Poll--The Weakest Link: Bob Dylan's 'Blood On The Tracks' Round 3

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Comments

  • njnancy
    njnancy Posts: 5,096
    Idiot Wind
    brianlux said:
    dankind said:
    MedozK said:
    As close as Round 2 was.... Round 3 is a blow out!
    You’re correct. Round 3 does blow. 
    Ain't it the truth! 

    So at the risk of sounding like a blow hard, here's why I think "Idiot Wind" deserves at the very least to enter the final round (not that anything I say "means shit to a tree" or anyone cares what I think- haha!):

    First of all, this is just brilliant songwriting from a musical standpoint.  The song bursts out of the speakers with a strong C minor chord played on both guitar and piano, instantly creating a tension that practically demands the listener's attention.  From there it moves into a standard D major/ G major sequence- the abrupt leading into the familiar.  Brilliant!

    Lyrically, this is one of Bob's finest.  The combination of sardonic, biting irony, humor and story telling are perfectly juxtaposed to making the tale intriguing- never fully predictable and yet seemly, deceivingly, logical. 

    Another emotion  enters at the chorus: anger.  At first, the anger mixed with an insult ("It's a wonder you still know how to breathe"), and that insult is repeated in the next two choruses. 

    But wait!  In the fourth chorus, something very different painfully and emotionally enters the songwriter's word and voice.  "Idiot wind/ Blowing through the buttons of our coats/ Blowing through the letters that we wrote/ Idiot wind/ Blowing through the dust upon our shelves/ We're idiots, babe/ It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves."    Pain, regret and sorrow- emotions that are clearly, plainly, unabashedly present in Dylan's voice.

    I know we all hear differently, but to my ears, this is one of the greatest songs Dylan ever wrote and recorded.  I'm sorry to see it will not likely make the final rounds.

    Ah, such is life!


    I can understand your love for the song and not understanding how other people are not feeling the same as you. The passion that you and Dankind have shown for this song is obviously fans strongly attached to a song. 

    The thing is, there are Dylan fans who are voting on this album. I know I have it and I have Desire. I love Bob Dylan. I just don't get the same 'feels' for the song as the two of you, no matter how masterful the composition of the song is. 

    The same thing has happened on other albums. Pink Floyd, I did not want Time to win and I couldn't believe the songs that were going in the first round and subsequent rounds. The same with Skynyrd, Zeppelin, Billy Joel (Vienna went the first round??) - so I get your angst. 

    But this has happened with every album and it doesn't mean that we are all clueless music fans who only like Huey Lewis (yuck). We just don't like the song that you love. It happens. I couldn't believe songs that were voted off, some were my favorites, but there are people who are just voting for whatever and there are also people who know the album and their opinions of the songs does not make them musically stupid. Music is subjective, no matter how much you like an artist. 

    It'll be okay. I've lived through ridiculous votes and so will you and Dan. Idiot Wind is still a great song, this poll means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things. 

    Peace! 
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,748
    Simple Twist Of Fate
    njnancy said:
    brianlux said:
    dankind said:
    MedozK said:
    As close as Round 2 was.... Round 3 is a blow out!
    You’re correct. Round 3 does blow. 
    Ain't it the truth! 

    So at the risk of sounding like a blow hard, here's why I think "Idiot Wind" deserves at the very least to enter the final round (not that anything I say "means shit to a tree" or anyone cares what I think- haha!):

    First of all, this is just brilliant songwriting from a musical standpoint.  The song bursts out of the speakers with a strong C minor chord played on both guitar and piano, instantly creating a tension that practically demands the listener's attention.  From there it moves into a standard D major/ G major sequence- the abrupt leading into the familiar.  Brilliant!

    Lyrically, this is one of Bob's finest.  The combination of sardonic, biting irony, humor and story telling are perfectly juxtaposed to making the tale intriguing- never fully predictable and yet seemly, deceivingly, logical. 

    Another emotion  enters at the chorus: anger.  At first, the anger mixed with an insult ("It's a wonder you still know how to breathe"), and that insult is repeated in the next two choruses. 

    But wait!  In the fourth chorus, something very different painfully and emotionally enters the songwriter's word and voice.  "Idiot wind/ Blowing through the buttons of our coats/ Blowing through the letters that we wrote/ Idiot wind/ Blowing through the dust upon our shelves/ We're idiots, babe/ It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves."    Pain, regret and sorrow- emotions that are clearly, plainly, unabashedly present in Dylan's voice.

    I know we all hear differently, but to my ears, this is one of the greatest songs Dylan ever wrote and recorded.  I'm sorry to see it will not likely make the final rounds.

    Ah, such is life!


    I can understand your love for the song and not understanding how other people are not feeling the same as you. The passion that you and Dankind have shown for this song is obviously fans strongly attached to a song. 

    The thing is, there are Dylan fans who are voting on this album. I know I have it and I have Desire. I love Bob Dylan. I just don't get the same 'feels' for the song as the two of you, no matter how masterful the composition of the song is. 

    The same thing has happened on other albums. Pink Floyd, I did not want Time to win and I couldn't believe the songs that were going in the first round and subsequent rounds. The same with Skynyrd, Zeppelin, Billy Joel (Vienna went the first round??) - so I get your angst. 

