Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan’s Road From Minnesota To The World is an intermittently fine addition to the Dylan bookshelf.
Inevitably in a collection of 20 essays (originally delivered as papers at a 2007 symposium), it’s patchy, its chapters veering from the must-read to the, frankly, risible.
Half a dozen of Highway 61 Revisited’s articles cover important aspects of Dylan’s art, and do it with enviable expertise.
The star piece is Bob Dylan’s Memory Palace by Robert Polito, a minute dissection of Dylan’s literary references on the last few albums - from Ovid, Timrod, but oh so many more.
David Yaffe on Dylan’s debt to black musics, Charles Hughes on Civil Rights, Marilyn Chiat on the Jewish settlement of the Iron Range and Anne Waldman on the Beats are original and illuminating.
A second group of papers is solid, workmanlike, without adding much to the knowledge or perspective of the seasoned Dylan buff, though they will inform the book’s primary (student) market.
Several contributions are so peripheral that it crossed my mind that they might be put-ons.
As the Dylan book market grows, the rock scribes with limited horizons who used to rule the roost are being elbowed out by salaried intellectuals; many of them, bright and well-educated, have a lot to offer the seeker after Zim Truths.
Highway 61 Revisited is a welcome addition to the library. Place its best pieces alongside the pick of the recently published Cambridge Companion (reviewed on The Dylan Daily on 29 May) and it’s clear that Dylan Studies is coming of age, successfully addressing the mass market as well as the callow strollers in the Groves of Academe.
Recommended: B+.
Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan’s Road From Minnesota To The World, edited by Colleen J Sheehy and Thomas Swiss, Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Press, May 2009, pbk, 278pp, $22.95. ISBN 978-0-8166-6100-8
Gerry Smith
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Monday 2 March 2009
Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams: yes, it is worth buying
* Thanks to Johanna Moore:
“In reply to you reader Pauline's question I'd like to say that "A Man Called Alias" is a very nice coffee table book, though neither the written nor the photo content will be new to the avid Dylan reader.
“It is nice though to have some of the familiar photos well reproduced in large format though, like the picture of Bob's young family in Woodstock in 1968.
“I picked up a (translated) copy of the book a couple of weeks ago on ebay at a decent price, read through it in two days, learned nothing new... but enjoyed it nonetheless. (Well, I aim to read as many Bob books as possible.)
”A journey to the bookstore might not even be necessary, as new and used bookselling website abebooks.co.uk /.com - both have copies available at decent prices, so you don't even depend on ebay. Hope that helps.
”Now, if anyone could help me decide whether to get the Bob Dylan Copyright Files book that amazon (.de) is just selling out, I'd appreciate any advice.”
* And thanks to Martin Cowan:
“In response to Pauline Brett's recent posting, I've just been flicking through the Richard Williams book.
“While not a great addition to the Dylan library (its brief sketchy text is forgettable), it does work, thanks to its lavish illustrations.
“At nearly 200 pages, with large black and white and colour photos on every page, the pictures alone probably make it worth picking up. Some of the pictures are ones we have seen elsewhere but it does also include more unfamiliar photos.
“So I'd say to Pauline - for the pictures, take a punt!”
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Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams: is it worth buying?
Thanks to Pauline Brett:
“I’d welcome advice from fellow readers.
“Is Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams and published as a large format book in the early 1990s, worth buying?
“I ask because a friend told me that a local used bookshop has a copy. Problem is, it’ll mean a dedicated journey, which could eat up half a day and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it.
“If any Dylan Daily readers think the book is “vital” or “indispensable”, or similar, I’ll gladly make time…”
“In reply to you reader Pauline's question I'd like to say that "A Man Called Alias" is a very nice coffee table book, though neither the written nor the photo content will be new to the avid Dylan reader.
“It is nice though to have some of the familiar photos well reproduced in large format though, like the picture of Bob's young family in Woodstock in 1968.
“I picked up a (translated) copy of the book a couple of weeks ago on ebay at a decent price, read through it in two days, learned nothing new... but enjoyed it nonetheless. (Well, I aim to read as many Bob books as possible.)
”A journey to the bookstore might not even be necessary, as new and used bookselling website abebooks.co.uk /.com - both have copies available at decent prices, so you don't even depend on ebay. Hope that helps.
