Zimmy's Civil War Booty Call

At long last, my eagerly anticipated review of Bob Dylan's "LOVE AND THEFT" (2001). First of all, there's the quotation marks in the album title: Why? Answer: Who the hell knows? It's Bob Dylan, for chrissakes. Next up is the pencil-thin porno 'stache o'er Bob's upper lip (It's even more prominently featured on the back cover, but the picture here gives you a glimpse). Again, who is Haahnster to judge these things? Most importantly, there's the release date of this album: September 11, 2001. It's called a coincidence, people! So, in addition to not looking for hidden meaning in the quotation marks or the cheesy moustache, I'm not going to get all revisionist/conspiracy theorist with the lyrical analysis either. I'm a huge Bob fan, to be sure. But, I'm pretty certain he didn't address the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in these songs. Remember, we must distinguish between when these were released and when they were written/recorded. Sorry for all the hot air, as most of the above is common sense to most of you, I'm certain. 'Nuff said.

"Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum" (4:46) is a steady little shuffle with some fairly stinging guitar ("They're like babies sittin' on a woman's knee/Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee"). It's a nice enough opener, with a retro feel.

"Mississippi" (5:21) - Now, this is an instant Dylan classic, IMHO. True, his voice is more of a gutteral growl than that patented Dylan voice of yesteryear. But, man, this song is just a catchy mother of a tune. Certainly, it couldn't be anyone but Zimmy himself! ("All my powers of expression and thoughts so sublime/Could never do you justice in reason or rhyme/Only one thing I did wrong/Stayed in Mississippi a day too long")

"Summer Days" (4:52) is rockabilly, through and through. This could've been a Bill Haley tune (and, who knows, maybe it is!). One relatively minor complaint: "She says, 'You can't repeat the past.' I say, 'You can't? What do you mean, you can't? Of course you can.'" strike me as being among Dylan's most awkward lyrics ever. (Wikipedia says it's an obvious reference to The Great Gatsby. But, the quote from the book is far less awkward.)

"Bye And Bye" (3:16) - Now, this is more akin to a Dixieland tune...kind of a leisurely shuffle of a song. In fact, Dylan sings "Well, I'm scufflin' and I'm shufflin...'". But, I prefer the line "Well the future for me is already a thing of the past".

"Lonesome Day Blues" (6:05) - The drums kick in much more solidly here, and with some beefier guitar. As the title suggests, this is a bluesy arrangement, with Dylan's vocals approximating John Lee Hooker gargling with sandpaper. And, I don't mean that in a bad way, necessarily. I'm just attempting to express the degree to which Bob's voice has changed (For the record, I never heard 1997's Time Out Of Mind either. Perhaps his voice was already this way then, too...). It works for me. Others might not be convinced.

"Floater (Too Much To Ask)" (4:59) - OK, now this f*cker sounds like it dropped in from a lost episode of The Lawrence Welk Show. Or, as the "Schmenge Brothers" used to say on SCTV, "Let's a-polka!" This is a song that has yet to really grab me. I'll pass on the temptation to take advantage of the title word "floater".

"High Water (For Charley Patton)" (4:04) - The acoustic guitar/banjo combo, coupled with Dylan's eerie vocal delivery create a haunting mood. This is like goth-bluegrass, if that's even possible. The lyrics namedrop Big Joe Turner, George Lewis (unless it's this George Lewis), "Bertha Mason" (fictional character from Jane Eyre), and Charles Darwin. And, the line "I believe I'll dust my broom" is a nice homage to Elmore James. This is a keeper for sure!

"Moonlight" (3:23) - Another slow, mellow shuffle ("The clouds are turnin' crimson/The leaves fall from the limbs an'/The branches cast their shadows over stone/Won't you meet me out in the moonlight alone?") Any longer, and this one could easily become boring. But, I think the 3:23 running time avoids that trap.

"Honest With Me" (5:49) is a faster-paced, heavier rocker ("Well, my parents they warned me not to waste my years/And I still got their advice oozing out of my ears"). See, I like the way Bob keeps most of the slower tunes shorter, and extends the upbeat tunes. The reverse might've been deadly.

"Po' Boy" (3:05) is a country-rock/acoustic blues ballad, with a little Dylan wryness ("Time and love has branded me with its claws/Had to go to Florida, dodgin' them Georgia laws/Poor boy, in the hotel called the Palace of Gloom/Calls down to room service, says, 'Send up a room'").

"Cry A While" (5:05) - Electric blues returns here ("Last night 'cross the alley there was a pounding on the walls/It must have been Don Pasquale makin' a two a.m. booty call"). So, there you have it: Bob Dylan using the term "booty call". I'll admit I have mixed feelings about that, myself. Of course, it's used in reference to a 19th century opera character, which I believe is called "irony".

"Sugar Baby" (6:40) is as classic Dylan as classic Dylan gets. A haunting, meandering tune, the chorus of which includes "Sugar Baby, get on down the road/You ain't got no brains no how". I find this reminiscent of "You're an idiot, babe/It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe" from "Idiot Wind". Man, this is a killer song. I love it! The $6.99 I paid (Used CD bins rock!) for this CD would've been worth it for this song alone, at least for a Bob freak like the Haahnster.

Dylan wrote all the songs, and produced the album under the pseudonym "Jack Frost". The musical line-up was a highly adaptable group, and had grown to be a fairly tight unit by the time of this recording: Bob Dylan - vocals, guitar, piano; Larry Campbell - guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin; Charlie Sexton - guitar; Tony Garnier - bass; Augie Meyers - accordion, Hammond B3 & Vox organs; David Kemper - drums. (Clay Meyers - bongos on tracks 1 & 9.)

All in all, I think Dylan pays his respects to most of his musical roots while still crafting an enjoyable set of songs. Stylistically, it's all over the map. But, most of it works for me (Of course, I love a good change of pace). RS says it's #467 of all time. OK.

Shit, I forgot to tie in the "Civil War" part of the title to this post. Umm, there are several Civil War references in the lyrics. Sorry for being too lazy to go back and cite them.