John Brown (song): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1962 song by Bob Dylan}} |
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{{For|the 1850s marching song|John Brown's Body}} |
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| recorded = February 1963 |
| recorded = February 1963 |
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| studio = Broadside Records, New York City (original studio version) |
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| genre = [[Folk song|Folk]], [[Anti-war song]] |
| genre = [[Folk song|Folk]], [[Anti-war song]] |
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''' |
"'''John Brown'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter [[Bob Dylan]]. The song, written in October 1962 was released under his pseudonym "Blind Boy Grunt" on the [[Folkways Records]] compilation album ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1'' (1963). Live performances have been officially released on ''[[MTV Unplugged (Bob Dylan album)|MTV Unplugged]]'' (1995), ''[[Live at The Gaslight 1962]]'' (2005), and ''Live 1962–1966 – Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections'' (2018). A demo version was issued on ''[[The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964]]'' (2010). |
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It is an [[anti-war song]] that draws on traditional tunes and themes, and narrates the tale of a mother who is proud to see her son go off to war. He returns badly injured and reflects on how the enemy looks just like him, before dropping his medals into his mother's hands. The song has received a mixed reception from critics, with some finding performances impactful and others criticizing the callowness of the lyrics. |
It is an [[anti-war song]] that draws on traditional tunes and themes, and narrates the tale of a mother who is proud to see her son go off to war. He returns badly injured and reflects on how the enemy looks just like him, before dropping his medals into his mother's hands. The song has received a mixed reception from critics, with some finding performances impactful and others criticizing the callowness of the lyrics. According to his official website, Dylan has performed the song in concert 180 times, most recently in 2012. "John Brown" was covered by [[the Staple Singers]] for their 1967 album ''Pray On''. |
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According to his official website, Dylan has performed the song in concert 180 times, most recently in 2012. Live performances have been officially released on ''[[MTV Unplugged (Bob Dylan album)|MTV Unplugged]]'' (1995), ''[[Live at The Gaslight 1962]]'' (2005), and ''Live 1962–1966 – Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections'' (2018). A demo version was issued on ''[[The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964]]'' (2010). "John Brown" was covered by [[The Staple Singers]]'' for their 1967 album ''Pray On''. |
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==Composition and recording== |
==Composition and recording== |
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[[File:Joan Baez Bob Dylan (cropped to Dylan).jpg|thumb|alt=A man playing an acoustic guitar outdoors|For contractual reasons, Dylan ''(pictured in 1963)'' used a pseudonym, "Blind Boy Grunt", for "John Brown" on ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1'' (1963)]] |
[[File:Joan Baez Bob Dylan (cropped to Dylan).jpg|thumb|alt=A man playing an acoustic guitar outdoors|For contractual reasons, Dylan ''(pictured in 1963)'' used a pseudonym, "Blind Boy Grunt", for "John Brown" on ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1'' (1963).]] |
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Bob Dylan wrote "John Brown" in October 1962 |
Bob Dylan wrote "John Brown" in October 1962.{{sfn|Harvey|2001|p=54}} Around this time, Dylan often drew on traditional songs when writing his own.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} While the lyrics to "John Brown" are original, the melody is based on "[[500 Miles|900 Miles]]", a well-known song in the US folk music community;{{efn|[[Folklore studies|Folklorist]] Norm Cohen writes that while 900 miles is the most common distance referenced in the traditional song, other distances including 400 miles, 500 miles and 10,000 miles are also used in versions.{{sfn|Cohen|2000|pp=506–507}}}} about half of that tune is also found in the traditional song "Reuben's Train".{{Sfnm|Harvey|2001|1p=54|Cohen|2000|2pp=505–507|3a1=Margotin|3a2=Guesdon|3y=2022|3p=142}} When the song was published in ''[[Broadside (magazine)|Broadside]]'' magazine in March 1963, an accompanying note read "Tune, much like '900 Miles'."{{sfn|Harvey|2001|p=55}} |
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"John Brown" is an [[anti-war song]].{{sfn|Nogowski|2022|p=189}} The lyrics are influenced by "[[Mrs. McGrath]]",{{sfn|Harvey|2001|p=54}} which relates how a young Irish soldier is maimed after fighting in the British Army against [[Napoleon]]'s forces.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} In Dylan's song, a soldier's mother expresses her pride at him going off to war.{{sfn|Heylin|2009|p=100}} He returns home from a war overseas, badly injured and wearing a metal brace around his waist.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} He tells his mother |
"John Brown" is an [[anti-war song]].{{sfn|Nogowski|2022|p=189}} The lyrics are influenced by "[[Mrs. McGrath]]",{{sfn|Harvey|2001|p=54}} which relates how a young Irish soldier is maimed after fighting in the [[British Army]] against [[Napoleon]]'s forces, and is met by his mother who asks how he was injured.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}}{{sfn|Heylin|2009|p=100}} In Dylan's song, a soldier's mother expresses her pride at him going off to war.{{sfn|Heylin|2009|p=100}} He returns home from a war overseas, badly injured and wearing a metal brace around his waist.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} He tells his mother: "I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink / That I was just a puppet in a play". The authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon remark that this couplet is echoed in Dylan's "[[Only a Pawn in Their Game]]" (1963).{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} The soldier reflects "when my enemy came close / I could see that his face looked just like mine".{{sfn|Heylin|2009|p=100}} The song ends with the soldier dropping his medals into his mother's hand.{{sfn|Heylin|2009|p=100}} In a live May 1963 radio interview with broadcaster and historian [[Studs Terkel]], during which he performed the song,{{sfn|Scaduto|1971|p=143}} Dylan said that it was based on the true case of a contemporary soldier,{{sfn|Harvey|2001|p=55}} but the historian [[Sean Wilentz]], author of ''Bob Dylan in America'', calls the song "wholly fictional".{{sfn|Wilentz|2010|loc=Search phrase "wholly fictional"}} |
