All You Need Is Love: December 2016

Hello, my dear friends.

This is such a hectic time of year for so many. Holiday parties, dinners, family time, work obligations, decorating the house, gift buying, and the list goes on. In the midst of all the things this wonderful season brings, I wanted to take a minute to share some iconic music with you that I hope will give you an opportunity to slow things down a little, breathe a little slower, and just listen quietly.

Today I will be showcasing one of my all time favorite songs by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan ( born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American songwriter, singer, and artist. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when his songs chronicled social unrest. Early songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin' " became anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving behind his initial base in the American Folk music revival, his six-minute single 'Like a Rolling Stone', recorded in 1965, enlarged the range of popular music.

Dylan was born in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota. I don't know why but I alway picture these history-making musicians being born in some hippie commune with their mom and dad dancing around the fire on the beach somewhere. He moved to New York in 1960 and began playing clubs in Greenwich Village. He became well-known for his songwriting talents and many others had hits with Dylan's songs in the early 1960s including The Byrds, Sonny and Cher, the Hollies, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Turtles, and the Association.

Here's a little known fact: In the late 1970s, Dylan became a born again Christian and released two albums of contemporary gospel music featuring the guitar accompaniment of Mark Knopler (of Dire Straits) and was produced by veteran R&B producer Jerry Wexler. Wexler said that Dylan had tried to evangelize him during the recording. He replied: "Bob, you're dealing with a 62-year-old Jewish atheist. Let's just make an album."

So, here's the original recording made on a 45 RPM record. You can hear a little of the 'crackling' at the beginning of the song that I think is pretty cool. Enjoy.