Gary Watton: commentator and satirist

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Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

;

peaked in the UK charts at No.4;

peaked in the US charts at No.3

produced by Bob Johnston

released in August

     This new offering from Mr Zimmerman was something of a watershed in a number of respects. Not only was Dylan

incurring the wrath of Luddite folk music devotees by plugging his new tunes into electric sockets, but here arguably for the first time was an album of substance, carefully constructed, and thus historically it represented a new departure from the previous formula of artists hastily compiling a dozen filler material to complement the one or two 'quality' singles that featured on any given long player. 'Highway 61 Revisited', it can be claimed, heralds the dawning of a new genre: folk rock.

     No longer was Dylan and other folksters merely strumming protest songs on acoustic guitar, accompanied possibly by harmonica. Now folk music was, horror of horrors, selling its soul (in the eyes of some zealots) and embracing modern technology. Electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards were all drafted in to complement the bard of the folk scene. A defiant Dylan merely responded to being called a "Judas" in mid-concert in Manchester by exhorting his group to "play f***ing louder" on their rendition of 'Like A Rolling Stone'.

     Seminal track is an often overused description in popular music tomes, but scarcely a soul anywhere questions its

suitability in relation to Dylan's six-minute album opener which, unlike the other ten songs, was actually produced by

Tom Wilson. Such indeed is the enduring appeal of 'Like A Rolling Stone' that music critic Greil Marcus was sufficiently

moved to compose a whole publication on this one song.

     'Ballad Of A Thin Man' follows a similar theme as the sixties' leading songwriter sings once more of alienation and of

being the outsider on the periphery, looking inside at the American dream. This was Generation X material, twenty years

ahead of its time. Brian Jones, himself an increasingly peripheral figure in the Rolling Stones, was convinced that these two tracks in particular were a commentary on his state of mind. "How's your paranoia meter?", Dylan once famously

asked Mr Jones. Was it pure coincidence that 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' contains the lyric "Something is happening here and you don't know what it is/Do you, Mr Jones?" A credible case can be made that the subsequent 'Blonde On Blonde' project contains better songs, but Highway 61 Revisited is less patchy, in spite of the presence of the lengthy 'Desolation Row'. For the uninitiated, 'From A Buick 6', 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry', and 'Queen Jane Approximately' are gems waiting to be unearthed. Bob Dylan was emphatically laying down a marker that he was the leading spokesperson for the new generation that viewed the Establishment with disdain and suspicion. Dylan remained an enigma thereafter, allowing his constant flow of product to speak on his behalf. The quality of his output may have varied through time, but Dylan's status as the main man of the 1960s' music scene was cemented by

this LP.

The album's best song? Like

A Rolling Stone

SPORT IN 1965

English Division One soccer champions: Manchester United

English FA Cup final: Liverpool 2 Leeds United 1

English League Cup winners: Chelsea

Scottish Division One soccer champions: Kilmarnock

Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Celtic 3 Dunfermline Athletic 2

Scottish League Cup winners: Glasgow Celtic

Irish League soccer champions: Derry City; Irish Cup winners: Coleraine

League Of Ireland soccer champions: Drumcondra; cup winners: Shamrock Rovers

European Cup final: Inter Milan 1 Benfica 0

European CupWinners' Cup final: West Ham United 2 Munich 1860 0

European Fairs' Cup final: Ferencvaros 1 Juventus 0

English county cricket champions: Worcestershire

Five Nations' rugby union champions: Wales (triple crown)

Formula One world drivers' champion: Jim Clark

Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Galway; hurling champions: Tipperary

British Open golf champion: Peter Thomson

US Masters golf champion: Jack Nicklaus

US Open golf champion: Gary Player

USPGA golf champion: Dave Marr

Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Wigan 20 Hunslet 16

Wimbledon men's singles tennis champion: Roy Emerson

Wimbledon ladies' singles tennis champion: Margaret Smith

The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Jay Trump

The Epsom Derby winner: Sea Bird II

The Ryder Cup: Great Britain & Ireland 12.5 USA 19.5

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          The latter half of the 1960s represented a revolution both in popular music and also socially. As well as being a period of unabated Cold War tension, as demonstrated by the escalating conflict in Vietnam, and aside from the tremendous social upheaval characterised by the emergence of the permissive society, not to mention the economic instability exacerbated by the perpetual cycle of boom and bust, the late 'sixties was an era that witnessed growing strife that spilled onto the streets and manifested itself in student protests and antiwar riots. There was moreover much upheaval in the world of 'pop' which found itself undergoing a number of transformations.