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A live version recorded during his show at [[The Gaslight Cafe]], New York, in October 1962 was eventually released on ''[[Live at The Gaslight 1962]]'' (2005).{{sfn|Nogowski|2022|pp=198–199}} In response to an open invitation from the folk music ''Broadside'' magazine for recordings, Dylan recorded a version of "John Brown" in February 1963 that was released on the compilation album ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1'' (1963) and later included on ''The Best Of Broadside 1962–1988'' (2000).{{sfn|Trager|2004|p=338}} |
A live version recorded during his show at [[The Gaslight Cafe]], New York, in October 1962 was eventually released on ''[[Live at The Gaslight 1962]]'' (2005).{{sfn|Nogowski|2022|pp=198–199}} In response to an open invitation from the folk music ''Broadside'' magazine for recordings, Dylan recorded a version of "John Brown" in February 1963 that was released on the compilation album ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1'' (1963) and later included on ''The Best Of Broadside 1962–1988'' (2000).{{sfn|Trager|2004|p=338}} Dylan used a pseudonym, "Blind Boy Grunt", due to contractual issues; he was signed to [[Columbia Records]] but ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1'' was released by [[Folkways Records]].{{sfn|Trager|2004|p=84}} He did not attempt the song at the recording sessions for his album ''[[The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan]]'' album, which had started in April 1962 and concluded in April 1963.{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} Nor was it included in the recording sessions for its successor ''[[The Times They Are a-Changin' (Bob Dylan album)|The Times They Are a-Changin']]'', which happened in August and October 1963.{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} A demo of the song performed for publishing company [[M. Witmark & Sons]] in August 1963 was officially released in 2010 on ''[[The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/10/22/album-reviews-bob-dylan-bootleg-series-vol-9-the-witmark-demos-1962-1964-and-the-complete-mono-recordings/ | last=Corbett | first=Ben | title=Album Reviews: Bob Dylan, Bootleg Series Vol. 9, The Witmark Demos 1962–1964 and The Complete Mono Recordings | publisher=[[Crawdaddy]] | date=October 22, 2010 | access-date=November 30, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225225331/http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/10/22/album-reviews-bob-dylan-bootleg-series-vol-9-the-witmark-demos-1962-1964-and-the-complete-mono-recordings/ | archive-date=December 25, 2010 }}</ref> Dylan frequently revises the music and lyrics for his songs both in recording studios and in live performance.{{sfn|Nainby|Radosta|2019|loc=Chapter 6: Simple Twist of Fate: Dylan (re)working songs live; and Chapter 7: Bob Dylan's Dream: Reworking songs in the studio}} The music scholar Todd Harvey compared five performances of "John Brown" from 1962 and 1963 and concluded that after The Gaslight Cafe show, that Dylan maintained a consistent set of lyrics for "John Brown", with the exception of the eighth verse.{{sfn|Harvey|2001|p=55}} |
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==Critical comments== |
==Critical comments== |
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In ''[[ |
In the ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'' in 1970, the critic Al Rudis referred to "John Brown" as "one of the best yet least known Dylan protest songs", calling the ''Broadside Ballads'' version "chilling", and comparing it to the [[screenwriter]] [[Dalton Trumbo]]'s 1939 novel ''[[Johnny Got His Gun]]'';<ref>{{cite news |last=Rudis |first=Al |title=Bob Dylan's secrecy spurs a bootleg album boom |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-bob-dylans-secrecy-sp/131197422/ |newspaper=[[The Vancouver Sun]] |date=June 1, 1970 |page=25 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905120712/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-bob-dylans-secrecy-sp/131197422/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NYT"/> both works give a severely-injured soldier's perspective.{{sfn|Beviglia|2013|p=25}}<ref name="NYT">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/28/archives/thirty-years-later-johnny-gets-his-gun-again-johnny-gets-his-gun.html| title=Thirty Years Later, Johnny Gets His Gun Again| work=[[The New York Times]]| last=Flatley| first=Guy| date=June 28, 1970| access-date=October 26, 2023}}</ref> Dylan's biographer [[Robert Shelton (critic)|Robert Shelton]] wrote that "Although the ironies of battlefield heroism are timeworn, the story is effective."{{sfn|Shelton|1987|p=158}} |
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{{Quote box |
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|title = Last verse of "John Brown" |
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|quote =<poem> |
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As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock |
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At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand |
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But as he turned to go, he called his mother close |
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And he dropped his medals down into her hand |
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</poem> |
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|author = Bob Dylan |
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|source = from his official website<ref name="BD"/> |
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}} |
