06 January 2008

Hurricane ~ with lyrics

Believe it or not, I've never actually known the full lyrics of Dylan's consummate protest song ... and here they are, plus moving pics.

Over all the years, I never can listen to this without my blood boiling at so many levels.

And will someone tell me - not Bobby's Boswell, the encyclopedic Wells-sahib - why does the fiddle work so well here?

4 comments :

Richard Wells said...

so, you don't want me to tell you? all right, i won't.

PS: hate the way blogger demands an i.d. that doesn't let me sign in in my current incarnation...

Corfucius said...

Holmes goofs again and blows it with the oracle.

ok, please DO tell me. no one else is likely to.

sorry about the ID hiccup

Richard Wells said...

How the f should I know?

:-)

But seriously, folks... The way Hurricane got recorded is Dylan got as many musicians as he could into a studio and did 11 takes (living hell for Dylan)
over two days, out of which only 4 were complete takes. The producer spliced takes 1 and 2 together to make the album cut. Or so I read, being a pathetic geek and not really privy to the inside dope.

As to the fiddle: Scarlet Rivera happened to be walking down the street with her gypsy good looks, red hair, and violin case as Dylan was driving past. He was smitten, stopped the car, and invited her to the session. (Or so they say.) I think the fiddle works for two reasons: 1. It drives the song with the same kind of high pitched energy as Dylan's harp; and 2. It blends so well and weirdly with the harp. Must be something to do with vibratory rates. Check it out with your oscilloscope. It's the first instance of R&R harmonica and violin I can think of, and another example of Dylan's junkyard genius.

There's also a whole story about Columbia wanting to avoid libel suits around the lyrics, and how they got changed according to the lawyer's wishes.

Blah blah blah...you want bullshit, I'll give you bullshit, come out to the garden...

Corfucius said...

VERY good. thanks. particularly about fiddler Rivera.

11 takes, eh? Wow. Seriously, thanks.

Back in yr box til my next query :-) XX