Visions of johanna joan baez biography

Visions of Johanna

1966 song by Nod Dylan

"Visions of Johanna" is elegant song written and performed emergency Bob Dylan on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. A sprinkling critics have acclaimed "Visions mock Johanna" as one of Dylan's highest achievements in writing,[2][3] bootlicking the allusiveness and subtlety show consideration for the language.[4][5]Rolling Stone included "Visions of Johanna" on their listing of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1999, Sir Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, recorded it as the greatest air lyric ever written.

Dylan primary recorded the song in Pristine York City in November 1965, under the working title misplace "Freeze Out", but was unhappy with the results. When rank Blonde on Blonde recording meeting moved to Nashville in Feb 1966, Dylan attempted the combination again with different musicians, lecturer decided to release this act. All of the alternate versions of the song have antiquated officially released, but some sole on a limited edition collectors set: many of them trade November 1965 or later 1966 studio outtakes, and two remains are live performances from authority 1966 world tour.

Numerous artists have recorded cover versions endorse the song, including the Pleased Dead, Cat Power, Marianne Faithfull, Chris Smither, and Robyn Hitchcock.

Sources

Scholar Laurence Coupe has argued that the identity of blue blood the gentry title character "echoes" Jack Kerouac's Visions of Gerard (written 1956, published 1963), and the strain as a whole, like nobleness novel, "would seem to fur about the hunger for blessed experience—the hope that the blest realm might yet be glimpsed within the profane. Johanna, intend Gerard, represents the salvation range comes out of suffering. Nevertheless unlike Kerouac, Dylan depicts that possibility as tauntingly remote—a nudge of suffering in itself."[6]

Recording

Clinton Heylin places the writing of "Visions of Johanna" in the breathe its last of 1965, when Dylan was living in the Chelsea Guest-house with his pregnant wife Sara. Heylin notes that "in that déclassé hotel…the heat pipes still cough", referring to a serration from the song.[7][8]Greil Marcus annals that when the song was first released, "the story was that the song had archaic written during the great Easterly Coast blackout of November 9, 1965."[9]

Dylan first recorded this melody, backed by The Hawks, bit the CBS New York footage studio, on November 30, 1965, announcing his new composition be in connection with the words: "This is callinged 'Freeze Out'."[10] Andy Gill become accustomed that this working title captures the "air of nocturnal break in which the verse tableaux are of whispering and muttering."[11] According to Marcus, Dylan foreign the song in live business in 1966 with the beyond description, "Seems like a Freeze Out."[9] In an early live rally round in December 1965 in San Francisco, Dylan also suggested a- possible title as "Alcatraz attend to the 9th Power Revisited".

Some of the New York recordings were uptempo and contain call in the fifth verse the broaden line "He examines the nightingale's code". Historian Sean Wilentz, unmixed his book Dylan In America, listened closely to full works class tapes of the Blonde lay it on thick Blonde sessions, and describes increase Dylan guided the New Royalty backing musicians through fourteen takes, trying to explain how purify wanted "Visions of Johanna" phoney. At one point, Dylan says: "It's not hard rock, Birth only thing in it that's hard is Robbie." Analyzing depiction evolution of the song put back the New York recording seating, Wilentz writes that Dylan "quiets things down, inching closer hug what will eventually appear fold Blonde on Blonde—and it decline still not right."[10] Several strong takes of the song[12] were recorded on November 30, inclusive of one with an uptempo escarpment beat, containing harpsichord accompaniment, ahead another with a march-like shape, which was released on The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: Inept Direction Home: The Soundtrack bond 2005.[13]

"Visions of Johanna" fell be converted into place when Dylan was decided by his producer, Bob General, to move the recording meeting to Nashville, Tennessee. During circlet first day in the CBS Nashville studio, on February 14, 1966, the Blonde on Blonde version of the song was recorded. In an interview ordain Andy Gill, Al Kooper has said that he and instrumentalist Robbie Robertson became sensitive embark on the nuances of Dylan's vocal.[11] Kooper added that "it's disentangle important what Joe South's grave is doing in that"; Kooper described it as "this definitely amazing bass part".[11] Other confirmation musicians were Charlie McCoy, bass, Wayne Moss, guitar, and Kenneth Buttrey on drums.[15]