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⚫ | In 1994, Dylan recorded the song for his ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' episode.{{sfn|Nogowski|2022|p=189}} The critic Jim Beviglia considered what he described as the "furious [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]]" version of "John Brown" the highlight of the ''Unplugged'' album.{{sfn|Beviglia|2013|p=23}} He opined that despite the stark and harsh sentiment of the lyrics, Dylan's capacity for empathy can be detected.{{sfn|Beviglia|2013|p=25}} The song was also picked as a highlight from the album by Mark Robinson of the ''[[Reno Gazette-Journal]]'', who felt it was impactful despite a failure on Dylan's part to deliver the final line about the soldier handing over his medals to his mother as the "brutal punchline" it should have been.<ref>{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Mark |title=Dylan's 'Unplugged' on target |newspaper=[[Reno Gazette-Journal]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/reno-gazette-journal-dylans-unplugged/131197920/ |date=May 25, 1995 |page=1E |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905120552/https://www.newspapers.com/article/reno-gazette-journal-dylans-unplugged/131197920/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Dave Ferman of the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]'' wrote that the song was delivered with a "wonderful, hushed urgency".<ref>{{cite news |last=Ferman |first=Dave |title=When he's got it, he's got it |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-when-hes-got-i/131198196/ |newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |date=May 5, 1995 |page=ST12 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005333/https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-when-hes-got-i/131198196/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The critic John Nogowski gave the ''Unplugged'' version an A rating, considering it superior to ''The Bootleg Series Vol. 9'' take which he rated as C+.{{sfn|Nogowski|2022|pp=189, 292}} |
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⚫ | Authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon commented that Dylan, who was 21 when he composed the song, "had little life experience" at that point.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} The Dylan scholar [[Michael Gray (author)|Michael Gray]] compared it unfavorably to "[[Arthur McBride]]", covered by Dylan on ''[[Good as I Been to You]]'' (1992), arguing that "John Brown" is "polemical and built upon lurid stereotypes to the exclusion of all real observation".{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=730}} Gray expresses surprise that Dylan had decided to perform "John Brown" in concert in the 1980s and 1990s, dismissing it as "too awful" for inclusion on one of Dylan's official albums, and the "cringe-making" nadir of early [[Bob Dylan bootleg recordings]].{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} The song was denigrated as "crass" by Dylan's biographer [[Clinton Heylin]].{{sfn|Heylin|2011|p=103}} The journalist and author [[Mike Marqusee]] criticized the quality of the lyrics, but found that the song's "repugnance at [[jingoism]], glancing references to class, filial rage, and anguished opening to an internationalist vision, the song shows Dylan working to synthesize something new, a contemporary folk music that was emotionally raw and politically uncompromising".{{sfn|Marqusee|2005|p=68}} |
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⚫ | The critic Jim Beviglia considered what he described as the |
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⚫ | Authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon commented that Dylan, who was 21 when he composed the song, "had little life experience" at that point.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} The Dylan scholar [[Michael Gray (author)|Michael Gray]] compared it unfavorably to "[[Arthur McBride]]", covered by Dylan on ''[[Good as I Been to You]]'' (1992), arguing that "John Brown" is "polemical and built upon lurid stereotypes to the exclusion of all real observation".{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=730}} Gray expresses surprise that Dylan had decided to perform "John Brown" in concert in the 1980s and 1990s, dismissing it as "too awful" for inclusion on one of Dylan's official albums, and the "cringe-making" nadir of early [[Bob Dylan bootleg recordings]].{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} The song was denigrated as "crass" by Dylan's biographer [[Clinton Heylin]].{{sfn|Heylin|2011|p=103}} [[Mike Marqusee]] criticized the quality of the lyrics, but found that the song's "repugnance at jingoism, glancing references to class, filial rage, and anguished opening to an internationalist vision, the song shows Dylan working to synthesize something new, a contemporary folk music that was emotionally raw and politically uncompromising".{{sfn|Marqusee|2005|p=68}} |
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==Live performances== |
==Live performances== |
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[[File:President Barack Obama presents American musician Bob Dylan with a Medal of Freedom (cropped).jpg|thumb|Dylan, pictured being presented with a [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] by [[Barack Obama]], last performed "John Brown" in concert in 2012.]] |
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According to Bob Dylan's official website, he has performed "John Brown" in concert 180 times.<ref name="BDP">{{cite web |title=Setlists that contain John Brown |url=https://www.bobdylan.com/setlists/?id_song=27066 |website=Bob Dylan's official website |access-date=September 4, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005327/https://www.bobdylan.com/setlists/?id_song=27066 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
According to Bob Dylan's official website, he has performed "John Brown" in concert 180 times.<ref name="BDP">{{cite web |title=Setlists that contain John Brown |url=https://www.bobdylan.com/setlists/?id_song=27066 |website=Bob Dylan's official website |access-date=September 4, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005327/https://www.bobdylan.com/setlists/?id_song=27066 |url-status=live }}</ref> The website lists the 1962 Gaslight Cafe performance as the live debut, followed by a second live rendition at the [[The Town Hall (New York City)|Town Hall, New York]], in April 1963.<ref name="BDP"/> The latter performance was due to be included on ''Bob Dylan in Concert'', an album planned for 1964 but never issued.{{sfn|Williams|2004|pp=97–98}} It was, however, included on ''Live 1962–1966 – Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections'' (2018).<ref>{{cite web |first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=Live 1962–1966: Rare Performances from the Copyright Collections Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-1962-1966-rare-performances-from-the-copyright-collections-mw0003185889 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=September 4, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005341/https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-1962-1966-rare-performances-from-the-copyright-collections-mw0003185889 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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The song was absent from Dylan's live sets from around 1964 until 1987.{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} During rehearsals for the [[Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead 1987 Tour]], [[Jerry Garcia]] the [[Grateful Dead]] had suggested that they play the song.{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} |