”Now, if anyone could help me decide whether to get the Bob Dylan Copyright Files book that amazon (.de) is just selling out, I'd appreciate any advice.”
* And thanks to Martin Cowan:
“In response to Pauline Brett's recent posting, I've just been flicking through the Richard Williams book.
“While not a great addition to the Dylan library (its brief sketchy text is forgettable), it does work, thanks to its lavish illustrations.
“At nearly 200 pages, with large black and white and colour photos on every page, the pictures alone probably make it worth picking up. Some of the pictures are ones we have seen elsewhere but it does also include more unfamiliar photos.
“So I'd say to Pauline - for the pictures, take a punt!”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams: is it worth buying?
Thanks to Pauline Brett:
“I’d welcome advice from fellow readers.
“Is Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams and published as a large format book in the early 1990s, worth buying?
“I ask because a friend told me that a local used bookshop has a copy. Problem is, it’ll mean a dedicated journey, which could eat up half a day and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it.
“If any Dylan Daily readers think the book is “vital” or “indispensable”, or similar, I’ll gladly make time…”
Friday 27 February 2009
Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams: is it worth buying?
Thanks to Pauline Brett:
“I’d welcome advice from fellow readers.
“Is Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams and published as a large format book in the early 1990s, worth buying?
“I ask because a friend told me that a local used bookshop has a copy. Problem is, it’ll mean a dedicated journey, which could eat up half a day and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it.
“If any Dylan Daily readers think the book is “vital” or “indispensable”, or similar, I’ll gladly make time…”
“I’d welcome advice from fellow readers.
“Is Dylan: A Man Called Alias, by Richard Williams and published as a large format book in the early 1990s, worth buying?
“I ask because a friend told me that a local used bookshop has a copy. Problem is, it’ll mean a dedicated journey, which could eat up half a day and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it.
“If any Dylan Daily readers think the book is “vital” or “indispensable”, or similar, I’ll gladly make time…”
Friday 6 February 2009
Bob Dylan’s albums: another beautiful little artefact… Dylan Bookshelf #143
At the same time as I bought the beautiful little Lyrics book (below) at Dussmann on Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse, I also picked up the earlier companion volume, Bob Dylan, a monograph covering Dylan’s album output, and also by Heinrich Detering.
It’s also a beautiful little artefact, clearly designed as a companion volume.
Bravo author Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering, 2007, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 184pp, euro4.80, ISBN 978-3-15-018432-5
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering is the 143rd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
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EARLIER RELATED ARTICLE:
Bob Dylan Lyrics – for German speakers: a beautiful little artefact
Dylan Bookshelf #142
On a recent trip to Berlin – surely Europe’s most exciting city – I picked up Bob Dylan Lyrics, a tiny book which reproduces the (English) lyrics of about 50 songs, with a short essay on each.
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
It’s also a beautiful little artefact, clearly designed as a companion volume.
Bravo author Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering, 2007, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 184pp, euro4.80, ISBN 978-3-15-018432-5
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan by Heinrich Detering is the 143rd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
EARLIER RELATED ARTICLE:
Bob Dylan Lyrics – for German speakers: a beautiful little artefact
Dylan Bookshelf #142
On a recent trip to Berlin – surely Europe’s most exciting city – I picked up Bob Dylan Lyrics, a tiny book which reproduces the (English) lyrics of about 50 songs, with a short essay on each.
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Bob Dylan Lyrics – for German speakers: a beautiful little artefact
On a recent trip to Berlin – surely Europe’s most exciting city – I picked up Bob Dylan Lyrics, a tiny book which reproduces the (English) lyrics of about 50 songs, with a short essay on each.
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
I bought the book simply because it looks so good – of all the volumes on my Bob shelves, it’s one of the most striking.
(Like most readers of The Dylan Daily, I already have all the lyrics in the official books and would struggle to understand the German text anyway, so I bought it purely as an attractive artefact.)
It’s always been a puzzle just how listeners can fully appreciate great writing in a language other than their mother tongue – for example, my French is fairly good, but there’s no way I appreciate the subtlety of great French writers like Camus, Baudelaire or Balzac.
This book shows the way, by translating key words and phrases, especially those which might prove difficult for German readers.
Bravo Heinrich Detering and Reclam publishers!
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering, 2008, Philipp Reclam jun Stuttgart, 155pp, euro4.60, ISBN 978-3-15-019741-7
www.reclam.de
Bob Dylan Lyrics, translated by Heinrich Detering is the 142nd book added to my groaning Dylan bookshelf.
