[Harp-L] Dylan Harp: Every Grain of Sand

["Jonathan Metts" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A few weeks ago, someone asked me to recommend some Bob Dylan songs with good harmonica parts.  I spouted off several from the top of my head, but yesterday I heard "Every Grain of Sand" for the first time in a while and realized that it should have topped that list.

First released on "Shot of Love" (1981), this vaguely religious song features the most technically accomplished harp playing from Dylan I've ever heard.  He's always been a more than capable player, but most of his solos are sloppily written and sloppily played (which some people mistake as "his style").  Remember, this guy was a session musician in New York in 1961 and played on albums by Harry Belafonte and others.  Anyway, the harp in "Every Grain of Sand" features stunning tone and phrasing, and there's plenty of it.  The song is also widely considered one of Dylan's best from the 80s for its lyrics and vocals.  Anyone interested in Dylan's harp playing should listen to this song as soon as possible!  "Shot of Love" sucks on the whole, so try to find the song on its own or in a compilation if possible.

Jonathan Metts