Lee Ranaldo on Bob Dylan
 

No idea if this has been posted before:



Maggie's Farm
intervista
LEE RANALDO
a cura di Michele Salimbeni e Michele Murino
English version
(per la versione in italiano vai più giù in questa pagina)





On Bob Dylan
Maggie's Farm: Which is the importance of Bob Dylan in your life and your work?
Lee Ranaldo: His importance is too great to list! On every aspect of (my) life, he has had an influence. The privy to his vision. The font of his creativity (he’s rock’s Picasso). In so many ways opening the eyes to poetry as much if not more than half the stuff books in high school.
MF: In which period of your life you discovered his music? And in which way?
LR: I knew his music since it came on AM radio—I was 10 years old in 1966. But what really grabbed me was Carlos’ cassette of BIOGRAPH in about 1986 touring Holland. Visions of Johanna. I could not stop listening to that version of that song---acoustic sets of 1966 post DON’T LOOK BACK. How pure this vision in those songs, and Johanna in particular---it has never left my head since those days. His unreleased material is what really opened me up to Dylan, and still some of the most fun to listen to. The Complete Basement Tapes---they should issue that!
MF: Recently, for the magazine "Uncut", you choose "Visions of Johanna" as song that changed the world. Is this your favourite song?
LR: That song was recorded ages ago, for Imaginary Records in UK. Robert Quine amazing on gtr, Watt on bass, Steve Shelley on drums, Anthony Coleman on kybds---so much fun. Watt corrected the chord progression. Quine winged it as only he can. I love that song---and even on that recording, I was doing the ‘live’ version, cut w The Band, unreleased…
MF: Another song that you sung is "Mama you been on my mind" (Outlaw Blues: A tribute to Bob Dylan, 1992). It's a very particular choice. Why this song?
LR: I loved the poetry in this one. Again, unreleased.
MF: What is your favourite Dylan's album? And what is the first Dylan's concert that you have seen? Can you talk about it?
LR: This is impossible but "Desire" is close to my heart. First concert was Street Legal period. Rhinestone suits. I enjoyed it, but it was before I really ‘got’ Dylan.
MF: Did you ever met him?
LR: Sat side of stage Glastonbury for his set following SY’s, we made eye contact, I think he said “how ya doin?’ perhaps. No, never have and I don’t think I would know what to say to him. But I’d love to produce an acoustic record with him!
MF: Is Sonic Youth's music influenced by Dylan's art?
LR: I would say yes. I know Kim is fan, or was once. I would say ‘yes’ in that he has influenced
everything in rock, in one way or another.
MF: Did you have seen some concert of the recent Usa Tour? We saw Dylan in Rome and he played the piano during all the show. This last tour was very powerful and his voice was perfect. What do you think?
LR: Same thing. I saw a piano show recently, very good. The problem with a Dylan show is that you want so many songs out of him, and the nightly set lists are finite… His voice is still a bit rough for me---I think if he played less shows he could sing better… But he likes to play and you gotta respect that.
MF: What do you think about Dylan as guitarist?
LR: I think he’s great---on record especially. I’m not much of a mind to listen to solos from most anybody these days… But his chording (yeah and the leads) and harmony sense are impeccable…
MF: If you had to explain to the teenager what is the importance of Bob Dylan in the history of the '900, which arguments that you'll use?
LR: I would use The Ears and the pictures.

On Writing
MF: You are also a writer. You published several books. Can you tell us something about your writing?
LR: I write sprung out of my head, when I can, with whatever focus I can give to it. Sometimes comes
easier. I find the computer makes me write less, as I’m always typing anyway. So I write things like
this.
MF: You write a book dedicated to your journey in Morocco. What is your feeling for this land? Can you tell us something more about this book?
LR: Book is Moroccan Journal. The full edition will be text and photos both by myself and Leah Singer my wife. Lots of great pictures, and texts from each of our viewpoints. Travel to Jajouka, Tanger, Fes, Marrakech…. Only a small excerpt has been published as little book. I’d like to see the whole published but I’m afraid I’m lazy to finalize it.
MF: What are your favourite writers?
LR: Eartha Kit and Doc Watson.

MF: You published "Jnrls80s" a poetry book with photos of Leah Singer. Can you talk about? Is it possible your books in Europe?
LR: SoftSkull Press.com---published "Jrnls80s" and "Road Movies"----2 of them. RM is now available in Spanish, and Jrlns80s soon in Portugese…. RM is first book, poems, road-eyes. Jnrls80s same thing but more diaristic writing from the 1980s and the first decade of SY (tangentially).
MF: What's your relationship with theatre (art of theatre)? LR: I love the theatre but don’t get to see much of it.

Lee Ranaldo (left) and the others members of Sonic Youth




On Music
MF: Recently Sonic Youth's "Dirty" (a masterpiece) was released in a deluxe version. Can you tell us something?
LR: Expanded edition. Better sound. More words and pictures.
MF: Can you tell us something about The Monsoon's project?
LR. It’s on Atavistic records. Roger Miller (Mission of Burma), William Hooker and me. Improvisation. Very good recording. Also out now is “New Life After Fire (for Tom Thomson)”, duo set with Dave Dyment on electronics---dedicated to Canadian turn of century (1910) landscape painter…
MF: We've read around that "Nyc ghosts and flowers" and "Murray street" belong to a trilogy "about the cultural history of lower Manhattan"...
LR: There is no trilogy---it was a joke---although all our recs are informed by nyc as some of us still live here and all of us are greatly enamoured and tied to this place. Lee Ranaldo
Dec 2003
NYC

Good stuff, Porky. Fanks mate.

Not the greatest interview,though,and the translation isnt great either.Iwas reading a review of Moore's book 'Alabama Wildman'.I need to get that.

has nayone read his book Jrnls80s ? I know it will be hard to track down and want to know if its worth the effort.

...

neatness

Nice read.

Depends on how big a fan you are. If yr not a big one, then it ain't all that. If you are, then it's a nice way to get a little deeper into lr's brain. But it isn't a literary masterpiece. No "And the Ass Saw the Angel."

Porkmarras

I bought the italian version of Alabama Wildman, amazing book.
And because my suspect is that you are italian, there's an extract from the introduction by lisa crystal carver

SPIAGGIA. I sogni sono gabbiani in questo posto senza tempo fatto di aria/luce. Questo è ciò che credo scorra nelle vene di Thurston, quest'aria/luce di una giornata in spiaggia che non ho mai vissuto, invece del sangue denso, senza fantasia e carico di preoccupazione, che scorre nel resto di noi.
Nel suo cuore c'è una rivoluzione. Non una rivoluzione reale, non una spiaggia reale, non vera gioventù, solo sogni di tutto ciò