When I was a kid we had The Times They are a-Changing on release - so I heard Dylan’s stuff in '64, along with The Stones and The Beatles etc. It might seem strange but I was brought up with Louis Armstrong and Sinatra records from before I can remember. When these pop records came into the house I latched onto them straight away - copying my elder brother and the girl from the terrace next door, Big Caroline (who was my favourite person). We also had the pirate radio station playing in the house most of the time - before he left us my father was into all that stuff.
To the point - Over this lockdown I just got interested in listening to ‘All Along the Watchtower’ because although a Hendrix fan since a kid I thought Jimi's version was overly produced. Listening to Bob’s empty version sort of it sucked me in. Next thing I found myself peering into Bob’s world a bit more closely. I was amazed by the live version ‘Shelter From the Storm’, where Bob sounds like Joe Strummer singing. We tried recording that as one well. That lead to ‘Oh Sister’ etc. (which again was new to me only knowing Bob’s folk stuff from over 50 years previous. Then I thought - this stuff is easy - they call Bob a poet, well I am one, so I chucked a few lines and chords together and we were off. I'd say I’m not a Bob Dylan fan, just Bob curious. I am amazed at how bad he got but when he is good he is great. I was pleased to find out that we were inspired by the same artists: Little Richard, Buddy Holly etc. Another thought - There was a news snippet in the NME in the early ‘80s where Bob went into Rock On Records in Camden and brought a few Milkshakes LPs. And we did do a cover of Hollis Brown on Sub Pop records in the early ‘90s, so I guess it’s all there in the soup.
For the vocal approach on some of these songs I found I was leaning into my version of what I think Richard Hell does - something I've done since at least Thee Headcoats, - if not The Pop Rivets - when approaching more 'poet' driven lyrics. Doing this I was surprised to realise how much Richard was taking from Dylan. But then again, it makes sense what with that overly arty NY punk thing: Patty Smith and Ginsburg etc. Makes me think about what's actually going on, and that strange, twisted lineage in music
It would be great if someone liked it enough to want to put a show on with the full line up. I'd have to learn it! - they're as long as bloody novels some of those tracks. That's what amused me about Dylan as well - how ridiculously long some songs were with an apparent contempt for the listener - I wanted to capture some of that - the total opposite of my ethos.

William Loveday - December 1st 2020