That
Bob Dylan -- is there anything he can't do? After distinguishing himself as a songwriter, recording artist, concert attraction, author, filmmaker, and actor,
Dylan added "disc jockey" to his resume in 2006 when he began hosting Theme Time Radio Hour on
XM Satellite Radio.
Dylan's show quickly gained a passionate following, as much for
Dylan's witty and insightful commentary about music as for the rich variety of tunes he unearthed for his broadcasts, dating from the '30s to the present day and representing a startling array of styles and genres. Given that
Dylan is one of the most bootlegged performers of the rock era, it was all but inevitable that pirate discs of
Dylan's radio shows would start circulating, but
Dylan, his radio producer
Eddie Gorodetsky, and the folks at
Ace Records have offered fans an authorized alternative with this two-disc set containing 50 songs that have appeared on Theme Time Radio Hour. Unfortunately,
Dylan himself is largely absent from this album; his introductions and between-song patter don't make the cut, and his astute commentary hasn't been included in the accompanying 48-page booklet, though each song does merit a well-written paragraph focusing on the tune, its artist, and its background. Also, while each episode of
Dylan's radio show focuses on a different topic -- "Luck," "Drink," "Flowers," "Jail," "Mother," and the like -- this set doesn't attempt to follow such a thematic continuity, instead pulling random songs from various broadcasts, though at least listeners are informed which episode featured what song. Still, this set leaves no doubt that
Bob Dylan knows a great song when he hears one, and there are 50 thoroughly enjoyable and often rare recordings collected on the
Theme Time Radio Hour album.
Dylan's knowledge and appreciation of popular music is deep, and there are wonderfully idiosyncratic examples of jazz (
Charles Mingus'
"Eat That Chicken"), rhythm & blues (
"Buddy, Stay Off the Wine" by
Betty Hall Jones), country (
Eddie Noack's
"Take It Away Lucky"), soul (an amazing alternate take of
Aretha Franklin's
"Chain of Fools"), pop (
"Black Coffee" performed by
Bobby Darin), reggae (
"Gun Fever" by
the Valentines), rock (
"Bottle and a Bible" by
the Yayhoos), and a few destinations that defy convenient categorization (
"Beatnik's Wish" by
Patsy Raye & the Beatniks). This only scratches the surface of what's to be found in this set, just as
Theme Time Radio Hour only offers a relatively brief overview of what
Dylan has uncovered for his radio audience, but what's here is all fine and fascinating stuff, and with any luck this will be the first of several albums devoted to the cream of
Bob Dylan's record collection and the riches to be found within. ~ Mark Deming
