Tom Sawyer Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 The greatest song of all time (CNN) -- The song broke in the summer of 1965, a fired gun of a drum shot followed by words out of a fairy tale: "Once upon a time, you dressed so fine ..." Even Bob Dylan must have known he was on to something when he wrote and recorded "Like a Rolling Stone." Forty years later, the song remains Dylan's most representative and identifiable, from the stabs of organ (courtesy of Al Kooper, who snuck into the recording session and had never played organ), to the crashing rhythm section, to the twirling exclamation points of Mike Bloomfield's lead guitar, to the bursts of harmonica, to -- finally -- the sing-along chorus, belted in a triumphant voice somewhere between a sneer and a whine: "How does it feel? How does it feel?" "It draws a line in the sand. Once you cross it, you can't go back," says rock critic Greil Marcus, author of the new book "Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads" (PublicAffairs). Indeed, "Like a Rolling Stone" is like a gauntlet thrown down, Marcus observes in a phone interview. It's a dividing line between Dylan the tentative folk singer, famous for writing others' hits (Peter, Paul & Mary's "Blowin' in the Wind," the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man") and Dylan the rock star, celebrated for his own ("Superstar Bob," as Nik Cohn and Guy Peellaert present him in their book "Rock Dreams"); a gateway from Top 40 pop to album rock (the song, six minutes and six seconds, was the longest non-dance record routinely played on AM radio up to that time); a roar of youthful defiance as the '60s started getting meaner. And yet, it also seems less written by Dylan than channeled. Indeed, though the words are important and the melody (based on a "La Bamba" chord progression) infectious, the song -- the recorded performance -- transcends them. It's not for nothing that Rolling Stone magazine named it the greatest song in rock history, ahead of "Satisfaction," "What's Going On" and even "Johnny B. Goode." "It works on its own terms," says Marcus. "It puts you on the spot. It asks of you the fear and courage that it asks of its subject." 'This is where his style became a body' Dylan wrote the song on the 1965 tour chronicled in the documentary "Don't Look Back." On June 15, he showed up in Columbia Records' New York studios and attempted a few takes, but the song refused to come together. The next day, with Kooper (a guest of producer Tom Wilson) present, Dylan tried again. The first three takes set the stage, and then, on the fourth, Dylan and his band nailed it. They tried several more attempts, but never came close again. Though the song screamed "single" to many, Columbia was uncertain. The song was six minutes. AM radio didn't play six-minute songs, and Dylan didn't want it cut in half, as was done with long songs such as the Isley Brothers' "Shout" or Ray Charles' "What'd I Say." But the timing was right. A Columbia assistant sneaked the song, as is, into a New York club; it was a hit. Radio stations that dared play a truncated three-minute version found themselves besieged by listeners. The song rose to No. 2 and cemented Dylan's sound: "This is where his style became a body," says Marcus. It also changed his audience. "It made itself a home on Top 40 radio," says Marcus. The exposure made Dylan exponentially bigger. Indeed, the Dylan sound was quickly parodied and exploited. Gravel-voiced Barry McGuire took the P.F. Sloan-Steve Barri song "Eve of Destruction" -- which owes an obvious debt to Dylan -- to No. 1 later in 1965. A garage band named Mouse and the Traps did a Dylan sound-alike, "A Public Execution," which Marcus recalls inspired questions of, "Have you heard the new Dylan?" before the artist was revealed. Even Dylan himself had fun with "Dylan," offering deeper vitriol ("Positively 4th Street") and burlesquing his own voice ("Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window") before, inevitably, he went off in another direction, as he's done so often in his career. 'In the air' As with many Dylan songs, the subject has been much debated. An old girlfriend? A Greenwich Village folkie? Dylan himself? Marcus steers clear of lyrical analysis, believing that any explanation is a "waste of time," though he observes that the spirit of the song is such that "if the song had been sung in any German-rooted language, it would have the same effect." Which perhaps makes "Like a Rolling Stone" all the more serendipitous, something "in the air," as Marcus says. It has stayed in the air, mysterious, thrilling and haunting. There are the images, as sharp and inscrutable as Dylan ever produced: "the mystery tramp," "a chrome horse with your diplomat," "Napoleon in rags." There are the aphorisms: "When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose." There is the phrase "rolling stone," whose pop music forebears Marcus traces to Hank Williams and Muddy Waters, giving the song both country and blues roots deep into the American soil. There's the production, smoothed out by Bob Johnston, who guided Dylan through "Highway 61 Revisited," "Blonde on Blonde," "John Wesley Harding" and "Nashville Skyline." There are the ensuing performances of the song: a clumsy, booed recital at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival that has entered legend; an angry, defiant blast -- like a lifted middle finger -- to close the bitter 1966 "Albert Hall" concert. And, as Marcus writes, the song has the ability to stop time and silence listeners, as if they'd never heard it before. By now, Marcus himself has heard "Like a Rolling Stone" thousands of times. When he talks about his book on radio shows, the host inevitably cues up the song to kick off the proceedings. Marcus listens, smiles, "and then [the song] goes away like smoke." And how does it feel? "I'm not