Wonderful. Really great. Fantastic. Zimmy's still not talking
about some things, but great nonetheless. Too bad no interviews
with Robbie Robertson, as he is Scorses's best buddy.
Any thoughts?

Just watched it the last few nights. Amazing. I thought the outtakes on Disc 2 (misleadingly titled, BOB DYLAN PERFORMANCES) were essential to the story though and consider that kind of a 'part 3' that fills in the tale alot better. I wouldn't watch it on TV. Get the DVD and watch EVERYTHING on there. As someone with a long Bobsession, I've seen/read alot more than they covered that I felt should've been there, but that's minor. For it's length, it's terrific.

For those that don't know, Clinton Heylin's BEHIND THE SHADES
is essential reading if you're looking for a book about Bob.
Regarding the DVD of NO Direction Home, I had no idea, really,
of how speeded up he was back in '66. It's way over the top.
Fascinating stuff. The concert footage is extraordinary.

great cd and dvd - did you notice dylan on constant man of sorrow he was using
his thumb to mute the E string - now didn,t Jimi Hendrix make it famous to
mute/deaden the e string with his thumb.

isn't that common? I've done it all my life without thinking about it Maybe that depends on how you do your barre-chords.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-09-26 13:43 by DandelionPowderman.

OpenG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> great cd and dvd - did you notice dylan on
> constant man of sorrow he was using
> his thumb to mute the E string - now didn,t Jimi
> Hendrix make it famous to
> mute/deaden the e string with his thumb.

Hendrix was a big fan of Dylan.

Tonight and tomorrow night on BBC 2, 10 pm CET (two parts).

----------------------------
"Music is the frozen tapioca in the ice chest of history."

"Shit!... No shit, awright!"

My phone will be off the hook for the next two evenings. I've been waiting for this one for years. It should be quite something.

The amount of press this film has been getting here is quite phenomenal and the trailers are mouth watering.

Ditto....I want nobody but nobody bothering me for the next two nights. I have waited almost a lifetime to see and hear this one.

I sat and watched the dvd all friday night and I have been blown away by dylans
lyrics all these years and never saw him open up in an interview before.I sat there just waiting for dylan again to talk as they went from period to period.
Martin S never interviewed dylan one on one and I think never meet him for the
documentary - the interviews i think were done by someone else not sure how
long ago. Dylan is amazing how he talks about what he was doing as they go from
1961 to 1966 period.

It's on here tonight. Can't wait!

Saw the first half of NDH last night. A couple of thoughts:

- Seems that over the last couple years Bob has been very busy documenting his career. We've had the Bootleg Series, the biography, and now this documentary. Is this a cash-in, or do you think Bob is seeing the end of the tunnel and attempting to set his legacy straight? Is this something the Stones should be considering?

- I was somewhat surprised how Bob spoke of his hometown. He seemed eager to dismiss Hibbing as a dead-end small town, with nothing much good to appreciate. He didn't cite any part of his upbringing as essential to his development, other than his parents' radio. However when he moved to NYC it seemed like Bob really marketed himself as hobo-hayseed-hillbilly-everyman. There on stages in front of the bohemian crowd, the simple plain truth of rural life suddenly was an asset to be displayed proudly and loudly.

- In the early days Bob really wasn't a bad singer. On some of his folky stuff he actually showed a souful croon. He also showed himself to be a pretty fair picker. Several years ago, during his Woodstock II performance, I was amazed to hear Bob play A LOT of hot hot lead guitar.

- Suze, Bob's girlfriend from the Freewheelin cover, is still very cute. She looks a hell of a lot better than he does nowadays. Do you think he's had hair implants? Oh, no, please don't answer that!

Oh well, sorry to ramble so much off-topic. Just couldn't think of a new Sway topic!

Karl

Personally I think Scorsese blew 'Last Waltz' & on the Dylan film has clearly nothing fresh to say, no insights, very workmanlike - so I was disappointed. This isn't Bob's fault, but MS just doesn't seem to get any character depth, or a fresh perspective on the work, the era(s), etc - more like a Clint Eastwood directed flick. Love some anecdotes (Grossman sending Mary Travers to Florida, etc), but Scorsese is basically a mannerist imo.

will buy the dvd later - watching the PBS version first. Part one last nite: i'm stunned. even better than advertised. wow - this might be THE best music documentary of all time - better than the PBS Jazz series even.....

I saw it last night and I thought it was great stuff. The next installment tonight is something I'm very much looking forward to. On, and OpenG, using the thumb to fret is fairly common and I don't think Bob or Jimi came up with it. That technique has been around since the invention of the guitar I reckon.

Interesting series. Scorsese did a much better job on this one than that disjointed mess covering Blues music he did with PBS. That is almost unwatchable. I look forward to the 2nd part of his Dylan.

But Dylan was too self-obsessed.....I hope he has changed. As a young man, he must have been insufferable as a egomaniac, with pyschophants feeding him constant compliments as "the voice of his generation" and "the torch being passed". He wrote a lot of great folk and rock songs; they should leave it at that instead of placing him on a religous pedastal.

#......Go ahead....Bite the Big Apple....Don't mind the Maggots.....Uh Huh...#

hi ChrisM,

yes i know the thumb technique is common what i was trying to say was Jimi H
used it to great effects and as I learned to play guitar I was exposed to this
if I wanted to play some of hendrix stuff. I was sitting their and watching
the DVD of No Direction Home and did not expect to see Dylan doing that and
if you watch Dylan is a real good acoustic player and not bad on electric.

