MISSISSIPPI
“I know of two versions of Mississippi. We thought we were done with “Love And Theft”, and then a
friend of Bob’s passed him a note, and he said, oh, yeah, I forgot about this: Mississippi,” drummer
David Kemper tells in 2008.
For any other artist it would be a career highlight, but Dylan "forgets" he still has a masterpiece like
Mississippi shelved in a drawer. The song has been in that drawer for almost five years. During the runup
to and the recordings for Time Out Of Mind, in 1996 and 1997, Dylan made a few attempts, but in
the end, out of dissatisfaction with Daniel Lanois's approach, he rejects the recordings. The release of
those rejected recordings, on The Bootleg Series: Tell Tale Signs (2008), doesn't really reveal what may
have dissatisfied the master. Beautiful versions of an extraordinary song. The sound, perhaps - that
hard to grasp quality to which Dylan attaches so much importance. In any case, this umpteenth attempt,
in 2001, for "Love And Theft" is apparently satisfactory to his ears. Textually there are small differences,
an intro has been added, but decisive - presumably - is that sound.
Markhorst dives into the grandiose lyrics, the irresistible musical accompaniment, the rich music
historical roots and the literary brilliance of one of Dylan's majestic masterpieces - and demonstrates
why the song belongs in the outside category of songs like Desolation Row, Like A Rolling Stone and
Where Are You Tonight.