Hard Rain & Slow Trains: Bob Dylan & Fellow Travelers

The first of a short two-part series featuring the music of cities where Dylan did not record his studio albums. Part one emphasizes important recording centers in the United States and part two will emphasize important recording centers throughout the world. We start with Sun Records and then stay in Memphis for some Stax recordings. From there we go to Chicago and the Chess Recording Studio, before moving to Wally Heider Studios (now Hyde Street Studios) in San Francisco, to Detroit with Hitsville, USA and Third Man Studios, and then finally to Seattle where Nirvana and many other bands recorded at Reciprocal Recording. In "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Train of Love" better: Johnny Cash, as recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, or Bob Dylan?

We conclude our twelve-part series featuring the cities in which Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades by ending where Dylan's professional career began: in New York City. Dylan made his greatest recordings in New York, whether his work from 1961-1965, half of BLOOD ON THE TRACKS in 1974, DESIRE in 1975, "LOVE & THEFT" and MODERN TIMES in the new century, or any number of other marvelous recordings across five decades. In tonight's double episode, you will hear songs from most of the albums that Dylan recorded in New York, whether partially or entirely. You will also hear some other songs either about or set in New York City. In "20 Pounds of Headlines" we round up sad news from the world of Bob Dylan, which is a triple obituary for three figures from Dylan's life who died this past week. In "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" better: Bob Dylan as recorded in New York or Nina Simone, also recorded in New York?

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part eleven features Los Angeles, where Bob Dylan recorded twelve albums. We'll play songs from most of these albums, as well as a few prominent songs that feature L.A. as a subject. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan and in "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Emotionally Yours" better: Bob Dylan as recorded in Los Angeles or The O'Jays?

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part ten features Malibu, where Bob Dylan recorded two albums in his garage studio: GOOD AS I BEEN TO YOU (1992) and WORLD GONE WRONG (1993). We'll play other songs recorded in Malibu, songs about Malibu, and an interview with one of only two people in the studio with Dylan when he recorded his two albums in Malibu. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan and in "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Two Soldiers" better: Jerry Garcia & David Grisman or Bob Dylan as recorded in his studio in Malibu?

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part nine features Topanga & Santa Monica -- our first stops in California during this series. You'll hear both some of the recordings that Dylan made in Topanga and Santa Monica, and also other recordings made in the same studios. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan and in "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "No Time to Think" better: Bob Dylan, as recorded in Santa Monica for STREET-LEGAL, or The Belle Brigade, also recorded in Santa Monica?

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part eight cheats a little because Dylan didn't actually record a studio album in Woodstock or Saugerties, New York. Yet, he wrote nearly 100 songs here and recorded scores of demos that were eventually released, eight years later, as THE BASEMENT TAPES. Because the influence and importance of Woodstock on Dylan's story looms large, I decided to include Woodstock in our series. In this episode, we listen to some of the earliest covers of the songs Dylan wrote in Woodstock, we hear from (now obscure) musicians that Dylan knew in his early visits to Woodstock in 1963 and 1964, and we hear other recordings made in Woodstock. We also celebrate Levon Helm, who so embodied the comradery, conviviality, and cooperation of the Woodstock arts scene. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan and in "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Quinn the Eskimo" better: Bob Dylan, as recorded in Big Pink in Saugerties, New York or Manfred Mann?

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part seven features Nashville, Tennessee -- Music City, USA. Here Bob Dylan recorded BLONDE ON BLONDE (1966), JOHN WESLEY HARDING (1967), NASHVILLE SKYLINE (1969), and part of SELF PORTRAIT (1970). You'll hear about the famous Nashville sidemen, dubbed the Nashville Cats, and -- for once -- they will take the spotlight. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan and in "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Temporary Like Achilles" better: Bob Dylan, as recorded in Nashville for BLONDE ON BLONDE, or Nashville string band, Old Crow Medicine Show, as recorded on the stage of Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame, fifty years to the month after BLONDE ON BLONDE.

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part six features Sheffield, Alabama, home to Muscle Shoals Sound Studios where Bob Dylan recorded SLOW TRAIN COMING (1979) and SAVED (1980) with Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler producing. You'll hear about the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm section, called the Swampers, you'll hear songs recorded both at Muscle Shoals Sound and its predecessor FAME Studios founded by Rick Hall, you'll hear lyrics that reference the Muscle Shoals sound, and you'll hear about the recording of Dylan's two albums way down in the land of cotton. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan and in "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "Pressing On" better: Regina McCrary with the Chicago Mass Choir or Alicia Keys, recorded in FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals.

We continue our twelve-part series featuring the cities where Dylan recorded his studio albums over the decades. Part five features Miami, where Dylan recorded TIME OUT OF MIND at Criteria Studios in January of 1997. You'll hear songs about Miami, recordings made in Miami, and recordings made specifically at Criteria studios. In "20 Pounds of Headlines" we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan, which includes news about an upcoming conference and an online Bob Dylan college course. In "Who Did It Better?" we ask you who did "'Till I Fell in Love With You" better: Bob Dylan (recorded in Miami) or Miami-native Albert Castiglia.