The song was absent from Dylan's live sets from around 1964 until 1987.{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} During rehearsals for the [[Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead 1987 Tour]], [[Jerry Garcia]] of the [[Grateful Dead]] had suggested that they play the song.{{sfn|Gray|2000|p=852}} Dylan continued to include the song in some setlists on the his 1987 [[Temples in Flames Tour]] with [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]], and on the [[Never Ending Tour]] from [[Never Ending Tour 1988|1988]].{{sfn|Heylin|2009|p=100}} The ''Unplugged'' version recorded in 1994 was included on his ''[[MTV Unplugged (Bob Dylan album)|MTV Unplugged]]'' album, and the video release of the show, in 1995.<ref name="BD">{{cite web |title=John Brown |url=https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/john-brown/ |website=Bob Dylan's official website |access-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005840/https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/john-brown/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MTV Unplugged [Video] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mtv-unplugged-video--mw0002535871 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=September 4, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005844/https://www.allmusic.com/album/mtv-unplugged-video--mw0002535871 |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|September 2023}}, his most recent live performance of the song was in October 2012.<ref name="BDP"/> |
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{{clear}} |
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==Credits and personnel== |
==Credits and personnel== |
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===Witmark Studio recording, August 1963=== |
===Witmark Studio recording, August 1963=== |
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Credits adapted from the ''Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track'' book.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} |
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'''Musicians''' |
'''Musicians''' |
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* [[Bob Dylan]]{{spaced en dash}}[[singing|vocals]], [[rhythm guitar]] |
* [[Bob Dylan]]{{spaced en dash}}[[singing|vocals]], [[rhythm guitar]]{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} |
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'''Technical personnel''' |
'''Technical personnel''' |
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* Ivan Augenblink{{spaced en dash}} [[Audio engineer|sound engineering]] |
* Ivan Augenblink{{spaced en dash}} [[Audio engineer|sound engineering]]{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2022|page=142}} |
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===MTV Unplugged=== |
===MTV Unplugged=== |
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⚫ | |||
'''Musicians''' |
'''Musicians''' |
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⚫ | *[[Bob Dylan]]{{spaced en dash}}[[singing|vocals]], [[rhythm guitar]]<ref name="MTVUC">{{cite web |title=MTV Unplugged: Credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mtv-unplugged-mw0000124910/credits |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905120538/https://www.allmusic.com/album/mtv-unplugged-mw0000124910/credits |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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*[[Bob Dylan]]{{spaced en dash}}[[singing|vocals]], [[rhythm guitar]] |
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*[[Tony Garnier (musician)|Tony Garnier]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Bass (instrument)|bass]] |
*[[Tony Garnier (musician)|Tony Garnier]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Bass (instrument)|bass]]<ref name="BDU">{{cite web |title=MTV Unplugged (1995) |url=https://www.bobdylan.com/albums/mtv-unplugged/ |website=Bob Dylan's official website |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905120538/https://www.bobdylan.com/albums/mtv-unplugged/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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*John Jackson{{spaced en dash}}[[ |
*John Jackson{{spaced en dash}}[[guitar]]<ref name="BDU"/> |
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*[[Bucky Baxter]]{{spaced en dash}}[[pedal steel]] or [[dobro]] |
*[[Bucky Baxter]]{{spaced en dash}}[[pedal steel]] or [[dobro]]<ref name="BDU"/> |
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*Winston Watson{{spaced en dash}}[[drums]] |
*Winston Watson{{spaced en dash}}[[drums]]<ref name="BDU"/> |
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*[[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Hammond organ]] |
*[[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Hammond organ]] |
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'''Technical personnel''' |
'''Technical personnel''' |
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*[[Greg Calbi]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Audio mastering|mastering]] |
*[[Greg Calbi]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Audio mastering|mastering]]<ref name="MTVUC"/> |
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*[[Ed Cherney]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] |
*[[Ed Cherney]]{{spaced en dash}}[[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]]<ref name="MTVUC"/> |
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*Randy Ezratty{{spaced en dash}}[[Audio engineering|engineering]] |
*Randy Ezratty{{spaced en dash}}[[Audio engineering|engineering]]<ref name="MTVUC"/> |
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*Scott Hull{{spaced en dash}}mastering |
*Scott Hull{{spaced en dash}}mastering<ref name="MTVUC"/> |
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*Jeff Rosen{{spaced en dash}}[[executive producer]] |
*Jeff Rosen{{spaced en dash}}[[executive producer]]<ref name="MTVUC"/> |
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*[[Don Was]]{{spaced en dash}}mixing |
*[[Don Was]]{{spaced en dash}}mixing<ref name="MTVUC"/> |
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==Cover versions== |
==Cover versions== |
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[[The Staple Singers]] covered "John Brown" on their 1967 album ''Pray On''. ''[[ |
