Ani DiFranco & Opinions on Bob Dylan
Singer and songwriter

Music News
Greg recently returned from the Future of Music Policy Summit in Washington D.C. Two of the central themes of the summit were how people will get more access to the internet and how artists will get paid. Senator
Call her vain, but Carly Simon needs a little more tender, loving care. She is suing
Ani DiFranco
Singer-songwriter
Christmas in the Heart Bob Dylan

After thirty-four studio albums over a career spanning decades, Jim and Greg didn't think that Bob Dylan could still surprise them. This week, he did. Dylan has released an album of Christmas classics called Christmas in the Heart. Both Jim and Greg preface their review with praise for the American folk icon. Greg calls him "the most important artist of the past fifty years." For Jim, Dylan is a "living American treasure." But, at the risk of sounding like Grinches, both critics agree Christmas in the Heart is abysmal. The arrangements are awful, the delivery bizarre, and nothing sounds like anything you'd want to play for the family. It's a double Trash It.
Greg
Greg needs to clear his Christmas palette, so he chooses a worthy holiday song to put in the Desert Island Jukebox. This is one he could listen to all year long. In 1999 the Minnesota trio Low released their Christmas EP. Members of Low are practicing Mormons, and you can hear the influence of their faith on their music. In "Long Way Around the Sea," Low strips the song of any mentions of bows and sleighs and gets to the essence of the holiday. To Greg, it's deliberate, beautiful, and something he'd like to listen to if stranded on an island.
Featured Songs
- Rockwell, "Somebody's Watching Me," Somebody's Watching Me, Motown, 1984
- Carly Simon, "This Kind Of Love," This Kind of Love, Hear Music, 2008
- Ani DiFranco, "32 Flavors," Not a Pretty Girl, Righteous Babe, 1995
- Ani DiFranco, "Alla This (Live on Sound Opinions)," Red Letter Year, Righteous Babe, 2009
- Ani DiFranco, "Shameless," Dilate, Righteous Babe, 1996
- Ani DiFranco, "Red Letter Year," Red Letter Year, Righteous Babe, 2009
- Ani DiFranco, "Present Infant (Live on Sound Opinions)," Red Letter Year, Righteous Babe, 2009
- Ani DiFranco, "Evolve," Evolve, Righteous Babe, 2003
- Ani DiFranco, "November 5, 2008 (Live on Sound Opinions)," Red Letter Year, Righteous Babe, 2008
- Ani DiFranco, "Landing Gear," Red Letter Year, Righteous Babe, 2009
- Bob Dylan, "Here Comes Santa Claus," Christmas in the Heart, Columbia, 2009
- Bob Dylan, "O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)," Christmas in the Heart, Columbia, 2009
- Bob Dylan, "Winter Wonderland," Christmas in the Heart, Columbia, 2009
- Low, "Long Way Around the Sea," Christmas, Kranky, 1999
- Aretha Franklin, "Call Me," Spirit in the Dark, Atlantic, 1970
- 13th Floor Elevators, "You're Gonna Miss Me," The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, International Artists, 1966
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