Althouse: "The film is reportedly loosely based on folk singer Dave Van Ronk's memoir 'The Mayor of MacDougal Street,' although it appears to be a mostly fictionalized tale, and Dylan is alluded to..."

January 24, 2013

"The film is reportedly loosely based on folk singer Dave Van Ronk's memoir 'The Mayor of MacDougal Street,' although it appears to be a mostly fictionalized tale, and Dylan is alluded to..."

"... not just visually and narratively, but by his song 'Farewell," which is played throughout the trailer."

13 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Dylan dedicated an early folk song to Van Ronk. Was it Baby Let Me Follow you down?; 1/24/13, 6:26 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/24/13, 6:44 PM
Anonymous said...: I saw Van Ronk one last time before he passed at the oldest community theater in the U.S. Intimate, warm and seats built for a different time and people. It was very sad. His skills had either fallen far away or he was inebriated. Regardless, it was worth for one last time, for one last song and for one last story about how he helped Bobby get on stage at his hootenanny.; 1/24/13, 6:45 PM
McTriumph said...: The film looks promising, it's the Cohen brothers. I was curious, so check out Van Ronk in Wikipedia. He seems to be important for knowing famous people and his pretend black blues. I gave him a listen, meh.

Is it me or does Wikipedia blow every dead socialist?; 1/24/13, 7:15 PM
Valentine Smith said...: Forget the trailer, the movie is more Phil Ochs than anyone.; 1/24/13, 7:38 PM
tiger said...: Hmmmm...

Cohen Brothers(tm) or no, I've learned that every other movie they make is good so I've got my doubts about this one.; 1/24/13, 8:19 PM
Fritz said...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVUCZQyWwEM; 1/24/13, 8:54 PM
CachorroQuente said...: Dave Van Ronk.

Here's Van Ronk singing about losers, bearing more than a passing resemblance to "Dyin' Crapshooter Blues" by Blind Willie McTell, who nobody sings the blues like. "Crapshooter," in turn, is thinly disguised "St James Infirmary."; 1/24/13, 9:54 PM
CachorroQuente said...: I understand that many people don't get Van Ronk. He wasn't always easy to listen to and if you don't understand the genre, it's easy to miss his importance which was not the people that Van Ronk knew, but the people that knew him.

There's a whole bunch of great American music that never would have happened if not for people like Van Ronk, David Bromberg, Stefan Grossman, and countless other vectors.; 1/24/13, 10:01 PM
David K. Gosser Jr. said...: V. Smith - why do you say it is more Phil Ochs - that is interesting. If you read Dave Van Ronks Mayor of Mcdougal St. of all of the folkies Ochs seems to get the most sympathetic word.; 1/24/13, 11:02 PM
Amexpat said...: I rarely go the cinema but I'll go to see any film by the Coen brothers. From the trailer, this looks promising.

Good use of Dylan's song in the trailer. I loved the way they used "The Man in Me" in the "The Big Lebowski" - strong candidate for the best use of a Dylan song in a film.; 1/25/13, 2:56 AM
gerry said...: It looks dreadful.; 1/25/13, 9:30 AM
dougz said...: Dave Van Ronk was simply brilliant live. Saw him several times in small venues. Signature song was Rev. Gary Davis' "Cocaine Blues" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qzPjztRAoY (Not the "pretty" album version; more like what he played in clubs.); 1/25/13, 2:06 PM