Upon its release, the album received very poor reviews. It was strongly criticized by the critics as tasteless and “technically incompetent.” Yet the album Dylan did not result in a bitter commercial failure, even if it was the first Dylan album to fail to make it onto the UK charts. It managed to reach number 17 in the United States and become a gold record.
For technical details and the list of instruments, please see the discussion of the albums Self Portrait and New Morning.
Lily Of The West
Traditional / Arrangement Eileen Davies and James N. Peterson / 3:49
Musicians
Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar, harmonica
Ron Cornelius: guitar
Al Kooper: clavinet (?)
Charlie Daniels: bass
Russ Kunkel: drums
Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals
Recording Studio
Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 3, 1970
Technical Team
Producer: Bob Johnston
Sound Engineers: Don Puluse and Ted Brosnan
Genesis and Lyrics
“Lily of the West” is a traditional Irish folk ballad. The song may be interpreted as a metaphor for the British, Scottish, and Irish experience when these immigrants settled in colonial America, and also perhaps the resentment of Irish Catholics against British domination. Over the decades, the song became an American folk classic. The American version is about a man who travels to Louisville, Kentucky, and falls in love with a woman. The narrator explains his misfortune: he met a pretty girl from Lexington and fell madly in love; betrayed by his love, he retaliated by stabbing his rival, and he was arrested and condemned. Some claim that the beautiful “Lily of the West” was the daughter of a clergyman from Lexington.
Production
After Joan Baez in 1961 and Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963, Bob Dylan recorded this traditional song. During the sessions for New Morning, two takes were cut on June 3, 1970. Two days later four other takes were recorded. Yet it seems that the album recording dates from June 3. “Lily of the West” opens the album and offers nothing interesting besides a chance to hear Al Kooper at the keyboard, apparently a clavinet, and the backup vocalists singing softly the last line of each verse. Not really essential. Dylan has never performed this song live.
Can’t Help Falling In Love
George Weiss / Hugo Peretti / Luigi Creatore / 4:19
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar, harmonica; David Bromberg: guitar; Al Kooper: organ; Charlie Daniels: bass; Russ Kunkel: drums; (?): woodblock; Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 3, 1970 / Producer: Bob Johnston / Sound Engineers: Don Puluse and Ted Brosnan
Genesis and Lyrics
The melody of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is based on “Plaisir d’amour,” composed in 1780 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (later arranged by Hector Berlioz). In the United States, this romantic ballad was recorded by Elvis Presley. The song was featured in Norman Taurog’s 1961 film Under the Blue Sky of Hawaii. That same year, it reached number 2 on the charts. It later sparked great interest after the live segment of Elvis Presley’s 1968 NBC television special. “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” is a beautiful statement that powerfully inspired Dylan.
Production
Did Dylan want to poach from the King by recording the song? The temptation was strong enough that he himself recorded the tune during the sessions for New Morning. The comparison with the King is unfortunately not to his advantage. Dylan lacks conviction. Only his riffs on harmonica (in C) are inspired. Al Kooper distinguishes himself with an excellent organ part, and David Bromberg provides an effective solo on the acoustic. A woodblock is heard, played by an unknown musician. Three takes were cut on June 3. One out of the three saw the light of day on the album Dylan. The song has never been performed onstage.
FOR DYLANOLOGISTS
In 1973, the South Koreans had the odd idea to release “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as a single. Humor or sincere admiration?
Sarah Jane
Traditional / Arrangement Bob Dylan / 2:54
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; David Bromberg: guitar; Ron Cornelius: guitar; Al Kooper: piano; Charlie Daniels: bass; Russ Kunkel: drums; Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 1, 1970 / Producer: Bob Johnston / Sound Engineers: Don Puluse and Ted Brosnan
Genesis and Lyrics
“Sarah Jane” is undoubtedly a folk song that parallels Bob Dylan’s life. The song begins, “I’ve got a wife and five little children.” Dylan was not only married, but also the father of four children (Jesse, Anna, Samuel, and Jakob) and the adoptive father of Maria (Sara’s daughter). The happy family lived in Woodstock, away from the bright lights of the city. At home he enjoys himself: “Ain’t nothin’ to do but to set down and sing.” He still refers to “Yankee built boats to shoot them rebels”—rebels meaning the soldiers of the Confederacy.
Production
“Sarah Jane” (“Sara” on the studio sheet) was cut in eight takes on June 1, 1970. The fifth or eighth was selected for the album. The song is not one of the songwriter’s masterpieces. According to Gilbert Cruz of Time magazine, this song is one of the ten worst Dylan songs. Cruz says, “It sounds as if Bob Dylan’s singing into a microphone that is sitting all the way on the other side of the studio.”100 His “la la la” sends a chill up the listener’s spine, despite the backup vocals. This version gives the impression of being a trial cut, especially since “Sarah Jane” was recorded during the first session for the album (a month earlier; Dylan recorded it with his friend George Harrison). Dylan performed the song only once, on May 1, 1960, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Ballad Of Ira Hayes
Peter LaFarge / 5:14
Musicians
Bob Dylan: vocals, piano
Ron Cornelius: guitar
Al Kooper: organ
Charlie Daniels: bass
Russ Kunkel: percussion (?)
Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals
Recording Studio
Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 1, 1970
Technical Team
Producer: Bob Johnston
Sound Engineers: Don Puluse and Ted Brosnan
Genesis and Lyrics
This song was written by Peter LaFarge in 1962. He was a friend with whom Dylan went out to Village clubs in the early 1960s. The song tells the story of one of the great acts of heroism in American history, which took place during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II (February 19–March 26, 1945). The Americans succeeded in conquering the Pacific island of Iwo Jima, located about 620 miles south of Tokyo, Japan. The picture taken by Joe Rosenthal—showing the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi by Ira Hayes, four other Marines, and a member of the medical team—became famous. Hayes was a Native American from the Pima tribe who lived on a reservation in Arizona before enlisting in the army. He was treated as a hero, but turned to alcoholism. Dylan sings, “He died drunk early one morning / Alone in the land he’d fought to save.”
Production
After Peter LaFarge (Ira Hayes & Other Ballads, 1962) many artists recorded their own version of “The Ballad of Ira Hayes.” The most popular version is certainly by Johnny Cash, which was released on the album Bitter Tears (Ballads of the American Indian) in 1964. Six years later, Dylan recorded this ballad, keeping the idea of spoken verse and a singing chorus. The refrain also bears a curious resemblance to “The Man in Me,” recorded four days later on the album New Morning. One take was enough during the session on June 1, 1970. “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” is one of the best covers on the album, but Dylan has never performed it onstage. In the recording Dylan plays piano and provides an excellent vocal. The backing vocals bring a gospel touch t
o the piece, accompanied by Al Kooper on the organ. Note that, starting at 2:25, metallic percussion is heard, probably played by Russ Kunkel.
MOVIE STAR
Ira Hayes briefly played himself alongside John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), directed by Allan Dwan. In 2006 the actor Adam Beach played Hayes in Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers.
Mr. Bojangles
Jerry Jeff Walker / 5:35
Musicians
Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Al Kooper: organ
Charlie Daniels: bass
Russ Kunkel: drums
Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals
Recording Studio
Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 2, 1970
Technical Team
Producer: Bob Johnston
Sound Engineers: Don Puluse and Ted Brosnan
Genesis and Lyrics
“Mr. Bojangles” was written and recorded by American country-and-western singer and songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker. He wrote the song in memory of a curious character he met in a New Orleans jail who called himself “Mr. Bojangles.” Even if the name is pure fantasy, Walker was inspired to write the song after an encounter with an unparalleled street performer, a master tap dancer. The song does not refer to the famous African-American actor and movie star Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Indeed, Jerry Jeff Walker describes his encounter with Mr. Bojangles, and the life of the man as, “Silver hair, ragged shirt and baggy pants, that old soft shoe / He’d jump so high, he’d jump so high, then he lightly touched down.”
Production
Walker’s tale attracted a large number of artists. “Mr. Bojangles” was covered by J. J. Cale, Garth Brooks, Neil Diamond, and Nina Simone, not to mention the US country music band the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whose version reached number 9 on the US Billboard chart and number 2 on the Canadian RPM chart in 1971. A few months earlier, Dylan had also recorded a gorgeous version of “Mr. Bojangles” in six takes on June 2, 1970. The last take was selected for Dylan. The version carries the folk spirit of the songwriter, who performs the ballad with feeling. With a little more work, it could have found its place on Self Portrait. The backup vocals and Al Kooper’s organ part bring a gospel touch. Dylan only played guitar.
FOR DYLANOLOGISTS
In July 1970, a number of mixes were made for the album New Morning. In the absence of Bob Johnston, Al Kooper was responsible for about ten of them. Among them, a tape labeled “Al’s Mix” includes three songs that later appeared on Dylan: “The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” “Mary Ann,” and “Mr. Bojangles.”
Mary Ann
Traditional / Arrangement Bob Dylan / 2:44
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; David Bromberg: guitar; Ron Cornelius: guitar; Al Kooper: organ; Charlie Daniels: bass; Russ Kunkel: drums; Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 1 and 2, 1970 / Producer: Bob Johnston / Sound Engineers: Don Puluse and Ted Brosnan
Genesis and Lyrics
This new traditional song by Bob Dylan evokes an important theme for the songwriter since the early 1960s and his breakup with Suze Rotolo: farewell to the beloved, in this case a young sailor who goes ten thousand miles from home. In this respect, “Mary Ann” is reminiscent of “Farewell,” recorded for Witmark (The Bootleg Series Volume 9). To some extent, it is also similar to “Girl from the North Country” (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan) and “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” ([att1]Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II).
