Thanks to Jon T. for sharing his reaction to Christmas In The Heart:

For some reason, the first thing that comes to my mind is Babe Ruth’s “called shot:”

Babe Ruth’s called shot was the home run hit by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, held on October 1, 1932 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. During the at-bat, Ruth made a pointing gesture, which existing film confirms, but the exact nature of his gesture is ambiguous. Although neither fully confirmed nor refuted, the story goes that Ruth pointed to the center field bleachers during the at-bat. It was supposedly a declaration that he would hit a home run to this part of the park. On the next pitch, Ruth hit a home run to center field. (WIkipedia)

Unclear if Dylan made any ambiguous pointing gesture on this one, but he definitely hit it out of the park.

Read your post and started listening to the cuts — brought tears to my eyes. The backing is fantastic.

It’s kinda like many Dylan things, if you don’t get it, you don’t get it.

Just pre-ordered.

Warm regards (holiday spirit),

Jon T.

I like that analogy. Something tells me that Bob would like it too, baseball fan that he is.

And thanks very much to Ojars for this very eloquent testament to his affection for Bob generally:

I inadvertently chanced upon your webpage (intrigued, in part, by the provocative title) and while I haven’t read everything, (and if I did, am sure I would find something I disagreee with), I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate what you say about Dylan. I’m 60 and have been following him nearly all my life, and find him to be one of the most intriguing human beings alive in my lifetime. I am really grateful that someone like Dylan exists. Yes, I have always enjoyed his songs, his voice, his lyrics, his personna. Yes, not all songs move me the same way. Sometimes I think I understand what he is saying, sometimes I simply feel it and don’t care whether I understand.

For example, I find ‘Most of the Time’ to be one of his most profound and lyrically straightforward songs. As an old philosophy major and moral relativist of sorts, I don’t believe in absolutes and I think this song conveys that eternal paradox brilliantly. I think I could apply this song to anything, including Dylan, i.e. ‘I think he is a genius….most of the time.” On the other hand, for reasons I still cannot articulate or even fathom, oone of my alltime favorite Dylan songs is ‘It Takes a Lot to Laugh and a Train to Cry’. I just love how it feels.

I’ve also noticed an interesting cycle in Dylan’s relevance to my life. If I were asked to pick my ‘favorite’ Dylan, it would be the Dylan of Highway 61 and Blonde on Blonde. Loved his voice, his lyrics, his honkytonk bluesyness. Even loved the way he dressed and looked. I was interested in everything he did after that, liked some things more, some less (Desire and Blood on the Tracks stood out) but ‘related’ to his music a lot less in the 80’s and 90’s. But now, I find the Dylan of today as relevant to me now, as the Dylan of the 60’s was to me then. Perhaps we have aged together.

As much as I particularly enjoy his last three albums, I am obsessed with Tell Tale Signs. For example, I never appreciated the songs Mississippi and Someday Baby until I heard the outtake versions on TTS. This version of Someday Baby continues to haunt me. Thanks to your article on Red River Shore, I will take a closer listen to that as well. (Dylan’s songs ‘reveal’ themselves at different speeds. Some, Like High Water Rising or Cold Irons Bound, grab me immediately and don’t let go. Others creep up on you slowly over time.)

When I have the time, I will read more of what you have to say. Just wanted to let you know I appreciate your appreciation of Dylan. And think your insights are very much on target.

-Ojars

PS I have always been wryly amused by Dylan’s ‘critics’ (going back to the folkies who condemned his electrification) because they act like they own him and that he owes them some kind of consistency or predictability. It is precisely Dylan’s defiance of expectations, his loyal committment only to his own inner voice, that fascinates me. A Victoria’s Secret ad? A Christmas Album? Why not? The man is enjoying himself, and those of us who are capable of enjoy him enjoying himself, are very lucky indeed.

Not much you can add to that.

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