Popdose: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 27 | Popdose
Jack Feerick
· 1 year ago
The key to understanding the industry reaction to Dylan in the 80s is actually in his output from the late 70s - when he announced his conversion to born-again Evangelical Christianity. SLOW TRAIN COMING introduced the religious themes, and it was a damned fine record - but the follow-up SAVED was hectoring and obnoxious.
A lot of people, frankly, thought Bob had lost his mind. Many old fans of young, iconoclastic Dylan took his conversion as some kind of personal insult - and it was that feeling of betrayal, I think, that made him toxic to radio. The conversion was as effective a piece of career suicide as I've ever seen.
INFIDELS and EMPIRE BURLESQUE got some good reviews, but they were ambivalent - "a partial return to form," that kind of thing. Dylan's commercial and critical rehabilitation didn't really begin until the Traveling Wilburys record and his association with Daniel Lanois, respectively.
MichaelFortes
· 1 year ago
Actually, I'd say that 'Slow Train Coming' probably turned people off to Dylan way more than 'Saved' ever could have. Remember, 'Slow Train' benefited from all the publicity surrounding his conversion and naturally people were curious. But then, listening to those tunes, it was all too easy to hear Dylan *talking down* to anyone in his audience who didn't believe. "Do you ever wonder just what God requires? / You think He's just an errand boy to satisfy your wandering desires / When you gonna wake up?" That was a prime example. And then, ever read about all the people who *walked out* of his concerts on the supporting tour because he refused to play any of his secular material? So many people were turned off by that point, that 'Saved' and 'Shot of Love' were barely noticed, and 'Saved' was a far less condescending record. It was way more celebratory in an old-fashioned gospel sort of way, something that a non-believer could at least respect for its enthusiasm. By the time Dylan decided to shed that image, it was too late for 'Infidels' to be any sort of 'return to form' -- the videos for 'Sweetheart Like You' and 'Jokerman' had little in them for young people to relate to, and the polished production didn't flatter his voice well at all.
I remember hearing "Everything is Broken" on my local rock station in '89 back when 'Oh Mercy' came out. By then, yes, the Traveling Wilburys and the 'Oh Mercy' album were restoring his rep. But then he pissed it down the well again a year later was slow to bounce back. But he's pretty much been in a good, solid groove critically and commercially since '97.
Steed, if you find any of this at all fascinating, pick up a copy of Clinton Heylin's 'Behind the Shades Revisited.' Dylan's career is endlessly fascinating, even at the times when his music is not. Heylin goes to great lengths to explain his take on what happened to Dylan in the '80s and why he sucked so bad during that decade.
steed
· 1 year ago
Thanks for the comments guys. I've never read a Dylan book - and it's probably about time I did. I'll dig this one up somewhere and give it a shot.
SKip I
· 1 year ago
Regarding Bob Dylan, I also am not a fan, but like some of his 80's output. He had 9 songs chart on the Rock charts that decade including 'Tight Connection To My Heart" which is very soulful and cool...."Band Of The Hand" which was done with the Heartbreakers and has a bluesy swing to it, "The Usual" with Clapton on guitar and the rocking 'Got My Mind Made Up". I'll take these songs over the whiny nasaly folk songs of the 60's.
Jeff
· 1 year ago
Nothing much to say regarding the music this week, but I did want to say thanks for putting this out every Wednesday. It is truly one of the highlights of my week, and something I eagerly look forward to!
Keep up the great work!
jefito
· 1 year ago
Steed for president!
steed
· 1 year ago
Awesome! Thank you. Glad I can give you something to look forward to.
DavidMedsker
· 1 year ago
You're right about Big Thing having no flow, but I'm quite fond of "Land" and "Too Late Marlene." I was expecting them to get sued over "Do You Believe in Shame" for its striking similarity to "Suzie Q."
JonCummings
· 1 year ago
I'm a big fan of "Infidels" and a HUGE fan of "Oh Mercy," which is just brilliant--and made even more so if you read the chapter in "Chronicles" about Dylan's experiences in New Orleans while recording it. "Jokerman" hits me practically as hard as "Idiot Wind" and "Tangled Up in Blue" do, while "Oh Mercy" is solid all the way through.
Otherwise, I'd pretty much agree with other comments here. "Slow Train Coming" just exemplifies every bad thing that can happen to somebody who's "born again," and Dylan wandered kinda aimlessly through much of the '80s and the first half of the '90s before getting his groove back for good with "Time Out of Mind."
Amram
· 1 year ago
"Dynasty were one of the few Solar groups, however, that couldn’t muster any big hits"
Not true - they had six songs in Billboard's soul Top 40 between 1979-83, and "I've Just Begun To Love You" was the biggest (#6).
: “I’ve Just Begun to Love You” was their only Hot 100 song.
All Comments
A lot of people, frankly, thought Bob had lost his mind. Many old fans of young, iconoclastic Dylan took his conversion as some kind of personal insult - and it was that feeling of betrayal, I think, that made him toxic to radio. The conversion was as effective a piece of career suicide as I've ever seen.
INFIDELS and EMPIRE BURLESQUE got some good reviews, but they were ambivalent - "a partial return to form," that kind of thing. Dylan's commercial and critical rehabilitation didn't really begin until the Traveling Wilburys record and his association with Daniel Lanois, respectively.
I remember hearing "Everything is Broken" on my local rock station in '89 back when 'Oh Mercy' came out. By then, yes, the Traveling Wilburys and the 'Oh Mercy' album were restoring his rep. But then he pissed it down the well again a year later was slow to bounce back. But he's pretty much been in a good, solid groove critically and commercially since '97.
Steed, if you find any of this at all fascinating, pick up a copy of Clinton Heylin's 'Behind the Shades Revisited.' Dylan's career is endlessly fascinating, even at the times when his music is not. Heylin goes to great lengths to explain his take on what happened to Dylan in the '80s and why he sucked so bad during that decade.
Keep up the great work!
Otherwise, I'd pretty much agree with other comments here. "Slow Train Coming" just exemplifies every bad thing that can happen to somebody who's "born again," and Dylan wandered kinda aimlessly through much of the '80s and the first half of the '90s before getting his groove back for good with "Time Out of Mind."
Not true - they had six songs in Billboard's soul Top 40 between 1979-83, and "I've Just Begun To Love You" was the biggest (#6).
: “I’ve Just Begun to Love You” was their only Hot 100 song.