[68M]≫ Download Bob Dylan In America Sean Wilentz 9780385529884 Books

Bob Dylan In America Sean Wilentz 9780385529884 Books

Download As PDF : Bob Dylan In America Sean Wilentz 9780385529884 Books

Bob Dylan In America Sean Wilentz 9780385529884 Books

This is an EXCELLENT book! Critical analysis of not just Bob Dylan's songs but also his many influences. Analysis is given from mainly historical, cultural, and political perspectives; and I feel like I get so much more Dylan's music after reading it. An added bonus is that the author analyzes and references many obscure Dylan songs and influences which has broadened my listening and knowledge options.


Tags : Bob Dylan In America [Sean Wilentz] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>One of America’s finest historians shows us how Bob Dylan, one of the country’s greatest and most enduring artists,Sean Wilentz,Bob Dylan In America,Doubleday,0385529880,BIO004000,Singers;United States;Biography.,1941-,Biography,Biography & Autobiography,Biography & Autobiography Composers & Musicians,Biography & Autobiography Historical,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Composers & Musicians - General,Dylan, Bob,,Folk Music,Rock Music,Singers,United States

Bob Dylan In America Sean Wilentz 9780385529884 Books Reviews

Excellent history book especially for a Dylan lover like me.
In the past decade, Bob Dylan appears to have discovered Aaron Copland, using pieces from his compositions to open his concert. Wilentz opens his book with an attempt to connect Dylan to Copland that isn't very convincing but does provide an interesting look into the Popular Front of the 1930s and later folk movement spearheaded by Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Wilentz is on more solid ground when he explores Dylan's connection to the Beats in the succeeding chapter, in particular Allen Ginsburg, who I guess can be credited with opening up Bob to a broader plain of music, which eventually led Dylan away from the "folkies."

As Wilentz notes late in the book, many of these chapters are culled from previous essays and articles he has written. His chapter on the 1964 Concert at Philharmonic Hall is taken largely from the liner notes he wrote for Bootleg Series 6 Concert at Philharmonic Hall. So, for Dylan aficionados you may have felt you have read much of this before. Not to worry though, there is fresh material, such as his wonderful explorations of many of Dylan's classic songs like Nettie Moore and Blind Willie McTell.

Wilentz jokes that he became the "Historian in Residence" for the official Bob Dylan website, and he also notes the many concerts he has been to over the years, including the 64 Concert and one of the 75 Rolling Thunder Revue stops in New Haven, Connecticut, giving him an inside view of Dylan and his musical process that few others have. He notes the extensive conversations he had with Al Kooper and other persons who played with Dylan over the years, and notes the collaborative work he did with Greil Marcus. Nevertheless, Wilentz is first and foremost a historian, not a musicologist, so his attempts to dissect Dylan's music sometimes fall flat.

One of his more interesting chapters is his review of the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue and the movie, Renaldo and Clara, a cinematic byproduct of that tour. At nearly 5 hours, Renaldo and Clara, is more a test of patience than an epic account of the concert. Dylan had long been an aspiring actor, and after getting a bit role in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and writing the soundtrack for the Sam Peckinpah movie, he enlisted Sam Shepard and Howard Alk to make something of the tour. In the end, Dylan took the credit for this sprawling film that mixes acted scenes with concert footage, echoing his passion for the French classic film, Children of Paradise.

What makes this cultural biography stand out are the valuable insights into Dylan's unique compositional process that has befuddled critics over the years, even leading to calls of plagiarism. But, as Wilentz points out, Dylan has tapped into the heart of American music and added to it influences from far and wide that is fully in keeping with the folk tradition. Like Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan is a "link in the chain," and a very important one.
Best bio so far. Liked that there was a lot of focus on the world gone wrong era. a must read for the Dylan fan. Also recommend the ratso book On the Road with Bob Dylan and No Direction Home.
No, no, no it ain't insightful soap opera. Those who want the ins and outs of the `real' life Dylan that hides behind closed doors and under the dirty sheets of living a life, well, it ain't here, babe. Missing is the in depth analysis of those who once knew a vagabond minstrel that they heard mutated into a mystical lyrical maestro who sung of esoteric life philosophies. No, no, no this work does not flow with the juices of an exciting tabloid expose. No, no, no, it ain't here babe. It's more about the music and the man, man. It does, however, examine the musical metamorphosis of a popular music icon with what some view as an unfortunate scholarly flair. In case it isn't clear, I enjoyed the book for what it is. It was what I was looking for and I give it 5 stars for delivering the goods.
Having followed Bob Dylan's music for now over 30 years, it sometimes seems that it has come out in a place and in a way that is completely unexpected. This book does an interesting job of knitting together the various phases and stages of Dylan's performing and recording career, along with some historical digressions on the musicians that appear to have influenced Dylan's songwriting and music. Wilentz has a good ear and has spent considerable time and attention to the music played on the records and in concert.
Although Wilentz's penchant for inserting himself into the narrative is tiresome, this collection of essays is absolutely indispensable for any student of Bob Dylan. Is beautifully written and full of wonderful surprises.
The author inserts himself in the story where its appropriate simply because he is part of the story. As the author states early on, he had the good fortune of living in the NY neighborhood when Dylan showed up. I absolutely recommend the tale this author meticulously unfolds about the life and times of this incredible talent. I don't think I'll ever listen to Dylan"s music with the same ears again... I have been influenced by Bob Dylan since 1963, so its saying a lot for me to make these comments.
This is an EXCELLENT book! Critical analysis of not just Bob Dylan's songs but also his many influences. Analysis is given from mainly historical, cultural, and political perspectives; and I feel like I get so much more Dylan's music after reading it. An added bonus is that the author analyzes and references many obscure Dylan songs and influences which has broadened my listening and knowledge options.