Posted by sar on February 28, 2002, at 16:51:23
In reply to Sar - What's with the cowboy hat?, posted by mair on February 28, 2002, at 7:12:11
> Sar
>
> I watched the Grammys last night with my 14 year old daughter who was very grossed out by Bob Dylan. (Unfortunately, the boy bands are more her speed these days) I have to say that I was disappointed. The lyrics were pretty unintelligible (poorly articulated) and the cowboy hats were distracting. Do you suppose this is the Austin influence? Did he do any of his old stuff in the concert you went to?
>
> MairMair,
i would imagine that the pretty-boy popstars are more your daughter's speed right now--poor you! for a good 5-6 years we were without boybands and then wham, your daughter becomes a teenager. (they do have a certain amount of humor, though--check out the sexual innuendoes in the dance movements that the teens probably only catch subliminally...team fulla boys up there pumping their crotches at each other...and your daughter was bothered by Bob??? :) (i didn't like Bob until about a year or two ago.)
the cowboy hat, i think, is part of this trend that's been going on for a couple of years but is just now gittin really big in rockerville...have you seen Madonna in her little cowboy shirts and cowboy hats with oldstyle jeans? or Justin Timberlake (ask your daughter) in his bent old cowboy hat? i think that in Bob's case (this is just my guess) that his fancy cowboy look is not only in keeping with the times, but also a nod to his country contemporaries (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson--all the folks who've known that country really is cool, except when bastardized by popsters).
in Austin no one really wears cowboy hats, except maybe silly sorority girls who wear leopard print ones, or real cowboys, real old-style texans. i've been trotting about all day and everyone is wearing wool beanies, peacoats, and polarfleece.
Bob hasn't aged well and now headlines as "Bob Dylan and His Band"--no longer a singular folksy act. from what i know, he holds court alternating white wine with Guinness (only a very steel-tummied practiced drinker could pull that off) and smoked or still smokes rather heavily...aside from that, he went through an extremely debilitating depression.
i happened to be in the third row though, and could see his happy shyly smug little face and skinny legs...most of what he performed was from *Love and Theft* (his new album), but he also did "Blowin' in the Wind" ; "Lay Lady Lay" ; and "Like a Rollin Stone"...only they sounded different...rockier, with almost a country twang, and then the band backing him...
to be absolutely honest, i would have preferred to see him 30+ years ago, babyfaced and clear-voiced, no band--but i'll never get the image of his face out of my head! his eyes twinkle...
which Bob Dylan/Janis/Doors songs do you like?
poster:sar
thread:18920
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020223/msgs/19024.html