Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" is, by request of the inimitable Ed Baker, today's feature LitRock song on Issa's Sunday Service. He didn't suggest it for today, just generally; however, today is Bob's 68th birthday, so there you go. This version is live at Royal Albert Hall in 1966 and an amazing performance. Dylan references so many literary items in this one, we could go months without having to post anymore tunes.
I'm taking suggestions for songs in the LitRock category to feature here on Sundays. Songs featured so far include Aztec Two-Step's "The Persecution and Resurrection of Dean Moriarty," Donovan's "The Way," "Rejoyce" by Jefferson Airplane, and Van Morrison's "Summertime in England." I'm especially interested in newer material; I've got quite a list of "classic" rock tunes referencing people and things literary but, being of the dinosaur generation, am lacking more modern songs. Suggestions in the comments section would be great.
This week's feature poem comes from Lilliput Review is #6, from September 1989. This is one of Lyn Lifshin's and is one of my favorite efforts of her's for LR:
Yawn Series Of Younger Poets
annual politician of
a first book of
plums by ailing
writer under 40.
Marmosets may be
sublimated only
during February
and must be
accompanied by
a stamp, self
addressed moose
Lyn Lifshin
the bird is singing
but it ain't blooming...
plum tree
Issa
translated by David Lanoue
best,
Don
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21 comments:
Lyn ' a h oo t!
so os Issa.
now to track down who now owns ALL future publication rights
to my newest book
and thus the $2.3 million (future) royalties?
I sure hope that it is the publisher
and not the POD "thing"
by the way
how does POD work?
seems like lots of hidden costs..
Thanks, Ed. Not sure about the POD thing ... wonder if any readers' have had this experience (wonder if there are any readers)?
Is there another book coming beyond "Goodnight"?
Mr. Baker:
Thanks for prompting the Desolation Row post. Chris Smither does a very nice cover version of this song in which he transposes some couplets to good effect.
Don:
Readers > commenters.
well..
first three books of NEIGHBOR
at bottom of this page
http://www.newmystics.com/lit/EdBaker.html
as pdf if this counts as it being "published"
after a 21 year high-at-us from any writing this "run" was
first thing done...1998
print out if you'd like...
and, Joey Madia gonna post a book (of Neighbor) each month.. there are 6
I just re:read these three...
my initial reaction?
"shit. I did THAT? That's pretty good."
about dawn this morning
50-60 Harley's roared by...ROLLING THUNDER bikers on the way to their anual parade..
I got tears in my eyes
Hey, Jim, thanks ...
Ed, well this is interesting. Thanks for the link ... new mystic, indeed...
I do like this song.
Bob Dylan (Zimmerman) today 68? geeze
f i n a l ly
someone younger than me
...by about 4 weeks!
and 1970 as I recall when in London Bill "Canada" got two tickets to go hear/see Led Zeppelin at The Prince Albert Royal Hall
I said : "Take (what's her name). I'm going to see Les Deux Pigeons at the Royal Opera House"
silly me, eh/
Charles, glad you like that one ...
Ed, great story - reminds me of the time I was abducted from work in early '69 to Central Park to see Led Zeppelin, with B. B. King opening, in Central Park at the Schaffer Music Center ... scalped tickets for $10 (originally 5 for the cheap seats) survived a near riot caused by nyc's finest (oh the story I could tell) to see one of the most amazing performances (and that's before zep hit the stage) and than zep that played past curfew, they turned off the power and they still came back and did an acapella encore of Bye Bye Johnny (sequel to Johnny Be Good) with Bonham sitting on the stage beating the ground.
Yikes.
I skipped the opera that night ... though saw quite a few pigeons.
actually The Two Pigeons was a ballet
and the last time that it had been performed (it s only performance) was in 1902 Najinsky was the STAR) they had his original outfit on a manikin in a glass case
in the lobby
also in attendance was The Queen Mum
the theatre was at the opposite end Of Drury Lane from The Royal Inns of Court Boys Club
seems to me there was also some big happening at that Zep concert in London...
I think that they were shut down there too and banned for life from England!
another event that I didn't go to was in a group house then everybody went but me and Dorrie... that thing in New York...on that farm and in the mud..
Wiltstock.... no...Woodstock
a few weeks later Dorrie ran off with the lead singer of The Natty Bumpo...
Cam Bruce
boy...wuz I lucky I didn't knoch-her-up
I think that this was 1966 7 or 8
Ah, the Queen Mum was definitely not in NYC that night - Nijinsky, I think he comes into Proust from the wings and no opera that ... ballet, indeed ... for those as ignorant as
I some very minimal detail ...
Based on a Fontaine fable, eh?
through the magic of the inter-net which friggin catches everything here is the performance that I saw:
ST Royal Ballet; Tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton; excerpt only;
D Persephone: Svetlana Beriosova; Mercury: Alexander Grant; Demeter: Gerd Larsen; Demaphoön; Derek Rencher; Royal Opera House, London, 24 July 1970
and I had just the day before gone to Carnaby Street and bought WOOL suit, shirt, tie AND
a pair of black Beatle Boots
boy was I hot!
and the shoes hurt my feet!
64 I had one of those collarless suits, bought at Robert Hall's, which my old man correctly predicted would be out of fashion yesterday ...
Hurting feet at the the ballet ... ouch...
well I am still delving AND HERE IS WO I SAW doo that Two Pigeons thin in 1970
http://www.ballet.co.uk/old/legend_js_david_wall.htm
NO WONDER THE QUEEN MOTHER WAS THERE!!!
DAMN!!! here is the suit. except mine was brown wool tweed...
http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/25390-popup.html
came with a vest..
(now to find black Beatle Boots)
http://www.atomretro.com/product_info.cfm?product_id=1802
only wore the boots that one time to the ballet
wore the suit only one other time in NYC
1973 to go to an art opening with Fay in The Village
and, you wanna hear another link to this stream!
walking down the street around 2 nd Street and Second Ave some friends caught up to us
Sienna and Tony and David
(as Sienna introduced him: "this is David Zimmerman, Bob's little brother."
Ed
oh yes Edwardian glory ... here's a knock off of the Nehru collared suit:
http://www.bigmen.co.uk/acatalog/1ADiCaprioBeatleJacketthumb.jpg
... and Mr. Zimmerman brings us full circle, to Desolation Row ... I knew we were going somewhere,
and here it is ...
Desolation Angels + Canary Row
equals
Desolation Row
now
all "we" need is a little
Hunter Thompson
Gonzo Fear and Loathing Hell's Angels humor!
and maybe a cpl of other 1960's
left-overs to participate...
wait there's phuching more!
Hunter Thompson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson#The_Gonzo_Papers
just look at what song they played at his funeral!
and he was 67 when he killed himself!
he is yet around in DOONESBURY ...
Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" and Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man .... hmn, I don't think there are anymore 60's farts hangin' round here ...
Let's go check Fortune magazine ...
well maybe Ron Silliman..
the only old fart savvy re: blogging/remembering...
but he's "on the other side" of the continental divide
so is Curtis Faville
everybody else seems to be born after 1975 and still embedded in the safety of "university/school" and the "politically-correct"
Always a pleasure, off to avoid big thunderstorm ... working on two mss I'll have to tell you about sometime ...
Fading as Marianne Faithful sings Patti Smith's "Ghost Dance" ...
host of your host ... now what was the name of that beer again?
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