[[The Staple Singers]] covered "John Brown" on their 1967 album ''Pray On''. The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' critic [[Pete Johnson (rock critic)|Pete Johnson]] praised the lead vocals for "achiev[ing] a delicate balance between [[pathos]] and understatement".<ref name="PJ">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Pete |author-link=Pete Johnson (rock critic) |title=Gospel group issues new album |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-gospel-group-issue/131199404/ |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 19, 1967 |page=C27 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005846/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-gospel-group-issue/131199404/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|Johnson identifies [[Pops Staples|Roebuck Staples]] as the lead singer,<ref name="PJ"/> but [[Greg Kot]] writes that it was Pervis Staples.{{sfn|Kot|2014|p=117}}}} A 2021 ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' listing of "The 80 Best Bob Dylan Covers" included it, with the critic [[Chris Morris (music writer)|Chris Morris]] describing the cover as a "restrained, haunting treatment".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Morris |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Morris (music writer) |title=The 80 Best Bob Dylan Covers: 16 – The Staple Singers, 'John Brown' |url=https://variety.com/lists/bob-dylan-80-best-greatest-cover-songs/the-staple-singers-john-brown-best-bob-dylan-covers/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 24, 2021 |access-date=September 4, 2023}}</ref> The Staple Singers version influenced [[Maria Muldaur]]'s cover on her 2008 album ''Yes We Can!'', which was described by Andrew S. Hughes of the ''[[South Bend Tribune]]'' as a "chilling, visceral rendition".<ref name="HUGHES">{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Andrew S. |title=Muldaur says 'Yes We Can' solve world's problems |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-muldaur-says-yes/131203901/ |newspaper=[[The South Bend Tribune]] |date=September 26, 2008 |page=D3 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905005948/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-muldaur-says-yes/131203901/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Muldaur told Hughes that Dylan was her favorite songwriter, and praised Dylan's "John Brown", "[[Masters of War]]" (1963) and "[[License to Kill (Bob Dylan song)|License to Kill]]" (1983) as "eloquent expressions of the anti-war sentiment".<ref name="HUGHES"/> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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'''Books''' |
'''Books''' |
||
*{{cite book |last=Beviglia|first=Jim |title=Counting Down Bob Dylan: His 100 Finest Songs |year=2013|publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |isbn=978-0-8108- |
*{{cite book |last=Beviglia|first=Jim |title=Counting Down Bob Dylan: His 100 Finest Songs |year=2013|publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |isbn=978-0-8108-8823-4}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Cohen |first=Norm |title=Long Steel |
*{{cite book |last=Cohen |first=Norm |title=Long Steel Rail: The Railroad in American Folksong |chapter=Reuben's Train/Train 45/900 Miles|edition=2nd |year=2000 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |pages=503–518 |isbn=978-0-252-06881-2 }} |
||
*{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Gray |author-link=Michael Gray (author) |title=Song & Dance Man III: The Art of Bob Dylan|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]]|year=2000|isbn=978-0-8264-5150-7}} |
*{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Gray |author-link=Michael Gray (author) |title=Song & Dance Man III: The Art of Bob Dylan|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]]|year=2000|isbn=978-0-8264-5150-7}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Todd |title=The Formative Dylan |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8108-4115-4}} |
*{{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Todd |title=The Formative Dylan |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-8108-4115-4}} |
||
*{{cite book|first=Clinton|last=Heylin |author-link=Clinton Heylin |title=Revolution In The Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, Volume One: 1957–73 |publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84901-051-1}} |
*{{cite book|first=Clinton|last=Heylin |author-link=Clinton Heylin |title=Revolution In The Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, Volume One: 1957–73 |publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84901-051-1}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Heylin |first=Clinton |author-link=Clinton Heylin |title=Behind the Shades: The 20th Anniversary Edition |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-571-27240-2}} |
*{{cite book |last=Heylin |first=Clinton |author-link=Clinton Heylin |title=Behind the Shades: The 20th Anniversary Edition |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-571-27240-2}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Kot |first=Greg |title=I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March up Freedom's Highway |year=2014 |publisher=Scribner |isbn= |
*{{cite book |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |title=I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March up Freedom's Highway |year=2014 |publisher=Scribner |isbn=978-1-4516-4785-3 }} |
||
*{{cite book |last1=Margotin |first1=Philippe |last2=Guesdon |first2=Jean-Michel |date=2022 |title=Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |publisher=[[Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers|Black Dog & Leventhal]] |edition=Expanded |isbn=978-0-7624-7573-5}} |
*{{cite book |last1=Margotin |first1=Philippe |last2=Guesdon |first2=Jean-Michel |date=2022 |title=Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |publisher=[[Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers|Black Dog & Leventhal]] |edition=Expanded |isbn=978-0-7624-7573-5}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Marqusee |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Marqusee |title=Wicked Messenger: Bob Dylan and the 1960s |year=2005 |publisher=[[Seven Stories Press]] |isbn=978-1-58322-686-5}} |
*{{cite book |last=Marqusee |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Marqusee |title=Wicked Messenger: Bob Dylan and the 1960s |year=2005 |publisher=[[Seven Stories Press]] |isbn=978-1-58322-686-5}} |
||
*{{cite book |first1=Keith |last1=Nainby |first2=John M. |last2=Radosta |title=Bob Dylan in Performance: Song, Stage, and Screen |year=2019 |publisher=Lexington Books |location=Lanham |isbn=978-1-4985-8263-6 }} |
|||
