The New York Times - Louder: Bob Dylan Has a Lot on His Mind

June 12, 2020

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

Does Bob Dylan think about mortality often? “I think about the death of the human race. The long strange trip of the naked ape.” Does he have a favorite Eagles song? He does. He also has a lot to say about Little Richard’s gospel music, how jazz has inspired him, Indiana Jones, how some songs “just fall down from space” and the music on his latest album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” Don’t miss Douglas Brinkley’s Q&A with the Nobel Prize winner.

Important conversations about racism and injustice are continuing in the music industry. The country trio Lady Antebellum changed its name this week; the Grammys announced updates for its 2021 ceremony — including changes in the use of the word “urban” — that were approved several weeks ago; Lil Baby released a poignant song addressing police violence against black people. On Popcast, Jon Caramanica spoke with two editors at The Source in the early 1990s about how the magazine covered the uprisings in L.A. following the Rodney King verdict. Jon Pareles examined the legacy of Fela Kuti’s music of resistance.

Plus: music from bats; the Gallagher brothers’ complex history with “MTV Unplugged”; the return of Spank Rock (who is now known as Naeem); and Manohla Dargis on the short films known as Soundies from the 1940s.

And my colleagues in theater helped put together a remarkable online event last night featuring conversations and performances. You can (and should!) still watch it here.

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Bob Dylan Has a Lot on His Mind

In a rare interview, the Nobel Prize winner discusses mortality, drawing inspiration from the past, and his new album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”

By Douglas Brinkley

THE CRITICS & POPCAST

the playlist

Lil Baby Takes a Stand, and 10 More New Songs

Hear tracks by John Prine, Raphael Saadiq, Ambrose Akinmusire and others.

By Jon Pareles, Jon Caramanica and Giovanni Russonello

critic’s notebook

Liam Gallagher Gets His ‘MTV Unplugged’ Moment

The Oasis singer didn’t show up for the band’s 1996 “Unplugged” taping, but on a new album he recorded for the series as a solo artist, he returns to some of the group’s most memorable songs.

By Lindsay Zoladz

critic’s notebook

The Swinging, Jamming Musical Charms of 1940s Soundies

Once upon a time you could drop a dime in a movie jukebox to hear — and watch — musical greats like Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa.

By Manohla Dargis

How Did The Source Cover the 1992 Los Angeles Uprisings?

Two former editors look back at the magazine’s on-the-ground reporting following the Rodney King verdict.

playlist

The Legacy of Fela Kuti’s Music of Resistance: Hear 15 Essential Songs

In the late 1960s, Fela decided that he had no use for love songs or party tunes; he wanted to challenge unjust authority.

By Jon Pareles

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For Years, He Was Spank Rock. He’s Always Been Naeem.

The rapper who burst out in 2006 with the rollicking “YoYoYoYoYo” is returning with “Startisha,” his first new album in nine years, and a newfound comfort with speaking his truth.

By Jeremy Gordon

Anna Powell Denton

Vilified for Virus, Bats Are a New Album’s Seductive Stars

“Ultrasonic,” Stuart Hyatt’s eighth recording as Field Works, turns their high-frequency sounds into haunting music.

By Grayson Haver Currin

NEWS

Lady Antebellum, Hit Country Trio, Changes Its Name in Wake of Protests

The band, now known as Lady A, wrote in a letter to fans that its eyes had been “opened wide” to the injustices black people face.

By Joe Coscarelli

Grammys Tweak Use of ‘Urban’ as Music Industry Weighs a Loaded Term

The Recording Academy announced a series of updates for its 2021 awards, including eligibility rules for best new artist and processes designed to weed out conflicts of interest.

By Ben Sisario

Coachella and Stagecoach Canceled as Officials Fear Virus Resurgence

The popular music festivals in Southern California had been postponed in March, with hopes of being held in the fall.

By Joe Coscarelli

the charts

Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’ Is Her Sixth No. 1 Album

Her long-awaited return to dance-pop opened with the equivalent of 274,000 sales, the largest yet for a female artist this year.

By Ben Sisario

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Robert Northern a.k.a. Brother Ah, Jazz Explorer, Dies at 86

A master of the French horn, Mr. Northern was adept at both classical music and jazz. As a bandleader, he was devoted to what he called “sound awareness.”

By Giovanni Russonello

Robert Ford Jr., an Early Force in Hip-Hop, Is Dead at 70

He chronicled the scene when it was new, then went on to mentor some of its most important early figures, including Kurtis Blow and Russell Simmons.

By Jon Caramanica

Lennie Niehaus, Who Set Eastwood’s Films to Music, Dies at 90

After a high-profile stint as a saxophonist and arranger with Stan Kenton’s big band, he found new opportunities in Hollywood as a film and television composer.

By Richard Sandomir