Happy Birthday, Bob!

It’s been a few months since I last inflicted one of my album cover recreations on the world www.blipfoto.com/entry/2793913828365041673 but today gives me the ideal excuse. It is, of course, the 80th birthday of my great songwriting hero, Bob Dylan.

I’m not sure he’d think this recreation of the cover shot from his 1978 album ‘Street-Legal’ is much of a tribute but it was great fun to do - with lots of help from M (“Thanks so much, M!”) and the permission of the manager of the Al Jazeera restaurant in Rusholme to use the back doorway to the building.

The original album cover photo was shot by Howard Alk in Santa Monica. You can see it here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street-Legal_(album)

I can’t pretend that ‘Street-Legal’ is my favourite of Bob’s albums but ‘Blood on the Tracks’, magnificent though it is, just doesn’t have very inspiring cover art, in my humble opinion!

I’m also including an alternative version of this shot as an Extra. I actually prefer it in lots of ways (not least the ‘Legal Entrance’ sign, and the ‘Sham Tailor’ sign) but it doesn’t quite work as well as a recreation.

Bob Dylan has been a huge presence in my life since I first got his ‘Greatest Hits’ album and borrowed Anthony Scaduto’s 1972 biography from the library when I was about 14. His songs have given me so much over the years and I quote them in conversation far too often.

I suppose the obvious Dylan lyric for today is from ‘Forever Young’ (1973)

‘May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young’

But I’m also fond of these lines from ‘Not Dark Yet’ (1997)

‘I was born here and I'll die here, against my will
I know it looks like I'm moving but I'm standing still
Every nerve in my body is so naked and numb
I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don't even hear the murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet but it's getting there.’

But, back to ‘Street-Legal’. My favourite track from the album has to be ‘Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)’, so here it is, for your delectation and delight! https://youtube.com/watch?v=4j2ynQW0mrE