Visions of Johanna

Changing the key to blue .... same thing, the dark side of the coin.

The title refers to Dylan's song "Visions of Johanna" written sometime late 1965 - it's on his album "Blonde on Blonde" (arguably one of the most sublime records ever made). He is haunted by visions of "Johanna" (Latin for Joan, doh) - while spending the night with "Louise" - the visions "keep him up til dawn" (writing the song, I suppose). It's eerie and empty, and the original title was "Freeze out". The emotional impact of a Mahler symphony, just with a guitar and a mouth organ and some sparse percussion. That's something. That is really something.

I've just been listening to a live recording of Dylan performing in 1964 - he's on a high, happy and laughing and joking, and hurling out those songs. The concert includes a few duets with Joan Baez, and they just s-o-a-r. I mean I've heard a lot of performances in my day, but that is just jawdropping. Complete trust in each other. It's not always "together" in the standard sense of the word - the first song, they can't remember their lines! - but what a performance.

So what happened to that happy, joking fellow, the clownish performer with the fabulous skill with words? Another live performance, 1966, you can cut his misery with a knife. And it's been getting more depressing ever since. Some great recordings - just got out "Oh Mercy" from the library, which is truly beautiful but SO - SAD. Or if it's not sad, it's a bit manic, like the "Rolling Thunder Revue" stuff.

Sad. But hey, he's still around - music business has killed so many people, that alone is already an achievement.

Visions of Johanna lyrics: [link]
Visions of Johanna performance (Bob Dylan): [link]
Visions of Johanna performance (Marianne Faithful): [link]