*{{cite book |last=Nogowski |first=John |title=Bob Dylan: A Descriptive, Critical Discography and Filmography, 1961-2022|edition=3rd |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-4766-4362-5}} |
*{{cite book |last=Nogowski |first=John |title=Bob Dylan: A Descriptive, Critical Discography and Filmography, 1961-2022|edition=3rd |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-4766-4362-5}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Scaduto |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Scaduto |title=Bob Dylan |publisher=[[Grosset & Dunlap]] |year=1971 |isbn=978-0-448-02034-1}} |
*{{cite book |last=Scaduto |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Scaduto |title=Bob Dylan |publisher=[[Grosset & Dunlap]] |year=1971 |isbn=978-0-448-02034-1}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Shelton |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Shelton (critic) |title=No Direction Home: |
*{{cite book |last=Shelton |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Shelton (critic) |title=No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan |publisher=New English Library |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-450-04843-2 }} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Trager |first=Oliver |title=Keys to the Rain: |
*{{cite book |last=Trager |first=Oliver |title=Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia |year=2004 |publisher=[[Billboard Books]] | isbn=978-0-8230-7974-2}} |
||
*{{cite book|first=Sean|last=Wilentz |author-link=Sean Wilentz |title=Bob Dylan in America|publisher=Vintage Digital |edition=Kindle|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4070-7411-5}} |
*{{cite book|first=Sean|last=Wilentz |author-link=Sean Wilentz |title=Bob Dylan in America|publisher=Vintage Digital |edition=Kindle|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4070-7411-5}} |
||
*{{cite book |last=Williams |first= Paul |author-link=Paul Williams (journalist) |year=2004 |title=[[Bob Dylan, Performing Artist]]: The Early Years, 1960–1973 |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |orig-date=1990 |isbn=978-1-84449-095-0}} |
*{{cite book |last=Williams |first= Paul |author-link=Paul Williams (journalist) |year=2004 |title=[[Bob Dylan, Performing Artist]]: The Early Years, 1960–1973 |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |orig-date=1990 |isbn=978-1-84449-095-0}} |
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[[Category:Bob Dylan songs]] |
[[Category:Bob Dylan songs]] |
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[[Category:1962 songs]] |
[[Category:1962 songs]] |
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[[Category:Anti-war songs]] |
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[[Category:Songs about soldiers]] |
Revision as of 14:18, 31 October 2023
"John Brown" | |
---|---|
Song by Bob Dylan | |
Recorded | February 1963 |
Studio | Broadside Records, New York City (original studio version) |
Genre | Folk, Anti-war song |
Songwriter(s) | Bob Dylan |
Audio | |
"John Brown" (Live at the Gaslight, 1962) on YouTube |
"John Brown" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The song, written in October 1962 was released under his pseudonym "Blind Boy Grunt" on the Folkways Records compilation album Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 (1963). Live performances have been officially released on MTV Unplugged (1995), Live at The Gaslight 1962 (2005), and Live 1962–1966 – Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections (2018). A demo version was issued on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964 (2010).
It is an anti-war song that draws on traditional tunes and themes, and narrates the tale of a mother who is proud to see her son go off to war. He returns badly injured and reflects on how the enemy looks just like him, before dropping his medals into his mother's hands. The song has received a mixed reception from critics, with some finding performances impactful and others criticizing the callowness of the lyrics. According to his official website, Dylan has performed the song in concert 180 times, most recently in 2012. "John Brown" was covered by the Staple Singers for their 1967 album Pray On.
Composition and recording
![A man playing an acoustic guitar outdoors](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Joan_Baez_Bob_Dylan_%28cropped_to_Dylan%29.jpg/220px-Joan_Baez_Bob_Dylan_%28cropped_to_Dylan%29.jpg)
Bob Dylan wrote "John Brown" in October 1962.[1] Around this time, Dylan often drew on traditional songs when writing his own.[2] While the lyrics to "John Brown" are original, the melody is based on "900 Miles", a well-known song in the US folk music community;[a] about half of that tune is also found in the traditional song "Reuben's Train".[4] When the song was published in Broadside magazine in March 1963, an accompanying note read "Tune, much like '900 Miles'."[5]
"John Brown" is an anti-war song.[6] The lyrics are influenced by "Mrs. McGrath",[1] which relates how a young Irish soldier is maimed after fighting in the British Army against Napoleon's forces, and is met by his mother who asks how he was injured.[2][7] In Dylan's song, a soldier's mother expresses her pride at him going off to war.[7] He returns home from a war overseas, badly injured and wearing a metal brace around his waist.[2] He tells his mother: "I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink / That I was just a puppet in a play". The authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon remark that this couplet is echoed in Dylan's "Only a Pawn in Their Game" (1963).[2] The soldier reflects "when my enemy came close / I could see that his face looked just like mine".[7] The song ends with the soldier dropping his medals into his mother's hand.[7] In a live May 1963 radio interview with broadcaster and historian Studs Terkel, during which he performed the song,[8] Dylan said that it was based on the true case of a contemporary soldier,[5] but the historian Sean Wilentz, author of Bob Dylan in America, calls the song "wholly fictional".[9]
