Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: Big Tim
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 11:08 AM

"Every Grain of Sand" is my wife's fave Dylan song. She wants it played at her funeral, hopefully not for many years yet. I love it too but wouldn't go that far, he's written so many! "I and I" from that period isn't bad either. But then I'd enjoy Dylan singing the phone book.

LH - are you any relation to RONNIE the Hawk!!

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: Beer
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 08:04 PM

Slow Train Comming, one great album. However if you skip over to the "Shot of Love" A/P, his song " Every Grain of Sand" is one of my all time favorites. A truly haunting and soul searching number. To some, maybe depressing. But to I say's I. I have a friend who is going to sing it at my funeral or I to his, Depending on who is first.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: GUEST,MichaelAnthony
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 01:28 PM

Yeah, I like that -- the corruption of innocence.

>Both musically and in terms of the use of language Slow Train is one of my favourite Dylan records. I'm inclined to give up on people who turn away from it and run it down, just because they aren't at ease with the way he was thinking about life at the time he made it. <

Well put. Glad to hear from other fans of the album.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 12:45 PM

My take on the song is the same as Little Hawk's - it's about innocence, and that's why it's a kid's song, and it's about the corruption of innocence. An effect that is achieved remarkably economically. And it also works just as a fun songs for kids, which is how it should be.

Typical of Dylan to be working at different levels in the same song. If he sang "Old MacDonald had a Farm", what'sthe betting he'd have a hint about the existance of slaughter houses neatly dropped into it somewhere...

Actually, I wonder if Dylan has ever thought of putting together a children's record, like Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly did.

Both musically and in terms of the use of language Slow Train is one of my favourite Dylan records. I'm inclined to give up on people who turn away from it and run it down, just because they aren't at ease with the way he was thinking about life at the time he made it.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: GUEST,MichaelAnthony
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 01:35 AM

LH, yeah...I see that...but the overall effect of the song...maybe not as powerful a warning song as the others you mentioned...or something...but it does come off for me as a fun reggaesque innocent children's song...despite it's intentions. Also he has fun with the lyrics "it wasn't so small and it wasn't so big...pig" etc.

Somehow man giving names to the animals is something I can't relate to....and I'm surprised at Dylan just because I personally can't relate to it. Something's not quite right when I try to take a take on it...the only resolution I get is the fun reggae children's song with the non-following dramatic snake ending.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 10:42 PM

Well, it just sets out the scene of Eden...and then introduces the snake (symbolizing Satan) in a dramatic fashion...and leaves you to draw your own conclusions. Same basic message as "Gotta Serve Somebody". It's a warning.

Dylan wrote a lot of other warning songs long before his Christian period, such as "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" or "All Along The Watchtower", to name 2 of them, and more recently, "Ring Them Bells".

- LH

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 07:49 PM

Oh, it's "Gotta Serve Somebody" that based on the "six feet under" type song.

53, I really like that track too! But I can't quite figure out what kind of angle he could be coming from...what it's about etc...maybe it's just a fun song. Well as I right this I coming up with some ideas ...okay, nevermind.

When I find out what that "six feet under" song is and who did it, I'll post it.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 02:11 PM

Definitely. Knopfler is my favourite guitar player of all time.

- LH

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: michaelr
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 01:57 PM

Of course it helped to have Mark Knopfler play guitar.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: 53
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 01:45 PM

Man gave names to all the animals is my favorite.

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 01:43 PM

Musically it's a truly great album, the singing is very powerful, and it's got lots of passion, as did Dylan's live shows at that same time. There are plenty of good reasons to like it. "Gotta Serve Somebody" is a killer of a song, and it repeats a theme common to all great spiritual teachings, only in very specifically "Christian" terms, that's all.

You don't necessarily have to be a Christian to relate to what it's saying.

- LH

Subject: RE: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: GUEST,MichaelAnthony
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 12:57 PM

I'm kind of glad Dylan went through that stage. The delivery and listenability of the album is great.

I think the title track was influenced by another song -- something about "seeing you 6 feet under".

Subject: Heck, I like the album Slow Train Coming
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 02 - 11:08 PM

It's really quite good.