Suggestions for Chicago's WDRV ‘The Drive’(FM 97.1)

(revised)

[In 2001 WDRV replaced WNIB, one of the two classical music stations in Chicago. Taking their claims to musical sophistication seriously, I was motivated to craft and hand-deliver an earlier, more optimistic version of this letter. Everything should be taken as prefaced by 'in my opinion', although in this case they are opinions about what would enhance a particular radio station's format, not simply expressions of what I like personally. There is, however, a great overlap.]

 

Contents

I. Cautious Suggestions

II. Non-Greatest Hits Suggestions

III. Comprehensive and Chronological Suggestions

IV. Others' Covers of Dylan Songs

V. Great Bootleg Recordings

 

I. Cautious Suggestions

The benefit to your station of Bob Dylan is that he has a large number of excellent songs to choose from, as well as a multitude of performances. Many of these unheard songs could have become famous, but for contingent historical reasons (e.g., Dylan just never released them). Your station could probably create some new hits. I suggest trying this with Tell Me, Blind Willie McTell, and Series of Dreams.

 

Unfortunately, despite great initial promise, your new station continues to find more value in Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elton John, Chicago, Eric Burden, and Jackson Browne than in Bob Dylan. And despite your claim that "no one knows Bob Dylan like The Drive", no special knowledge has been betrayed by your small repertoire of late 60s and early 70s greatest hits.

So far, I have heard the following Dylan-performed songs on WDRV (I have also heard the Byrds' versions of Mr. Tambourine Man and My Back Pages):

 

  1. Subterranean Homesick Blues (from Bringing It All Back Home, 1965)
  2. Like a Rolling Stone (from Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)
  3. Positively Fourth Street (Single, 1966 on Greatest Hits)
  4. Just Like a Woman (from Blonde on Blonde, 1966)
  5. Lay Lady Lay (from Nashville Skyline, 1969)
  6. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (from Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, 1973)
  7. Tangled Up in Blue (from Blood on the Tracks, 1975)

 

If those songs are acceptable, the following might be too:

 

  1. Can You PleaseBringing It All Back Home
  2. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry: another song from Highway 61 Revisited
  3. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?: B-Side of Positively Fourth Street, available on Biograph
  4. Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands: another song from Blonde on Blonde
  5. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You: another song from Nashville Skyline
  6. Billy 1: the other song with lyrics from Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
  7. Simple Twist Of Fate: another song from Blood on the Tracks

 

II. Less Cautious Suggestions

With the exceptions of Silvio, Ring Them Bells, and Quinn the Eskimo, all the songs on the Greatest Hits volumes 1, 2, or 3 or on The Essential Bob Dylan are worthy of some air time. That is also true for pretty much everything on Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing it all Back Home (half of which is acoustic, though). To the songs from Blonde on Blonde that can also be found on the Greatest Hits vols 1 & 2, I would add Absolutely Sweet Marie and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. Blood on the Tracks is so popular there is little need of me to mention its contents (and virtually everyone else likes it a lot more than I do). The live album At Budokan, despite the glib comments sometimes made about it, is worthy of scrutiny for orchestrated versions of songs originally released as purely acoustic, as well as for attractive alternative versions of other songs. I think this album has a sound that suits your station. In addition to these, several songs from the 20001 album, Love and Theft, could compete with these songs. See section III.

Below I present 18 additional songs that I think are highly worthy of air time, none of which can be found on the albums I have mentioned so far. Eight are on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3; five on Biograph; and two on Street Legal. Four albums— Pat Garrett, Shot of Love, Slow Train, and Saved—are represented by one song each; and there is one song that was released only as a single.

 

  1. Tell Me (Bootleg Series Vol 1-3) (a better take can be heard on this Web site)
  2. Blind Willie McTell (Bootleg Series Vol 1-3)
  3. Every Grain Of Sand (Shot Of Love and Biograph)
  4. When The Night Comes Falling The Sky (Bootleg Series Vol.1-3—not the Empire Burlesque version)
  5. Slow Train Coming (Slow Train)
  6. Abandoned Love (Biograph)
  7. Someone’s Got A Hold Of My Heart (Bootleg Series Vol 1-3)
  8. No Time To Think (Street Legal)
  9. Golden Loom (Bootleg Series Vol 1-3)
  10. Need A Woman (Bootleg Series Vol 1-3)
  11. Can Your Please Crawl Out Your Window? (Biograph)
  12. Caribbean Wind (Biograph)
  13. Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) (Street Legal and Biograph)
  14. Trouble in Mind (B-side of single Gotta Serve Somebody) (can be heard on this Web site)
  15. What Can I Do For You? (Saved)
  16. Foot of Pride (Bootleg Series Vol 1-3)
  17. Angelina (Bootleg Series, Vol 1-3)
  18. Billy 1 (Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid)

 

I would include on this list one more song from The Bootleg Series Vol. 1–3: Series of Dreams, but it also on Greatest Hits, Vol. 3.

 

III. Comprehensive and Chronological Dylan Suggestions

Many of the songs listed below can be found on the three volumes of Greatest Hits or on The Essential Bob Dylan. Some (indicated by †) can be found only on them, believe it or not. I have put an asterisk by the recordings that are not on them. Those recommendations should be more useful, since they are less obvious. This is especially true for things released after the 60s. A large percentage of these songs would be secured by owning The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3, Biograph, The Essential Bob Dylan and The Greatest Hits series.