Production
Dylan liked “Mary Ann” and devoted no less than seven takes on June 1 and nine takes the following day to the song. Al Kooper made his own mix in July in order to eventually incorporate the title onto the album New Morning. This is quite surprising, because the version offered on this record (the seventh take of June 2) is not very successful. The whole piece is poor, the gospel chorus offers nothing, and Dylan sings without conviction. “Mary Ann” is far from a memorable song.
Big Yellow Taxi
Joni Mitchell / 2:16
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Al Kooper: organ; Charlie Daniels: bass; Russ Kunkel: congas; Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, and Maeretha Stewart: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studios / Studio E, New York: June 4, 1970 / Producer: Bob Johnston / Sound Engineer: Don Puluse
Genesis and Lyrics
Joni Mitchell says, “I wrote ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.”
“Big Yellow Taxi,” released on Mitchell’s monumental album Ladies of the Canyon (1970), is one of the first manifestos of the “Woodstock Nation” in favor of ecology. The tune was a major hit in Mitchell’s native Canada, reaching number 14, number 11 in the United Kingdom, and peaking at number 6 in Australia. The song has a personal character. The “big yellow taxi” is a reference to the taxis of Toronto, where the Canadian singer made her debut, and it symbolizes a departure (her father?) or a breakup (husband? lover?). Dylan took the liberty of changing “big yellow taxi” to “big yellow bulldozer.”
Production
Dylan’s version is not far from Joni Mitchell’s: similar acoustic atmosphere, similar percussion, similar backup vocals. Only Al Kooper’s organ part keeps some distance from the original. Dylan’s vocal contrasts with the angelic tone of the Canadian soprano. The master take results from the fifth and sixth takes recorded on June 4, 1970.
A Fool Such As I
Bill Trader / 2:41
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Charlie Daniels: guitar; Norman Blake: guitar; Fred Carter Jr.: guitar; Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar; Bob Wilson: piano; Charlie McCoy: bass; Kenny Buttrey: drums; June Page, Dolores Edgin, Carol Montgomery, Millie Kirkham, and Dottie Dillard (?): backup vocals / Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville: April 26, 1969 Producer: Bob Johnston / Sound Engineer: Neil Wilburn
Genesis and Lyrics
A popular song written by Bill Trader, “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I” was a major success for the pioneer of country music, Hank Snow. The tune peaked at number 4 on the country charts in early 1953. This love song tells the old story of an abandoned lover who proclaims his love until the last day of his life. The song was covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley, who released it on the B-side of “I Need Your Love Tonight,” peaking at number 1 in the United Kingdom and number 2 in the United States in 1959.
Production
During the sessions for Self Portrait on April 26, 1969, in Nashville, Dylan and his band recorded a rhythm ’n’ blues adaptation of the song (in one take) that was lighter and bouncier than the King’s shuffling version. While Dylan’s version is serviceable, it lacks some magic. Although excluded from Self Portrait, the song found its place on Dylan. Yet it had already been recorded with the Band during The Basement Tapes sessions of 1967. Columbia released the song as a single with “Lily of the West” on the B-side in 1973, but it was not a big hit, reaching only number 55 on the US charts.
FOR DYLANOLOGISTS
On the original LP Dylan and also on some CDs from 1990, there is an error in the credits. B. Abner is mentioned as the songwriter of “A Fool Such as I,” whereas the song was written by Bill Trader.
Spanish Is The Loving Tongue
Traditional / Arrangement Bob Dylan / 4:17
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Charlie Daniels: guitar; Norman Blake: guitar; Fred Carter Jr.: guitar; Peter Drake: pedal steel guitar; Bob Wilson: piano; Charlie McCoy: bass; Kenny Buttrey: percussion; (?): xylophone; June Page, Dolores Edgin, Carol Montgomery, Millie Kirkham, and Dottie Dillard (?): backup vocals Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studio
s, Nashville: April 24, 1969 / Producer: Bob Johnston / Sound Engineer: Neil Wilburn
Production
Dylan here is in his crooner period; guitar, mandolin, syrupy vocals, xylophone—nothing is spared. However, ignore this version, recorded in Nashville on April 24, 1969, in seven takes (the last being the best), and listen instead to the take from June 2, 1970, where Dylan, playing piano, transcends himself.
Planet
Waves
On A Night Like This
Going, Going, Gone
Tough Mama
Hazel
Something There Is About You
Forever Young
Dirge
You Angel You
Never Say Goodbye
Wedding Song
OUTTAKE
Nobody ‘Cept You
DATE OF RELEASE
January 17, 1974
on Asylum Records
(REFERENCE ASYLUM 7E-1003)
Planet Waves:
Bob Dylan All the Songs Page 52