Almanac Music: ‘The Basement Tapes’ – The Legendary Tales: Bob Dylan and The Band
It has been a stinking hot day in Colac, far too hot to exert oneself other than take it easy – read a book, listen to some music, and discover new Dylan information on the internet.
With the incredible amount of information about Dylan available it can be very difficult keeping up with the latest Bob news, let alone to even contemplate the existing data that has been around for many years.
A documentary about the history of legendary The Basement Tapes came up on one of my internet feeds attracted my attention. The recording of this music took place over many months, mainly at Big Pink, during Dylan’s recuperation after his motorcycle accident at a pivotal time in his career, and of course, it enabled the introduction of The Band to the world.
The documentary features well known and respected Dylanologists such as Clinton Heylin and Greil Marcus discussing the impact and the influence of the music created at Big Pink, and together with images and film recorded during the sessions make this programme a must view for any Dylan and/or The Band fan, or for that matter, any music fan.
I know you will enjoy watching this intriguing documentary as much as I did.
Please enjoy this Spotify playlist of 139 songs recorded during the sessions at Big Pink to form The Basement Tapes.
More from Col Ritchie can be read Here
Read more stories from Almanac Music HERE
If you would like to receive the Almanac Music and Poetry newsletter we will add you to the list. Please email us: [email protected]
To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au home page click HERE
Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.
Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.
Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE
About Colin Ritchie
Retired teacher who enjoys following the Bombers, listening to music especially Bob Dylan, reading, and swimming.
Awesome Col thanks for sharing
Great stuff, Col!
Excellent Col!
I think Heylin is the best Dylan researcher going around – he seems more honest and thorough in his writings.
The ‘Woodstock recluse’ period of Dylan’s career is most interesting and apart from The Basement Tapes, it also pre-empted 3 albums (John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline & New Morning) with songs that add significantly to Dylan’s canon.
In fact, John Wesley Harding was the first Dylan album I bought – via the excellent Australian Record Club mail order service.
Thanks CR, don’t you just love The Basement Tapes!
When this was crate of songs was “officially” released almost 10 years ago it was the heaven of boxsets and man did we dive in deep. Still do. It’d hard to get your head around what a time that would have been just jamming and digging the groove wherever it took them. And it took them down amazingly weird and wonderful trails. A staggeringly large number of gems. Songs, that could hardly have been created in a different, dare I say, more sterile environment.
Hey KD, while Heylin has been an excellent chronicler of Dylan’s music and life, I’m a Marcus fan as he has been able to understand and articulate the Dylan genius in context with the different times he’s lived through and the larger American promise. Michael Gray’s Song & Dance Man was a bit of a bible for me way back when. and his Dylan Encyclopedia is ever useful. I really enjoyed Christopher Ricks academic exploration, Dylan’s Visions of Sin. But who can go past Chronicles to best dive into the Dylan mystic.
Cheers
Great work Col!
Brilliant Col, brilliant.
The six-CD version of the Basement Tapes is a treasure. I love the freehwheelin’, laid-back, laconic, mode that Dylan enters on these recordings. I reckon if Martians came to earth and asked about Bob Dylan, I’d give them the Basement Tapes first, ahead of the 1965-66 or 1974-75 periods. It just encapsulates so much about what makes Dylan great.
And how great is the version of Johnny Cash’s Belshazzar on this? One of the coolest things I’ve ever heard. The groove.