Bob Dylan at 80

As Bob Dylan reaches his 80th birthday, I feel it appropriate to commit a few words to blog form about the great man, his influence and his achievements.

My respect for Dylan's artistry and genius has only continued to flourish in recent years, as I have acquired a deeper and broader understanding of his music, its reach and its effects. I would go so far as to say that Dylan's impact on Western culture is comparable to such figures as William Shakespeare and Johann Sebastian Bach.

He gave rock, and by extension pop, music a literate, poetic voice, and practically invented the modern concept of the 'singer-songwriter', an idea which still plays a major role in today's music, albeit in diluted and shallower form. Many 21st century artists owe a major debt to Dylan's pioneering efforts, even if they don't appreciate it themselves.

In his influence on his contemporaries, notably The Beatles, Dylan helped to shape the creation of modern rock music as a credible art form which was deemed worthy of respect, study and analysis in intellectual and high-brow cultural circles.

Although critical favour tends to focus primarily on his mid-1960s work, and his mid-70s resurgence, I think that a wider exploration of his oeuvre is desirable when appraising his talent and scope. There was the outbreak of prolific song-writing in 1967/68, and his role in shifting the musical focus away from psychedelia and back towards simpler modes of expression and storytelling. 

Of course, there was also his courage in 1965/66 in 'going electric' and fusing folk, blues and rock music to create something genuinely intoxicating and vibrant. Those three albums, 'Bringing It All Back Home', 'Highway 61 Revisited' and 'Blonde on Blonde', represent one of the most dazzling and assured outbursts of brilliance and expressiveness ever essayed by a recording artist. 

Dylan was often unpredictable, sometimes downright contrary, but he is a symbol of something extraordinary, a world in which humanity can rise above the mediocre and see in itself something progressive and adventurous. All people who call themselves music lovers should immerse themselves in the work of Bob Dylan. 

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

 As far as Pink Floyd albums go, Wish You Were Here is different from the other albums which surround it in their catalogue, but they were all in their own ways expressing a disillusionment with the zeitgeist, the way the world, in particular the business world, and more specifically in this case the music industry, were developing during the 1970s.  The idea of a 'tribute' to the departed Syd Barrett was also a good vehicle for projecting discontent about the power structures which underpinned and sustained "the system".  Was what happened to Syd merely a symptom of a more profound malaise afflicting Western civilization, his fate a microcosm of what our society does to so many?

Musically I think that Wish You Were Here treads a fine line between sublime confidence and self-assurance, and charges of appearing contrived and over-bearing.  On balance, I think they remained on the 'correct' side of the line, and the resultant record is thoroughly fresh, credible and vital. The messages and themes which it explores remain firmly relevant to twenty-first century audiences.  In some ways Floyd were prescient in their estimation of the forces which oppress and manipulate us. If people were listening to the message, they didn't act on it, or heed it with sufficient vigour or honesty.

One thing which occurs to me is that of Floyd's momentous sequence of albums, spanning the period 1973 until 1979, two of them (Wish You Were Here and Animals) are what I would call "modernist" or "post-modernist'.  The Wall, for all its supposedly uncompromising force, is in places quite traditional, retro even, in musical terms. The Dark Side Of The Moon is a concept album, and I feel that it lacks the hard edges and driven anger of the two studio sets which followed it.

Of course the work is 'bookended' by the two sections which make up the epic 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', the first part's more conventional structure and tempo contrasting with the more chaotic and free-form nature of the closing 'reprise'. Despite their length, both sections maintain the interest due to the excellence and vitality of the instrumentalists' playing, and the arrangements are cleverly put together. The lyrics of the song, and the passion and sincerity of the singing, also serve to carry it along. In a feature which is characteristic of much of the album, the sound retains an organic hue, partly due to the use of 'non-electronic' instruments (acoustic piano, organ, saxophone etc), and partly because of David Gilmour's expressive, blues-inflected guitar work.

'Welcome To The Machine' harks back in some respects to The Dark Side Of The Moon, with its portentous, effects-laden opening, but soon develops a life of its own. A track which is perhaps ahead of its time, and although some might be tempted to deride it as 'Pink Floyd by numbers', the drama and grandeur of the musical backdrops and the undeniable validity and importance of the sentiments expounded here make it a compelling and gripping musical spectacle. The music, the words and the vocals combine to paint an unsettling and, one would hope, thought-provoking picture.

With its 'funkiness' and general mien , 'Have A Cigar' anticipates some of the material to be found on the later Animals LP. Another sardonic take on the absurdities and "evils" of the music industry, I don't find it as interesting or as inspiring as the other numbers on the album, and it never really goes anywhere, exuding a rather airless lethargy. OK, the song's subject matter is crucial and central to the album's 'concept', but I think people who eulogise about the song are indulging in some wishful thinking.

If 'Have A Cigar' is comparatively turgid, then the title track is a refreshingly uplifting and invigorating, the poignant lyrics notwithstanding. The sincerity and heart-felt nature of the song comes shining through. Again, the utilization of 'ordinary' instruments, such as acoustic guitars, mixed with some tasteful synthesizer work, means that the component parts have space to breathe and thrive, and something rather marvellous is what emerges.

One of the elements which comes across loud and clear to me is that this is an album which has conviction and polish. The Dark Side Of The Moon examined some Big Ideas, but its general impact was to some degree ameliorated by its format, in that many of the songs were almost vignettes. Wish You Were Here is less cryptic or abstract in its approach; the social critique is more channelled and the tone is harsher, more bitter and angry.  The group deserved credit for showing the courage and assertiveness to persist with this project, and their determination and belief is crystal clear in the quality and the cohesiveness of the finished work.

I would even go so far as to say that Wish You Were Here is the point at which Pink Floyd came into their own, and found their real voice. This "voice" only really remained vibrant and consistently intense for another two studio albums after this, but what a legacy was left behind. 

Wish You Were Here remains compelling and important.