[lit-ideas] Re: " 'Cross The Green Mountain" as a 'po-um'

From: Donal McEvoy <donalmcevoyuk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:38:05 +0000 (GMT)

--- On Fri, 19/6/09, Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> JL:
> >>My mother only taught me little
> nursery rhymes, like 
> "Mary Had A Little Lamb", etc. -- What's
> worse, she PLAYED that long-playing 
> record to me, as she would go out.<<
>  
> Which long-playing record was
> that?  "The Ring 
> Cycle"?  Explains a lot.

_Something_ has _a lot_ of explaining to do. And probably of that ilk.

Onwards..

> Donal inquires after my reaction
> to "Cross The Green 
> Mountain" by Bob Dylan.   

Glad you reacted. One reason I wrote it out was that I think it is one of his 
lyrics that would obviously work as a poem - perhaps Eric can comment -as well 
as being one of his recent songs that may be his best song. (Many of his 
lyrics, despite their poetic qualities, work as lyrics and not so well as 
stand-alone-on-the-page poems, but then they are not so designed).

> "Love and
> Theft" is still my favorite 
> album of his -- I think.  Hard to choose.  

It is really amazing that Dylan is producing work now that may equal or surpass 
his earlier work (my personal favourites have usually been '61' and 'Blonde' 
btw). On this note I recently acquired the 'Tell Tale Signs' album (vol.8 of 
the Bootleg Series) in the single disc version, suspecting that it would be 
some kind of knock-off of lesser cuts from a lesser period (hence only the 
single-disc for me). Unfortunately it is so good I am feeling myself compelled 
to now buy the two-disc version (the three-disc is still that ridiculously 
priced $150 item that has Amazon customers in an uproar). Allow me to sell it.

Its version of 'Mississippi' arguably better than the 'L&T' version, and 
certainly bringing something different - and this is typical of other versions: 
the version of 'Someday Baby' is definitely superior to the 'Modern Times' 
version (imo). It also contains one of Dylan's best blues 'Marchin' To The 
City' and the brilliant and essential and deeply moving 'Girl From The Red 
River Shore' (parting shot: "Sometimes I think nobody saw me here at all/ 'Cept 
the girl from the Red River shore"). In fact, the whole thing is very moving - 
that would be the key word for me. The backing is pared-down compared with the 
recent official studio releases and Dylan's voice is close-miked so you can 
more clearly hear what a wonderfully rich and subtle instrument it still is (I 
mean, Dylan once compared himself to Caruso and I think he is a great singer in 
that class even though comparing him to Pavorotti is a bit like comparing the 
electric guitar/harmonica to the
 cello). In other words, it arguably surpasses all his recent great work 
starting with "TimeOOMind". 

Pitch over. My question to the poets and literateurs is does " ' Cross.." work 
as a stand-alone poem? (And what other works of his do and don't?)

Donal 
Not having written out that fkg long lyric for nothing I hope
Ldn



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[lit-ideas] Re: " 'Cross The Green Mountain" as a 'po-um'

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