You say you don't like Bob Dylan's voice? Well try this...
Right now I'm listening to Bob Dylan's Self Portrait, which most Dylan aficionados will say is his worst album. I don't know, though. It might be one of the lesser albums in the Dylan canon, but I still enjoy listening to it every now and then.
Anyway, this afternoon I was really struck by the brilliance of Self Portrait's first song, "All The Tired Horses." It's maybe the "simplest" song (at least lyrically speaking) that Dylan's ever released. The whole thing consists of two lines repeated: "All the tired horses in the sun / How am I supposed to get any riding done?" Not much physically there, but it works.
What's really interesting is how Dylan minimizes himself in the track. It's the leadoff track on an album titled "Self Portrait," yet Dylan's vocals are nowhere to be found -- instead, it's a couple of background singers. The backup singers are accompanied by a progression of instruments: First guitar, then a cascading string arrangment, then some bass and organ.
Dylan's vocals aren't there, but his voice is. He'll always be underrated as a composer, but this is really sophisticated, if simple, music. Tthe way that the singers' harmonies accentuate the vocal melody works perfectly with the strings, which are really great. The words are a mantra holding everything together as the music gathers strength, starting out as a simple guitar strum and building into a kind of quiet wall of sound.
Basically, "All The Tired Horses" gets my vote for Most Overlooked Dylan Song. I was going to say Best Dylan Song Your Friends Have Never Heard, but my friends probably haven't heard stuff like "Positively Fourth Street," either. While I'm at it, I'll also give it the nod for Song Even Non-Dylan Fans Should Download From iTunes. It's really worth anyone's 99 cents. And if you download it and don't like it, I'll give you a dollar the next time I see you.
