Sometimes it feels like Bob Dylan says: "I practice a faith that's long been abandoned, ain't no altars on this long and lonesome road"

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In addition Mr D released SHADOW KINGDOM seeming that he himself would as he says “put my thoughts into a pattern” or to understand his earlier song prayers which he claimed were written almost effortlessly from his unconscious little understanding nor grasping them unti perhaps the late 70s when the art of painting and transitional first wife estrangement helped where he could no longer communicate with her—-now increasingly coming into the light of Christ his consciousness of their meaning as a man and artist..this SHADOW KINGDOMstill in that all night cafe or gig TANGLED UP IN BLUE.. released again on 06-16-2021…more 6s and 16s..meaning something purposefull coincidence or the leading of the Holy Spirit?

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Lani Makholm29-05-2022 16:09

Also re Mr Ds interest in the number 16 or 6, please note his last released album in 2022 is SPRINGTIME IN NY (interesting all the inside photos are of winter scenes not spring scenes) is Bootleg 16. The album is a mixed bag of released and unreleased songs where he utilizes his Afro American back up singers he used initially in 1978 then abruptly stopped them around Empire Burlesque and Knocked out Loaded. He used Carolyn Dennis, his six year transitional wife as back up to a number of songs. There is passing reference to her on the first disc in the song Sweet Caroline but it is not a song even written by him but is Neil Diamonds song. I wonder if Mr D will ever compose a record where Springtime is really here..maybe WHEN HE REALLY PAINTS HIS MASTERPIECE and then everything ‘will be beautiful and like a smooth rapsody WHEN PAINT MY MASTERPIECE?🙏😇🙃

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Lani Makholm29-05-2022 14:31

Some of my comments from a FB group that I enjoy reviewing on Mr D. This time they are discussing his art books DRAWN BLANK and the fascinating THE BRAZIL SERIES which seems to have a focus on the Book of Revelation. I love both books, but am partial to the complex simple beauty of Mr D’s sweet innocence conveyed in DRAWN BLANK…he must have been like this as a kid back thar in them precious summer and winter and spring days in ole Duluth, Minnesota hanging out with the GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY on them misty railroad tracks and valleys and hills full of dynamic energy enhanging ancient ore of which he uses for his sculpture (which I like too). Lani Makholm, The Lady Came from Baltimore wearing only lace.

Although am very partial to Drawn Blanks simplicity complexity where’s The Brazil Series is more obvious in its striping away of darkness and sickness of the soul..the woman with the Holy Spirit sword cutting thru the Bamboo and Revelation where a naked strong auburn red woman’s back faces you (red haired woman as mentioned twice in BLODD ON THE TRAVKD at the end of Pete’s notes n album of same name and red haired list true love red haired woman at the beginning of his continual rewrites of TANGKED UP IN BLUE as she saturates and absorbs The book of Revelation representing her perhaps William Blake’s Rev 12:1 THE BRIGHT CLARA shinING through all generations representing Gods people who love Jesus Christ, the wonderful God-man


Dates are always important to me as I examine the flow of the spirit in prayer, poems, songs,...is there significance in pointing out the correct date for this tragic album and to correctly date it July 16, 1966. I do agree as in his release from prison spiritually (I mean) of CHANGING OF THE GUARDS from Street Legal before he put himself back in prison again...16 is a vital and significant number to him; for example - as someone pointed out it was 16 years since his first pure like album in 1959; and interesting enough Highway 61 where things started to get a bit spiritually darkened with wine, women, song and money (in my opinion) the number was reversed in the 1987 release of STREET LEGAL. Also, and correct me if I am an incorrect...Higway 61 runs through Minnesota going north/south/north or is it east/west/west east? Anyway these are interesting things to notice if you feel/have perceptive thoughs to see if there are relationships or meaning. As Mr D is a great and careful artist, these things included in his prayer songs might have some meaning he wished to convey although as he said these songs in the 60's were done subconsciousley and he was like a channel receiving the words and music from the wind and air...WBlake..catch the joy as she flies in the air and wind...or words to that effect. Then he started taking art lessons from that famous teacher who taught him what his high school art teacher taught to report things occurring in front of you...or as he said to a reporter once...I have no imagination, I just report what's in front of me. And his 70's art teacher taught him that what was right in front of him was God...eternity...timelessness (past/resent/future). It was then that he went home and could never communicate anything in the old way with Shirley, his then transitional wife of the wine, women, song, money, death and darkness period...John Wesley Harding...I shall be released...somewhere so high above this wall I swear I can see my reflection (His double/twin) somewhere so high above this wall...I can see my light come shining from the east down to the west...someday I shall be released. Then in Street Legal he announces...'stripped of all virtue...you've been double dealing...finally released but your STRANDED with absolutely nothing to share.

Lani Elizabeth Makholm, Ellicott City/Baltimore, USA May 16, 2022. Praise the Lord! Next year in Jerusalem, Si Senor please!!?

