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Bob Dylan - New Morning Audio CD

A fair review of the Bob Dylan "New Morning" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Bob Dylan reviews here, or go back to the Bob Dylan tabs.

Bob Dylan Band: Bob Dylan
Title: New Morning
Rating:
Release Date: 2009-03-31
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: If Not for You 2: Day of the Locusts 3: Time Passes Slowly 4: Went to See the Gypsy 5: Winterlude 6: If Dogs Run Free 7: New Morning 8: Sign on the Window 9: One More Weekend 10: Man in Me 11: Three Angels 12: Father of Night

Praise for the Remastering
Although New Morning was well-received at the time and has generally been considered a strong effort by the fans, the remaster was somehow skipped over when the SACD remasters came out in 03. I agree strongly with the positive comments on the sound of this remaster. That was a crime, because the old CD version was one of the worst in the catalogue, muddy, muddled, and almost unlistenable (the original vinyl was no great shakes either). Well guess what, this sounds as good as any of the SACDs, even though it is standard 16 bit redbook. The great music is like bird released from its cage, and now it really sings. .


BEAUTIFUL REMASTER
Anyone who likes this record will not be upset. It sure took a long time for this remastered Dylan record but it was worth it. There are some "in the studio" photographs inside. Nice touch. Buy it now.


2009 Remaster Well Worth the Investment
From the pleasant album opener "If Not for You," I knew I was in for something special. Wow, I am pleasantly surprised by this 2009 remastered edition. The sound quality reveals layers I hadn't noticed before -- most noticeable to my ears was the crispness and clarity of the acoustic guitars, as well as Al Kooper's great organ accompaniment. The songs vary in style from the romantic waltz of "Winterlude," the jazzy "If Dogs Run Free" (complete with scat-style vocals by Maeretha Stewart), the soulful "The Man in Me," the spoken word spirituality of "Three Angels" and the brief gospel-tinged "Father of Night. " What the songs have in common is the sheer quality of writing and a lot of heart. Dylan is backed here by a fine group of Nashville session players, who add much to the arrangements. This album has a laid-back feel, but never comes across as lazy or half-hearted. Also, the packaging is nice as well, featuring some in-studio photographs and musician credits. In short, I have new respect for this recording after hearing the remaster. Defintely recommended. Just make sure you're getting the 2009 remaster, not the inferior earlier version. .


Goes down easy
Listening again, after nearly 40 years, I was struck by how short the songs, which range across different styles, are. Hailed as Dylan's return from the self-imposed oblivion of SELF PORTRAIT, this album brings us into Dylan's Woodstock paradise, where he wrote songs as babies pulled on his shoestrings. .


A unique gem in Dylan's career
This remastered version was long overdue since it clearly marks a renaissance in Dylan's career and life. New Morning is a forgotten treasure which I gladly review here.

He'd been roughly 10 years in the public eye and all around things had changed. He'd changed. Nowhere else will we find Dylan so sure of being married, living in the country, trying to raise a family. This is where you get the impression of a happy frozen moment in his life as he wouldn't be this sure a mere three years later with Planet Waves.

Bob was definitely immersed in his life with Sara and most songs serve as a fitting tribute to his marriage and kids. His heartfelt lyrics on Sign On The Window go on like this: "Build me a cabin in Utah/marry me a wife/catch rainbow trout/have a bunch of kids who call me 'Pa'/that must be what it's all about/that must be what it's all about", he sings enthusiastically.
On Time Passes Slowly, he states: "Ain't no reason to go in a wagon to town/Ain't no reason to go to the fair/Ain't no reason to go up, ain't no reason to go down/Ain't no reason to go anywhere".
And on New Morning, he opens his heart: "So happy just to be alive/Underneath the sky of blue/On this new morning, new morning. . . with you".
If Not For You and The Man In Me are also obvious favourites.

Dylan plays quite a lot of piano on New Morning, seven tracks in total, which also helps to give it quite a distinctive flavour. All adds up to a set of strong songs, all belonging to each other just like the music on Blood On The Tracks does. It appears he'd found a new way which eventually took him to all the anger, frustration and beauty of his aforementioned 1974 masterpiece. This alone is a reason to dive into these tracks of love - this ode to raising a family fitting as a counterpoint to his infamous broken marriage a few years later.

It also seems he just felt lucky to be alive and well after his years of turbulence in the sixties and that feeling of a new beginning is very much alive on this album. I'd place this as a unique gem in Dylan's career so - if you're curious - grab it with no hesitation.

It is also worthy of mention that Father Of Night even ended up covered by Manfred Mann on Solar Fire in 1973 as a great progressive rock opus!.


You can see a complete list of all Bob Dylan discography, or go back to the Bob Dylan tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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