    But this has happened with every album and it doesn't mean that we are all clueless music fans who only like Huey Lewis (yuck). We just don't like the song that you love. It happens. I couldn't believe songs that were voted off, some were my favorites, but there are people who are just voting for whatever and there are also people who know the album and their opinions of the songs does not make them musically stupid. Music is subjective, no matter how much you like an artist. 

    It'll be okay. I've lived through ridiculous votes and so will you and Dan. Idiot Wind is still a great song, this poll means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things. 

    Peace! 
    You are so right Nancy.  We all hear things differently and I never mean to criticize other's tastes in music.   For example, some people think Albert Ayler's music is HORRIBLE!  My wife is amused that I would even consider that it's great.   And I actually understand how she feels because when my room mates in college used would occasionally put on an Ayler album, I would practically have fits and tell them, "How can you STAND to listen to that noise?!"  Until one it it just clicked for me and now I'm a BIG Ayler fan.

    So here, have a listen and whatever you think of it I'll say, "That's cool.  I get it"!:



    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • njnancy
    njnancy Posts: 5,096
    Idiot Wind
    brianlux said:
    njnancy said:
    brianlux said:
    dankind said:
    MedozK said:
    As close as Round 2 was.... Round 3 is a blow out!
    You’re correct. Round 3 does blow. 
    Ain't it the truth! 

    So at the risk of sounding like a blow hard, here's why I think "Idiot Wind" deserves at the very least to enter the final round (not that anything I say "means shit to a tree" or anyone cares what I think- haha!):

    First of all, this is just brilliant songwriting from a musical standpoint.  The song bursts out of the speakers with a strong C minor chord played on both guitar and piano, instantly creating a tension that practically demands the listener's attention.  From there it moves into a standard D major/ G major sequence- the abrupt leading into the familiar.  Brilliant!

    Lyrically, this is one of Bob's finest.  The combination of sardonic, biting irony, humor and story telling are perfectly juxtaposed to making the tale intriguing- never fully predictable and yet seemly, deceivingly, logical. 

    Another emotion  enters at the chorus: anger.  At first, the anger mixed with an insult ("It's a wonder you still know how to breathe"), and that insult is repeated in the next two choruses. 

    But wait!  In the fourth chorus, something very different painfully and emotionally enters the songwriter's word and voice.  "Idiot wind/ Blowing through the buttons of our coats/ Blowing through the letters that we wrote/ Idiot wind/ Blowing through the dust upon our shelves/ We're idiots, babe/ It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves."    Pain, regret and sorrow- emotions that are clearly, plainly, unabashedly present in Dylan's voice.

    I know we all hear differently, but to my ears, this is one of the greatest songs Dylan ever wrote and recorded.  I'm sorry to see it will not likely make the final rounds.

    Ah, such is life!


    I can understand your love for the song and not understanding how other people are not feeling the same as you. The passion that you and Dankind have shown for this song is obviously fans strongly attached to a song. 

    The thing is, there are Dylan fans who are voting on this album. I know I have it and I have Desire. I love Bob Dylan. I just don't get the same 'feels' for the song as the two of you, no matter how masterful the composition of the song is. 

    The same thing has happened on other albums. Pink Floyd, I did not want Time to win and I couldn't believe the songs that were going in the first round and subsequent rounds. The same with Skynyrd, Zeppelin, Billy Joel (Vienna went the first round??) - so I get your angst. 

    But this has happened with every album and it doesn't mean that we are all clueless music fans who only like Huey Lewis (yuck). We just don't like the song that you love. It happens. I couldn't believe songs that were voted off, some were my favorites, but there are people who are just voting for whatever and there are also people who know the album and their opinions of the songs does not make them musically stupid. Music is subjective, no matter how much you like an artist. 

    It'll be okay. I've lived through ridiculous votes and so will you and Dan. Idiot Wind is still a great song, this poll means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things. 

    Peace! 
    You are so right Nancy.  We all hear things differently and I never mean to criticize other's tastes in music.   For example, some people think Albert Ayler's music is HORRIBLE!  My wife is amused that I would even consider that it's great.   And I actually understand how she feels because when my room mates in college used would occasionally put on an Ayler album, I would practically have fits and tell them, "How can you STAND to listen to that noise?!"  Until one it it just clicked for me and now I'm a BIG Ayler fan.

    So here, have a listen and whatever you think of it I'll say, "That's cool.  I get it"!:



    I like it. I wouldn't buy an album, but I love horns and I get how he is being asynchronous for most of the song. That always causes an uncomfortable feeling but jazz is all about creating feeling, even if it's not what you expect. It's cool. He ends the song with synchronicity, which is settling. 

