Oh Mercy Me - The Bob Dylan Conundrum

Bob Dylan's new album, Tempest, is currently streaming for free on iTunes.

I've never been a fan of O'l Bob, but over the years I've tried. I've listened to 1975's critically acclaimed Blood on the Tracks but it didn't do much for me. A friend loaned me a Dylan anthology 3-CD set, but short of "Lay Lady Lay," I was unimpressed.

I don't hate the guy, far from it. I think he's talented, a good songwriter, and he has a great sense of humor—how else can you explain 2009's Christmas in the Heart?

I guess you can say I just don't like listening to him. Case in point, I'm a long-time Robyn Hitchcock fan and when I bought his 2002 live album, Robyn Sings, I thought it was a great listen. It wasn't until after I had the album for over a week that I read the liner notes and realized all the songs were Bob Dylan covers.

I appreciate the many musicians Bob has influenced and inspired. Artists like Hitchcock, Steve Earle, and my friend, ex-Las Vegan (and now resident Nashvillian when he's not on tour) troubadour Mark Huff  —all these guys owe Dylan a debt of gratitude for his music, and it's suffice to say that I'm a big fan of their music also.

Having just mentioned Steve Earle, I'm reminded of something he once said about fellow musician and mentor, Townes Van Zandt:

"Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."

When Townes heard what Steve Earle had said about him, he humbly replied, "I've seen Bob Dylan's bodyguards and trust me, Steve's not getting anywhere near Dylan's coffee table."

 .

Here's something though:

Back in January I reviewed the indie documentary film Bombay Beach, a film that features a rather obscure Bob Dylan song that is both in the film's trailer and at the end of the movie. The name of the song is "Series of Dreams" and it was meant to be on Dylan's 26th album, 1989's Oh Mercy. At the time however, the song was considered a little too over-the-top for the album and so the song was ultimately shelved. Eventually though, it appeared as a remix on a few of Dylan's official Bootleg Series CDs.

I think the song, with it's pulsating tempo and gradual build-up, is fantastic, especially during the ending of Bombay Beach—not that I'm spoiling anything by posting this video—because really, what young boy (bipolar and on Ritalin, or otherwise)  has never dreamed of being a fireman?

              

                          Bombay Beach- Ending from The Click & The Flash on Vimeo.

Because I liked the song, I downloaded the whole Oh Mercy album and you know what? Oh Mercy is really, really good, and you know why I think it's really, really good? Because Daniel "I can do no wrong behind the sound board" Lanois produced it—and I didn't know this until I had listened to the whole album.

Daniel Lanois is a Sound God in my book. U2's The Joshua Tree, Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball, and the soundtrack to Sling Blade are all some of my favorite Lanois productions, and for any fans of The Killers (random trivia—Brandon Flowers was a bellman at The Gold Coast Hotel & Casino here in Las Vegas before hitting the big-time) Lanois helped produce their upcoming album, Battle Born, due to be released on the 18th of this month. More random trivia—“Battle Born" is a phrase on the Nevada State flag.

So, to sum things up, I listened to Tempest on iTunes and I hated it. Bob's voice is starting to sound too much like Tom Waits, and that's not a good thing unless you're Tom Waits.

But thanks to Oh Mercy, I think there's hope for me as a Bob Dylan fan. I just need to dig a little deeper into his catalog (of well over thirty albums) and find the rare gems that I like.

He just might start growing on me like fungi.

 .

 .

FiN.

The Salton Sea and Bombay Beach - Because Life is Nothing But a Habit Anyway

 .

I just spent 76 minutes in Bombay Beach, California, courtesy of Alma Har'el's (that's not a typo) 2011 documentary of the same name. My brief trip was lived vicariously through her film and for reasons I'm still not sure why, I want to return for another visit.

Bombay Beach is on the shores of southern California's Salton Sea—a 525 square-mile below sea-level saline lake that was accidentally formed in the early 1900's—and despite attempts to make the area an oasis resort in the middle of a desert, the impoverished community is slowly and literally turning to dust.

 

The first thirty minutes of the film is a bit sporadic, but it's then that we're introduced to three vastly different residents of local color. We meet Benny, a young bipolar boy on a plethora of drugs including Ritalin and Lithium. There's Ceejay, a hopeful high school jock who left the gangster life in Los Angeles in order to focus on his grades and vie for a football scholarship. And finally there's Red—a lovable old geezer who lives on cigarettes and whiskey and drives around the desert on his ATV. Red makes a little money by selling the local residents cigarettes purchased at discount from the nearby Indian reservation.