A live version recorded during his show at The Gaslight Cafe, New York, in October 1962 was eventually released on Live at The Gaslight 1962 (2005).[10] In response to an open invitation from the folk music Broadside magazine for recordings, Dylan recorded a version of "John Brown" in February 1963 that was released on the compilation album Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 (1963) and later included on The Best Of Broadside 1962–1988 (2000).[11] Dylan used a pseudonym, "Blind Boy Grunt", due to contractual issues; he was signed to Columbia Records but Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 was released by Folkways Records.[12] He did not attempt the song at the recording sessions for his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album, which had started in April 1962 and concluded in April 1963.[13] Nor was it included in the recording sessions for its successor The Times They Are a-Changin', which happened in August and October 1963.[13] A demo of the song performed for publishing company M. Witmark & Sons in August 1963 was officially released in 2010 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964.[14] Dylan frequently revises the music and lyrics for his songs both in recording studios and in live performance.[15] The music scholar Todd Harvey compared five performances of "John Brown" from 1962 and 1963 and concluded that after The Gaslight Cafe show, that Dylan maintained a consistent set of lyrics for "John Brown", with the exception of the eighth verse.[5]
Critical comments
In the Vancouver Sun in 1970, the critic Al Rudis referred to "John Brown" as "one of the best yet least known Dylan protest songs", calling the Broadside Ballads version "chilling", and comparing it to the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo's 1939 novel Johnny Got His Gun;[16][17] both works give a severely-injured soldier's perspective.[18][17] Dylan's biographer Robert Shelton wrote that "Although the ironies of battlefield heroism are timeworn, the story is effective."[19]
As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
And he dropped his medals down into her hand
Bob Dylan, from his official website[20]
In 1994, Dylan recorded the song for his MTV Unplugged episode.[6] The critic Jim Beviglia considered what he described as the "furious bluegrass" version of "John Brown" the highlight of the Unplugged album.[21] He opined that despite the stark and harsh sentiment of the lyrics, Dylan's capacity for empathy can be detected.[18] The song was also picked as a highlight from the album by Mark Robinson of the Reno Gazette-Journal, who felt it was impactful despite a failure on Dylan's part to deliver the final line about the soldier handing over his medals to his mother as the "brutal punchline" it should have been.[22] Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote that the song was delivered with a "wonderful, hushed urgency".[23] The critic John Nogowski gave the Unplugged version an A rating, considering it superior to The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 take which he rated as C+.[24]
Authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon commented that Dylan, who was 21 when he composed the song, "had little life experience" at that point.[2] The Dylan scholar Michael Gray compared it unfavorably to "Arthur McBride", covered by Dylan on Good as I Been to You (1992), arguing that "John Brown" is "polemical and built upon lurid stereotypes to the exclusion of all real observation".[25] Gray expresses surprise that Dylan had decided to perform "John Brown" in concert in the 1980s and 1990s, dismissing it as "too awful" for inclusion on one of Dylan's official albums, and the "cringe-making" nadir of early Bob Dylan bootleg recordings.[13] The song was denigrated as "crass" by Dylan's biographer Clinton Heylin.[26] The journalist and author Mike Marqusee criticized the quality of the lyrics, but found that the song's "repugnance at jingoism, glancing references to class, filial rage, and anguished opening to an internationalist vision, the song shows Dylan working to synthesize something new, a contemporary folk music that was emotionally raw and politically uncompromising".[27]
Live performances
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/President_Barack_Obama_presents_American_musician_Bob_Dylan_with_a_Medal_of_Freedom_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-President_Barack_Obama_presents_American_musician_Bob_Dylan_with_a_Medal_of_Freedom_%28cropped%29.jpg)
According to Bob Dylan's official website, he has performed "John Brown" in concert 180 times.[28] The website lists the 1962 Gaslight Cafe performance as the live debut, followed by a second live rendition at the Town Hall, New York, in April 1963.[28] The latter performance was due to be included on Bob Dylan in Concert, an album planned for 1964 but never issued.[29] It was, however, included on Live 1962–1966 – Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections (2018).[30]
The song was absent from Dylan's live sets from around 1964 until 1987.[13] During rehearsals for the Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead 1987 Tour, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead had suggested that they play the song.[13] Dylan continued to include the song in some setlists on the his 1987 Temples in Flames Tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and on the Never Ending Tour from 1988.[7] The Unplugged version recorded in 1994 was included on his MTV Unplugged album, and the video release of the show, in 1995.[20][31] As of September 2023[update], his most recent live performance of the song was in October 2012.[28]
Credits and personnel
Witmark Studio recording, August 1963
Musicians
Technical personnel
- Ivan Augenblink – sound engineering[2]
MTV Unplugged
Musicians
- Bob Dylan – vocals, rhythm guitar[32]
- Tony Garnier – bass[33]
- John Jackson – guitar[33]
- Bucky Baxter – pedal steel or dobro[33]
- Winston Watson – drums[33]
- Brendan O'Brien – Hammond organ
Technical personnel
- Greg Calbi – mastering[32]
- Ed Cherney – mixing[32]
- Randy Ezratty – engineering[32]
- Scott Hull – mastering[32]
- Jeff Rosen – executive producer[32]
- Don Was – mixing[32]
Cover versions
The Staple Singers covered "John Brown" on their 1967 album Pray On. The Los Angeles Times critic Pete Johnson praised the lead vocals for "achiev[ing] a delicate balance between pathos and understatement".[34][b] A 2021 Variety listing of "The 80 Best Bob Dylan Covers" included it, with the critic Chris Morris describing the cover as a "restrained, haunting treatment".[36] The Staple Singers version influenced Maria Muldaur's cover on her 2008 album Yes We Can!, which was described by Andrew S. Hughes of the South Bend Tribune as a "chilling, visceral rendition".[37] Muldaur told Hughes that Dylan was her favorite songwriter, and praised Dylan's "John Brown", "Masters of War" (1963) and "License to Kill" (1983) as "eloquent expressions of the anti-war sentiment".[37]
See also
Notes
- ^ Folklorist Norm Cohen writes that while 900 miles is the most common distance referenced in the traditional song, other distances including 400 miles, 500 miles and 10,000 miles are also used in versions.[3]
- ^ Johnson identifies Roebuck Staples as the lead singer,[34] but Greg Kot writes that it was Pervis Staples.[35]
References
- ^ a b Harvey 2001, p. 54.
