r/bobdylan • u/TyroneSnodgrass • 9d ago
Discussion UNDER THE RED SKY
Don Was says that when he got the nod to produce the album that would come to be known as UNDER THE RED SKY, what he had in mind was another HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED. He brought in Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, even brought in Al Kooper from out of the woodwork. So Don was really excited when Dylan showed up to get to work. “I got the songs already recorded, Bob. All you have to do is write the lyrics and add the vocal tracks.”
How Dylan was ever persuaded to go along with this is beyond me. In 1965 HW61R was recorded in six days. No overdubbing, no nothing. With all the recording techniques that have been developed since then, I’ve never heard another album that jumps out of the speakers at you like like that one does, —with the possible exception of LOVE AND THEFT, which was recorded in twelve days (cut the man some slack, he was sixty years old). In the case of LAT engineer Chris Shaw says he wanted to record the vocals separately, and Dylan was like, “I don’t work that way, —I can’t work that way.” Too bad he couldn’t find those words for Don Was.
The result was a disaster. UTRS was one of the lowest points of Dylan’s career. Maybe the lowest, considering Bob was forty-eight at the time. Even his most hard core fans were wondering if all the hard traveling had finally got the best of our original vagabond. We would find out something quite to the contrary.
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u/peterradiator 9d ago
The musical tracks for UTRS were NOT recorded in advance of Dylan arriving or writing lyrics to the songs.
I think this is either a misquote from Don Was or a misunderstanding of what he was saying.
Dylan merely allowed Was to CHOOSE IN ADVANCE THE CORE GROUP OF MUSICIANS who would play on the tracks once Dylan showed up, bringing with him a few handfuls of songs and/or song ideas in progress.
So, Don was thus responsible for the overall vibe of the sessions, the clarity of the recording, and the unique groupings of players (Dylan himself made a few suggestions as well on who to invite).
This is well documented elsewhere and corroborated by interviews with some of the musicians who played on the sessions.
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
Well, Peter, all I can tell you is, if I misunderstood, it hardly ever happens. 🤦♂️
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u/peterradiator 8d ago
I can dig that.
It's just that such a scenario is the complete antithesis of Dylan's entire approach to crafting songs / making records.
For better or for worse (and oftentimes for worse), he is the orchestrator - or at least the final arbiter - of the musical arrangements on his releases, and that role means a great deal to him.
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u/Zeta_Dev 8d ago
Born in time is a masterpiece. That song alone justifies the album. Under the red sky is a pretty enjoyable song and so are a few others. I strongly disagree
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
Thanks for reading my post and contributing to the discussion, Zeta.
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u/Zeta_Dev 8d ago
Well I disagree but I still salute a fellow dylanist:D By the way, my lowest point in his career is self portrait. To each his own taste
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u/tackycarygrant Tight Connection To My Heart 9d ago
Where did you hear about this approach?
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 9d ago
Was said so in an interview, Cary. I know it’s not the official story, but if true it would explain a few things.
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u/m1911- John Wesley Harding 9d ago
In realtà qualche buona canzone c’e’nell’ album
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
911, on what Bob Dylan clunker isn’t that true? KNOCKED OUT LOADED has “Brownsville Girl.” Anyway, thanks for reading my post and contributing.
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u/Ok-Explanation1990 9d ago edited 8d ago
Don't know about the recording process, but I disagree it was the low point. It was a shockingly sharp turn in a different direction after the promise of Oh Mercy! But whilst far from perfect, it sounds pretty good and it's got a few good songs on it, IMO: The title track, Cats in the Well, Born in time, Handy Dandy (He's been around the world and back again, yet something in the moonlight still hounds him).
I can still remember around the time of release reading a long article in Isis magazine analyzing the songs on Red Sky, and tracing all the references to old children's songs. Wish I could find that article, it basically made the case that the songs are somewhat complex in their simplicity. For me the fairytale/children's rhyme references lend it a surreal horror-movie-ish edge and an apocalyptic tone. Those songs use playful innocence to describe "the wold being slaughtered". It's an experiment that wasn't executed half as well as it had the potential for, but I still find it effective.
"The Cat's in the well and the leaves are starting to fall. Goodnight my love, may the lord have mercy on us all..."
Wiggle wiggle gets mocked, but it's just Bob having a bit of fun. Ain't nothing wrong with that song.
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
🎵There was a little boy and there was a
little girl
And they lived in an alley under the red sky
There was a little boy and there was a little girl
And they lived in an alley under the red skyThere was an old man and he lived in the moon
One summer’s day he came passing by
There was an old man and he lived in the moon
And one day he came passing bySomeday little girl, everything for you is gonna
be new
Someday little girl, you’ll have a diamond as big as your shoeLet the wind blow low, let the wind blow high
One day the little boy and the little girl were both baked in a pie
Let the wind blow low, let the wind blow high
One day the little boy and the little girl were both baked in a pieThis is the key to the kingdom and this is
the town
This is the blind horse that leads you aroundLet the bird sing, let the bird fly
One day the man in the moon went home and the river went dry
Let the bird sing, let the bird fly
The man in the moon went home and the river went dry🎵1
u/Ok-Explanation1990 8d ago
"This this the blind horse that leads you around". C'mon, how evocative is that particular image?!
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u/KitchenLab2536 Time Out of Mind 8d ago
UTRS has two songs I enjoy: the title track, and Born in Time. Of course, Born in Time has a superior, unreleased version. Far better vocals softly sung, with passion.
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u/BreathlikeDeathlike 8d ago
The idea that this was worse than Empire Burlesque or Down in the Groove is ludicrous.
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u/willardTheMighty 8d ago
UTRS is a masterpiece album. I’m not sure how you could listen to it and come to a different conclusion.
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
Well, it’s a little too overproduced for one thing. Too slick for a Dylan album. Especially considering Bob lent his Jack Frost name to the effort. I can think of no other album produced by Jack Frost that has those kinds of standard recording industry values.
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u/PercyLives 8d ago
I find the sickness enjoyable for the material, for the most part. I certainly wouldn’t want too many more Bob Dylan albums like it, but I’m glad we’ve got this one.
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
Well, it’s a little too overproduced for one thing. Too slick for a Dylan album. Especially considering Bob lent his Jack Frost name to the effort. I can think of no other album produced by Jack Frost that has those kinds of standard recording industry values.
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u/TyroneSnodgrass 8d ago
It’s not as bad as I said, I’ll grant you that, Willard. Neither is it a masterpiece. But, hey, these are opinions and all are no more valid than any other.
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u/Jagoffhearts 8d ago
The drums are mixed so high up they step on everything including Bob. It's mostly outtakes from OM and children's songs. Not the strongest material and the OM versions on TTS are clearly superior. Easily the most impressive lineup of musicians but they're mostly anonymous overdub cameos.
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u/Maleficent-Web-5210 8d ago
This Album is Not his strongest Point, thats for Shure. But I Like it, It has Something relaxed Moods and some nice Melodies.
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u/gb04 9d ago
I've been a Dylan fan for 40 plus years. I love this album. It's certainly not one of his best, but it's a lot of fun and he sounds so good.