The Never Ending Pool

Montowesi Hotel
Branford, Connecticut
6 May 1961

Indian Neck Folk Festival



1. Talking Columbia (Woody Guthrie)
2. Hangknot, Slipknot (Woody Guthrie)
3. Talking Fish Blues (Woody Guthrie)


Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar & harmonica).

BobTalk:

"That was Woody Guthrie's Talkin' Columbia. This is Woody Guthrie's Talkin' Dustbowl. (starts) No this is Woody Guthrie's Slipknot. Hang about 9 or 6 hanging songs. This is the best one, Slipknot.
"Thank you here's another Woody Guthrie song. Anybody got a C harp ? C harp ? This is … a Woody Guthrie song … I don't know what it's, Talkin' Fisherman. You got to read between the lines."


Recordings from the boot, “I Was So Much Younger Then.”
From Bobsboots:
“The earliest recordings on this CD are in poor quality, even when judged by period amateur equipment. However, the fact that no other copy exists, and the historical importance of the material, earns this set as a must have title. Keep in mind that it is not a must have for everyone. Most will find little entertainment value in the early tracks. This is for the historian, and those truly interested in a little documented slice of the history of music, and of the birth of a legend.”

There might be a few of us around here who might be at least interested in the “birth of a legend.”

All three songs available from this REALLY early performance are covers of Woody Guthrie songs.

Interesting to listen to Bob’s rendition of “Talking Columbia.” The recording is pretty bad, which is understandable considering the recording quality of the time, but you can sure hear the roots of “Talkin’ John Birch,” “Talkin’ WWIII Blues,” “Talking Bear Mountain,” and other of Bob’s early “talking” songs.

“Talking Columbia” http://www.sendspace.com/file/9qul4n

“Hangknot, Slipknot” http://www.sendspace.com/file/99gd7g

“Talking Fishing Blues” http://www.sendspace.com/file/zb2oj2

Clearly shows signs of some of the foundations he would later put to use in those "talking and pointing" songs.

A must have.

very interesting material,

heard from far distance, talking columbia could eassily be mistaken for WWWIII blues or bear mountain.
This is the kinda stuff you kind really listen to and enjoy the music but it's so interisting to hear dylan while he was still on his first learning curve.

i love the " talkin" songs. WWW3 And john birch are my favourites.47 years ago, now if bob sang one of these in 08 it really would be an old one !!

Talkin' World Wide Web III Blues? I haven't heard of that one

aaaah, the good ol' Indian Neck Folk Festival recording ... one of my really really favourite recordings from his pre-famous era (which is my favourite era).

here's an interesting quote I found on a site called "Young But Daily Growin'" wich is sadly long since down, fortunaltly I saved the quote:
'The [Indian Neck Folk] Festival was the idea of the folk crowd at Yale. They hired an old resort hotel for the weekend, laid in a supply of beer, and put out the word to the pickers in Cambridge and New York that there was going to be a bash, and that was it ... Bob Neuwirth never forgot one of the people he met that weekend:
"I met Bob Dylan at the first Indian Neck Folk Festival in May 1961 ... I remember running into Dylan because he was the only other guy with a harmonica holder around his neck. I remember standing around the beer barrel, and [Jim] Kweskin and Robert L. Jones and I were singing some Woody Guthrie song. Bob came up and he started playing along with it, and he had another Woody song, and it went from then until dark - obscure Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams songs. It never came apart after that between Dylan and me. Laughed all day. Laughed so hard. That was when Dylan used to get on stage and talk a lot. He'd do more talking than playing. And he was really great.' - Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (p86).

The quality of the recording itself isn't that bad at all actually, the problem is that it was recorded from the side of the stage, so the balance isn't really good.

These old recordings always remind me on my own expiriences on stage. Dead-end nervous, playin' the songs twice as fast as usual, swiching the setlist while already starting a song, talkin' lots of crap ... and although it doesn't really happens on purpose, the audience seems to like it a lot .
Makes you feel good, that even guys like Bob went through that stuff in their beginnings.

The kid gets a real solid round of applause on the two songs that I d'loaded. Thanks, Laughs.