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Lani Elizabeth makholm16-05-2022 17:44

Hartelijke groeten van stichting Muziekbijbel - Muziekbijbel.nl

Hartelijke groeten voorzitter Wilbrand Rakhorst

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wilbrand Rakhorst23-02-2022 18:10

My thoughts on the rewrite of TO BE ALONE WITH YOU and QUEEN JANE from SHADOW KINGDOM. I can only be brief because of my business elsewhere.
1) if we understand TO BE ALONE WITH YOU rewrite, we will come close to understanding all his prayer songs and a bit of the man himself…because artist do put on personas and masques to convey a story..and Mr Dylan is a myth maker but that doesn’t mean the essence of his persona and myth making aren’t absolutely true. The most revealing line is ‘my heart is finally speaking with my mouth’…Thoreau a favorite of mine has a line that I have been musing on for some 55 years said “i would have been the poem I would have writ, but I could not live and utter.’ In Mr. Dylans ROUGH AND ROWDY…he says “he is sick of chasing lies..think it is I’VE MADE UP MY MIND TO GIVE MYSELF TO YOU’..this is a promising statement for a lover of Jesus and a man to make…the beginning of a real Jesus lover, man, and prayer song poet? The in QUEEN JANE he recites after appreciating all these marvelous creations along with some creative errors…’when all your advisers start to resent you’ and ‘you want someone you don’t have to speak to’ and you need someone now to protect you, won’t you let me protect you Queen Jane?’ Sounds a little like the line in MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE ‘when the whole world is on your case, I could offer you a warm embrace’ Also in an interesting rewrite during a live performance, Mr. Robert Allen Dylan rewrote the last few lines of this legendary British ballad Barbara Allen. The emphasis of the song is always on Barbara Allen’s cold unloving unfeeling heart; however it is also clear when the gentleman toasts the other ladies in the pub that he has a wandering heart and set of eyes. But Barbara is always seen as the wicked one. The surprising and humble rewording comes at the end when they are buried along each other in their graves. The original lyric says ..a thorned rose vine came out of Barbara Allen’s heart, but Mr Dylan changes it to coming out of the man’s heart instead so the line reads and I hope I can paraphrase accurately—the thorny rose vine grew from his heart not hers and then a vine from her heart twirled around his prickly vine from whence grew a rose of eternity thank you
Lani from Baltimore

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Lani Makholm27-10-2021 15:43

Beste Kees,

Ja! Ook ik ben een liefhebber van Bob Dylan.
Ken jij literair tijdschrift LITER? Volgens mij wel iets voor jou...

Groet,
Steven

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Steven van der Gaauw11-10-2021 14:48

Hi Kees, appreciate your articles.

While listening to https://bobdylan.veeps.com/ on July 18, the (re-)wording of 'To be alone with you' was remarkable, to say the least, just thought I'd share it:

To be alone with you, just you and I
Under the moon, 'neath the star-spangled sky
I know you're alive, and I am too
My one desire is to be alone with you

To be alone with you, even for just an hour
In a castle high, in an ivory tower
Some people don't get it, they just don't have a clue
They wouldn't know what it's like to be alone with you

They say the night time is the right time to hold each other tight
All our wordly cares will disappear, and everything will come out right

I wish the night was here, make me scream and shout
I'd fall into your arms, I'll let it all hang out
I'll hound you to death, that's just what I'll do
I won't sleep a wink 'till I'm alone with you

I'm collecting my thoughts in a pattern, move it from place to place
Stepping out in the dark night, stepping into space

Oh what happened to me darling, what was it you saw
Did I kill somebody, did I escape the law

Got my heart in my mouth, my eyes are still blue
My mortal bliss is to be alone with you
My mortal bliss is to be alone with you

Regards,
Kees

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Kees19-08-2021 19:44

“I haven’t been talking at all, if talking means speaking to others. I’ve been speaking only to
myself in my songs, my way of walking through this life”. A Dylan song is therefore best
understood as an artistic rendering of an extremely intimate self-conversation”. I liked your comments on the song AIN'T TALKING, and this last comment..I agree each song is an extremely intimate self-conversation, but as he said in STREET LEGAL, an unheralded beauty of prayers, JOURNEY THROUGH FALSE HEAT.."I fought with my twin, that enemy within, 'til both of us fell by the way...then I fought (a bit of self-pity here) with your Boss, who never knew about loss"

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lani makholm11-05-2021 14:03

Wow!! Very insightful & very well written... Geweldig! God bless you xx

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Chloe Vierin16-12-2020 01:45

dag Kees,

je site met daarin ondermeer Dylan exegese ervaar ik als inspirerend.
ben daarnaast ook luisteraar van de VPRO Bobcast, en eerlijk gezegd hoop ik je in toekomstige aflevering te kunnen beluisteren.

daarnaast valt er natuurlijk op songs van zijn laatstverschenen Rough and Rowdy Ways weer heel wat exegese los te laten, en zie die met belangstelling tegemoet.

vriendeijke groet

Henk Demper

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Henk Demper30-11-2020 11:05

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