Bob Dylan - 1975-1981 Rolling Thunder and The Gospel Years
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Movie Reviews of Bob Dylan - 1975-1981 Rolling Thunder and The Gospel Years
Movie Review: Better than Scorsese!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Now I'm a 70's Dylan man, having first come across him at Blackbushe in 1978 - my favourite Dylan albums are Desire and Street Legal and the fuss about 'folk' Bob has always passed me by. So I was actually looking forward to this film more than the Scorsese documentary which retrod the familiar "Oh No Dylan's gone electric" years once again. I enjoyed both the Scorses and this new documentary very much - in fact Joel Gilbert's film is a natural sequel to the Scorses effort and sits very well along side it and the 60's obssessives will learn much from it.
As usual in Gilbert's 'unofficial' documentaries, there is no Dylan endorsement or involvement (no Dylan soundtrack - a cover band and some tunes from the likes of Scarlet Rivera and Ramblin' Jack Elliott fill in - there's even a soundtrack CD available). And whilst that was a limiting factor in those earlier films, it's somehow less of a factor here. Now that maybe because I've got all the films anyway and it was the talking heads I wanted to hear but it worked for me. The real scoop on this DVD is the fact we have some previously unseen Dylan interview film featured. It's the Pat Cosby interview for KDKA TV in 1980 and worth the DVD price alone - though this shouldn't overshadow the contribution from the other players, which shines a light on a generally overlooked period which includes some of Dylan's finest work.
This is a four hour film and a labour of love from Dylan looky-likey Joel Gilbert. If you're at all interested in this period of Dylan's career check this out!
Movie Review: A worthy companion to 1975-81 Dylan
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't let the "contains no Bob Dylan songs" disclaimer dissuade you from considering this interview/documentary DVD. The interviews with the various participants in the recording of Desire, the Rolling Thunder Revue tours, and Dylan's Gospel years are fascinating and well done, revealing much new information. Joel Gilbert asks many of the questions we would like to ask if given the opportunity to talk with Rubin `Hurricane' Carter, Scarlet Rivera, Rob Stoner, Jerry Wexler, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, et al that Gilbert assembled for this production. "Rolling Thunder and The Gospel Years" is well worth the investment as a companion to Bob Dylan's Desire, Live 1975, Saved, and other 1975-1981 recordings.Movie Review: Essential for real Dylan Fans
Summary: 5 Stars
Simply a fantastic gift for the real and curious Bob Dylan Fan. What's a particular pleasure is the director's light touch on the cutting board. He let's his interviewees speak extensively and tell their stories. You get a strange and scary rant from AJ Weberman to warm and insightful memories from Dylan's Pastor during his Christian years.
While most Bobcats know all of the details of the might Rolling Thunder tour, its refreshing to spend some time on what immediately followed. Count me in on the next film.
Movie Review: More Revealing Than "No Direction Home"
Summary: 5 Stars
Please understand that I very much enjoyed Scorsese's documentary. However,
despite the wealth of footage it provided and the invaluable contribution of
Dylan on his first five years as a performing artist in New York and
stages across the world, what did it really contribute to our understanding of
the man and the artist?
Dylan's greatest period of onstage live performances is covered in this DVD. The Never Ending tour is incredible and the 1966 world tour sublime, but Dylan was clearly at his artistic and physical peak from 1975-1981. The strength of his vocal performances alone would support this assertion. Not to mention the steely eyed gaze and theatrical pacing of the Rolling Thunder Revue, or the fervor and anguish of the gospel shows. (I believe it was during the second tour in 1981 that the biographer Clinton Heylin claims Dylan permanently "blew out" his voice).
Yet what official record do we have of this period? The Rolling Thunder Revue is covered in print (two official books document it), and record (Bootleg Series volume 5 & "Hard Rain,"), but apart from his appearance in "Last Waltz," one will only find the film record of this period in bootleg copies of "Renaldo & Clara" and the "Hard Rain" television broadcast. The gospel years remain uncovered (at least until February's "Gotta Serve Somebody" DVD is released).
Enter "Bob Dylan: 1975-1981 Rolling Thunder & The Gospel Years." This is not a DVD to turn to listen to Dylan performance. As an "unauthorized documentary," Mr. Gilbert does not have the adequate licensing to feature Dylan's performances. Nevertheless, this DVD does fill a very important role: For the Dylan fan who is familiar with Dylan's material during this period, the interviews featured here add immeasurably to one's understanding of his art and life. In this sense, it adds to the record far more than Scorsese's documentary.
For those of you who have seen Mr. Gilbert's previous Dylan DVDs, his quirky sense of humor (which, I am pretty sure Dylan himself would appreciate) is intact. However, this DVD is head-and-shoulders above his previous work in terms of the deftness of his editing and the quality of the interviews. Concerning the interviews:
1)He has got some valuable subjects here:
Jerry Wexler, Rob Stoner, Scarlet Riviera, Ramblin' Jack, Regina
McCrary, and even Joel Selvin, the SF Chronicle writer who wrote the "Dylan's
Gospel God-Awful" review.
2)They are forthcoming with their insights into Dylan: Wexler reveals how
they recorded "Slow Train Coming" in the studio, Stoner talks at length
about how he put together the 1978 tour song arrangements, Scarlet
Riviera talks about her rehearsal, recording, and tour experience with
Dylan.
3)Kudos to Mr. Gilbert for the quality of his questions. No 60
Mins. Ed Bradley Interview syndrome here, his questions are intelligent and to the
point and, therefore, elict revealing answers.
In fact, the interviews lift up the whole project. They are of such worth, that I found
the cheezy cuts and cartoons more and more endearing so, by the end of
the four hour epic, I was really enjoying them! I'm left wondering what his
next project may be and how it will enrich our understanding of the most
important singer/songwriter of the 20th century. Mr. Gilbert has really taken his
filmmaking to a new level and, consequently, has left Dylan fans with a
great contribution to the record.