There's plenty of other people featured too—but as one resident observes, "they're all rejects."

Although the outcasts they are, the community is tight-knit. Birthdays are celebrated with money from recycled cans, and they're exceptionally good when dancing in (slightly choreographed) free-style.

During the film we see old wounds heal and new enemies made, but when O'l Red suffers a life threatening crisis, it's for damn certain he's not going to leave this world without someone at his side.

Watch the preview:

 .

 .

And it's this stuff—along with the excellent editing and timing from Har'el's gifted eye—that draws you into the lives of these people, and well after those first thirty minutes.

Can troubled young Benny eventually realize his full potential? Will the jock earn his scholarship? Does the old codger live to see another day?

On the corroded shores of the Salton Sea—in a small desolate town called Bombay Beach—there lies the truth.

And all I can say is that for one reason or another, you'll be rooting for them to make these series of potential dreams a reality—whether any of them come true or not.

FiN.

Chris Heers and The Dirt Rich Band - Going Strong Like Bull

All Photos © The Neon Lounge 2012

I first met Chris Heers many moons ago at a local open mic night. He did a top-notch cover of Hal Ketchum's "Small Town, Saturday Night" and finished the set with some Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle—and those three songs were all it took for me to become a fan of the native Las Vegan. Granted, since I'm from Nashville I should like country music by default (which explains why a guitar that I don't know how to play is hanging on my wall) but honestly, I wasn't much of a die-hard country music fan at the time—although it's suffice to say that Chris's songwriting has since broadened both my country and western horizons.

In the years following those open mic nights Chris has achieved goals that most musicians only hope to attain. He left his day job and started writing songs—a lot of songs. Good songs.  He went to Nashville and recorded his album Western Stars with some of the best session musicians in the business. He's played Music City's World Famous Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. Even more impressive, long time Nashville music critic Robert K. Oermann bestowed Chris with his highly sought after "DisCovery" award for the Heers' single "Dirt Rich." In addition to Western Stars, “Dirt Rich" can be found on the Wii entertainment game Country Dance II—along with music by the likes of Brad Paisely, George Strait, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum.

Heers is the only musician I know who has achieved so much in such a short amount of time—and all without him hailing from Texas or having lived in Nashville. Vegas is home for Heers. Make no mistake though, these accomplishments only happened because of his devotion and passionate talent toward his music.

Last year Chris finally did what I've been waiting for—he formed a down-home, full fledged country band to jam with on a regular basis. Trust me folks, this was no easy task. Finding a good pedal steel guitarist ain't easy. Hell, finding any good and available musician in Las Vegas ain't easy. Chris did an excellent job though and now has a band that will keep your boots scootin' across the dance floor all night long.

The band—known either as The Chris Heers Band or Chris Heers and The Dirt Rich Band—play regularly at the Naughty Ladies' Saloon inside Arizona Charlie's Westside. It wasn't until last month though—during the National Finals Rodeo—that I dusted off my boots and caught-up with the band during one of their (ten night) gigs at the Tuscany Hotel & Casino. Finally seeing Chris perform with a full and tight band was an absolute joy. People danced, the beer flowed, song requests were met (including some Townes requested by yours truly) and a good time was had by all. Also, I hadn't worn my shit-kickers since my motorcycling days and I'd forgotten how comfortable they still are.

In addition to playing at Arizona Charlie's, Chris occasionally plays an unplugged set on Sunday afternoons at the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada. The Pioneer is one of the oldest free-standing bars in America and is well worth the short drive from Las Vegas to check-out Chris in an intimate setting. Just be careful not to run over the sleeping dog in the middle of Main Street.

I'm excited to see what 2012 has in store for Chris and the band. For starters, I hereby deem Chris Heers as someone who Las Vegas needs more of—that being a hometown hero.

FiN.

More Heers Here:

See a few more of my photographs of the band playing at the Tuscany here. I wish drummer Jim Lovgren had been more visible.

Hit up Chris's website and Facebook page to get his music and see his schedule.

Read another Chris Heers related article that I originally wrote for another website here.