          In the first instance, 1965 to 1969 saw the birth of the album as an art form of some substance, whereas before LPs were neither intended nor regarded to be of enduring appeal. Now, more and more performers were committing due care and attention in the pursuit of a long player which would attract positive reviews from critics and stand the test of time. Furthermore, whereas before musicians regarded themselves or were indeed viewed as merely entertainers, they now saw themselves and wished to be projected as artists and not just performers. They now felt that they had something meaningful to say and thus felt the need to commit their observations onto record as they made their very own 'state of the nation' musical statements. As well as stepping away from a previous stance of being apolitical or apathetic, the new generation of performers or artists regarded themselves as spokespersons for the youth and the standardbearers of the developing subculture in which adolescents and teenagers campaigned for the need to 'make

love, not war'. All of this was anathema of course to the older generation and in hindsight it all smacked of gross naivety, the youthful feeling that they could conquer a world of cynicism with their very own ideals of peace and love. 

          However, two major problems arose. First of all, when the forces of the Establishment feel threatened, they soon regroup and channel their energies to snuff out the potential insurrection. There have been many successful revolutions in world history, but what is rarely recorded is the fact there have been a great deal more that failed and were often mercilessly curtailed at their outset. Therefore, "if history has taught us anything" (to quote Michael Corleone) it is that the odds of confronting the established order and winning are rather slim, in spite of the spectaculars of 1776, 1789, or 1917. Therefore, it is easy with hindsight to see how the burgeoning youth subculture of the late sixties was doomed to failure. Was it a complete failure? No, there were many liberal social reforms such as equality for women and protecting the rights of minorities which eventually found their way into law. However, although a new generation of politicians such as Bill Clinton and Tony Blair owed their formative years to the influence of the sixties' youth revolution, this same era still spawned a conservative reaction which culminated in the election and re-election of Nixon and Reagan in the USA and Mrs Thatcher in Britain. If the agents of change in the latter part of the 'sixties were urging reform, well the electorate in their respective countries clearly had other ideas.

          Also ominous to the successful prosecution of the hippie campaign for love and peace was the substantial amounts of illegal and dangerous substances which many of the protagonists experimented with. It is true that the great artists of this era owed some of their creativity to the stimulus of LSD and of marijuana, but such was the implosion of the flower power generation at the ill-fated Altamont festival in December 1969 that the naive optimism of Woodstock four months earlier was already but a pipedream. If you want to challenge the Establishment, it is best to do so with a clear head, and minds that were afflicted with all manner of substances was clearly not the way to do it. 

          Meanwhile back on planet pop, another transformation was taking place, alongside the emergence of the album as an art form. Now, the artists were promoting their new genre, known as rock, by means of relentless touring and festival appearances. Yes, the epoch from 1965 to the end of the decade witnessed the rise of the great outdoor festival as a new social gathering in which thousands would come into the sun (in theory) to pay homage to their new heroes. Speaking of heroes, this was the period which also gave birth to the guitar hero. No longer was a guitarist a smiling accomplice who lurked innocently in the background. Now guitarists were often viewed at least on a par with the lead vocalist. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards were seven such axemen who were held in the kind of esteem that was previously reserved for singers only. Even drummers were not to be left behind. Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell, and later John Bonham were celebrated drummers whose presence and histrionics on stage by itself would warrant sell-out crowds. This was clearly the age of the musician, as well as the era of the album. Rock music was clearly on a journey far from its origins. It would have been inconceivable a decade earlier that the crooners, balladeers, and skiffle merchants were igniting the runaway

train of rock. Rock itself would branch out in due course into heavy metal, punk, and grunge. Other forms of music appeared for the first time during the metamorphosis in popular music of 1965 to 1969, most notably Britain's importation of Jamaican ska and rock steady which between them paved the way for the growth of reggae in the 1970s.

          Were the years from 1965 to the end of the decade a pop revolution? You bet your life, they were. Even artists and their streetwise managers belatedly started to flex their muscles after having had rings run around them by record companies and concert promoters. Rock musicians were slowly starting to wake up to the fact that music was a dog eat dog business and henceforth they were resolved to assert themselves in recording contracts too.

          Robin Williams once quipped that "If you remember the 'sixties, you weren't there". This assembly of facts, assessment, and assorted observations is both intended as a companion for those who were there and those who weren't.