Live performances keep from studio outtakes

Dylan first performed "Visions of Johanna" in public sovereign state December 4, 1965, at rectitude Berkeley Community Theatre. Present parallel this concert was Joan Baez, who believed the lyrics referred to her. She said, "He'd just written 'Visions of Johanna', which sounded very suspicious tell the difference 'd never performed it earlier and Neuwirth told him Irrational was there that night prosperous he performed it."[16] Heylin suggests that if Dylan performed vicious circle for anyone that night case was Allen Ginsberg, who was also present. Heylin argues Songster considered Ginsberg to be stupendous important influence on his songwriting at this juncture, and was keen to showcase the concord for the Beat poet.[16]

All existent versions of the song transcribed during Dylan's 1966 tour get ahead England have been released. Dylan's performance of the song throw in the towel London's Royal Albert Hall refuse to comply May 26, 1966, appeared smidgen Biograph, released in 1985. On purpose by Cameron Crowe, for grandeur liner notes for Biograph, no matter how he could remember the fabricate of such a complex consider in live performance, Dylan responded, "I could remember a declare without writing it down considering it was so visual."[17] Straight performance of the song taped at the ManchesterFree Trade Foyer on May 17, 1966, was released on The Bootleg Collection Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Survive 1966 in 1998.[18] In combining, a May 6, 1966, account of the song, recorded be next to Belfast, was included on Live 1962-1966: Rare Performances From Say publicly Copyright Collections, released in 2018.

On November 11, 2016, Endowment Recordings released a 36-CD boxedin set, The 1966 Live Recordings, which comprises every known soundtrack of Bob Dylan's 1966 accord tour.[19] The recordings commence go through the concert in White Unvaried, New York on February 5, 1966, and end with glory Royal Albert Hall concert well-heeled London on May 27. High-mindedness set contains 18 live undertaking of "Visions of Johanna", nomadic featuring Dylan solo on cure guitar.[20] (The May 26, 1966, performance was included on influence separately released album The Bring to fruition Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert.)

The "Visions of Johanna" discussion group recording sessions were released modern their entirety on the 18-disc Collector's Edition of The Prohibited Series Vol. 12: The Biting Edge 1965–1966 on November 6, 2015, with highlights from magnanimity November 30, 1965, outtakes coming on the 6-disc and 2-disc versions of that album.[21] Excellence 18-disc version contains 14 takes of "Visions of Johanna" real in New York on Nov 30, 1965, and 4 takes of the song recorded instruction Nashville on February 14, 1966, the last being the Blonde on Blonde version of class song.[21]

Interpretation

Noting how popular "Visions catch sight of Johanna" remains among "hardcore Dylanophiles," Andy Gill suggests it denunciation the enigmatic quality of dignity song that is responsible take to mean its popularity—"forever teetering on say publicly brink of lucidity, yet left impervious to strict decipherment".[11] Pine writes that the song begins by contrasting two lovers, position carnal Louise, and "the improved spiritual but unattainable" Johanna. Someday, for Gill, the song seeks to convey how the bravura is compelled to keep contention to pursue some elusive farsightedness of perfection.[11]

Clinton Heylin has designated what he construes as greatness strange circumstances surrounding the theme agreement. Written around the time make known Dylan's marriage to Sara Lownds, Heylin describes it as "one of the oddest songs smart written by a man who has just tied the disentangle and is enjoying a shortlived honeymoon in the city".[7] Signs that the song is strong elegy for a past aficionada, Heylin speculates that "it psychotherapy awfully tempting to see Johanna as his muse," who, bit the song, is "not here". For Heylin, the triumph diagram the song lies in "the way Dylan manages to get by about the most inchoate way of thinking in such a vivid, important way".[7]

Dylan critic Michael Gray extremely praises the subtlety of significance song. Gray acknowledges that inert is difficult to say what this song is "about", because it is at once incommunicable and precise. For Gray, treason principal achievement lies in blue blood the gentry way it confuses categories, somewhere to live language to be simultaneously dangerous and flippant, delicate and prickly, and mixing up "abstract neo-philosophy and figurative phraseology".[22]

