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197O–79 a Decade of Reinvention DJ SHADOW “I’VE NEVER STOPPED COLLECTING” COURTEENERS “WE NEED TO KEEP ON OUR TOES” NEW GEAR ANGEL OLSEN FOR 2020 ISSUE 35 “I’M SOMEONE WHO FEBRUARY 2O2O BUILD YOUR CARES ABOUT DETAIL” £6.99 IDEAL HI-FI SETUP 59 NEW REVIEWS! LEE SCRATCH PERRY, PET SHOP BOYS, KEELEY FORSYTH, SUPERGRASS, STORMZY, WIRE, FRANK ZAPPA, FELA KUTI ISSUE 35 ISSUE PRICE£6.99 FEBRUARY 2020 2020 FEBRUARY 35 911015 THE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE THE FOR VINYL LOVERS 772398 9 SECRETLY CANADIAN INSIDE AMERICA’S COOLEST LABEL ESSENTIAL FOLK ROCK 40 CLASSIC ALBUMS YOU NEED TO OWN DYLAN 197O –79 A DECADE OF REINVENTION EIGHT ALBUMS THAT REDEFINED A GENIUS Don’t s Look DYLAN IN THE 70 50 Back COVER STORY COVER Dylan 1970-79 A Decade Of Reinvention After exiting the 60s with one of his finest albums, Bob Dylan entered the 70s with one of his worst. Yet over the next 10 years, Dylan embarked on a reinvigorating journey through some troubled times, wearing many masks. Here, some of the key musicians who helped him make eight very different albums, talk Daniel Dylan Wray through a remarkable decade ARCHIVES/GETTY OCHS MEYEROWITZ/MICHAEL ALVAN 51 COVER STORY DYLAN IN THE 70s s n 1969, the closing words somewhat, with it taking on a new degree f i DYLAN IN THE 70 of Rolling Stone’s review of a ection for some fans. It also bene ted Album #1 of Bob Dylan’s inal from one of its tracks, Wigwam, being in one 52 album of the decade read: of the most beloved and hip ilms of the 2000s: “In many ways, Nashville Wes Anderson’s he Royal Tenenbaums. Skyline achieves the “People were not as critical and demanding artistically impossible: when the recent Bootleg Series stuf came out,” a deep, humane, and says David Bromberg, who was a key player on interesting statement the album – and many of those bootleg I about being happy. It sessions feature just him and Dylan. “he irst could well be what Dylan time around, people lambasted Self Portrait. thinks it is: his best album.” he opening hey were very critical because of the lack of COVER STORY COVER words of the magazine’s review of Self Portrait, original songs, and that’s what they wanted. his irst album of the next decade, began with the words: “What is this shit?”. It marked the kind of artistic decline most SELF PORTRAIT artists may experience over decades, but in 8 JUNE 1970 actuality it represented just a 12-month period CBS 66250 in his career. However, like many things in the After the brilliance of Nashville world of Bob Dylan, perceptions change Skyline ended the 60s… this. greatly over time. A sprawling double album that’s hroughout the 1960s, Dylan knocked out essentially an official bootleg, it left seminal album ater seminal album, with each Dylan watchers either confused or reairming his status as an icon of the era and entirely nonplussed. Some suggest the voice of a generation. It was a label that it’s a typically contrary act of self- grated on him hugely. So much so that when parody, in reality it’s a collection he kicked of the next decade with Self Portrait, of studio leftovers, messy cover an album featuring a bunch of covers and versions and sub-par revisits of a handful of originals that many deemed RICHARD E. AARON/REDFERNS/GETTY E. RICHARD Dylan’s own songs with a handful sub-standard, it was debated for years whether of originals thrown in. His version the album was a joke or an intentional misstep of Blue Moon is not a highlight, but to shake of the shackles of pressure. the take on Alfred Frank Beddoe’s Later on, Dylan himself referred to it as more Copper Kettle most certainly is. of a bootleg record – an odds and sods letovers DISCOGS £10 afair. In 2013, it got expanded and became part of Dylan’s long-standing Bootleg Series, David Bromberg was a key player on the maligned Self Portrait by which point the response had warmed ARCHIVES/GETTY OCHS MICHAEL Dylan in silver screen action for 1973’s Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid s So that material now has less preconceptions Sam Peckinpah ilm Pat Garrett & Billy he around it when people approach it, and they Kid. Not only did Dylan star, but he also DYLAN IN THE 70 seem to enjoy it more.” Dylan had very little to Album #2 produced a song for inclusion in the ilm that express about his intentions for the album, as would go on to be a worldwide smash and one 53 Bromberg recalls: “I didn’t try to analyse if he of his most enduring and beloved hits. It’s the was on a mission or not, my focus was on kind of song that even