Randor's Song of the Week: 06.06.10

"Talkin' World War III Blues" by Bob Dylan from the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. 1963.
    Though I grew up with "oldies," Dylan never made his way into my spotlight. Not until recent years. Sure, the big songs like "Rainy Day Women No. 12 and 35" and "The Times They Are A-Changing" made their acquaintance with my younger self (but apparently not YouTube; it's quite hard to find original versions of them there!). The infamous "they" claims his albums Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61 Revisited fall among the all-time best, and Rolling Stone magazine placed an additional eight of his records on their top 500 list back in 2003- second only to the Beatles. But it wasn't until the last few years I've really explored his work- Why I can only guess. Perhaps a 90's child exposed to a melting pot of his parents' favorite hits and current punk-pop anomalies just has no interest in the off-color singing of folksy Bob. Nonetheless, I'm much more familiar with him now, and can pick out favorites from each decade since he started recording (listen to him age! 60s 70s 80s 90s 00s!).
    Among the folk of my age, it seems the works of Dylan get sidestepped. Sure, everyone KNOWS Bob Dylan and that he was influential, but other than perhaps a couple of the big songs or maybe even albums, my music-lover friends stumble. I may only be in a boat one-size bigger though given his vast library and my short amount of research. I said I'm more familiar, not more fanatic! Anyone who's big on folk can probably sing circles around my Dylan trivia. But given his big-name status, I'm surprised that his songs don't get much representation. Mayhap he doesn't have the charm of the Beatles or groove of Led Zeppelin that keep those bands popular? Whatever the case, it wouldn't surprise me that upon his death he'll get a massive spike in song-play and album purchases, much like Michael Jackson. Expose his music to the generation(s?) that both know him and do not know him.
    But until then, I'll share with you this song from his second album. Like many of his songs, it's fraught with a sort of dry humor that gives a satirical warning. Also a trademark of the Dylan style, the song tells a story. A man wakes up from a nightmare where WWIII breaks out and eventually goes into detail about it. Through the unexpectedly literal wit, an ironic joke-yness bounces about the dread of the situation. One-liners such as "He thought I was a Communist" or "Good car to drive after a war" end each verse and give that little sardonic twist. Unless you're a fan of random harmonica blows, the main thing to hear is the lyrics, and it's a good listen indeed. If you're shaky on your Bob Dylan standards or've had mixed feelings on his half-singing vocals, check out this tune. Even if you're not used to him, you'll probably like its cheeky playfulness.