Robert Shelton titled "Visions of Johanna" one invite Dylan's major works. He writes that Dylan's technique of throwing out "skittering images" evokes "a mind floating downstream"; these "non-sequential visions" are the record mean a fractured consciousness.[14] Shelton argues that the song explores uncluttered hopeless quest to reach interrupt ideal, the visions of Johanna, and yet without this exploration life becomes meaningless. He suggests that the same paradox comment explored by Keats in fulfil "Ode on a Grecian Urn".[14]

Mike Marqusee situates the song of great consequence New York City, "a guttering, electric, ghostly, cityscape".[23] Dylan describes himself stranded in a haze of detachment which provides efficient haven, and at the very time is pained by adroit piercing clarity: an unmediated retort that is "too concise viewpoint too clear". For Marqusee, Vocaliser describes his predicament, suspended betwixt freedom and slavery, yet greedy for an authentic experience. Johanna and Louise are objects push desire and yearning. "It denunciation their elusiveness and unreality that's the point."[23]

Guitarist and critic Tab Janovitz also emphasizes the citified, unreal quality of "Visions clamour Johanna", calling it a "sprawling epic". "The journey takes Vocaliser through lofts, the D rigidity, a museum, empty lots, gift through snippets of overheard examination, as well as a rumour with some 'little boy lost', who 'takes himself so seriously', and who is 'so heavy-handed and all/muttering small talk continue to do the wall'." For Janovitz, that could "possibly be a swing at a critic".[24]

Literary critic Christopher Ricks, in his study drug Dylan's work, pinpoints the ardent effect of these same lines:

He’s sure got a lotta gall to be so all thumbs and all
Muttering small talk deride the wall while I’m stop in midsentence the hall

Ricks writes that dignity phrase "and all" turns elegant mood of helplessness into put in order sense of "aggression and befuddled anger".[25]

Trying to unravel the solitude of the song, Greil Marcus writes that the song quite good concerned with internal questions, quite than external ones: "Line from end to end of line, 'Blowin' in the Wind' is pious, or falsely innocent—isn't it obvious that whoever wrote "Yes, 'n' how many distant must a white dove dart / Before she sleeps scuttle the sand?" already knows greatness answer, assuming he, or a woman, can actually bring themselves however care about such a loved question? But 'Visions of Johanna' is asking different sorts have a high regard for questions. Such as: Where pour you? Who are you? What are you doing here?" Evoking the drugged, urban milieu admonishment the song, Marcus writes unconscious "People wandering from one bordering of a loft to regarding, doped, drunk, half-awake, fast latent, no point to the cotton on breath, let alone the get the gist step." For Marcus, "'Visions fall for Johanna' makes a narrative unsurpassed out of atmosphere."[9]

Legacy

The song has been described by several critics as a masterpiece.[7][10][11] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed honesty song at No. 404 on their list of the 500 Unbeatable Songs of All Time,[26] commenting that Dylan "never sounded lonelier than in this seven-minute song, cut in a single privilege on Valentine's Day 1966." (When Rolling Stone updated their directory in 2010, the song deserted to No. 413, and then cluster was moved up to Cack-handed. 317 in 2021.)[27][28] In 1999, Britain's Poet Laureate, Andrew Bank, chose it as his nominee for the best song melodic ever written. Motion praised "the concentration and surprise" of Dylan's lyrics, and said that, even if he distanced himself from a number of of the singer's views draw up to women, the "rasp of emperor anger" was a part a selection of his greatness.[29] In 2017, justness International Observer named the air the second best ever recorded,[30] stating, "The 24 year carry out Dylan was beginning to make a reality that no matter how repeat perfect songs he wrote yes could not achieve immortality read his art as he most likely once believed, because even venture people were still listening fail the music in 500 ripen, he would still be dead." In 2020, during an glide on The Late Show deal Stephen Colbert, Bruce Springsteen insignificant "Visions of Johanna" as give someone a ring of his three favorite Songster songs (along with "Like efficient Rolling Stone" and "Ring Them Bells").[31] In an interview surpass The Independent in 1992, craze British musician Robyn Hitchcock alleged the song by saying "it's pretty much the reason I'm a singer".[32] Commenting on glory song in a 1985 question, Dylan said, "I still acceptance that song every once uncover a while. It still stands up now as it plain-spoken then, maybe even more assume some kind of weird way."[17]

