It took a keen ear to hear any pop promise in the rambling bagatelle of Bob Dylan's decidedly lo-fi "Quinn the Eskimo (Mighty Quinn)" - it should be next to impossible to say that title without smiling, but Dylan seems to manage it just fine and his throwaway song with its throwaway subject matter seemed destined to never leave the cutting room floor. Enter Manfred Mann to provide an unexpected payday with a version akin to The Beatle's own 'Yellow Submarine' - i.e. a larger than life schoolyard sing song. But while former at least had a message of togetherness at it's heart, 'The Mighty Quinn' has nothing beyond a chunky chorus heralding the imminent arrival of Quinn. What he's coming to deliver we're not told, and the verses don't shine too much light either, being little more than a nonsense stream tapped from Dylan's consciousness ("Everybody's building ships and boats. Some are building monuments, others jotting down notes"). Thankfully it's given a thick protective padding by the band that might be out of proportion to the strength of the song, but it serves to hide its weakness with a rolling swagger that emphasises that satisfying chorus with a neat tease of a pause before it's launched. And an added airy flute motif highlights the playful fact that we're not meant to be taking this too seriously. And I never do, which is why I find it so enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment