Re: Newport '64 Mr Tambourine Man clip


Dylanstubs wrote:
> Wilbur Slice wrote:
> > On 30 Sep 2005 09:29:36 -0700, "maxenglish"
> > <englishness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > >Does anyone else see this clip as revealing on many fronts?
> > >
> > >It's as if one can actually see the turning point where Dylan begins
> > >losing his mind and composure in the face of fame, if just momentarily
> > >- during the daytime 'Mr. Tambourine Man' at Newport.
> > >
> > >He's still got that angel face thing he copped off of Joan Baez, where
> > >he's hamming it up a little. Yet, at the same time, he's realizing
> > >that there's all these people - thousands - paying attention to every
> > >single nuance that he's giving them, and it's becoming scary. The
> > >spotlight is on everyone, yet everyone is staring at him, and he feels
> > >alone in this crowded space.
> > >
> > >The happy-go-luckiness begins to look uncomfortable. He doesn't know
> > >whether to run or to keep singing, and you'll notice that rather than
> > >blow a long outro on the harmonica, he ends the song as fast as he can,
> > >and splits!
> >
> >
> > Well, I don't know. I think you may be reading a little too much into
> > it. Like you mentioned: "there's all these people - thousands -
> > paying attention to every single nuance that he's giving them, and
> > it's becoming scary." And here you are analyzing those very nuances
> > from that very performance.
> >
> > But I must admit, I did notice something in that performance, and you
> > could be right. I don't know exactly what it is, and I don't know if
> > I'd put it the way you did, but yeah, there does seem to be something
> > going on in Bob's head during that song.
>
> He's looking at the folkie protest types looking at him singing about
> disappearing through the smoke rings of his mind and thinking "They
> don't know what the *** I'm talking about."

Yeah, and they're thinking "He's losing touch with what's important.
Something is terribly wrong with this".

For me, the look on his face in the station wagon - when the two girls
hid underneath the tarp - and they are completely surrounded by fans,
tells a similar story. There's a long shot of him without his glasses
on and you almost see the realization sinking into him that he was
about to climb to the top of the world.

.

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