Although this may have been an honest mistake, it was still a horrible one, setting up expectations that Dylan could never have met -- even with a lifetime of singing lessons.
The album was called "Alive On Arrival" and I fell in love with it on first listen. Shortly thereafer, I was lucky enough to hear all these songs played and sung live, and it was fantastic set!
The singer was outstanding, his band was hot, and everyone in the place must have thought, as I did, that big things were in store for him.
Well, it didn't quite happen that way, and the "new Dylan" label certainly didn't help, nor did it help anybody else who ever got tagged with it. But the music is still brilliant!
And the singer/songwriter is -- did you guess yet? -- Steve Forbert.
Well, everybody here
Seems to like to laugh
Look at Johnny jivin' across the floor
He can play the fool and make a few mistakes
But all the same he'll never be a bore
I'm glad to be so young
Talkin' with my tongue
Glad to be so careless in my way
Glad to take a chance and play against the odds
Glad to be so crazy in my day
Well, I'm goin' down to Laurel
It's a dirty stinkin' town, yeah
But me I know exactly what I'm going to find
Little girl I'm goin' to see
She is a fool for lovin' me
But she's in love and love's a funny state of mind
Well, what was that you said when you had a tear
Rolling down your cheek the other night
I couldn't catch it all there's something going wrong
I hope you got it straightened out alright
Everything's so loud and everything's so fast
I hear your brother married once again
Yeah, best of luck and all and try to have some fun
They tell me this great life can always end
Well, I'm goin' down to Laurel
It's a dirty stinkin' town, yeah
But me I know exactly what I'm going to find
Little girl I'm goin' to see
She is a fool for lovin' me
But she's in love and love's a funny state of mind
Yea, yes it is
I'm smilin' from a car
I'm goin' for a drive
Feel the whistle blowin' breeze gone flying by
Mirrors on the moon
Echoing the sun
See just a touch of madness in my eye
Please don't mention rain
Please don't talk of trains
Please don't mention buildings burning down
Everybody here seems to like to laugh
Either step in time or just don't hang around
Well... I'm goin' down to Laurel
It's a dirty stinkin' town, yeah
But me I know exactly what I'm going to find
Little girl I'm goin' to see
She is a fool for lovin' me
But she's in love and love's a funny state of mind
Oh, tell me what I'm sayin' now
She's in love and love's a funny state of mind
Yeah
