On another discussion list, there was a post recently about Bob Dylan
with a brief mention of his Tangled Up in Blue being written as a result
of hearing Joni's Blue. I think it's so cool to hear about his Bobness
being influenced by our Joni, instead of the usual other way around. The
post mentioned an article that is mostly about the author trying to
remember what Bob said to him in 1978 (hmmm good luck), but also
includes these paragraphs about Joni's influence:
But there was another enigma, another hazy memory, that I wanted to
explore in reliving that interview experience, and it has to do with
"Tangled Up in Blue"?specifically with the source of the title of that
song, an iconic work that opens Blood on the Tracks and signaled a new
direction in songwriting for Mr. Dylan.
<snip>
... I think the title question is important. It has to do with something
I think Mr. Dylan said to me in the course of that 1978 [Playboy]
interview: I think he told me that he got the title of the song from a
lost weekend he spent listening to Joni Mitchells classic Blue album,
which predated Blood on the Tracks by three years. In effect, Mr. Dylan
had been tangled up in Blue before writing "Tangled Up in Blue."
<snip>
And then theres the question of whether, even if he said it, he meant
it. I dont know, it makes sense to me: Theres a new kind of Dylan
songwriting on Blood on the Tracks, one that hes described as a shift
from the kind of "unconscious" songwriting of the Blonde on Blonde
period to the more conscious artistry of "Tangled Up in Blue," which
plays with time schemes and rhyme schemes in a way Joni Mitchell does
quite artfully when she doesnt tip over into self-parody. Im not a
big fan of "Blue," the Joni Mitchell song (my all-time Joni Mitchell
fave is "Amelia"). Nonetheless, I could see Mr. Dylan getting rapt or
wrapped up in Blue.
<end of quote>
The entire article is here: http://www.observer.com/pages/edgy.asp. It
includes some interesting comments by Bob about the way he visualizes
his songs (rather than hears them), which seems similar to Joni's way of
creating music.
After reading that post, I listened today for the first time to the
Blood on the Tracks cd I bought a year ago after reading what some
jonilisters said about it, and discovered, yes, what an amazing piece of
work it is!!! The guitar playing is surprisingly gentle and airy, Bob's
singing is not nearly as growly as it usually seems to me, and the
lyrics are so open and honest they hurt. Wow! Like Joni on Blue, Bob is
unprotected here. And this music has been around since 1974! So glad I
finally discovered it.
I just looked at all the reviews on the jmdl site of the 1998 tour of
Joni and Bob, and in almost every one there's mention of his standout
rendition of Tangled Up in Blue. It might be that he plays this song
impressively during every tour, but I like the idea that he played it so
well during his tour with Joni as an homage to her influence. That's a
sweet idea, isn't it? Puts a very warm heart inside that crabby
exterior.
Debra Shea
NP still: Blood on the Tracks, "If you see her, say hello"