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Guide-Music-1970s/dp/0955575656

                         The song of the month for January 1973
                         Blockbuster by The Sweet (peak chart position: No.1)
Glitter and platform shoes were very much to the fore when the Sweet stepped forth with the ultimate glam rock composition. Borrowing a remarkably similar guitar riff to David Bowie's 'The Jean Genie', Brian Connolly and the gang thrilled the teenage market with this energetic piece. A siren was thrown in for good measure as this single went on to occupy Number One in the British charts for five weeks, until fellow rockers Slade dislodged them with the rabble-rousing 'Cum On Feel The Noize'.

                         The song of the month for February 1973
                         Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack (peak chart position: No.6)
This love song only had a brief flirtation with the UK Top Ten, but in the United States, 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' softly killed off all competitors as it sat on the summit of the Billboard listings for a commendable five weeks. While the Osmond family, the Jackson family, and glam rock dominated the British pop scene, the intrusion of Roberta Flack's beautiful ballad upon the airwaves was a welcome distraction.

                         The song of the month for March 1973
                         The Great Gig In The Sky by Pink Floyd (album track)
If there was an accolade for the best album track of all time, then Rick Wright's ' The Great Gig In The Sky' would be a front-runner. It is bizarrely ironic that whilst this piece concerns the taboo subject of death, many folk chose this item as a soundtrack for making love to, such is its orgasmic sound. This is due largely to the session singer Clare Torry who was asked to stand at the microphone and make some sort of vocal response to the music. She then wails and returns to the studio booth sheepishly and apologises for her efforts. The band however were hugely impressed, although less amused by her eventual claim for co-composing royalties.

                         The song of the month for April 1973
                         My Love by Wings (peak chart position: No.9)
Paul McCartney's solo path fluctuated initially from the radical politics of 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish' to the 'markedly different' 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'. Eventually Wings soared high when Macca recorded perhaps his best love song since 'Revolver'. John Lennon may have scoffed at McCartney's muzak, but 'My Love' is a song of outstanding beauty and compares favourably with anything the Beatles ever released. Uncle Sam clearly agreed as Wings were rewarded with a Stateside chart-topper.

                         The song of the month for May 1973
                         Can The Can by Suzi Quatro (peak chart position: No.1)
American chick Suzi Quatro demonstrated that glam rock was not merely a boys' game as she elbowed another glam outfit, Wizzard off the British pop summit. Quatro was a beneficiary of the hugely successful Chinn and Chapman songwriting partnership. With the production expertise of Mickie Most, Quatro was well on the way to success. Above all, Quatro's high-pitched vocals and the drumbeat ensured a UK smash hit.

                         The song of the month for June 1973
                         Life On Mars by David Bowie (peak chart position: No.3)
This classic 'seventies single had originally been recorded almost two years earlier for the seminal 'Hunky Dory' long player, but eventually non-album buyers were allowed the opportunity to purchase this four minute wonder. What may have confused many observers was that this was not a Ziggy Stardust song, but a more mellow item, which featured Rick Wakeman on piano. One thing was for certain: this Top Three marvel with its sailors fighting in the dance halls was not a "God-awful small affair."

                         The song of the month for July 1973
                         Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting by Elton John (peak chart position: No.7)
Recognising the fact that variety in your repertoire was the best means of sustaining a music career, Elton John drifted away from the tender 'Your Song' and the sensitive 'Daniel' in favour of a slice of alpha male musical machismo. Bernie Taupin supplied the rabble-rousing lyrics about the need to "get a belly full of beer" and Elton's pumping piano and Davey Jonstone's guitar did the raucous rest. This bar-room favourite was the first single from the 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' album. When it came to glam rock, Elton proved that he could cut it too.

                         The song of the month for August 1973
                         Angie by The Rolling Stones (peak chart position: No.5)
Although their musical career was beginning to take something of a nosedive, Mick and his associates could still offer the occasional gem. The ballad 'Angie' (possibly Angie Bowie) was proof of this. It may have dismayed some Stones followers who cared only for a constant diet of riffs, but this acoustic piece found favour in the United States where it peaked at Number One. This was the highlight of the new 'Goat's Head Soup' project. Regrettably, the Stones started rolling downhill hereafter until the arrival of Ron Wood injected new life.

                         The song of the month for September 1973
                         Eye Level by Simon Park Orchestra (peak chart position: No.1)
From time to time British record-buyers are seduced by something 'different'. The theme tune to the detective series 'Van der Valk' was one such piece of music that prompted droves of young and old to proceed to their local records retail outlet and invest in a wondrous little black plastic item called a 'single'. This particular single had made an unsuccessful incursion into the  UK hit parade a year earlier, but eventually the Simon Park Orchestra re-appeared with a vengeance as their magical composition remained in the chart for 22 weeks.