people who hate Dylan, doing my job. I just put one foot in front of the or your auntie who doesn’t really like music, other.” he session was so lacking in anything will hum away gently to. Knockin’ On Heaven’s resembling verbal direction that Bromberg Door was proof of Dylan’s ability to pluck feels that’s why he was brought in; to simply magic from the most unlikely of sources, and follow where the music went. “He didn’t direct this trait continued as the years went on. His me very much at all,” he recalls. sole intention was seemingly making sure his If Dylan’s attempt on Self Portrait was self moves could never be anticipated. STORY COVER sabotage, then to some degree it worked. If More changes were afoot for Dylan in the he’d begun the year with an album that was following year or so. Relations had soured and soon deemed his worst, then where is there let interest waned from his record label Columbia, to go but up? At least in theory. he following NEW MORNING so he found himself on Asylum in the US, and New Morning, released just months later, 19 OCTOBER 1970 he soon announced his irst tour since 1966, was an extension of some of the smoother, CBS 69001 an activity he had given up since his severe country-laced rock that he had wrapped up the After the savaging dished out to motorcycle accident that same year. 1960s with. he opening love song If Not For Self Portrait, Rolling Stone’s review he Bob Dylan and he Band 1974 tour You possessed such an accessible pop-kissed this time declared “Bob Dylan is coincided with the release of Planet Waves buoyancy that Olivia Newton John would later back with us again”. It’s wide of the and it also began a new era in Dylan’s career cover it. he album was received glowingly and mark to suggest it’s an immediate that saw him reapproaching older material came loaded with sentiments such as “we’ve riposte from Dylan, though – as in increasingly experimental and altered ways, got Dylan back”. However, anyone thinking much of New Morning pre-dates something Dylan is now utterly synonymous they had Dylan back in a mode that felt safe, that record. The joyful shuffling If with, be it lovingly or to much chagrin. comfortable and reassuring was about to Not For You is sublime, Dylan’s buckle up for a decade-long ride across more familiar nasal vocal back to the musical styles, bands, albums, shits and fore; Sign On The Window is even “I didn’t try to surprises than most artists go through in better. The sessions weren’t entirely their entire lifetime. harmonious. “When I finished that analyse if he was on album I never wanted to speak to KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCKIN’ him again,” said Al Kooper. a mission or not, my Dylan’s foray into ilm grew throughout DISCOGS £7 the decade, and the 1973 follow-up to focus was my job” BETTMANNARCHIVE/GETTY New Morning was the soundtrack to the DAVID BROMBERG s Dylan onstage with The Band in 1974 his was captured on the 1974 live album It’s a period caught recently in Martin h DYLAN IN THE 70 Before e Flood, a record bursting with gusto, Scorsese’s non-documentary documentary Album #3 energy and big raucous performances, with Rolling hunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story, 54 both Dylan and he Band stretching the life that wilfully merges iction and non-iction out of songs in performances that felt as if they along with tour footage in which Dylan had were making up for lost time on stage. If Dylan decided to play smaller venues and with a had begun the era by tentatively testing the ragtag collective including everyone from water with some letover cover songs, by this Allen Ginsberg to Joan Baez featuring along stage he was back in full swing, bolstered by a charging sense of momentum. For his 1975 follow-up, the majestic Blood On he Tracks, Dylan ditched he Band and COVER STORY COVER returned to Columbia Records to release an album that remains one of the pinnacles of his career. Unsurprisingly, it centred around change and forward momentum but was also PAT GARRETT rooted in pain and leaving things behind. & BILLY THE KID As Dylan’s marriage was entering diiculty, 13 JULY 1973 he churned out an album of intense, potent CBS 69042 and overwhelming honesty that for many Dylan’s first soundtrack LP, for Sam remains the template for confessional Peckinpah’s film of the same name, singer-songwriter albums. Although of course yielded one of his biggest hits, Dylan, being Dylan, has gone on record at Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.
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