Duluth Does Dylan is 10 years old
By Paul Lundgren on Nov 29, 2010 in History, Music
The album Duluth Does Dylan was first played for the public on Nov. 30, 2000, during the Starfire Lounge at Fitger’s Brewhouse. There was a big bus trip to St. Paul for a release party at the Turf Club, but no one remembers the details of that, I’m sure. The Ripsaw published the recording session photos below, shot by Linda Cadotte.
Anyone ever hear from Bobby re: how he felt about being “done”? Hopefully he enjoyed it.
I still keep this one in rotation -- Crazy Betty’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” is one of the better earworms with which to be infected.
I appreciated participating in that CD. It’s always great exposure to be on a compilation and free recording time is pretty nice, too. Happy anniversary D3!
Does Dylan even remember Duluth? Or Minnesota?
It has always seemed strange to me how, whenever the subject of Bob Dylan’s connections to Duluth are brought up, someone feels the need to insinuate that Dylan is either indifferent about, or hates, Duluth. I can’t quite figure out why that is a popular sentiment to repeat.
I think people who don’t like Dylan’s music or personality want him to not like Duluth so they can have another reason to not like him.
That means my DDD t-shirt has held up really well for being ten years old! Didn’t I hear a rumor that Dylan was in Duluth and bought a bunch of the t-shrits from Bullseye?
Dylan -- even though he is Dylan -- is not immune to the trauma of childhood or adolescence. I suspect he does not have overly-fond memories of Duluth or Hibbing.
As an artist, Dylan (Zimmerman) would naturally seek to disassociate his artist-self from his real-self. Thus, he tends to ignore the reality of Zimmerman, while underscoring the Dylan mythology.
Either way, don’t think twice, it’s alright.
I agree with Paul and think that it’s strange too, given the pretty heavy anecdotal evidence that he still comes through town from time to time.
Also, my favorite on that album, by a long shot, is Jamie’s cover of “Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands.” Man, it’s just an incredible version of one of my favorite Dylan songs.
Dylan has been known to frequent Duluth -- incognito, of course -- and for purely personal reasons (i.e., shopping, etc) but recognizable to those who are able to catch on. We just choose to give the guy his space and not make a big Hollywood deal over it.
Bob Dylan comes to Duluth to shop?
“Bob Dylan comes to Duluth to shop?”
Yes. For irony.
Wow. That is ironical.
Irony is what the water tastes like in Hibbing.
Bob Dylan fetishists is what you taste water in Duluth.
Rather: “…are what you taste in Duluth water.”
Unless in Soviet Russia. In which case, Bob Dylan fetishists taste you.
I was just leafing through a biography of Bob Dylan, I can’t remember which one, but there was a paragraph about the Duluth Does Dylan CD! I’ll have to find it and repeat the author’s comments about the CD…. I was actually more interested in the next chapter, about the author’s visit to Hibbing High. I didn’t know the school had such a colorful history, beyond Dylan.
When he performed here, (I can’t recall the year, but it was in the DECC and he was surprisingly talkative with the audience) Dylan was very positive about Duluth. And, when he played in Bayfront Park with Paul Simon, he also made some positive comments about Duluth. People who say Dylan hates Duluth can’t know that for sure, any more than I know that he likes Duluth; we’re not exactly Facebook Friends. But, I always suspect the people who insist Dylan dislikes Duluth don’t like Duluth themselves, so they wouldn’t want anyone else to see any value in our fine city!
People are allowed to change their opinions as they grow, but I thought young Dylan was on record as being very critical of his birth region.
I think a more important issue is why Hotrod’s Duluth Does Kiss never got off the ground. I thought Duluth Does the ’80s DECC would be a fun tribute album. It would actually be a pretty diverse record.
I love “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” by Accidental Porn.
“I think people who don’t like Dylan’s music or personality want him to not like Duluth so they can have another reason to not like him.”
You’re making the assumption that these people like Duluth, and would be defensive of the area in some way.
I see it more as, people don’t like Duluth and use the idea that Dylan hates it to bolster their criticism.