                         The song of the month for October 1973
                         Hallelujah Time by The Wailers (album track)
This Bunny Livingstone (or Wailer) track was merely confined to Side One of the new 'Burnin' album. What a pity that many music aficionados have perhaps not yet familiarised themselves with it. Bunny Wailer had a supremely beautiful voice and this soulful, spiritual offering is a joy to listen to. 'Burnin' was the Wailers' second assignment for Island Records but it would also bring the curtain down on the ace trio of Bob, Bunny, and Peter Tosh, as the latter two went solo, leaving Bob Marley to recruit new Wailers for his backing band.

                         The song of the month for November 1973
                         You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me by The New Seekers (peak chart position: No.1)
Not to be confused with a successful Australian outfit of the mid-'sixties, the New Seekers were also seeking out success in the singles lists. Lightning would indeed strike twice as 'You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me' would be their second UK Number One, emulating two chart-toppers accumulated by the ('old') Seekers. This composition stalled just short of the top spot for several weeks, before peaking in January 1974. In my semi-humble opinion it rates as one of the greatest pop songs of the twentieth century, nothing more, nothing less.

                         The song of the month for December 1973
                         I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard (peak chart position: No.4) 
1973 was a hugely successful year for the eye-catching Roy Wood as his Wizzard combo helped themselves to two British Number Ones, thus vindicating Wood's 'move' from The Move and E.L.O. This Christmas Top Five failed to reach the summit in the face of stiff opposition from the likes of Slade's dreadful 'Merry Xmas Everybody' but it remains a constant feature of shopping arcades throughout the land every November and December. The song is a fusion of glam with a Spectoresque 'wall of sound'. It does possess a certain charm.
 

                         1973's CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
A new musical phenomenon that hailed from Jamaica called Bob Marley was beginning to deliver his message to 'Babylon'. Speaking of Babylon, the United States was treated to another Led Zeppelin tour, whereupon the awesome foursome showcased their damp squib 'Houses Of The Holy' album. The Zep's performances at Madison Square Garden would later surface on the disappointing 'The Song Remains The Same' live soundtrack. Gig of the year however was almost certainly Elvis Presley's 'Aloha From Hawaii' in January. It is one of the great injustices in the history of popular music that 'the King' was never able to delight his international followers in the flesh. A concert in Hawaii was the nearest that the burger king came to a foreign gig. The mid-Pacific venue had been shrewdly chosen by the wily Colonel Tom Parker to cash in on the far east audience, as well as enchanting the globe via satellite. It was regarded as Elvis's last great outing before self-destruction took its toll.
 
                         1973's ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John    

               (released in October; reached No.1 in the UK)
                                                         
If anyone should ever doubt the merits of music in the seventies, just respond with four words:'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'. Elton's masterpiece incorporated a variety of musical styles such as love songs ('Harmony'), glam rock ('All The Girls Love Alice'), pseudo-reggae ('Jamaica Jerk-Off'), and country ('Roy Rogers'). However, the proceedings were dominated by the massive hits that were drawn from this project, namely 'Candle In The Wind' (the timeless tribute to Marilyn), the seminal title track, the US chart-topper 'Bennie And The Jets', not forgetting the energetic 'Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting'. The album, which was recorded in France, also benefited from marvellous artwork on the cover. Assisted by the orchestral arrangements of Del Newman and the allegedly suspiciously misogynistic lyrics of Bernie Taupin, this offering from Mr. Dwight is a joy to behold. Also worth checking out are such majestic items as 'The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)' and 'Sweet Painted Lady'. Until the emergence of 'London Calling' at the end of the decade, this piece of work was undoubtedly the finest double album of the 1970s.

