DAVID BLUE – Stories – (Asylum) – 1971

David Blue has secured a footnote in musical history by virtue of the fact that he was a contemporary and friend of Bob Dylan.

It seems that Blue wasn’t a hanger on or imitator. He was the same age, moved in the same Greenwich Village Folk Circles, had similar inspirations, and had a similar outlook.

By all accounts Dylan seemed to like having him in his inner circle and hung out with him before and after he (Dylan) found fame. Dylan, later in the 70s, even played harmonica on one of Blue’s LPs.

Having said that, commentators will say that Blue’s musical philosophy and demeanour were very close to Dylan’s, if not imitative of him. That’s not entirely fair. Blue has his own voice but Dylan’s shining star shone brightly and touched all those around him, both near and far. It is not surprising that Blue may have been inspired by Dylan in music and style.

This LP (his fourth) is perhaps Blue’s least Dylan sounding album (of the ones I have heard) but there are tracks which could be Dylan outtakes. Granted, Blue’s baritone is cleaner than Dylan’s rasp and his lyrics generally aren’t as biting or incisive but the similarities are as clear as day.

Given the similarities, then, and the generally high level Blue was working at, it is surprising that Blue didn’t have more success than he did.

This surprised Blue as much as anyone else.

The whole allmusic entry on him is: “Born in Providence, Rhode Island (1941) as S. David Cohen (a name he returned to for one of his albums), David Blue was a member of the folk singer/songwriter community of Greenwich Village in the ’60s and a close friend of Bob Dylan (he recounts this period of his life in Dylan’s movie Renaldo & Clara). Blue made several albums for Elektra, Reprise, and Asylum in the ’60s and ’70s, and is best remembered for his songs "I Like to Sleep Late in the Morning" and "Wanted Man" (recorded by the Eagles). He died at age 41 of a heart attack while jogging in Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park in December 1982”.

I think part of the problem is the problem with all the Dylan “sound-alikes” of the time or all those subsequently labelled with the “new Dylan” title. How many dozens have there been? The problem is that all the “new / next Dylan’s” are likened to him on the basis of voice or wordplay, or usually both. What they all lack, is something that Dylan is rarely given credit for …the music. Dylan uses melodies and music to give an emotional punch to his words just as any Brill building pop writer would. That is sometimes lost on his disciples and something they rarely address in their work.

Still, Blue’s music is superior than others of it’s ilk and it is curious that he hasn’t been rediscovered by the tastemakers. Certainly no cult has developed around him like the one around Nick Drake. Like wise his albums haven’t been rediscovered like those of Paul Siebel and whilst he was alive he didn’t have the hip credibility of Leonard Cohen (no relation). He remains one of those obscure artists that obscurists and Dylan obsessives enjoy. .

This album has Blue backing off from Dylan a little …at times he sounds a little like Leonard Cohen. Regardless, his style is quite fluid and quite lyrical.

Much is made of his sad lyrics and his songs certainly are downbeat but never depressive, negative or faux. Blue is quietly contemplative and calls it as he  sees it but he does not judge. There is a humanity in his music which certainly was at odds with general jubilation of the 60s and 70s.

The album is helped by, amongst others, excellent backing from Russ Kunkel on drums, Ry Cooder on slide guitar, Pete Jolly on accordion, Rita Coolidge on backing vocals and Jack Nitzsche arranging the strings.

Tracks (best in italics)

• Looking for a Friend – like a serious version of a James Taylor song. Blue’s song is about friendship and the loneliness when friends are nowhere to be found. Perfect 70s disillusionment.
• Sister Rose – going home …to a home never known away from the suicides and broken people ….
• Another One Like Me – Dylan with some Ry Cooder slide ….
• House of Changing Faces -excellent song about drugs and things.
• Marianne – a beautiful Dylanesque song with gentle accordion from jazz pianist Pete Jolly. Perhaps this is song is a response to Leonard Cohen’s “Marianne” or perhaps it’s about the same girl?

I loved Marianne in the winter

In the loft of her favorite lover

She was growing older

The winter nights were cold

She told me I’m frightened

I said yes I know.

Her eyes held me to her

They burned with such a fire

For the saints on the walls

Holy candles in the halls

For those who had left her

I held her and cried.

Oh, Marianne you are beautiful

To be this friend

To a stranger who

Leaves you only to fall

Do not cry you have helped me

I will not say goodbye.

• Fire in the Morning – a bloke not having a good day, in a cold restaurant, alone, avoiding the company of friends …. tells a girl he loves her but he hasn’t much to offer  …. now he’s a catch!
• Come on John – written by Blue but recorded by Helen Reddy. A downbeat song about drug addiction. Similar to Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man”. Searing.
• The Blues (All Night Long) – Ry Cooder on slide guitar. A gentle white country folk blues. Ruminative but not particularly memorable.

And …

Not perfect but a very good album with more highs than lows and a couple of great tracks.. I’m keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where

Sounds

Looking for a Friend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgJHnZ8hwd8

Another One Like Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz46zmWqddY&feature=related

House of Changing Faces

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O48Dgq9TeoM&feature=related

and attached

David Blue – The House of Changing Faces

Marianne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37MYQwyg_1g

Others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiHM0hotkPo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlhlmEdZ7pU

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/stories-r105620

Bio

http://folk.uio.no/alfs/illustrated_bio.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Blue_(musician)

Website

http://folk.uio.no/alfs/blue.html

Trivia

• on the cover of "The Basement Tapes" by Bob Dylan & The Band, David (wearing a trench coat and bowler hat) is the guy sitting on the floor next to Rick Danko
• David Blue (also a sometime actor) had a large role in Dylan’s film "Renaldo & Clara" (1978) as sort of a narrator.
• Apparently, the Joni Mitchell song "Blue" is written about him and also (apparently) Bob Dylan’s "It’s All Over Now Baby Blue," may also be about him.
• http://www.bobdylanroots.com/blue.html

ERIC ANDERSEN:

David Blue was always on the streets. He had more fucking stories than anyone else. He was also a real pothead. Phil Ochs would dabble in it but was very paranoid; so David would score for Phil and end up stealing the pot from him. But Phil was so paranoid he would keep giving David more money and David would keep taking more pot.

MARC ELIOT:

At the beginning, no one in the "in” crowd liked David, except for Phil Ochs. Phil thought he was a tremendous performer and songwriter. Later on, people started coming around to his music. David’s music was all romantic. Phil’s was all political. In fact, David. Phil, and Dylan were an interesting threesome when it came to writing about women. David would write about women who most people didn’t know — the exotics; Dylan wrote about the universals; and Phil didn’t write about them at all. David was a character. He would be offended if someone told him he looked like Dylan, yet he looked like that on purpose….

JAKE JACOBS:

Someone once said David Blue was a Bob Dylan clone. If Dylan changed his hairstyle, David would change his hairstyle. If Dylan would wear a white shirt buttoned to the top, then David would too… David used to spend hours in front of the mirror just getting ready to go out. He was very vain. I learned a lot from him about songwriting, singing, guitar playing, and the scene. He was the muse. He was the Greek chorus.