No Direction Home

Unfortunately I dozed watching the Denver/KC game Monday night and woke at 9:00 missing the first hour of the PBS movie about Bob Dylan directed by Martin Scorsese. I caught the last hour of part one and it was great.

Tonight after work I had a party to go to at Dave & Busters. I have a bit of a cold and thought I would just hang for a little while. A glass of Jameson, 2 tall top shelf Long Island Ice Teas, and a free game card kept me there until after 8:00. Luckily I made it home just in time to catch part 2 of the movie. I'm so glad I did. Very inspiring. Here are a few great quotes I picked up. I may not be posting them exactly word for word, but to the best of my knowledge here they are:

"Back then you were rated not by the dollar amount you made, but by what you had to say."

I can't remember who said this, but there is so little of this going on in the music industry today.

"Don't be afraid to be on your own to do what you feel you should do, to not follow the trend."

This was from the Charlie Rose interview with Martin Scorsese following the movie as a message to youngsters. I think he was quoting someone from the movie actually. Don't remember who said it.

"An artist has to never know he has arrived and to never get comfortable with where he is at."
-Bob Dylan-

In 1965 Bob Dylan had already become a protest songwriter folk singer icon and had decided with the new songs he had written that he wanted to have a loud blues rock band, because that is how he felt the music should be done. Shortly after recording these songs he headlined this huge folk festival and came out with a full band and played this new music and it was loud and a lot of people were pissed. Others liked it, but many people totally freaked out and called him a sell out. Called him a pop artist. Although bummed about this he took this band on the road through the US and Europe. He'd play the first half of the set just acoustic and then brought the band out and rocked the second part of the show. Night after night he did this and every night people were pissed and booed during the 2nd part of the set. He did this because he believed in it and he did not want to be labeled. He didn't want the responsibility.

To this day Like A Rolling Stone is probably the biggest rock song ever and Bob Dylan is one of the most influencial artists of all time. This movie ended in the time period of 1966 just after he had a really bad motorcycle accident. He stopped touring for 8 years after that, but continued to record music. Well, you know his career has gone just fine for him since and he is still touring today. He is an artist who has never been afraid to change; always trying to try to find his way home. A home he probably won't find until he is dead.