Bob Dylan’s Self Portrait confounded upon its release fifty years ago (6/8/70) and remains something of a conundrum even today. It may not be the only red herring in the Nobel Laureate’s discography—see 1986’s Knocked Out Loaded or Down in the Groove from two years later—but it was the first to so thoroughly flummox the public. Yet some discerning hindsight, combined with the information provided by select archive packages, reveals a purpose far beyond the short term aim of half a century ago, ostensibly to distance himself from overeager followers (and perhaps satisfy a nagging record label!?).
After initially sequestering himself in Woodstock New York following the (alleged?) motorcycle accident in the summer of 1966, Bob was eventually joined by his fellow road warriors, The Band, with whom he subsequently collaborated for The Basement Tapes the next year and went on to compose and record John Wesley Harding, a spartan piece of work distinctly contrary to the flowery psychedelic indulgences of the times. Conducting additional sessions under the supervision of Bob Johnston after that latter production in Nashville, Dylan then pursued a great variety of stylistic approaches, fully in keeping with an extremely broad range of material.
But especially because of a relative paucity of new originals of any substance (“Wigwam” could not be more slight), not to mention the unusually mellifluous voice he used through most of the two dozen tracks, the combination of unusual components caused much dismay with Dylan’s audience (and outraged critics of the period). It is thus easy to appreciate a temptation to view New Morning, released just four months later, as a response to the negative reaction afforded this sprawling double album (the second after Blonde On Blonde). Yet even as distinct is that earthy work of October 1970 from the easy listening likes of “Let It Be Me” and “I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know,” it is hardly on par with the magnificent expressions of imagination manifest erupting from the two releases of 1965, Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited.
Yet it’s only in hearing Dylan’s tenth album now, in the context of his overall work to the present day, that begins to reveal Bob’s seeming slapdash approach had its purpose. Much additional clarification also comes from then poring through the edition of the ongoing archive project specifically devoted to this period, Another Self-Portrait (1969-1971). That said, it’s not much more edifying to hear the muddled middle-of-the-road sound depicted by this cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain” and it’s definitely enervating to encounter but a single cull from all the work done at Big Pink in the form of “Minstrel Boy.”
On top of all that, with the additional retrospective of The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete, listening to Self Portrait in 2020 renders its inherent rationale readily apparent. Even if the so-called ‘Voice of a Generation’ was not sure what voice he wanted to assume in the late Sixties and early Seventies, he had a readily discernible path to follow and find out. The Minnesota native has long been a student of song in a wide variety of forms and while he took a most circuitous route to reach some modicum of originality again (1974’s Blood On The Tracks), it’s also easy to ascertain how 1967’s JWH led inevitably to the more overtly country-styled Nashville Skyline two years later: see The Bootleg Series Vol. 15: Travelin’ thru for even more insight.
And from an even broader perspective, including Dylan’s official releases and live performances over the years, it’s more valuable still to look back and realize the ostensible side-trips of Self Portrait render its title (if not the original Zimmerman cover painting) much less ironic. Rodgers and Hart’s “Blue Moon” foreshadows the more recent explorations of ‘The Great American Songbook’ in the form of Triplicate. “In Search of Little Sadie” belongs squarely in the context of Dylan’s well-established interest in traditional music, an abiding pursuit that in the Nineties took the form of two collections of such material, World Gone Wrong and Good as I Been to You. Meanwhile, the saccharine sound of “All The Tired Horses” finds a vocal choir not all dissimilar from the corps of singers Bob utilized during his ‘born again’ phase (documented on Bootleg #13 Trouble No More 1979–1981) and even on tour later in the Eighties with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Ultimately, while this once baffling entry into Bob Dylan’s discography is still not a compelling listen on its own terms, it is worthwhile to see it as the means to far greater ends. And, at this very point in time, this healthy exercise in nostalgia may even serve to ratchet up anticipation for Rough And Rowdy Ways, his first album of original material since 2012.
7 Responses
SP is a favorite dylan record of mine. only 3 songs are misplaced: Isle of White stuff. they should have been replaced with the 3 Tribute to Woody songs he sang for that tribute. And with The Band as well. They would have fit in to the whole record more. Actually the record sold quite a bit. and much of the negative hype was fake news. Dylan actually likes all of the songs from those sessions. I once talked to David Bromberg about it. He likes the record. Don’t confuse Dylan’s desire to throw something out that would confuse his uneducated fans with songs he really likes. That stupid What is this Shit guy is still sucking on a hind tit to make money off of Bob. He didn’t know his arse from a hole in the ground at the time. And this record comes from a wonderful period of Bob’s. New Morning, Nashville Skyline, John Wesley Harding etc. It all has a feeling of Bob’s days up in Woodstock on the Ohayo Mt. Road. I visited that place once and saw the bay window where Bob sat and painted the cover for SP. Of course Bob wanted to ditch the dippies and the ignorants, but the record is still very well made and has beautiful songs. Bob was never the voice of a generation and wanted to make sure everyone understood. But the material is such a nice way to tell people to fuck off. I remember the first time I heard it. Have loved it ever since. It sold well too!!!!!
Thanks for the thoughtful article. I believe one can compile an absolute masterpiece from bits and pieces of SP and it’s bootleg series counterpart. I love Pretty Saro, Thirsty Boots, Tattle O-Day, etc. Bob was not his own best curator for the SP project – but perhaps that was the point …
Thanks for your thoughtful article Doug. I am the odd Dylan fan who quite likes Self Portrait and like you, sees it as often misunderstood. I was late in checking it out, partially due to all the bad press it was getting, When I finally got around to exploring Self Portrait, it had quite an effect on me. In fact… I just produced a compilation tribute album to Self Portrait and the recording sessions it was based on. We released our record on 6/8/20, the exact 50th anniversary of the original. The record is a benefit for unaccompanied immigrant children at the US border. Check it out on the album website listed above.
Robert
It was clear to me that SP was never meant to be taken too seriously, just Bob enjoying himself. I mean, Take me as I am or let me go.
My enjoyment and appreciation of artistic endeavour and entertainment in general is personal to me. I have never been influenced by what other people think. This world is lucky to have experienced the multitudes that have have touched our souls for the past sixty years or so.
I’ve always regarded it as a DIY kit: make a cassette (the technology of 1970) of the tracks you relate to, which would be unique to each listener. ????
I liked SP when it was released. None of my friends did, tho. But they were electric Dylan fans. I liked the album because I was convinced he pulled much of the material from old Sing Out magazines and the SingOut Songbook.
For me it’s was like going home, tho because was only going back 15 years or so. I’ve never seen anyone explore the Sing Out connections…