To avoid tedium, I would suggest alternating between the primary recordings, live versions, alternate takes, outtakes, and covers.

 

2000s

DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD—MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE (2002)

LOVE AND THEFT (9/11/2001)

1990s

THE ESSENTIAL BOB DYLAN (2000):

TIME OUT OF MIND (1997):

FRANK SINATRA’s 80th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:

DIGNITY (MTV UNPLUGGED) (1995):

MTV UNPLUGGED (1995) (semi-live, semi-acoustic):

BOB DYLAN’S GREATEST HITS, VOL. 3 (1994):

THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION (1993) (live):

THE BOOTLEG SERIES, VOLUMES 1-3 (RARE & UNRELEASED) 1961-1991 (be sure to use 24-bit remastered version) (1991):

disc 3:

disc 2:

1980s

UNDER THE RED SKY (1990):

OH MERCY (1989):

KNOCKED OUT LOADED (1986):

EMPIRE BURLESQUE (1985):

BIOGRAPH (1985) (be sure to use 24-bit remastered version):

REAL LIVE (1984) (live):

INFIDELS (1983):

SHOT OF LOVE (1981):

SAVED (1980):

1970s

B-side of single Gotta Serve Somebody (1979):

SLOW TRAIN COMING (1979):

STREET LEGAL (1978) (be sure to use 24-bit remastered and remixed version)

THE LAST WALTZ (THE BAND) (1978) (live):

AT BUDOKAN (1978) (live):

MASTERPIECES (1976) (Australian import):

HARD RAIN (1976) (live):

DESIRE (1976):

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (1975):

BEFORE THE FLOOD (with the Band) (1974):

PLANET WAVES (1974):

PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID (1973):

GREATEST HITS VOLUME 2 (1971) (be sure to use 24-bit remastered version):

1960s

NEW MORNING (1970):

SELF-PORTRAIT (1970)

NASHVILLE SKYLINE (1969):

JOHN WESLEY HARDING (1967):

THE BASEMENT TAPES (recorded 1967, released 1975): You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere†

A TRIBUTE TO WOODY GUTHRIE (Dylan recorded 1968) (live):

BOB DYLAN’S GREATEST HITS [‘VOL. 1’] (be sure to use 24-bit remastered version) (1967)

THE BOOTLEG SERIES, VOL. 4: BOB DYLAN LIVE 1966 (released 1998) (live):

BLONDE ON BLONDE (1966)

HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED (I965):

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME (1965) (half electric/half acoustic):

ANOTHER SIDE OF BOB DYLAN (1964) (acoustic)

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ (1964) (acoustic)

THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN (1963) (acoustic)

 

IV. Suggestions for Covers of Dylan

This is a very incomplete list based on what I just happen to own.

 

There are two songs that are both blue and underlined: Joan Baez’s Love is Just a Four-Lettered Word, and Sheryl Crow’s Mississippi. Ron Wood’s version of Seven Days (the studio version) is better than the one, live recording by Dylan. Presley’s Tomorrow is a Long Time and Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower are probably better than Dylan’s too. This could be true as well of the Everly Brother’s version of Abandoned Love.

 

 

V. Great Bootleg Recordings (unfinished)

A. Studio recordings of excellent original music not released in any form

 

B. Excellent alternate takes of the above

  1. Tell Me (Genuine Bootleg Series, disc 3) (can be heard on this Web site)

 

C. Excellent alternate takes of original released songs

  1. Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (Genuine Bootleg Series, disc 1, track 15)
  2. Heart of Mine (Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2, disc 3, track 5)
  3. T.V. Talking Song (1990)(Genuine Bootleg Series, Third Time Now, disc 3, track 14)
  4. Broken Days (Everything is Broken) (1989) (Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2, disc 3)

 

D. Excellent studio covers never released

  1. Important Words (Genuine Bootleg Series, disc 3)
  2. Freedom for the Stallion (Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2, disc 3, track 10)
  3. Got Love If You Want It (Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2, disc 3, track 13)

 

E. Excellent live recordings of original music, never released and not available in studio version

  1. Coverdown Breakthrough(Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2, disc 3, track 2)

 

F. Excellent studio recording covers

  1. Nadine by Chuck Berry (Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2, disc 3, track 6)
  2. Blue-Eyed Jane by Jimmy Rodgers (1994) (Genuine Bootleg Series, Third Time Now, disc 3, track 16) Another take, sung solo, was officially released on the tribute to Jimmy Rodgers.

 

G. Exceptional live performances—original works

  1. Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar (with Michael Bloomfield) (Genuine Bootleg Series, Take 2,disc 3, track 3
  2. Restless Farewell (1995) for Frank Sinatra's 80th birthday (can be heard on this Web site)

 

H. Excellent live performances—covers

  1. I'll Not be a Stranger by James B. Singleton (Dylan performed this song on Nov. 7,1997 in Columbus, Ohio and on Dec. 5, 1997 in Washington, D.C. One of these performance can be heard on this Web site)

 

Home