The Obligatory “Another Self Portrait — First Reactions” post

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I thought I’d make the “First Reactions” post short and sweet:

1. Time passes slowly #1 & 2 are definitely keepers.

2. The new piano version of Spanish Is The Loving Tongue is nice too, but nowhere near the circulating solo piano version. It’s a step in the direction of its consummate cousin, but it comes nowhere near it on any scale.

3. Another Self Portrait does not redeem Self Portrait (“What’s this shit?”) as an album, but the new tracks do add to a more nuanced picture of the project (or less pompously: the development) that Self Portrait is a witness of.

4. The Isle of Wight concert is the first and probably the most radical re-invention Dylan has made in his entire career. Going electric was nothing in comparison.

5. Who will be the first to find the source from which Dylan has stolen the cover image? A flickr account? An underrated b/w photographer from the 30s? A Barnes & Nobles commercial delivered to the tour bus in Stirling Castle during the ~~2003~~ 2001 tour?

More to come. Tabs too.

Comments

14 responses to “The Obligatory “Another Self Portrait — First Reactions” post”

25 August, 2013

christopher f

i suspect the art was done by dylan, getting into the spirit of the original by making an even shittier painting.

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1. 25 August, 2013
  
  Eyolf Østrem
  
  Good point!
  I originally wrote that point as a joke, but now that I’ve thought more about it, I’m guessing that it may actually be the case.
  
  Reply
  1. 28 August, 2013
    
    christopher f
    
    by the way, eyolf, your site seems to think i’m using both linux and safari :P (i’m using chromium of course).
    
    Reply
    1. 28 August, 2013
      
      Eyolf Østrem
      
      So probably some user agent setting, perhaps in your compilation of chromium. I’m posting this from chromium too, just to check.
      
      Reply
      1. 28 August, 2013
        
        Eyolf Østrem
        
        Yup – now it thinks I’m on safari too. So chromium apparently doesn’t set its own stamp on the webkit engine strongly enough to distinguish it from Safari. Interesting.
25 August, 2013

bokhara

The cover art was no doubt done by Dylan but it is not a self-portrait. Looks like a portrait of Tommy Makem.

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1. 25 August, 2013
  
  Eyolf Østrem
  
  That’s actually a very interesting suggestion. It does look like Makem, and he would be a fitting illustration to an album — which actually contains very little Oyrish. Even the old ballad House Carpenter has been turned into a blues song.
  
  Reply
25 August, 2013

Gordon

Stirling Castle 2003?

I was there and it was 13th July 2001

Reply
1. 25 August, 2013
  
  Eyolf Østrem
  
  You’re right, of course. I was there too – just got the year wrong. A couple of nice moments there, in the pouring rain…
  
  Reply
26 August, 2013

themekons06

It’s Bruce Dern, one of the stars of Masked and Anonymous

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28 August, 2013

Peter

Miss the Point here maybe;its straight outta basement Tapes Feeling and with Lots of Great singing,Fun for just Doing it and Being in Love with your Life your wive and your Kids.and the two gypsies are striking both,;as was the Take on NM

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31 August, 2013

pete

Please write an entire post about the Isle of Wight.

Now I have a recording good enough to listen to on headphones, I am increasingly fascinated by it, and I suspect you can tell me something about why. I was there, and I had a great time, but I knew in the moment it wasn’t 1966 anymore, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. And who else, except perhaps Elvis Presley, would screw up the words to his biggest hit and still release that take?

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1. 6 September, 2013
  
  Eyolf Østrem
  
  The IoW piece is on its way. The best I can do is tell you something about why I find it fascinating. :)
  
  Reply
6 September, 2013

Mike

Sorry guys, you’re all barking up the wrong tree.

It’s a stunningly life-like portrait of Mick McCarthy, former Irish Republic football manager. A plain-speaking Barnsley born & bred Yorkshire tyke.

Opens up whole new realms of Zimmy-related speculation, I’d hazard!

Reply