Ivanhoe at 19:42, 3 October 2021

2021-10-03T19:42:44Z

Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 51 (Vol 5 No 5) MAY 1965
{{qq|i gotta million friends}} | author = Cassandra Vaughan | section = | previous = ../Bl..."

2021-10-02T08:51:30Z

Created page with "{{header | title = [[../|ANARCHY 51 (Vol 5 No 5) MAY 1965]]<br />{{qq|i gotta million friends}} | author = Cassandra Vaughan | section = | previous = ../Bl..."

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{{header
| title = [[../|ANARCHY 51 (Vol 5 No 5) MAY 1965]]<br />{{qq|i gotta million friends}}
| author = Cassandra Vaughan
| section =
| previous = [[../Blues walking like a man|Blues walking like a man]]
| next = [[../The catchers in the right|The catchers in the right]]
| notes =
}}

<div style="max-width:500px; margin:auto;">{{p|155}}

<font size="5">'''{{qq|i gotta million friends}}'''</font>

<font size="4">'''[[Author:Cassandra Vaughan|CASSANDRA VAUGHAN]]'''</font>

{|
|<font size="4">'''{{qq||l}}'''</font>
|<font size="4">'''you ask'':'' how does it feel to be an idol?'''</font>
|-
| 
|<font size="4">{{qq|'''it{{d}} be silly of me to answer, wouldn{{t}} it{{e|r}}|r}}
|}

<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|The brilliant young american singer {{w|bob dylan|Bob_Dylan|Bob Dylan}}}} is currently engaged in a full-blooded assault on the {{w|English hit parade|UK_Singles_Chart|UK Singles Chart}}, to the obvious delight of those who believe that {{w|Folk-music|Folk_music|Folk music}}, to be relevant, must be treated as an adjunct of {{w|pop-music|Popular_music|Popular music}}, and to the equally obvious consternation of those who believe Dylan to be the only major American song writer since {{w|Woody Guthrie|Woody_Guthrie}}.

{{tab}}It seems worthwhile, therefore, to write briefly about Dylan in this issue of {{sc|anarchy}}—whether this piece is by way of an obituary remains to be seen. If it is, it will not be entirely Dylan{{s}} fault: he has been picked up by the pop parasite as the ''{{popup|frisson nouveau|exciting new thing}}.'' Pop traditionally preys on more virile musical forms, either corrupting the original practitioners to suit the market or producing its own pre-corrupted copyists, as happened in the case of {{w|rhythm {{a}}n{{a}} blues|Rhythm_and_blues|Rhythm and blues}}. It usually works out best from both sides when pop produces its imitations and leaves the originals to go their own way. In the case of Dylan both things seem to have happened. The manipulators of pop fashion who have for a long time been pushing {{qq|folk}} as the next teenage {{w|rave|Fad|Fad}} have created their own {{w|English|England|England}} Dylan, by name {{w|Donovan}}, who plays {{w|Tommy Steele|Tommy_Steele}} to Dylan{{s}} {{w|Elvis Presley|Elvis_Presley}}. Fortunately Donovan does not matter; he is going to earn a lot of money and keep himself, and thousands of little girls, happy by imitating Dylan. But the fate of Dylan, who is highly original, despite admitted debts to Woody Guthrie and Guthrie{{s}} disciple, {{w|Rambling Jack Elliott|Ramblin'_Jack_Elliott|Ramblin' Jack Elliott}}, and whose songs have been an emotionally articulate vehicle for the feelings of the {{w|integration|Racial_integration|Racial integration}} generation in the {{w|USA|United_States|United States}} and the {{w|anti-nuclear|Nuclear_disarmament|Nuclear disarmament}} generation here, is of great concern. The news that his current American {{w|single|Single_(music)|Single (music)}} ''{{w|Subterranean Homesick Blues|Subterranean_Homesick_Blues}}'' is being sold in a {{l|sleeve|https://images.45cat.com/bob-dylan-subterranean-homesick-blues-1965-16.jpg|Image at 45cat}} bearing photographs of the {{w|Beatles|The_Beatles|The Beatles}} heightens this concern.

