Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.06.2004, Blaðsíða 22

by Valur Gunnarsson
In late 1965, Bob Dylan was on a roll. He had spent years play-
ing the coffee shops of Greenwich Village and had become a star on
the folk scene, putting the message back into music for the first time
since Woody Guthrie. That year he had already released the albums
Bringing it Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited, plugged his
guitar in, invented folk rock, been booed by his audience and become
an influence on everyone.
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So when he entered the studio
again at the end of the year, he had
a lot to live up to. Dylan rose to the
challenge and the subsequent album,
Blonde on Blonde, is universally
hailed as one of the best in rock
history. The sessions stretched to
six months as compared to Highway
61´s six days. But in the process, ge-
nius was unleashed. In fact, so much
of it seemed to be channelled into
the studio that for a while, everyone
seemed to have become infused.
His band (The Band), previously an
above average Canadian bar band,
went on to record their own great
albums in the following years, Music
From Big Pink and The Band. The
explosion of genius that took place at
CBS studios was so great that even
the janitor made a masterpiece.
The janitors´ name was Kris Krist-
offerson. He had been a Rhodes
scholar at Oxford before becoming
a helicopter pilot in the army. He
turned down a job teaching English
literature at West Point in order
to move to Nashville to become a
songwriter. There he got a job in
a studio, emptying ashtrays and
vacuuming floors at night, hoping
to find someone to release his songs.
When Dylan was up all night writing
songs on very expensive studio time,
the janitor didn´t dare approach him.
Dylan was then the hottest thing in
pop and even had a police escort to
keep fans away. It wasn´t until 1969,
when Johnny Cash recorded the
Kristofferson song Sunday Morning
Coming Down that the ball started
rolling. Legend has it that Kristoffer-
son landed on his lawn in a helicop-
ter with a bottle in one hand and a
tape in the other.
The following year, Bobby Neuwirth
from Janis Joplins´ band attended a
Kris concert and was impressed. He
told Janis about him and introduced
the two, who proceeded to have
an affair. Another master song-
writer, Leonard Cohen, said once
that he met Janis on an elevator
and she asked him whether he was
Kris Kristofferson. He told her he
was, and the two of them had an
affair as well, immortalised in the
Cohen song Chelsea Hotel No. 2.
Joplin´s affair with Kristofferson
was also fruitful; she recorded his
song Me and Bobby McGee and
had a number one hit with it, albeit
posthumously.
Kristofferson´s first album, Songs
of Kristofferson, came out in 1970.
He´s since gone on to write many
more songs, but it is his first album
that remains his definitive state-
ment. Even if you´ve never heard
of Kristofferson before, you´ve
probably heard most of the songs
here somewhere. Kristofferson was
one of the first people to realise the
similarity between the traditional
country/western outlaw hero and
the new hippie counterculture hero,
and he combines these elements on
the album. The first song, Blame it
on the Stones takes the side of the
longhairs, and he goes even further
in The Law is for Protection of the
People, equating the crucifixion of
Christ with hippie bashing in the
American South.
Dylan would never again make
masterpieces as easily as he did with
Blonde on Blonde. But he´s still
playing, on his socalled his Never-
ending Tour. Kristofferson is still
playing too. He´ll be here, in Lau-
gardalshöllin on the 14th of June. I
wonder whether he needs a janitor.
KRIS
KRISTOFFERSON
Dylan´s janitor discovers genius
12 Tónar: Rock star and classical
musician run record store
by Jón Trausti Sigurðarson
The name means 12 tones and when
it comes to variety of music, it’s
a music store that indeed fills the
whole octave. With a friendly staff
of four, including a rock star and a
classical musician, two floors full of
CDs, a sofa and free coffee, you’re in
good hands when it comes to finding
what you want. The classical stuff is
on the ground floor but in the cellar
you’ll find new and old Icelandic
releases - it’s all there.
