Tangled up in Blue Cubist Rag

Sugarmag posted a nice article on Tangled Up In Blue today. She used a Jerry Garcia Band video from 1991 that was a great throwback for me. I saw Jerry that year, in the fall, November, at Rosemont. TUIB has always been one of my favorite Dylan songs, but I find it full of remorse, regret, sadnes, but hope as well. It seems a bit existential but accepting, which generally fits for me.

I really dig the piece she clipped from wikipedia about the Cubist approach to Dylan's writing of the song. I think at times I try to manage the sales floor at the bookstore I work at with the same principles, you know try to transcend space and time and be everyewhere at the same time before someone wants or needs me to be there.

Further research shows there are some Cubist elements to Igor Stravinsky's work, especially Piano-Rag-Music. I seem to recall, but I don't remember where, reading that Stravinsky was a big influence on the Dead, especially Phil.



I was kinda grooving on that, so I kicked around a little more on youtube and listened to this...



About 4 minutes in I was wondering why my 7th and 8th grade teacher, Mr. Rogner never played us Igor's jams when we had to study classical music in math class (yeah, he was senile) when my wife came in and demanded to know exactly what the hell I was listening to. At first she thought it might be monkeys on the piano. She said she prefers the orchestral arrangement to the piano duet. After hearing a bit of it she decided it sounded muddy. She said it sounds like "a little yellow duckling running through the forest stomping in mud puddles".

I think I agree, but like it for the same reasons she doesn't. Wonder what you think?

And just for kicks, here's the orchestral arrangement done by the Los Angeles Philharmonic (it rocks!):