                         SPORT IN 1973
English Division One football champions: Liverpool; runners-up: Arsenal
English FA Cup final: Sunderland 1 Leeds United 0 
English League Cup Final: Tottenham Hotspur 1 Norwich City 0
Scottish Division One football champions: Glasgow Celtic; runners-up: Glasgow Rangers
Scottish FA Cup final: Glasgow Rangers 3 Glasgow Celtic 2 
Scottish League Cup final: Hibernian 2 Glasgow Celtic 1
Irish League football champions: Crusaders; Irish Cup final: Glentoran 3 Linfield 2 
League Of Ireland football champions: Waterford; cup winners: Cork Hibernians
European Cup final: Ajax Amsterdam 1 Juventus 0
European Cup-Winners' Cup final: AC Milan 1 Leeds United 0
UEFA Cup final: Liverpool beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-2 on aggregate
English county cricket champions: Hampshire 
Five Nations' rugby union champions: all five countries finished with four points
Formula One world drivers' champion: Jackie Stewart (United Kingdom) in a Tyrrell car
Gaelic football All-Ireland champions: Cork; runners-up: Galway                          
British Open golf champion: Tom Weiskopf (at Royal Troon)
US Masters golf champion: Tommy Aaron
US Open golf champion: Johnny Miller
USPGA golf champion: Jack Nicklaus
Rugby league Challenge Cup final: Featherstone Rovers 33 Bradford Northern 14
Wimbledon men's singles tennis final: J Kodes beat A Metreveli 6-1, 9-8, 6-3
Wimbledon ladies' singles tennis final: B-J King beat C Evert 6-0, 7-5
World snooker final: Ray Reardon (Wales) beat Eddie Charlton (Australia) 38-32
The Aintree Grand National steeplechase winner: Red Rum; price 9-1
The Epsom Derby winner: Morston; jockey - Eddie Hide; price 25-1
The Ryder Cup golf contest: Great Britain And Ireland 13 United States 19

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ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

This book is being published on the 15th of April 2011. This historic date is a day of celebration and infamy on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall as it is the anniversary of the 9-3 drubbing of Scotland in 1961 and of their revenge in 1967 when the world champions were humiliated in their own backyard. Also on this date in 1964, Best and Jennings first played for Northern Ireland. Ah yes, this volume is full of memories, some fond and some not so fond for all the four protagonists. Such are the slings and arrows of the beautiful game, association football.

Incidentally, I must apologise for the absence of data on crowd figures for some Northern Ireland-Wales contests and for missing captaincy details from various matches. Such information appears to be a well-kept secret. If the pedantic among you feel that these omissions undermine the title of ‘Complete Record’, well, feel free to split hairs. However, until that happy day when someone produces a one-thousand page hardback of the Home Internationals containing a multitude of colour photographs and interviews with the surviving players and managers, then this tome is unquestionably the definitive guide to the British International Championship since 1946.

Oh by the way, the final tables are all located at the back of the book, all assembled on the same, nice page. Where two or more teams shared the same number of points, I have observed literary protocol by listing them in alphabetical order, so apologies to Wales!

Now that world football has indeed become more and more global, the idea of each British nation restricting themselves to playing one another each May or June seems counter-productive. It is much more prudent to play the emerging nations and sample the delights of fresh challenges against other nations than be obliged to play the same old, same old each year. Having said that, I do feel that a British Home Championship could and should be held once every four years.

ABOUT THE WRITER

I, Gary Watton, the self-proclaimed King of Trivia, was born in England, raised in Northern Ireland, am an admirer of the Scottish, with a soft spot for the good citizens of Wales, so I am suitably qualified to construct this book, safe in the knowledge that I am not pursuing any particular national agenda. This project is my latest literary offering and confirms me as Britain’s leading football historian and sports statistician. Long live the King!

On the subject of statistics, I was recently informed that my books were borrowed 907 times between July 1^st 2009 and June the 30^th 2010, so this is clearly a vindication of the quality of my non-fiction reference books. The titles include:

The Song For Today by Jimmie Oliver [or yours truly!]

An Essential Guide To Music In The 1970s by ‘Johnny Zero’

A Concise Guide To Eighties’ Music by Karl Vorderman [me!]

The Ashes, 1945-2005, A Complete Record by ‘Tony Wagtar’

Oh let’s get all undignified and advertise my latest books:

ENGLAND’S WORLD CUP ADVENTURES SINCE 1945, A COMPLETE RECORD by Talented Loser is a statistical reference guide to England’s first 151 World Cup matches.

A POP REVOLUTION by the invisible man has compiled all the UK and Billboard Top 10 singles charts between 1965 and 1969. It is a survey of the golden age of pop and rock 1965-69.

One day they will be making documentaries and films about me. However, until such time as my genius is acknowledged, I shall stagger on, invisible, unrecognised, and disdained by the chattering classes of the media.

If you enjoy this book half as much as I have done, that means I will have enjoyed it twice as much as you. Now get dizzy with browsing at the marvellous matches from memory lane,back in the days when it was an honour to play for your country and not a chore. Best wishes to you all.

Gary Watton, the world’s least-known celebrity