New songs. Old songs that are new to me. Forgotten songs. So the other day I became reacquainted with Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits record, which I remember listening to a lot when I was teenager, along with his Infidels record. I had forgotten how many good songs are on there. “Positively 4th Street” has no chorus or bridge, just one verse progression that repeats a gajillion times. And yet it’s awesome. It just has that Dylan vibe. I would do well to learn every song on that record. And then there’s The Pretender, by Jackson Browne. How have I never come across this song before?!?! It could have been my fucking personal theme song, had I paid attention to it earlier. The YouTube algorithm sometimes does non-evil things, this time leading me to a very recent live solo performance of the now 72-year-old Browne delivering this incredible tune. It’s one of those songs that hits home even harder when delivered by an old man. The lyrics are heart breaking, and I’ll be damned if the guy doesn’t sing as good as he did in his prime. So fucking good. Definitely have to learn this one.
The life and times of Isaac Dust