Beck once named his favorite Bob Dylan song
(Source: Far Out/Tidal)
Early in his career, Beck was fortunate enough to receive a glowing endorsement from Bob Dylan, who called him a “young man with an incredible future.” Capitalizing on his fascination with the songwriter-troubadour, Beck also became a musician who defied easy categorization, even paying tribute to the legendary wordsmith on his coveted album. Odelay.
The deep admiration was palpable on both sides, as Dylan said in 1996 during the recording of Time out of the ghostDylan had recently heard Odelay and was so inspired by it that he asked his studio colleagues if they had heard it and what they thought of it. According to his sound engineer Mark Howard, the musician then allegedly said: “I want to make a record the way he makes records.”
The resulting Time out of mind was one of Dylan’s best records, although it was self-consciously and obviously a clear departure from his sound, which suddenly seemed much more atmospheric and moody than his previous releases. Unlike many records of this period, Time out of mind took traditional styles and presented them with a raw, atmospheric texture and a traditional vintage sound.
Although many liked this new sound, Beck was always drawn to Dylan’s earlier material, especially his Nashville recordings, including the 1969 masterpiece. Nashville skyline“These are the ones that really touched me because I was so into country music when I was younger and heard these records for the first time,” said the singer Mojo.
Although he likes many of the music legend’s songs, the song “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You” tops his list. It is the closer of the album and the third song to be released as a single after “I Threw It All Away” and “Lay Lady Lay.” Unlike his previous love songs, “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You” seems to celebrate love and romance in a more optimistic way.
For Beck, that was what made the song even more endearing. He put it this way: “I always liked his kind of casual love songs.”
He added: “For someone as big as him, who writes these great, cinematic songs like ‘Visions Of Johanna’ that take you into a strange world, to just bang out a beautiful little melody… that’s a side of Dylan that I’ve always really appreciated.”
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You” is its simplicity. Dylan has written complex lyrics countless times before. Yet this song is so straightforward in both the musical arrangements and the vocals that it seems almost impossible not to question it. When you let it be, however, that’s when it really shines.
Related topics
Chris Sutton on the Celtic deal that needs to be completed
Orioles win a classic pitcher duel and take the series opener in Seattle with 2:0
Emerging market leader: Chris Rose – 47abc
About The Author
