Earlier this summer the Criterion Collection released a new edition of Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, and in the special features Kris Kristofferson told a story I’d never heard before about Bob Dylan’s time filming down in Durango, Mexico. In short, Bob really had a very difficult physical go of things riding his horse, and Kris admired his toughness, perseverance, and professionalism. Other commentary surmises that Bob realized that the difficult filmmaking process, being on location, the reshoots etc., were ultimately not something he could see himself continuing to do, to the point where perhaps it re-energized his songwriting craft. It was the film itself that would become his muse, writing on spec “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, which would go on to become a radio hit, and remains one of his most covered and enduring songs.
In the film, Slim Pickens character refers to the character played by Katy Jurado as “Mama”. She’s referenced in this way in “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and also the song that would later become “Wagon Wheel”. Perhaps she was still on Dylan’s mind when he wrote “Tough Mama”, which would appear on his next album, Planet Waves.
Dylan does have that mystique that makes him appear to operate outside of time, but surely it’s someone else who inspired “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind”, written in 1964. All three songs, however, do appear in the early setlists of Bob Dylan’s return to the stage in 1974. Though The Band also is featured in the recorded version of “Tough Mama”, it finds superior form in live performance. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is one of my favorite studio recordings, but also in live performance The Band helps give it new dimensions. However, it’s the solo version of Dylan doing “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind” that I believe is the finest version of that song I’ve heard.
I’ll admit I seem to always find the latest “new” version of Dylan songs becoming my favorite. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve listened to the previous ones so many times my ear craves something different. Regardless, at the moment, the acoustic songs that have been newly officially released from 1974 I believe are superior to the acoustic renderings from the following year on the Rolling Thunder Review. The end of the Rolling Thunder Revue movie implies that outing was the great impetus for a never-ending amount of touring to follow, but the joy of playing with The Band and the passion that’s burning when it’s just his voice, guitar, and harmonica are now seeming to indicate the fire had already been lit. Perhaps it had even been lit around a campfire in Durango two years before.