Sign on the Window isn't the Bob Dylan podcast you need, but it's definitely the one that you want! Each week we select a Dylan song at random, live with the song for a week (or two) and then get together to discuss. This week we go back to what felt like seven years to our pre-quarantine past to bring "Love Minus Zero / No Limit" for our COVID present.
This episode, brought to you by our newest Patron, Stan, looks at :
Kelly's musical relationship with the song (4:00)
Context (8:30)
Cutting Edge, Live '66, Rolling Thunder, Budokan (12:30)
Song Itself (28:30) – Verse 1 (31:00), Verse 2 (34:00), Verse 3 (40:20), Verse 4 (49:30)
Does the song work? (56:00)
Recommendations – featuring Portico Quartet, Iggy Pop, Ratboys (1:10:00)
Endings (1:17:15)
As always, full show notes at our website. You can also follow along with our weekly real-time Spotify playlist – See That My Playlist is Kept Clean – or just listen to this episode's playlist and join the conversation on the usual suspects: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
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Next episode: our annual debaucherous St. Patrick's Day episode
This episode is brought to you by Stan!!!
Kelly's musical relationship with week (4:00)
Context (8:30)
One of Dylan's "mathematical songs." Love Minus Zero over (divided by) Zero. The song was recorded in 3 takes on January 13 and 14, 1966. All are available on The Cutting Edge. The song also features on 1979's At Budokan (the song being paired with the "Is Your Love In Vain?" single).
He's played the song 365 times (as of recording). The last was in October 2012 in Broomfield, CO.
Cutting Edge and other versions (12:30)
Like every Cutting Edge song, we dive into every take.
January 13, 1966 featured Bob, John Sebastian on bass, and Bruce Langhorne in guitar on one take.
January 14, 1966 featured Bob, Al Gorgoni, Kenneth Rankin and Bruce Langhorne on guitar, Joe Macho Jr. or Bill Lee on bass, Bobby Gregg on drums and Paul Griffin on piano. The versions today are excellent and are exactly what The Cutting Edge is for. Langhorne spoke about this session later:
Well, I showed up [for the sessions] with a pickup for my guitar and an amp, so there was that much ‘prep’ … I remember that we didn’t do any rehearsal, we just did first takes and I remember that, for what it was, it was amazingly intuitive and successful. Everyone enjoyed playing with everyone else, and Dylan was sort of the thread that held everything together. His intent and his inertia—in physics terms—was very easy to hook onto.
We looked at few live performances, among many: 1966, Rolling Thunder, Budokan.
Song Itself (28:30)
Daniel and Kelly dive into the song itself — musically and lyrically. Musically, it's tranquil, short, perfect; lyrically, it's half light, half shrouded in darkness.
Verse 1 (31:00)
The first verse is about opposites and contradictions. We also have to contend with Dylan's views on Sara, on women.
Verse 2 (34:00)
Daniel adds to this verse by looking into, fittingly, the Book of Daniel, as well as John Keats' concept of "negative capability" and William Blake's 1794 “The Sick Rose.”
Verse 3 (40:20)
The light turns dark with the cloak and dagger dangling. Daniel recounts the Sword of Damocles (and another foray into the Book of Daniel).
Verse 4 (49:30)
Daniel adds to the discussion with Henry James' Portrait of a Lady and Edgar Allen Poe.
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe | Poetry Foundation
Does the song work? (56:00)
Daniel and Kelly were mesmerized by the song, even with critiques. For Kelly, this may make the song stand out. For Daniel, it's all part and parcel. Daniel makes the case for "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" being vital.
THE EPISODE’S BOOKLET & PLAYLIST (1:03:00)
RECOMMENDATIONS (1:10:00)
Kelly recommends Portico Quartet and Iggy Pop's last few records.
Daniel listened to Ratboys all week. Well, a brief detour into La Roux's disappointing follow-up to Trouble in Paradise, Supervision. He can't figure out if it's not good or if what Trouble in Paradise means to him, in a very specific period of his life, overshadows this so completely it's best to just let it be and move on.
ENDINGS (1:17:15)
395 songs left. Kelly guessed #10 — "Make You Feel My Love," from Time Out of Mind. The correct answer is #313 — "Trust Yourself," off 1985's Empire Burlesque. Uh oh. At least Kindra will be joining us for this St. Patrick's Day special!
REFERENCES IN EPISODE
Sword Of Damocles - Rocky Horror Picture Show
Ozymandias - As Read by Bryan Cranston: Breaking Bad
The Simpsons - Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is (Official Music Video)
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