BTW I cant remember If I ever saw Keith use his thumb - I guess not 5 fingers
2 strings and a @#$%&. But keith was perfect always on acoustic like on Beggars
Banquet and thoughout his career.

Dylan was the best white blues singer of all time. His singing in his early
20's is great with his delivery.

On the DVD part 2 which i guess is on tonight you see Dylan doing the whole
Albert Hall live Like A Rolling Stone its great,Dylan is dynamite.The best part
is when he stops playing electric holds the MIC and deliverys the verses pure
dynamite.

How about that song Odetta does in the first hour of the show. The one where she barks?

scary....

good to see someone else blown away by the Odetta footage

A fantastic piece of work. Part 1 did a great job in placing Dylan's life and work in its context in the middle of 20th century American music. It truly was a wonderful history lesson as well as being full of great footage and superb interviews. The Newport '63 footage, which I've never seen before, was especially marvellous.

I'm so glad that Dylan agreed to let this part of his life be captured on film in this way (if youd told me 3-4 years ago that a private figure like Bob would not only do this but write his autobiography, I'd have said you were nuts). When he's not around anymore, this will be a great thing to remember him by and to pass on to future generations just how special he was, because there'll never be another one like him.

Another thing the show did was re-new my interest in Woody Guthrie. I pulled out one of his discs this morning. I find the whole thing about Dylan's influences very interesting.

I love the part about Greenwich Village. I lived in Washington Square for a few years in the 80s and it was still a freak show.

I had no idea that the famous Manchester (formerly thought to be Albert Hall) performance was so beautifully filmed! I want a video of this whole show without interruption! One of Rock's pinnacle moments so beautifully preserved!

The documentary is one of the best ever, but I want that concert DVD!

Ross

Gazza Wrote:
--> The Newport '63 footage, which I've never seen
> before, was especially marvellous.
>
>

Don't know if it's commonly known but there's a new documentary coming out on DVD called "Festival" that chronicles the Newport Folk Festival during the early 60's - there is lots more uncut footage of '63 and other years included. If you noticed, during the segments on the Dylan piece using Newport, it referenced this new video.....

Gazza Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My phone will be off the hook for the next two
> evenings. I've been waiting for this one for
> years. It should be quite something.
>
> The amount of press this film has been getting
> here is quite phenomenal and the trailers are
> mouth watering.


The Film by Scorsese?

I saw "Festival" at Harvard years ago & it is superb; w/no pretentions it captures the period ('65 I believe) better than NDH, except for when Howlin Wolf's onstage & they keeep showing either Joan Baez or Mary Travers (both big stars at that time).

i think Festival captures parts of the '63 thru '66 festivals, actually....comes out officially on DVD on Oct. 18 (US).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-09-28 01:34 by T&A.

big bobs comment on his new dvd ,,, ITS ME , BABE

Just finished watching part 2 of 'No Direction Home' and have to say it was an excellent piece of work. The '66 concert footage was so crisp and clean and fresh it boggles the mind that it's almost 40 years old. Not being a Bob obsessive I'm not sure how much footage was completely unseen before but all the colour mucking about in London stuff was new to me and often very amusing.
The big surprise for me though was the new interview material. I admit to thinking the last few years that the lights were on but nobody was home but he came across as bright, focussed and articulate. Still evasive of course but in an unexpectedly down to earth and charming way.

I was initially expecting the whole of Dylan's career to be covered but in three and a half hours we only got to 1966! The thing is I felt if anything it was too short and rushed in places. Does anyone know if a part 2 and perhaps even part 3 are planned?

radio show host askin macca last week in philly,,,, So Paul what was Your favorite concert ..Macca says ,,oh the Dylan 1 went he went electric ,, seems like alot of the heavy hitters loved big bob ,, Me, hendrix & jagger were huge followers also ,, but i still kick myself in the ass for missin that hard rain tour

T> Don't know if it's commonly known but there's a
> new documentary coming out on DVD called
> "Festival" that chronicles the Newport Folk
> Festival during the early 60's - there is lots
> more uncut footage of '63 and other years
> included. If you noticed, during the segments on
> the Dylan piece using Newport, it referenced this
> new video.....

excellent. I've seen the Dylan clips from the "Festival" film and have them in my own collection but it only seems to have footage from Dylan's '64 and '65 performances - there was of course some previously unseen footage in NDH from both of those shows too.

Tseverin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just finished watching part 2 of 'No Direction
> Home' and have to say it was an excellent piece of
> work. The '66 concert footage was so crisp and
> clean and fresh it boggles the mind that it's
> almost 40 years old. Not being a Bob obsessive I'm
> not sure how much footage was completely unseen
> before but all the colour mucking about in London
> stuff was new to me and often very amusing.
> The big surprise for me though was the new
> interview material. I admit to thinking the last
> few years that the lights were on but nobody was
> home but he came across as bright, focussed and
> articulate. Still evasive of course but in an
> unexpectedly down to earth and charming way.

go check out "Chronicles". he's as sharp as ever
>
> I was initially expecting the whole of Dylan's
> career to be covered but in three and a half hours
> we only got to 1966! The thing is I felt if
> anything it was too short and rushed in places.
> Does anyone know if a part 2 and perhaps even part
> 3 are planned?

No. There wont be any more. I'd imagine Scorsese will want to get back to his 'day job' anyway!

I read a few months back that the companion CD to the film will also be the last of the "Bootleg Series" to be issued as well.