12 Tónar are also active as whole-
salers for other music stores and
are “getting bigger and busier as a
record label” says Jói, who is one of
the owners. The 12 Tónar record
label is expanding fast; some of their
featured artists include Mugison
from Ísafjörður (record of the year
in Japan), Eyvör Pálsdóttir from the
Faroe Islands and Slowblow from
Iceland.
So how did it all come about? “12
Tónar were founded in my cellar six
years ago. At first we only sold one
album, just in wholesale. It was the
great “Nordisk Salon Musik” album
which was a best seller in Iceland
during christmas of ’99. “It was such
a success that we decided to open
a store of our own and for the past
three years we’ve been situated by
Skólavörðustígur.”
What was 12 Tónar´s next release?
“Trabant live at Bessastaðir. It’s out
soon, in only 500 copies and features
Icelandic band Trabant playing live
in a party held by the President of
Iceland. On the cover are the band
with the president in his office, and
one track is simply a thanks speech
to the band from the president just
after that particular gig. It’s going to
sell very fast.”
Grapevine orders a copy of the new
Trabant album, bids farwell and
walks smiling down Skólavörðustígur
to go back to work, hoping it won’t
be broke by the time that album
comes out.
NIGHTLIFEMUSICand�����
Grand Rokk, June 11th, 22:00
BOTNLEÐJA
Band Botnleðja has been around for more then 10 years
now. They won the Icelandic battle of the bands back in
‘95, have since then released 5 albums, toured with Sparta
and made friends/toured with Blur. Apart from playing in
Botnleðja, the members have solo projects, too - the vocal-
ist/guitarist Heiðar makes live appearances armed with only
an acoustic guitar, and drummer Halli released a children’s
album not too long ago. Botnleðja has always been a great
live band.
Laugardalshöll, June 23, 19:00
DEEP PURPLE
“Smoke on the water” anyone?
Deep Purple are back...err..in Iceland playing two gigs this
time. They are probably fulfilling their gig duty since their
last time in Iceland when they only played half a gig due to
electricity problems. But that was back in 1970 or some-
thing. Legend has it that they’re just as good a live band
as they were back in the old days, and though Blackmore
has been replaced by Steve Morse, Ian Gillian is still there,
screaming his lungs out. Tickets are still available in Hard
Rock Café, Kringlan shopping mall. Call 568-9888 for
more info.
Bar 11, June 17, 21:00
NORTÓN
Nortón are an Electric Funk happy happy joy joy 3 piece
band who will, along with a pint of beer, help you forget all
your worries and concentrate on dancing! No Entrance fee.
Jómfrúin, June 12, 16:00
GUITAR ISLANCIO
When two of Iceland’s greatest guitarists Björn Thoroddsen
and Gunnar Þórðarson join hands with bassplayer Jón
Rafnsson, it’s bound to work. Gunnar Þórðarson is former
member of bands Hljómar (Thor’s Hammers) and Trúbrot
whose record Lifun (Living) was recently elected as one one
of the best records ever made in Iceland. This time Guitar
Islancio are playing Scandinavian traditional tunes along
with, well hopefully, Icelandic folk songs. Enjoy, it’s free.
Sjónvarpshúsið (Laugavegur 172),
17 June, 17:00
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Well now! It’s time to go nuts, stagedive and break sweat
at the largest Hardcore festival ever held in Iceland, from
the US come bands Shai Hulud, Give up the Ghost and
27. From Reykjavík’s dark back yards, bands like I Adapt,
Changer, Dys, Drep, Fighting Shit and Afsprengi Satans
will play. Admission 2000ISK
Kaffi Lizt, 12 June, 23:00
RAGNHEIÐUR GRÖNDAL
QUARTET
Jazz vocalist Ragnheiður has been doing great things with
her three piece band; Sigurður Þór Rögnvaldsson playing
guitar, Pétur Sigurðsson playing bass and Kristinn Snær
Agnarsson playing drums. Jazz with soul. Admission
500ISK
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