even close to being sick of 'Like a Rolling Stone,' " Marcus says. "Every time I hear it, it's like the first time. I find that's even more true now than before. Now I don't just smile. I'm astonished." source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustard Death Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 It's a good song... but the best ever? I don't think so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppetKing2112 Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 Even from that album...I like Desolation Row more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanEHdian Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 I know its a classic tune..but I like The Stones version better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signals1982 Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 It's ok. nothing special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test4VitalSigns Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 It is considered one of the greatest songs ever because of its influence. Dylan was first rocker to incorporate poetic and intelligent lyrics into music and thus influence other musicians to create lyrics that relate to social, political, and cultural topics rather than the simple boy meet girl, i wanna rock 'n roll stuff that was going on in the late 50's and early 60's....The Beatles (especially John), The Stones, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix were some of the legendary acts to be influenced by Dylan's way of songwriting and thus cemented their places in music history. Sure there are a lot of better songs out there but for influence "Like A Rolling Stone" was very important and thus makes one of the greatest songs of all time. I love this song alot but I have to go with puppet on this one..Desolation Row is by far my fav Dylan song.....best harmonica solo I've ever heard. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Sawyer Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Jun 28 2005, 05:12 PM)It is considered one of the greatest songs ever because of its influence. Dylan was first rocker to incorporate poetic and intelligent lyrics into music and thus influence other musicians to create lyrics that relate to social, political, and cultural topics rather than the simple boy meet girl, i wanna rock 'n roll stuff that was going on in the late 50's and early 60's....The Beatles (especially John), The Stones, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix were some of the legendary acts to be influenced by Dylan's way of songwriting and thus cemented their places in music history. Sure there are a lot of better songs out there but for influence "Like A Rolling Stone" was very important and thus makes one of the greatest songs of all time. I love this song alot but I have to go with puppet on this one..Desolation Row is by far my fav Dylan song.....best harmonica solo I've ever heard. Period. You're all gonna think I'm crazy... uhm, ok, "crazier" when I say, my favorite Dylan song is ... Johnny's in the basement Mixing up the medicine I'm on the pavement Thinking about the government The man in the trench coat Badge out, laid off Says he's got a bad cough Wants to get it paid off Look out kid It's somethin' you did God knows when But you're doin' it again You better duck down the alley way Lookin' for a new friend The man in the coon-skin cap In the big pen Wants eleven dollar bills You only got ten Maggie comes fleet foot Face full of black soot Talkin' that the heat put Plants in the bed but The phone's tapped anyway Maggie says that many say They must bust in early May Orders from the D. A. Look out kid Don't matter what you did Walk on your tip toes Don't try "No Doz" Better stay away from those That carry around a fire hose Keep a clean nose Watch the plain clothes You don't need a weather man To know which way the wind blows Get sick, get well Hang around a ink well Ring bell, hard to tell If anything is goin' to sell Try hard, get barred Get back, write braille Get jailed, jump bail Join the army, if you fail Look out kid You're gonna get hit But users, cheaters Six-time losers Hang around the theaters Girl by the whirlpool Lookin' for a new fool Don't follow leaders Watch the parkin' meters Ah get born, keep warm Short pants, romance, learn to dance Get dressed, get blessed Try to be a success Please her, please him, buy gifts Don't steal, don't lift Twenty years of schoolin' And they put you on the day shift Look out kid They keep it all hid Better jump down a manhole Light yourself a candle Don't wear sandals Try to avoid the scandals Don't wanna be a bum You better chew gum The pump don't work 'Cause the vandals took the handles edited to add - this was Dylan's first top 40 hit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test4VitalSigns Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 QUOTE (pinkfloyd1973 @ Jun 29 2005, 09:36 AM) QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Jun 28 2005, 05:12 PM)It is considered one of the greatest songs ever because of its influence. Dylan was first rocker to incorporate poetic and intelligent lyrics into music and thus influence other musicians to create lyrics that relate to social, political, and cultural topics rather than the simple boy meet girl, i wanna rock 'n roll stuff that was going on in the late 50's and early 60's....The Beatles (especially John), The Stones, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix were some of the legendary acts to be influenced by Dylan's way of songwriting and thus cemented their places in music history. Sure there are a lot of better songs out there but for influence "Like A Rolling Stone" was very important and thus makes one of the greatest songs of all time. I love this song alot but I have to go with puppet on this one..Desolation Row is by far my fav Dylan song.....best