Modern Era Bob Playlist Part 2

For part one of  the best "recent" Bob Dylan songs, see here.

Part 2:



2000-2003:

Things Have Changed
Here, the band gets locked into a tight groove as Bob is backed down into a corner. It's clear he's down for the count but he's not going out fighting. He's seen it all and is above the fray. For more about this astounding tune, click here.

Love Sick
Come here to hear. . .Love that haunts on a mysterious and howling Halloween. A voice crying in the wind. A search for escape, complete with keys that fall like raindrops and a slow reggae inspired guitar beat. . .all these disjointed dreams come together on this classic tune from Bob. 

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Bob plays the blues old-school here. It sounds like him and the band are on the bill at a county fair somewhere far away. The crowd is ready to party, and Bob is the eager bard ready to satiate their taste for mystery and fun. 

Mississippi
Absolutely timeless song from Bob Dylan that reads like true spiritual poetry. I discussed this song in detail here. It might be the best song Bob has ever written. 

High Water
This song is part blues, part country, and part backwater jam. Here,  Bob claims the whole world is mad, throwing all of humanity into the same boat. We're drowning. He somehow manages to say it all with a smile. I think I said the same thing about "From a Buck 6" or maybe "Queen Jane Approximately", so these songs must be cousins. 

Cross the Green Mountain
A slow moving tune that carries the weight of history on it, "Cross the Green Mountain" features Bob telling the tale of the Civil War. Somehow, this song becomes something more than a song just about the Civil War: it moves slowly through loss, mulls over the words we can't say, and marvels at the beauty and pain in the world. 

Comments

Popular Posts

"Tangled Up In Blue": What's the Best Version?

Monday Poem: "The Book of Hours: I, 59" by Rainer Maria Rilke

Preached on in the World: What Happened with Bob Dylan in Toronto (1980)?

Tracing J.Cole's Millennial Journey

"Torch Songs" and "Cast Iron Ballads": Deep Cuts from the Planet Waves Era

Context: On Kendick Lamar's "How much a Dollar Cost"

Review: Bob Dylan at the Oakdale Theatre

Along for the Ride with Tell Tale Signs

Peace, Bullets, Schools, Chaos, Life, and The Drive by Truckers

Jeff Lynne's on the Phone