As if 2009 hasn't already been a lousy year for musicians, just in the past handful of weeks, we've lost Willy DeVille, Les Paul and now, this weekend, the awesomely brilliant
Jim Dickinson.
I can count on my hand the people who made rock/pop music history that I genuinely would have loved the chance to sit down and shoot the whatever with for an afternoon. Dickinson was one of them.
As a producer, Jim Dickinson was a sonic architect and alchemist. Jim could quite possibly spot insincere musical expression
in utero. Dig out any of the records he was behind the board for - Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Alex Chilton with Big Star
and solo, Green On Red, Ry Cooder (Jim was invaluable on Cooder movie scores like PARIS, TEXAS), and the Replacements' PLEASED TO MEET ME to name a few - and you'll hear what I mean.
Beyond that, Dickinson was one of the most spirited and infallibly
swinging rock and roll/barrelhouse/bordello piano men on the planet. Among choice moments would be the Stones' 'Wild Horses', of course - and only because go-to guy Ian Stewart didn't 'do' minor chords! - but don't ignore these:
- Jim's work during NYC sessions with the Flamin Groovies. The Groovies for one brief moment
were the Stones' Stateside
doppleganger, at least long enough to produce 1971's classic TEENAGE HEAD. Dickinson's joanna mojo underpin was essential roughage to tracks like their blaze thru Randy Newman's 'Have You Seen My Baby'. Another cover from those sessions, the Who's 'Can't Explain', should also be sought out.
- Dickinson's instrumental and arranging efforts towards making BIG STAR THIRD/SISTER LOVERS and Chilton's FLIES ON SHERBET sound (in Alex's words) '
really trashy'. 'Kizza Me' and 'Boogie Shoes', respectively from each disc, get the job done and no mistake.
- Even swampier and more atavistic are discs by Chilton compadre Tav Falco's Panther Burns like SUGAR DITCH REVISITED and THE WORLD WE KNEW, with Dickinson right in there working his show.
And certainly Jim had some major input on the overall
gestalt and groove found within Dylan's TIME OUT OF MIND, as Bob himself has acknowledged.
Then there's Dickinson's solo albums, including the great bargain bin find from '72, DIXIE FRIED, recently reissued. And the stuff his kids Cody and Luther do as the North Mississippi All Stars...and, and.
All that said, though, the reason I would have loved to hang with Jim was that he was an astonishing and colorful raconteur, with a photographic memory of his career high and lowlights. You can read for yourself right
here. And especially
here.
Such sad news calls to mind a Ray Charles quote about never wanting to be famous, but always wanting to be great.
That he was; so was Jim Dickinson. Goodbye baby and amen.