19 February 2000
If Bob Dylan’s fans called him ‘Judas’ for playing an electric guitar, what must they call him for approving samples and interpolations of him in chart pop songs? I’ve never been a Dylan fan, I don’t like the dirge of ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ in any version, and I’ve never been partial to the works of Gabrielle either. So, there isn’t much for me here.
‘Rise’ being a sort of spiritual inspirational anthem, I’m sure it means something to some people somewhere, and I won’t knock them for finding solace or motivation in it. I just find this corny, contrived and cliched. The role of ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ here seems to be as melodramatic mood music. Already by the third line we get “They say that time is a healer” and things don’t pick up greatly after that. Today we do this kind of inspirational stuff with memes and social media posts instead. To me as a pop music lover, that feels like progress.
