The Records & Riffs Lost Episodes series includes years-old music conversations that have finally made their way to publication on the R&R feed.
This episode is unlike any other that I’ll ever do.
It’s a bittersweet thing, but a blessed one.
It’s a gift.
In 2016, I reached out to friend and talented national sportswriter Chris Chase, as I was hoping to do a Bob Dylan-themed episode. Chase was the only option for this discussion. His knowledge on Dylan surpassed even most music writers’. But this episode arrives subsequent to his untimely passing. Chris Chase was a sharp, masterly sportswriter who tragically died due to health issues in December 2018 at the age of 37. This Dylan episode was recorded in May of 2016. On Tuesday — May 12, 2020 — I felt a push to finally get this episode produced and published into the feed. I’d been sitting on it for so long and was a bit hesitant to go back and listen. It’s not an easy thing to do when someone you know has passed. But it was time. And as I was working on the episode, I noticed the audio file from my original conversation with Chris.
It was dated May 12, 2016.
I’d happened to decide to do this four years to the day since we recorded the conversation.
It was chilling.
I’m happy to finally be able to put this episode into the feed. In it, Chase explains his humongous fandom of Dylan and lays out what made the boy who was born as Robert Zimmerman into such a star from a young age. Chase easily and deftly helps the listener as he navigates the peaks and valleys of Dylan’s career. He also ranks his 12 favorite Dylan LPs, with some surprises thrown in for good measure. There is even more discussion on what makes Dylan a hard code to crack for many music lovers.
Whether you like, love or can’t stand Dylan, the episode is must-listen for all the reasons Dylan is so complex, captivating or, for plenty, impossible to figure out. Even Chris refers to Dylan’s voice as "an imperfect instrument."
For further proof of his Dylan dominance, here’s Chase’s ranking of every Dylan song, published at For the Win in 2015.
This episode was handled with care and with special attention for Chris’ family, most specifically his wife, Alison, and daughter, Anna. It is a gift to be able to bring him back to life in this way. Rest in peace, Chris Chase, you are so missed.