly in, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott reminisces, the great Protest Song debate, Barry McGuire heralds the ‘Eve Of Destruction’, Sonny & Cher conquer the charts, Simon & PAGES 6-39 Garfunkel forge sound out of silence Byrds banned in drug scandal, Dylan press deceptions and gig fracas, Simon & Garfunkel go “intellectual”, The Mamas And The Papas entertain The Beatles, Cat Stevens in “youth’s a drag” shocker, Scott McKenzie hails flower PAGES 40-53 power, The Byrds split Dylan arrives at the Isle Of Wight a changed man, Leonard Cohen brings the poetry, Incredible String Band – a cool name to drop, Joni Mitchell shines, Crosby, Stills & Nash are the first supergroup and UK folk comes of age PAGES 54-77 with Fairport Convention and Pentangle James Taylor the new messiah, Van Morrison – solo genius, Neil Young joins CS&N, Carole King makes ‘Tapestry’, Dylan teams up with Harrison for ‘Bangla Desh’, Buffy Sainte-Marie sings ‘Soldier Blue’, Laura Nyro wows London PAGES 78-103 and Kris Kristofferson walks it like he sings it Don McLean bakes an ‘American Pie’, America ride a ‘Horse With No Name’, Nick Drake a mystery, Jackson Browne earns his dues, Gram Parsons RIP, Dylan stars in Billy The Kid movie, the new Bobs line up for success, Tim PAGES 104-145 Buckley talks dirty and CSN&Y play Wembley WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND I WROTE DOWN THIS SONG… tranger things have happened but it sure seems of the sombre Espers and the extravagant Arcade Fire punk. In working outside of industry regulated weird that, when we got about halfway through and, yes, even the soppy James Blunt. Then there’s the venues, in playing where they want, when they want compiling this volume of NME Originals, our breathlessly anticipated return after 12 years of the and being able to react in song to the immediate Sprincipal cover subject unexpectedly became sorceress herself, Kate Bush. circumstances around them, they are returning the the hottest musical act on the planet. These artists all qualify as folkies and, had they power to the people and bringing a life and purpose to It was enough to get anyone thinking and so we did: been recording 40 years ago, there’s no doubt they music beyond just entertainment. why on earth is Bob Dylan – a man whose best, most would all have figured in this volume. But why the All of this activity, taking place right now, has its potent and meaningful works were recorded some current vogue for folk? It could be down to a number precedents in the era covered by this volume. From 40 years ago (during the time span covered by this of reasons. I’ve a hunch that the more stressed the arrival of Dylan, his stoner vision far beyond the magazine, in fact) – being suddenly lionised anew? It’s and complicated life gets, the simpler we like our comprehension of the establishment, to the sweet nothing to do with celebrating any anniversary and pleasures. When there’s an outside chance you might downhome homilies of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor he’s released no fresh work which can hold a candle to get blown to bits travelling to work of a morning, offering spiritual balm while kids protesting against his greatest stuff. No, it’s all down to BBC2 screening a death metal on your iPod is hardly salve for the soul. the Vietnam war were being slaughtered by US troops two part Martin Scorsese documentary on Bob’s wild The pastoral musings of Sandy Denny, on the other on American soil, there are historical and musical years and an accompanying ‘Bootleg Series’ CD which hand, provide an alternative calming headspace. parallels. And in the journey travelled by Crosby, Stills excavates some of his best known songs from around Then there’s the fact that, when there’s something & Nash, who started out in 1968 with the avowed that time in rawer demo or live form. And all of this, to protest against – an unjust war or a corrupt intent of doing their own thing and ended up in 1974 somehow, seems to resonate with 2005. government or, in this case, both – it helps to hear a monstrous piece of business, strung out and bored Now Bob’s a bone fide genius – this seems to the words of a song packed with indignation or playing stadiums for megabucks, there may be lessons go without saying. But everyone’s known that for encouragement loud and clear. And in the midst of the to be learned. donkey’s years. So how come ol’ Bob seems so madness, when you feel powerless to control anything Those were – and these are – confusing and right, right now? Well, for one thing, the form of let alone determine your own destiny, a little musical dangerous times. As CSN&Y sang on the refrain to music loosely described as “folk” was making a bit one-on-one with a singer songwriter can feel like ‘Déjà Vu’: we have all been here before. of a comeback anyway. Several of this year’s most ersatz therapy. Enjoy. satisfying releases have been down to maverick There’s also something more trustworthy about an talents who have chosen to work outside the regular individual than a band. The singer who sets forth his formulae for success set out by the music and retail or her own emotions and ideas in their own words to business. I’m thinking here of the warbling elfin hippy their own accompaniment just seems somehow more prince Devendra Banhart and his exuberant ‘Cripple honest than a group prancing about playing roles. And Crow’ LP. And the madcap Sufjan Stevens, working finally, the have-guitar-will-travel guerrilla gigging his way through a project where he’s basing an entire of Pete Doherty and his vagabond tribe of Albion album on each of the 50 American states with results idealists feels like the first genuinely revolutionary Steve Sutherland far richer than they have any right to be. I’m thinking thing to happen to the performance of music since Editor 4 NME ORIGINALS INTRODUCTION NME ORIGINALS 5 1964-1965 Bob Dylan talks to Max Jones… MM, 23 May 1964, page 12 Confi ning ne lunchtime, before his sellout “You ask if I have any diffi culty concert at the Royal Festival producing songs. You know they come Hall, I called to see Bob Dylan. up and stay in my mind sometimes OThe 23-year-old American – sometimes a long time, I just write singer, guitarist, harmonica player them out when the right time comes. and writer of songs which go a few “The words come fi rst. Then I fi t a fathoms deeper than the “Yeah, tune or just strum the chords. Really yeah, yeah” stage received me with I’m not a tune writer. The songs for me cordiality and a bottle of Beaujolais. are very confi ning, or something. I’m ( )) It was incongruous, in view of the not writing that many songs. BOB DYLAN 23 WRITES blistering social criticism in many of “I’ve written a lot of things with no his songs, to meet him in the genteel structure, written them only because surroundings of a hotel in Mayfair. I like to sing them. ‘A Hard Rain’s SONGS STARS LIKE Particularly as he was dressed in A-Gonna Fall’… I wrote the words of jeans and boots and leather jacket. it on a piece of paper. But there was no NME, 8 May 1964, page 4 It was in his blue jeans, wrinkled shirt He was aware of the incongruity. tune that really fi t to it, so I just sort of hat have Bobby Darin, Marlene and boots that he turned up at the We discussed it, and singing and play chords without a tune. Dietrich, Peter, Paul & Mary in recording studio to make his first album. song writing, plays, books and the “But all this comes under the W common? Answer: Bob Dylan. “To look like that, he must be a British folk scene. heading of a defi nition and I don’t care They have all recorded his songs. genius,” said surprised disc executives. This is some of what he had to say… to defi ne what I do. Other people seem Dylan is 23 and has composed a lot They were more surprised at the big sales to have a hard time doing that.” of folk music.