Theme Time Radio with Bob Dylan
Last week, in my discussion of Bob Dylan’s new album Together Through Life I mentioned that the deluxe edition contained an episode of his satellite radio program Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan. I’ve heard great things about the program and have always wanted to listen, but not being a satellite radio subscriber I never had the chance. In the days that have passed since I wrote that last Dylan entry, this disc hasn’t left my living room stereo as it’s the single best radio program I’ve ever heard. Don’t believe me? Listen to a sample here.
The gist of the show is that it’s Dylan sitting in front of a microphone talking about the music he loves and playing tunes from every era and genre of recorded music. Listening to his last few albums, you might expect to just hear old tunes from Dylan’s childhood; country and western standards, folk hits from the era, etc. And while those types of tracks are certainly present, the mix is far more eclectic. On the disc included with Together Through Life, the theme is “Friends & Neighbors”. On this particular episode, Dylan plays tunes by The Rolling Stones, T Bone Burnett, War, and Hank Williams. Each of the tracks, as the title suggests, has a message about being a friend or neighbor. Why Can’t We Be Friends by War, You’ve Got a Friend by Carole King, or Howdy Neighbor by Porter Wagoner & The Wagon Masters. In other episodes, Dylan has played music from artists as varied as Sammy Davis Jr., They Might Be Giants, and Public Enemy. If you’d like to see a full list of episodes, complete with track listings and lyrics, check out this site.
And Bob makes a great host, his gravelly voice cheerfully introducing the next track, discussing the theme, or throwing out a quote from Aristotle. It’s a rare look into his personality, something that he seems to work hard to hide from the outside world. Hell, in concert he barely speaks more than ten words to the audience. And I know; I’ve seen him live seven times.
It’s a shame that only Sirius/XM subscribers are the only ones who get to hear these shows and this one sample has made me extremely jealous. Perhaps one day we’ll get a compilation boxed set, though I suspect getting the rights to release all those tunes would be a major chore. But in the meantime, if you’re planning on picking up Together Through Life, spend the extra couple bucks for the bonus disc. It’ll be well worth the cash.
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Tags: bob dylan, satellite radio, theme time radio, together through life
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