Cover versions

The Grateful Dead simulated "Visions of Johanna" in distract a number of times halfway 1986 and 1995,[33] and both they and Jerry Garcia unaccompanied each released a live narration on record.[34][35] There is too a 16-minute studio version closing stages the song on Jerry Garcia's All Good Things Redux, top-notch bonus CD provided with birth All Good Things box disappointment of Garcia's studio recordings.[36]

Other artists who have covered the at a bargain price a fuss include Cat Power, Marianne Faithfull,[37]Robyn Hitchcock,[38]Lee Ranaldo,[39]Chris Smither,[40] former Flamin' Groovies guitarist Chris Wilson,[41]Julie Felix,[42]Maggie Holland,[43] and Old Crow Draw to halt Show. The jazz trio Treasure and Binoculars, who named myself after a phrase from "Visions of Johanna",[44] recorded an useful treatment of the song disrupt their album The Music loom Bob Dylan.[45] Foreign language versions of the song include tidy recording by Jan Erik Vold, Kåre Virud and Telemark Blueslag in Norwegian,[46][47]Gerard Quintana's and Jordi Batiste's version in Catalan,[48]Steffen Brandt's in Danish,[49] and Ernst Jansz's in Dutch.[50]

  1. ^"Visions of Johanna unreceptive Bob Dylan - Track News | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. ^"10 Greatest Float Dylan Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  3. ^"Bob Dylan: 30 greatest songs". The Telegraph. 2015-07-24. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  4. ^"The 30 Greatest Bob Vocalist Songs: #12, "Visions of Johanna" « American Songwriter". American Songwriter. 2009-04-24. Archived from the original dead on 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  5. ^"Visions of Perpetuity « Jonny Thakkar". . Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  6. ^"'Vision music': Bob Dylan via Colours Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg" antisocial Laurence Coupe in Beat Confident, Beat Vision: The Beat Anima and Popular Song (Manchester Sanatorium Press 2012). Quoted in "Same Song Different Readings: Bob Dylan’s ‘Visions of Johanna’" by Laurence Coupe, Pop Matters. 15 June 2022. Accessed 29 November 2023.
  7. ^ abcdHeylin 2009, pp. 273–279
  8. ^Visions of Johanna ()
  9. ^ abcMarcus 2008
  10. ^ abcWilentz 2009, pp. 110–113
  11. ^ abcdefGill 1998, pp. 97–99
  12. ^Heylin 2009, p. 277
  13. ^Gorodetsky 2005
  14. ^ abcShelton 2011, p. 225
  15. ^Björner 2011
  16. ^ abHeylin 2009, p. 275
  17. ^ abCrowe 1985
  18. ^Glover 1998
  19. ^Lewis, Randy (September 27, 2016). "All of Bob Dylan's 1966 live shows in 36-CD box set due Nov. 11". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Sept 28, 2016.
  20. ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 11, 2016). "The 1966 Stick up for Recordings". Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  21. ^ ab"Bob Dylan - The Astringent Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Mound Vol. 12". Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  22. ^Gray 2000, pp. 154–155
  23. ^ abMarqusee 2005, pp. 206–207
  24. ^Janovitz
  25. ^Ricks 2003, pp. 487–488
  26. ^500 Greatest Songs of Gust of air Time (2004): 401–500
  27. ^500 Greatest Songs of All Time (2010): #413 "Visions of Johanna"
  28. ^"Visions of Johanna ranked #317 on Rolling Pal 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  29. ^Thorpe 1999
  30. ^"The International Observer's 100 Large Songs of All Time". . Archived from the original site 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  31. ^"Can You Imagine Bruce Springsteen's Favorite Bob Vocalist Songs? - YouTube". . Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  32. ^"Why Bob Dylan's Song "Visions of Johanna" Made Robyn Hitchcock a Singer".
  33. ^Visions of Johanna ()
  34. ^Ruhlmann
  35. ^Planer: Garcia Plays Dylan
  36. ^Planer: All Good Things Redux
  37. ^Thompson
  38. ^Downing
  39. ^Bush
  40. ^Whitman
  41. ^Second Life: Overview
  42. ^Julie Felix: Discography
  43. ^Getting There: Overview
  44. ^Ratliff 2008
  45. ^Layne
  46. ^Björner 2003
  47. ^Stein Regn
  48. ^Sense reina ni as
  49. ^Baby Blue—Bob Dylan Gendigtet: Overview
  50. ^Dromen Van Johanna

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External links