    There used to be a little jazz club in my town. It had been there for years, it was a little hole in the wall with a long bar, some tables and a small stage. We used to go there cause the owner/bartender was such a cool guy - he was kinda of out of the beat generation and lived in New York City, which is a hop and skip from my town. They had jazz bands there all the time, or guys would just show up and play together.He knew most of the guys. I wish I had paid closer attention because I have no idea who I may have seen. I was young and hanging out and drinking and enjoying friends with the music in the background. It was probably my favorite place to go and party, it's gone now and so are my chances of knowing who played there. But I heard a lot of jazz and the musicians were all so nice. Again, I LOVE horns. 
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,748
    Simple Twist Of Fate
    njnancy said:
    brianlux said:
    njnancy said:
    brianlux said:
    dankind said:
    MedozK said:
    As close as Round 2 was.... Round 3 is a blow out!
    You’re correct. Round 3 does blow. 
    Ain't it the truth! 

    So at the risk of sounding like a blow hard, here's why I think "Idiot Wind" deserves at the very least to enter the final round (not that anything I say "means shit to a tree" or anyone cares what I think- haha!):

    First of all, this is just brilliant songwriting from a musical standpoint.  The song bursts out of the speakers with a strong C minor chord played on both guitar and piano, instantly creating a tension that practically demands the listener's attention.  From there it moves into a standard D major/ G major sequence- the abrupt leading into the familiar.  Brilliant!

    Lyrically, this is one of Bob's finest.  The combination of sardonic, biting irony, humor and story telling are perfectly juxtaposed to making the tale intriguing- never fully predictable and yet seemly, deceivingly, logical. 

    Another emotion  enters at the chorus: anger.  At first, the anger mixed with an insult ("It's a wonder you still know how to breathe"), and that insult is repeated in the next two choruses. 

    But wait!  In the fourth chorus, something very different painfully and emotionally enters the songwriter's word and voice.  "Idiot wind/ Blowing through the buttons of our coats/ Blowing through the letters that we wrote/ Idiot wind/ Blowing through the dust upon our shelves/ We're idiots, babe/ It's a wonder we can even feed ourselves."    Pain, regret and sorrow- emotions that are clearly, plainly, unabashedly present in Dylan's voice.

    I know we all hear differently, but to my ears, this is one of the greatest songs Dylan ever wrote and recorded.  I'm sorry to see it will not likely make the final rounds.

    Ah, such is life!


    I can understand your love for the song and not understanding how other people are not feeling the same as you. The passion that you and Dankind have shown for this song is obviously fans strongly attached to a song. 

    The thing is, there are Dylan fans who are voting on this album. I know I have it and I have Desire. I love Bob Dylan. I just don't get the same 'feels' for the song as the two of you, no matter how masterful the composition of the song is. 

    The same thing has happened on other albums. Pink Floyd, I did not want Time to win and I couldn't believe the songs that were going in the first round and subsequent rounds. The same with Skynyrd, Zeppelin, Billy Joel (Vienna went the first round??) - so I get your angst. 

    But this has happened with every album and it doesn't mean that we are all clueless music fans who only like Huey Lewis (yuck). We just don't like the song that you love. It happens. I couldn't believe songs that were voted off, some were my favorites, but there are people who are just voting for whatever and there are also people who know the album and their opinions of the songs does not make them musically stupid. Music is subjective, no matter how much you like an artist. 

    It'll be okay. I've lived through ridiculous votes and so will you and Dan. Idiot Wind is still a great song, this poll means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things. 

    Peace! 
    You are so right Nancy.  We all hear things differently and I never mean to criticize other's tastes in music.   For example, some people think Albert Ayler's music is HORRIBLE!  My wife is amused that I would even consider that it's great.   And I actually understand how she feels because when my room mates in college used would occasionally put on an Ayler album, I would practically have fits and tell them, "How can you STAND to listen to that noise?!"  Until one it it just clicked for me and now I'm a BIG Ayler fan.

    So here, have a listen and whatever you think of it I'll say, "That's cool.  I get it"!:



    I like it. I wouldn't buy an album, but I love horns and I get how he is being asynchronous for most of the song. That always causes an uncomfortable feeling but jazz is all about creating feeling, even if it's not what you expect. It's cool. He ends the song with synchronicity, which is settling. 

    There used to be a little jazz club in my town. It had been there for years, it was a little hole in the wall with a long bar, some tables and a small stage. We used to go there cause the owner/bartender was such a cool guy - he was kinda of out of the beat generation and lived in New York City, which is a hop and skip from my town. They had jazz bands there all the time, or guys would just show up and play together.He knew most of the guys. I wish I had paid closer attention because I have no idea who I may have seen. I was young and hanging out and drinking and enjoying friends with the music in the background. It was probably my favorite place to go and party, it's gone now and so are my chances of knowing who played there. But I heard a lot of jazz and the musicians were all so nice. Again, I LOVE horns. 
    Oh my God, I would LOVE to have been in or around NYC back in the hey days of jazz- any time from the 40's through the mid-70's especially.  I absolutely love the legends and lore of places like the Village Vanguard, The Five Spot, Birdland, The Cotton Club!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Hobbes
    Hobbes Pacific Northwest Posts: 6,438
    Simple Twist Of Fate
    Ugh. That was a tough vote.
  • MedozK
    MedozK Tennessee Posts: 9,212
    This Round has ended with Idiot Wind (12), Simple Twist Of Fate (10) eliminated.
This discussion has been closed.

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