Bob Dylan’s “Hard Rain” live album.

I bought the record when I was 14 after seeing his concert TV special. I never knew who he was before that. The only Dylan I knew anything about was Marshal Dylan from “Gunsmoke.”

Mr. Stone, my math teacher, made us watch it. Mr. Stone was a Dylan freak. In retrospect, a large number of the faculty were hippies, even though we were in a very conservative area up in Northwest Illinois (Hanover). I was doing AV duty that semester and after Mr. Stone showed the Dylan show in class I watched it almost every day for the rest of the year.

I was mesmerized by this angry poet with that giant, truly rocking band. There must’ve been 15 members of the Rolling Thunder Revue, with one guy just wandering around onstage playing the tambourine. (Stone said that was the job he wanted.) Hard Rain was one of the best commercial live albums ever made, only surpassed by some of Dylan’s “bootleg” series releases in the past decade. It’s a must-have.

After ordering Hard Rain from the local Ben Franklin (it was the only way to buy music in those parts), I bought a greatest hits collection and I was hooked forever. But when I was replacing my albums with CDs I never bought Hard Rain. I have no idea why.

Anyway, I downloaded Hard Rain from I-Tunes the other day (the difference in the modes of purchase - ordering at a local store in 1976 and waiting two weeks to a month for delivery, compared to downloading it immediately from a home computer in 2006 - are kinda stunning) The album is bringing back a rush of memories. But most of those are private and I need to get back to work, so that’s it for now.

Someone’s got it in for me, they’re planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they’d cut it out quick,
but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can’t help it if I’m lucky.

       

18 Comments - Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 30, 06 @ 11:56 pm: Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull, From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol. Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth, You’re an idiot, babe. It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe. - Schiznitz - Thursday, Mar 30, 06 @ 11:56 pm: With your funky 1970’s disco beard, I would have thought you more of a BeeGees fan. I can tell by the way you walk, you’re a woman’s man. - Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 12:15 am: Well, I try my best To be just like I am, But everybody wants you To be just like them. They sing while you slave and I just get bored. I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more. - Schiznitz - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 12:38 am: Good heavens Rich. Are you having a moment? You are a dancin’ man. You’re a woman’s man, no time to talk. Music loud and women warm, You’ve been kicked around since you were born. And now it’s alright, it’s ok, And you may look the other way We can try to understand, The political effect on man - Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 12:40 am: It’s a restless hungry feeling That don’t mean no one no good, When ev’rything I’m a-sayin’ You can say it just as good. You’re right from your side, I’m right from mine. We’re both just one too many mornings An’ a thousand miles behind. - Schiznitz - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 1:39 am: Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother, You’re staying alive, staying alive. Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shaking, And we’re staying alive, staying alive Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, staying alive - Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 1:45 am: People see me all the time, I guess they just can’t remember how to act Their minds are filled with false ideas, images and distorted facts. Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at, I couldn’t believe after all these years, you didn’t know me better than that - Hanover native - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 3:22 am: Hey Rich, I bet you ordered that album from Mother, she worked at the Ben Franklin for over 20 years. I think Jack Stone is now retired, as are most of the other teachers from that era. - Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 3:25 am: LOL. Yeah, I did. She ran that place with an iron hand. I wonder where Stone is now. Send me an email and let’s catch up. - Hanover native - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 3:35 am: Rich, I think Jack Stone still lives in Prophetstown. I can’t believe that he drove that far everyday. I saw him a year or so ago and I thought he said he was retired, but he may have said he was going to be retiring. You did know that that Hanover & Elizabeth High School consolidated in 1985, now River Ridge? - James T Kirk - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 7:10 am: Dylan is cool, hey Rich can I come over I got a new bong. - Peter - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 8:30 am: Hard Rain is a great album, it also has a great version of One Too Many Mornings. As for Idiot Wind if you don’t have the version off of the Bootleg Series Rare and Unreleased you should check it out. - steve schnorf - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 10:07 am: This is all very interesting; I never listened to much Dylan. But since we are all quoting lyrics, one of my favorites is from “Pop-A-Top”, “a row of fools on a row of stools”. - anon - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 10:12 am: XRT was playing “Tangled Up In Blue” right when I was getting to the office this morning. Had to stay in the car until it was over. Then one of the first things I read this morning is this thread. That rush of memories I’m getting is coming a little to early in the day for my age. Need to keep those in check until at least happy hour. At least its Friday, maybe I can start earlier. Not to go too far off subject but if anyone gets into a Beatles mood check out this website. Subject: Juggling to the Beatles This is a truly amazing video clip…. don’t think you’ve seen it all until you see the ending…. the drum solo is awesome…. click on the link and enjoy. Click on this link: http://marketplace.espeakers.com/movie.php?sid=5290&aid=10558 Watch the whole thing. - bardo - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 10:13 am: Well done, Rich. Idiot Wind is an outstanding Dylan tune. And I agree with Peter, the version on Bootleg Series is worth a listen. I think a weekly Dylan post on Friday is in order… - anon - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 10:19 am: Anybody who wants to play along with Rich check out this website for the words. http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/index.html - Elmer "Mr GOP" Hoffman - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 11:06 am: I don’t know how I never heard of this record, but after reading this I plan on getting it. Thanks Rich. - SenorAnon - Friday, Mar 31, 06 @ 12:49 pm: “They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy, She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me. I can’t help it if I’m lucky.” So wait…you mean Hootie and the Blowfish didn’t write that line? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.