Saturday, May 09, 2015

BOB DYLAN'S LATEST AND OTHER STUFF

Some Miscellaneous Rambling…..

Reader “Joy” was kind enough to inform me of a site where you can enter your birth date to find out what was the number one popular song in America on the day you were born. In my case it was “Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)” by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Right now many of you are probably wondering who Jimmy Dorsey was. Jimmy and his brother Tommy were big time band leaders in the 1940’s dance era and they both sold millions of records. Jimmy died in 1957. If you want to check out your own birthday song or any other song simply go to http://playback.fm/birthday-song.

Are you considering buying a new Apple Watch? Do you have tattoos on your wrist where the watch would rest? Apparently you can’t have your cake and eat it too if you have a dark ink tattoo. I realize that for all the cool people out there who wait in line through fog, rain, and the gloom of night to have anything that is new from Apple may be a bit discouraged. Apple has stated that “Many factors can affect the performance of the Apple Watch heart rate sensor. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor making it difficult to get reliable readings.” So, is your decision yes or no on the Apple Watch? I would advise not buying one. The cheesy one is about $400 and will probably be obsolete before you get tired of it and want something else ridiculous from Apple. Plus, you have probably already paid off your tattoo.

The Movoto Real Estate Blog rates the following cities as the “10 snobbiest big cities” in the United States: 1. San Francisco 2. Washington, D. C., 3. Seattle 4. Scottsdale 5. Oakland 6. Portland 7. Irvine, Calif. (tie) 7. Honolulu (tie) 9. Madison 10. Atlanta.

At first glance it may appear that “snobby” is a type of insult but upon further review it is high praise since Movoto defines snobby as places with enviable qualities. Residents of these places are well educated and well paid. Their homes have high median prices and there are more private schools and art galleries and fewer fast food restaurants. I live in Scottsdale and have listened for years to out of town residents jokingly call the city “Snobbsdale” or the “Beverly Hills of the Desert.” It’s all in fun but if the truth were to be known they probably are thinking about how much they wish they could live here. We have vacancies so if you wish, come on down. It’s always fun to tee off on New Year’s Day with the temperature 70 degrees.

Looking back:  Remembering Bob Dylan.  If you are under 50 your response may be “Bob, who?” It isn't that long ago that such a thought would be absurd since almost everyone knew Bob Dylan. However, Dylan will be 74 on May 24 and his following isn't what it used to be. But, he does have a following which is something that a lot of pop and rock stars would kill for if they could have pulled it off.  Dylan HAS pulled it off and while the road to popularity is strewn with the remains of many other once popular single acts, groups, and genres, a lot of people still remember and enjoy many of Dylan’s songs.

Dylan in the early 1960's.
In a recent AARP Magazine interview, Dylan discussed his latest project which is to record 10 of his favorite American standards under the album title of Shadows in the Night. It will include numbers like “Autumn Leaves,” “That Lucky Old Sun,” and “Some Enchanted Evening.” None of those titles sound like anything Dylan would have done in his protest youth of the early 60s but not many thought he would ever play an electric guitar until he did it in the mid 60s. He says he never thought much about doing standards until he heard Willie Nelson do Stardust in the 1970’s.  

Arriving in New York City from Minnesota at the beginning of the 1960s, Dylan packed a lot into his first five years in the Big Apple. It was the “folk” song era and he rode a wave of success along with acts like Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Kingston Trio, and the Village Stompers who had a huge hit in 1963 with Washington Square. He stayed unplugged through his early successes of Mr. Tambourine Man and Blowin’ in the Wind but by 1965 he went electric to a tumultuous crowd at the Newport Jazz Festival with Like a Rolling Stone. That success led him  to put his standard guitar into semi retirement.

He has had quite a career for a guy born in the icy cold of Duluth, Minnesota. It includes more song writing, some acting roles, and touring with popular acts like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Grateful Dead, The Traveling Wilburys, and others.

Regardless of his long and successful resume with other musical genres, Dylan is determined to do Shadows of the Night. I think it is a good idea and possibly a final opportunity in his mid 70s to show his love of some great American standards. One of his idols is Frank Sinatra so I’m sure the new album will include a couple of his tunes. It should be interesting so stay tuned.