Listening to an old record sometimes feels like you’re bringing the past to the present. You get to look at the old cataloguesque advertisements from the label, and see original artwork. But also, an older record can remind you that the present isn’t all that different from the past.
This week’s pick up is Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire, which felt strangely modern and relevant today with the album’s opening protest song “Hurricane.” The ballad asserts that the eventually freed Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was wrongfully convicted for a 1966 triple murder due to his race. It’s a powerful song, worth a listen now more than ever with conversation about profiling and race having been re-sparked after last summer’s Eric Garner and Michael Brown incidents. But I digress, because I’m not here to talk about politics. Go to the political echo chamber of your choosing to do just that. Let’s talk about music.
I was always a fan of the song “Hurricane” for multiple reasons, including the fact that it was a ballad. Scarlet Rivera plays the violin accompanying the upbeat pace of the song as Bob Dylan speaks in a poetic way about the tale of Rubin Carter. The congas are throughout the whole song too and it’s blissfully satisfying. The violin is prevalent as it is dotted throughout the whole album along with Ronee Blakley and Emmylou Harris’ backing vocals.
I haven’t even gotten to the best part: The album has a bold western theme. The violin sets the tone to the whole album and there’s a sense of despair. “One More Cup of Coffee” really stands out in the album and is a very good example of a classic Dylan song. Yet the despair in the album gives you some hope. Or just despair, depends. And then there is “Joey,” a story about a mobster. Some say it glorifies violence. Others are of the opinion Joey was a victim. I’m of the opinion that it’s another wonderful ballad. Why aren’t there more modern ballads?
The thing, though, about listening to this album on vinyl, is that you get to listen to it as a whole. You appreciate the album as a physical and cohesive body. The music is not on shuffle. It’s nice to see the album turn and play. It’s nice to look at the cover and the track listing on the back. The album just relaxes you as it takes you away into the world Dylan and his lyrics have created.
Reach the writer for suggestions, comments, or angry lofty demands via twitter @jesse_millard or at jamillar@asu.edu.
Jesse Millard, junior, is a journalism major at the school where everyone wears gold “a bit too much.” He spends his time going to class, drinking coffee, listening to records, reading, writing, etc. Also, he finds himself writing quick 2-3 sentence long bios in the third person, more often than not.
