WEXT, the station where I spun My Exit show last spring, was playing the top 100 Bob Dylan songs yesterday, as voted by their listeners. They kicked it off with the song, "Duquesne Whistle," off his latest album Tempest-- his 35th! Now that's some body of work... I tuned in here and there throughout the day, and I can't say it all grabbed me, but there's a lot of variety... I love the early, early stuff, and Blood On The Tracks... other times his voice is a little rough, the music a little harder to find the patience for. I listened to a few tracks off the latest album, including a tribute to John Lennon. I like some of the jazzy rhythms, but it's hard to imagine it's the same singer from those '60s folk/rock classics...
The station has also been playing some new music from veteran reggae artist Jimmy Cliff. I remember seeing him perform during the broadcast of this year's Coachella Festival, and was impressed with the energy... he even teamed up with Tim Armstrong, the lead singer of the band Rancid (who I enjoyed back in the 90s), for a cover of "Ruby Soho." It turns out that Cliff's newest album, Rebirth, was produced by Armstrong, and sounds just as fresh as his classic material. I like this latest single, "One More":
No doubt it is hard to live up to your own legacy, so you have to give credit to artists like Dylan and Cliff... they don't seem to be resting on their laurels, but exploring new territory, continually adapting and honing their craft. That's what being an artist is all about, right?
Related Links:
"Jimmy Cliff on Career 'Rebirth' and the Nature of Success," NPR, August 4, 2012
"Jimmy Cliff's 'Rebirth' Gives New Life to Vintage Reggae," NPR, July 17, 2012
"The Rage in Bob Dylan's 'Tempest,'" The Daily Beast, September 3, 2012
"Bob Dylan Strikes Back at Critics," Rolling Stone, September 12, 2012
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