- ^ a b c d e f g Margotin & Guesdon 2022, p. 142.
- ^ Cohen 2000, pp. 506–507.
- ^ Harvey 2001, p. 54; Cohen 2000, pp. 505–507; Margotin & Guesdon 2022, p. 142.
- ^ a b c Harvey 2001, p. 55.
- ^ a b Nogowski 2022, p. 189.
- ^ a b c d e Heylin 2009, p. 100.
- ^ Scaduto 1971, p. 143.
- ^ Wilentz 2010, Search phrase "wholly fictional".
- ^ Nogowski 2022, pp. 198–199.
- ^ Trager 2004, p. 338.
- ^ Trager 2004, p. 84.
- ^ a b c d e Gray 2000, p. 852.
- ^ Corbett, Ben (October 22, 2010). "Album Reviews: Bob Dylan, Bootleg Series Vol. 9, The Witmark Demos 1962–1964 and The Complete Mono Recordings". Crawdaddy. Archived from the original on December 25, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ Nainby & Radosta 2019, Chapter 6: Simple Twist of Fate: Dylan (re)working songs live; and Chapter 7: Bob Dylan's Dream: Reworking songs in the studio.
- ^ Rudis, Al (June 1, 1970). "Bob Dylan's secrecy spurs a bootleg album boom". The Vancouver Sun. p. 25. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Flatley, Guy (June 28, 1970). "Thirty Years Later, Johnny Gets His Gun Again". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ a b Beviglia 2013, p. 25.
- ^ Shelton 1987, p. 158.
- ^ a b "John Brown". Bob Dylan's official website. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ Beviglia 2013, p. 23.
- ^ Robinson, Mark (May 25, 1995). "Dylan's 'Unplugged' on target". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 1E. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Ferman, Dave (May 5, 1995). "When he's got it, he's got it". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. ST12. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Nogowski 2022, pp. 189, 292.
- ^ Gray 2000, p. 730.
- ^ Heylin 2011, p. 103.
- ^ Marqusee 2005, p. 68.
- ^ a b c "Setlists that contain John Brown". Bob Dylan's official website. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ Williams 2004, pp. 97–98.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Live 1962–1966: Rare Performances from the Copyright Collections Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ "MTV Unplugged [Video]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "MTV Unplugged: Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "MTV Unplugged (1995)". Bob Dylan's official website. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Johnson, Pete (March 19, 1967). "Gospel group issues new album". Los Angeles Times. p. C27. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Kot 2014, p. 117.
- ^ Morris, Chris (May 24, 2021). "The 80 Best Bob Dylan Covers: 16 – The Staple Singers, 'John Brown'". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Hughes, Andrew S. (September 26, 2008). "Muldaur says 'Yes We Can' solve world's problems". The South Bend Tribune. p. D3. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
Books
- Beviglia, Jim (2013). Counting Down Bob Dylan: His 100 Finest Songs. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-8823-4.
- Cohen, Norm (2000). "Reuben's Train/Train 45/900 Miles". Long Steel Rail: The Railroad in American Folksong (2nd ed.). University of Illinois Press. pp. 503–518. ISBN 978-0-252-06881-2.
- Gray, Michael (2000). Song & Dance Man III: The Art of Bob Dylan. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8264-5150-7.
- Harvey, Todd (2001). The Formative Dylan. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4115-4.
- Heylin, Clinton (2009). Revolution In The Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, Volume One: 1957–73. Constable & Robinson. ISBN 978-1-84901-051-1.
- Heylin, Clinton (2011). Behind the Shades: The 20th Anniversary Edition. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-27240-2.
- Kot, Greg (2014). I'll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March up Freedom's Highway. Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4516-4785-3.
- Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2022). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track (Expanded ed.). Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-0-7624-7573-5.
- Marqusee, Mike (2005). Wicked Messenger: Bob Dylan and the 1960s. Seven Stories Press. ISBN 978-1-58322-686-5.
- Nainby, Keith; Radosta, John M. (2019). Bob Dylan in Performance: Song, Stage, and Screen. Lanham: Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1-4985-8263-6.
- Nogowski, John (2022). Bob Dylan: A Descriptive, Critical Discography and Filmography, 1961-2022 (3rd ed.). McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-4362-5.
- Scaduto, Anthony (1971). Bob Dylan. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-448-02034-1.
- Shelton, Robert (1987). No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan. New English Library. ISBN 978-0-450-04843-2.
- Trager, Oliver (2004). Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books. ISBN 978-0-8230-7974-2.
- Wilentz, Sean (2010). Bob Dylan in America (Kindle ed.). Vintage Digital. ISBN 978-1-4070-7411-5.
- Williams, Paul (2004) [1990]. Bob Dylan, Performing Artist: The Early Years, 1960–1973. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84449-095-0.
External links
- Lyrics at Bob Dylan's official website