harmonica solo I've ever heard. Period. You're all gonna think I'm crazy... uhm, ok, "crazier" when I say, my favorite Dylan song is ... Johnny's in the basement Mixing up the medicine I'm on the pavement Thinking about the government The man in the trench coat Badge out, laid off Says he's got a bad cough Wants to get it paid off Look out kid It's somethin' you did God knows when But you're doin' it again You better duck down the alley way Lookin' for a new friend The man in the coon-skin cap In the big pen Wants eleven dollar bills You only got ten Maggie comes fleet foot Face full of black soot Talkin' that the heat put Plants in the bed but The phone's tapped anyway Maggie says that many say They must bust in early May Orders from the D. A. Look out kid Don't matter what you did Walk on your tip toes Don't try "No Doz" Better stay away from those That carry around a fire hose Keep a clean nose Watch the plain clothes You don't need a weather man To know which way the wind blows Get sick, get well Hang around a ink well Ring bell, hard to tell If anything is goin' to sell Try hard, get barred Get back, write braille Get jailed, jump bail Join the army, if you fail Look out kid You're gonna get hit But users, cheaters Six-time losers Hang around the theaters Girl by the whirlpool Lookin' for a new fool Don't follow leaders Watch the parkin' meters Ah get born, keep warm Short pants, romance, learn to dance Get dressed, get blessed Try to be a success Please her, please him, buy gifts Don't steal, don't lift Twenty years of schoolin' And they put you on the day shift Look out kid They keep it all hid Better jump down a manhole Light yourself a candle Don't wear sandals Try to avoid the scandals Don't wanna be a bum You better chew gum The pump don't work 'Cause the vandals took the handles That's a cool song too Subterranean Homesick Blues.... I like the promo film he did with the cue cards... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushgoober Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 I agree with Pink Floyd - Subterreanean Homesick Blues is Dylan's best track, and still nowhere close to the number one song of all time for me. Critics lists and picks I find vaguely interesting, but so subjective as to be practically worthless. My personal favortie song of all time is the 16+ minute version of Interstellar Overdrive by Pink Floyd from the "Tonight Let's All Make Love in London" soundtrack - now THAT is music in gooberland!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanEHdian Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Rainy Day Woman is a good Dylan tune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barney_rebel Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Why wasn't "Do you really want to hurt me?" By Culture Club nominated? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushgoober Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 QUOTE (barney_rebel @ Jun 30 2005, 08:40 AM) Why wasn't "Do you really want to hurt me?" By Culture Club nominated? or Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood? just goes to show that these critics have their collective heads up their collective arses... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physics23 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 In the spirit of nationalist pride that is sweeping this forum, I feel it's safe for me tell you that the greatest song of all time is the Israeli National Anthem: "Hatikva" ("The Hope"). Yes, it's much more than a song, but even if you restrict yourself to its musical effect alone without identifying with the words or their significance, it's hard to deny the song's overwhelming emotion. Number two is "Yerushalayim shel Zahav" ("Jerusalem of Gold") by Naomi Shemer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppetKing2112 Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 Actually, my all time favorite Dylan song is Idiot Wind, from Blood on the Tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Grizz Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 I had my moment with that song many many years ago, on eight-track tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor & the Jazz Bass Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I didn't know Bob Dylan had any good songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test4VitalSigns Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 QUOTE (By-Tor & the Jazz Bass @ Jul 11 2005, 10:10 AM) I didn't know Bob Dylan had any good songs. Whether people like him or not it was Dylan who broke the barrier in writing intelligent lyrics and got the ball rolling in turning rock music into an art form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchetaxe&saw Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 It's a wonderful song, but the best cover version of it has to be by Spirit, from Spirit of '76. Track this one down, it's amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test4VitalSigns Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 QUOTE (Hatchetaxe&saw @ Jul 11 2005, 03:38 PM) It's a wonderful song, but the best cover version of it has to be by Spirit, from Spirit of '76. Track this one down, it's amazing! Wow that is a hard one to find.. I like a challenge though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearingsky Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald has got to be in this conversation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilPeartFan2112 Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 I don't mind the music, but Bob Dylan's voice does get on my nerves after a bit. I don't know what it is, but there's something about it I can't stand. Anyways, as for Like A Rolling Stone as the best song of all time? No way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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