Expecting Rain

Every so often I throw this example out of what I consider Bob's best
guitar playing is and I also ask if there is ANYONE out there who can
show me what the hell he is doing. I have been playing for 20+ years
and for the life of me, can't figure it out. It's his guitar work on
'Frankie and Albert' (specifically the long outro).

By the way, can anyone out there cite any specific song (live or
studio) that tops this? I own (or have listened to) tons of live
stuff from him but have not heard anything that even comes close to
it.

Are you familiar with the dylanchords website?

I think Bob is a great guitar player but realized early on that his greatest gift was his songwriting so guitar took a back seat. Lovely to hear him show some of his skill here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ZJqotC_hE

Step it up and go-

http://dylanchords.info/35_gaibty/step_it_up_and_go.htm

I think that Bob's work on BoTT is absolutely outstanding.** I recently had to drive a friend to a doctor's appointment, and his 24 year old son came along. The friend is a musician; his son isn't really a Dylan fan, but he's aware of Bob's influence and knows, probably, only LARS. My friend commented that he'd never heard guitar quite that crisp and authoritative; his son began plying me with questions about "this Dylan guy." He really flipped when "Desire" came on, but, though I love that record, I'd probably not cite "Desire" as an example of Bob's greatest guitar work.

And, although GAIBTY and WGW didn't chart particularly well, Bob's guitar on those records is just. . . wonderful!


**If what I've read is correct, Bob played lead on, at least the NY sessions of BOTT; Tony Brown, I think, played bass--and, most of the other musicians were asked to leave when they proved unable to keep up with Dylan. That's kind of counterintuitive--experienced session musicians unable to keep up with Dylan? But, I'm guessing that most here will have read assistant engineer Glenn Berger's account of the sessions (no longer available on the internet, I'm afraid).

[quote="The Pawnbroker"]...what the hell he is doing. I have been playing for 20+ years
and for the life of me, can't figure it out. It's his guitar work on
'Frankie and Albert' (specifically the long outro).

I believe some people call it, "getting down."

It's Alright Ma from Bringing It All Back Home. Though maybe not technically the best.

You might have your sea boat captains and hard card players name his fingerpicking on Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
or something else, but that one's my favorite.

Discussed this recently with a very good player who said Dylan's ability as a musician is all about timing and feel. He said that a billion guitar players could strum the same 3 or 4 basic chords, many of them better technically than Dylan but combine the voice, the phrasing and the idiosyncratic way Dylan plays and you have his particular genius. Very hard to separate one from the other, but listen to Hollis Brown, North Country Blues and covers like Diamond Joe where the playing provides a perfect counterpoint to the voice and there you have it. He uses the guitar to support the vocal delivery. Simple but direct. No fat.

Ballad of Hollis Brown

Absolutely.

The high sheriff don't recognize that fact, but he will, someday.

It's the Carter Family lick ratcheted up 3 or 4 notches. He's playing with just a plectrum, picking an embellished melody on the low strings, and striking the high strings whenever he has a chance--mostly in between the low notes, but not always. He moves that plectrum around with great agility.

All of Bob's best guitar playing is on those two albums--"World Gone Wrong" and "Good As I Been To You." Many people call it "extravagently sloppy" (I think they read that somewhere), but they aren't hearing what's going on.

I haven't paid much attention to his guitar playing those albums. Focusing more on how he sang those songs.

Must revisit.

Broke Down Engine

That riff after in between the two D-Chords is pretty impossible to pull off well.

Good As I Been To You and World Gone Wrong

We guitar players disected this a few years back, so to simplify and break it down, I will just borrow someone's verdict I read: "Bob plays his ass off on these albums". Phenominal playing. Def ranks tops in Bob's playing.

Desire...while a phenominal album and amazing in every way, I can't really think of anything on there that would showcase Bob's guitar playing, unless it is to prove that, yes, Bob knows some simple chords

true. it's painful to try and figure out how it's even possible.

I think Bob is a amazing guitarist, very underrated in that department!

Some ones that stick out at the minute;

Another side; beautiful playing on there
Blood on the tracks; some nice skillful playing on here
GAIBTY/WGW; Both very similar, masterful.

Theres a lot on GAIBTY that I wish i could figure out how to play. Im aware of dylanchords, and have tried a lot to recreate some of the licks and songs but it never sounds anything like what Dylan accomplishes. I wish there was a camera in the room with Dylan when he recorded that and WGW that i could watch and slow down and absorb all his guitar work on those albums.

Im glad I'm not alone in finding a lot of those tracks difficult if not impossible to play. Im not the best guitar player in the world, and i dont play professionally, but I admit I get a little frustrated not being able to pull some of songs off

I am very fond of Bob's guitar playing. These three (especially the first two) are exemplary in showing which of his styles I like best.

It's like first he's just trying to roughly find the target pleasure area and once he gets there, he's pushing the button again and again.

Love Minus Zero/No Limit (1996-06-22 Brussels)
Mr. Tambourine Man (1995-10-24 Minneapolis)
Girl From The North Country (1996-04-26 Montreal)

So much great playing on the two covers albums. A huge contrast to the lifeless Clapton thing from around the same time.
One of my favorites are the breakdowns between the verses on Sitting On Top Of The World.
Wonderful variations and I amazing to hear woven in with the harp. We all know how many people there are who can't really play and sing at the same time. Dylan not only plays and sings, but he's doing interesting and creative things with the guitar and his voice (or harp) at the same time.
The really great thing about his playing is his tempo is always driving, he never wobbles. A slurred note a flat chord he just swallows up.

nice pick !

best guitar playing is certainly found on these albums:

first three + BOTT +
GAIBTY & World Gone Wrong....

Just put Good As I Been To You on, god that playing on Frankie & Albert is out of this world. God why is this album so underrated.

I personally think the best playing on the earlier albums is Another Side, he plays some really good things on there that he never did much life, like All I Really Want To Do, Spanish Harlem Incident. etc ... but hey that's just me

I'll have to give it a spin to think that over!

i was just hit by this one today - dylan's rhythmic talents well delivered on this one ...

All of 'Good As I Been to You' and World Gone Wrong

Oxford Town
It's Alright, Ma
Highyway 51

and others