{{tab}}The process of popularising Dylan has been going on now for several months. He is the logical successor to the long-haired r {{a}}n{{a}} b groups—the protest implicit in the {{w|Pretty Things|Pretty_Things}} and the {{w|Rolling Stones|The_Rolling_Stones|The Rolling Stones}} is explicit in Dylan—but recording as he does for the American {{w|Columbia|Columbia_Records|Columbia Records}} company, whose concern for the fast buck rather than for the effect of over-exposure on their artists is notorious, there has always been the {{p|156}}risk that Dylan would be stretched on the rack of the publicity machine, and it does indeed look as though Dylan, already strained as a writer by Columbia{{s}} recording requirements, may increasingly turn out ill-considered, poorly constructed songs. His latest {{w|LP|LP_record|LP record}} available here at the time of writing, ''{{w|Another Side of Bob Dylan|https://www.discogs.com/master/3730-Bob-Dylan-Another-Side-Of-Bob-Dylan|Discogs: Bob Dylan – Another Side of Bob Dylan}},'' may be symptomatic of his decline or it may be a passing phase—after all he is not yet twenty-four and has not necessarily reached the height of his powers. But we hear occasional sighs of discontent from American Dylan fans that he is withdrawing more and more into the private world created by his success and refusing to face real life—something very close to treason in a Guthrie disciple. He has even been criticised in an {{l|open letter|http://www.edlis.org/twice/threads/open_letter_to_bob_dylan.html|Full text at EDLIS Centrale}} in the most influential folk magazine, ''{{w|Sing Out|Sing_Out!|Sing Out!}};'' this would be a blow to the orthodox American singer but its probable effect on Dylan is difficult to assess. We can only hope that Dylan will survive the commercial obstacle race in which he has become involved. It is impossible to say at this point what his chances are. If he does survive it will be as big a tribute to him as a person as his best songs are to him as a serious contemporary song-writer.

{{tab}}In all that has been written about Dylan, only one writer, {{w|Philip Oakes|Philip_Oakes}}, in a valuable and perceptive article which appeared in ''{{w|Queen|Queen_(magazine)|Queen (magazine)}}'' almost a year ago, seems to have described accurately how Dylan is being mythologised: {{qq|{{e|l}}a powerful piece of myth-making is taking place. Dylan is being promoted not just as a folk-singer (and he is a good one) but as a folk-hero, a randy {{w|Johnny Appleseed|Johnny_Appleseed}} for this day and age.}}

{{tab}}This still does not fully account for the rapid rise of Dylan{{s}} ''{{w|The Times They Are A-Changin{{a}}|The_Times_They_Are_a-Changin'_(song)|The Times They Are a-Changin'}}'' in the top twenty, for the fact that tickets for his two May {{w|Albert Hall|Royal_Albert_Hall|Royal Albert Hall}} appearances sold out in a total of under two days, or for the consistent appearance of his LPs amongst the ten national best sellers. Has he captured this enormous public as a result of plugs given him by such groups as the Beatles and the {{w|Animals|The_Animals|The Animals}}? Is his nasal voice, rudimentary {{w|guitar|Guitar|Guitar}} and uncomfortable {{w|harmonica|Harmonica|Harmonica}} style really the sound the record buyers have been craving for, having been sated on the noise of the British {{qq|Chicago-line}} r {{a}}n{{a}} b groups? Or is it possible, by some chance, that his {{qq|message}} corresponds with a new outlook held by all these people, that they actually listen to the words and not just the overall sound? The answer seems to lie somewhere between the first two possibilities. For if half the people who now buy Dylan{{s}} records really listen to the words of ''{{w|With God on Our Side|With_God_on_Our_Side_(song)}},'' why is radical activity in {{w|Britain|Great_Britain|Great Britain}} confined to minute local groups? If a quarter understand what he is saying in ''{{w|The Masters of War|Masters_of_War|Masters of War}},'' why aren{{t}} the streets filled? And if but a tenth feel every emotion in ''{{w|The Hard Rain{{s}} Are Gonna Fall|A_Hard_Rain's_a-Gonna_Fall|A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall}},'' when is the revolution? Philip Oakes probably has the answer: {{qq|Folk song has become everyone{{s}} instant conscience; easy to summon, easy to settle. To ditto the message, to agree with the sentiments, is all that{{s}} required. You too can be a {{w|liberal|Liberalism_in_the_United_States|Liberalism in the United States}}: all you have to do is play the record}}.
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[[Category:Music]]
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Anarchy 51/"i gotta million friends" - Revision history

Ivanhoe at 19:42, 3 October 2021

Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 51 (Vol 5 No 5) MAY 1965{{qq|i gotta million friends}} | author = Cassandra Vaughan | section = | previous = ../Bl..."

Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 51 (Vol 5 No 5) MAY 1965
{{qq|i gotta million friends}} | author = Cassandra Vaughan | section = | previous = ../Bl..."