Toastkitten

Just a side note about Joan Baez. I was at a folk show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco a few years ago and Joan was in the audience and got up to sing with the group. She was amazing! Unlike many singers as they age, her voice was still in pristine form.

As for the hairdo, can't you see Buttergun and me tapping our feet impatiently? Hmm??!! :)

Buttergun, I know what you mean about the complications when it comes to "art & politics", expectations and an artist's motivations. At first I was focused more on the pressure of being pigeonholed - how hard it is to go your own way when everyone else is saying you have a responsibility to do something else. When folks come at you with moral indignation, it's hard to turn away from that. And then there are the market forces. Never any easy answers.

I thought the Joan Baez interview was really interesting, too. I wonder what got edited out of the final film. On a side note I kind of thought it was pretty selfish of Bob not to invite Joan onto the stage during his tour. But what do I know ...

p.s. Where is that hairdo? Can't wait to see.

I caught part 2. I think the idea of him not living up to the folk movement’s expectations is an interesting and complicated one. His work is amazing with or without the political stuff but I was curious to hear more of J Baez's perspective. Sometimes artists resist political statements because it can limit creativity and sometimes they resist them because a political message can get you in a lot of hot water and make you commercially less viable.

I've missed part two a bunch of times today but I'll have another chance tonight.

You make excellent points about both Dylan's and Scorcese's journeys. The pressure to keep doing what you've always done must be intense from everyone one around them. It is inspiring when artists (and frankly everyone in any kind of profession) have the courage to take the road not taken.

Well I'll see what I can do re: photoshop/hair project... Did anyone get to see the 2nd part of the doc? I thought it was really good. The first night was kind of laying the groundwork and last night was more about Dylan's artistic choices/journey after he declined to be the poster boy for the folk protest movement. Really interesting to think about how he chose to go his own way towards blues and also embracing pop and electric guitar - even if people said he was selling out or booed him on stage. But how could you boo "Like a Rolling Stone"?! such an amazing song. Anyway…

It seemed to me that Dylan's journey also paralleled Marty's to an extent. Both men have continued to take on artistic challenges, sometimes going in unexpected directions. And they keep at it even when they get booed. I mean, Kundun and The Aviator are not my fave Scorcese films (by far), but I respect what he was trying to do with each project and I'm kind of glad he doesn't always make gangster pictures (even if that's what I think he does best). It's kind of inspiring.

I just caught the replay of part one and I'm glad I did. I was never into him mainly because of his dissonant voice. It always reminded me of how Pokey from the Gumby and Pokey claymation series would sing. =:0

Nevertheless, his writing is something else and this documentary is very informative. As far as his looks, I agree that he did have a very cute quality when he was younger before the "homeless chic" style took hold. And as for Mavis' hair, it does look good, Lisa. Get to playing with the Photoshop and show us how it would look on you. :)

It's not just you. Somewhere between "scrawny youth" and "crazy homeless" he really did look good. The doc is a lot more sedate than I thought it would be but it's still interesting to learn more about the man behind the harmonica... BTW I would like to put in my order for Mavis Staples' hair!

Is it just me or was Dylan actually "hot" as a young buck, you know pre crazy homeless cowboy days.