Bob Dylan has been honored at the annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala.
Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, Jackson Browne and a host of others performed Dylan’s songs by the highlight of the evening may have been Bob’s 35 minute speech.
Dylan, normally closer to the silent troubadour than a great orator, went on about a variety of topics including his songs, others that recorded his music, his early days, who he was influenced by and those that came after him. He saved some of his most biting comments for those that disrespected him over the years including Merle Haggard and Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller of which he said “I didn’t really care what Leiber & Stoller thought of my songs. That was all right they didn’t like them. ‘Cause I didn’t like their songs, either. Yakety yak, don’t talk back. Charlie Brown is a clown. Baby, I’m a hog for you. Novelty songs. They weren’t saying anything serious.”
He also took on Tom T. Hall and his hit I Love. “Tom loves little baby ducks. Slow-moving trains and rain. He loves big pickup trucks and little country streams. Sleep without dreams. Bourbon in a glass. Coffee in a cup. Tomatoes on a vine. Now listen, I’m not every going to disparage another songwriter. I’m not gonna do that. I’m not saying that’s a bad song, I’m just saying it might be a little over-cooked.”
The set list for the night:
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat – Beck
Shooting Star – Aaron Neville
Subterranean Homesick Blues – Alanis Morissette
On A Night Like This – Los Lobos
Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) – Willie Nelson
Blind Willie McTell – Jackson Browne
Highway 61 Revisited – John Mellencamp
One More Cup Of Coffee – Jack White
What Good Am I? – Tom Jones
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – Norah Jones
Million Miles – Dereck Trucks And Susan Tedeschi
Pressing On – John Doe
Girl From The North Country – Crosby, Stills & Nash
Standing In The Doorway – Bonnie Raitt
Boots Of Spanish Leather – Sheryl Crow
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Bruce Springsteen
Blowin’ In The Wind – Neil Young
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