I'm a big Dylan fan. He still shows flashes of brilliance on his more recent work, and he's won some big awards in recent years, Grammies, Oscars, a Pulitzer this week - but his work now is very uneven when compared to his earlier stuff. I like the work he did in the decade after he left the folk movement - very truthful.
Dylan is a media darling - he can do no wrong. Mainly because the liberal establishment - the people with their fingers on the media buttons, grew up with his music. Critics are also very much aware that after his death, his work will come to be recognized in an ever-increasing positive light.
Curators will tell you that an artist only has so much real creativity, only so many original ideas. They spend their creative lives working around those few ideas. Artistic lives are fragile and finite - ten years is long run even for highly talented people. Get caught up in the trappings of fame: women, drugs, becoming unreasonably eccentric, and they often short circuit it all together.
I won't weigh in on the best live album because my tastes are so varied now that i can't say anymore, but AB live at filmore is a sweet album. My favorite song has to be stormy monday . I have always love a particular part of stormy monday when Duane plays that simple little riff at about 2:50 of the song right after greg sings lord have mercy after which someone in the crowd lets out a yell. to me that little riff is the best part of the whole album. Still gives me a rush when I hear it for the 1000th time. I also really respect duane more now as I recently read one of his favorite albums to listen to was Kind of Blue, miles davis, which i also love.
"A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the only soul in the world that's real"
Bass player Johnny B. Gayden,s bass solo on "Cold Cuts" is about the sickest bass I've ever heard .. Its on an Albert Collins (master of the telecaster) album .. live show ,, forget name of album . Matt ... Like that Rush youtube ,, thanks ,, ..
You want to hear the sickest Bass playing you've ever heard? (Geddy 'natch...)
Find:
"Analog Kid" from Subdivisions...
"Natural Science" from Permanent Waves...
"Neurotica" from Roll the Bones...
"Lessons" from 2112...
"Dog Years" from Test for Echo...
"Best I Can" from Rush (first album)...
"Countdown" from Subdivisions...
If any of these songs are on Youtube anyone... please post them here (I'm computer illiterate! Don't even have speakers on my Computer... but I do have a Bang & Olafsen! )
Big Rush fan, saw them over a dozen times. First concert I ever went to was a Rush concert @ New Haven colisseum back in the day - was Moving Pictures tour. I'll have to check out the new album.
As far as the greatest rock albums in last 20yrs, To me, its something by Fishbone. Maybe not classic rock, but extremely talented musicians with tons of influences. If you've never heard of them pick up the cd Truth and Soul