Gerry Smith
Wednesday 7 January 2009
Series Of Dreams: a stimulating new study of Dylan the songwriter
By Anne Ritchie
Listeners who enjoy dissecting Dylan’s lyrics will be stimulated by Series Of Dreams, the new critical study by John Burns.
Compared with the heavyweight classics of Dylan Lit (notably Gray and Ricks), Burns’ book might be slight, but it’s an accessible way into a study of Dylan’s art - which can be as daunting as starting to study Shakespeare.
Burns applies his well-honed critical insight by focusing on what he calls “vision songs” – a couple of dozen classics from across the catalogue.
His antennae are mostly well-tuned – I particularly like his appreciation of the imagery in Chimes Of Freedom. And his comments on TOOM, especially Not Dark Yet, are revelatory. His discussion of Highlands made me reassess it – I’d always switched off half way through what I heard as a tedious shaggy dog story. And Burns’ appreciation of Dylan’s voice and his performance art, throughout the book, is right on the money.
I have a few misgivings. The author struggles to justify his “visionary songs” theme – “songs which open our eyes and help us to see” - for example when discussing Isis.
Burns can also be dogmatic, at times committing the cardinal sin of deciding what Dylan means or is trying to say. On a few occasions, he misses the obvious – for example, the nuances of the looks on Dylan’s face during the musical jousting with Donovan in the hotel room jamming scene in Don’t Look Back. And familiar rock hack prejudices crop up in the author’s ignoring of the achievements of great pre-Dylan pop writers such as Cole Porter.
But I combed Burns’ text closely enough to unearth such reservations, which suggests that he successfully engaged me in a serious discussion about Dylan’s art.
Series Of Dreams is a stimulating new study: recommended.
A round of applause for Glen Murray Publishing, too – this handsome, well-designed volume is a pleasure to handle.
DETAILS: Series Of Dreams: The Vision Songs Of Bob Dylan, by John Burns, published by Glen Murray Publishing, November 2008, 136pp, £12.99, pbk, ISBN 9780955318351.
Available from:
www.glenmurraypublishing.co.uk
Listeners who enjoy dissecting Dylan’s lyrics will be stimulated by Series Of Dreams, the new critical study by John Burns.
Compared with the heavyweight classics of Dylan Lit (notably Gray and Ricks), Burns’ book might be slight, but it’s an accessible way into a study of Dylan’s art - which can be as daunting as starting to study Shakespeare.
Burns applies his well-honed critical insight by focusing on what he calls “vision songs” – a couple of dozen classics from across the catalogue.
His antennae are mostly well-tuned – I particularly like his appreciation of the imagery in Chimes Of Freedom. And his comments on TOOM, especially Not Dark Yet, are revelatory. His discussion of Highlands made me reassess it – I’d always switched off half way through what I heard as a tedious shaggy dog story. And Burns’ appreciation of Dylan’s voice and his performance art, throughout the book, is right on the money.
I have a few misgivings. The author struggles to justify his “visionary songs” theme – “songs which open our eyes and help us to see” - for example when discussing Isis.
Burns can also be dogmatic, at times committing the cardinal sin of deciding what Dylan means or is trying to say. On a few occasions, he misses the obvious – for example, the nuances of the looks on Dylan’s face during the musical jousting with Donovan in the hotel room jamming scene in Don’t Look Back. And familiar rock hack prejudices crop up in the author’s ignoring of the achievements of great pre-Dylan pop writers such as Cole Porter.
But I combed Burns’ text closely enough to unearth such reservations, which suggests that he successfully engaged me in a serious discussion about Dylan’s art.
Series Of Dreams is a stimulating new study: recommended.
A round of applause for Glen Murray Publishing, too – this handsome, well-designed volume is a pleasure to handle.
DETAILS: Series Of Dreams: The Vision Songs Of Bob Dylan, by John Burns, published by Glen Murray Publishing, November 2008, 136pp, £12.99, pbk, ISBN 9780955318351.
Available from:
www.glenmurraypublishing.co.uk
Monday 5 January 2009
Yet more new Dylan books in 2009
With the Dylan bookshelves already groaning, many more new titles are scheduled for 2009. I’ll be buying (probably from Amazon):
Jan
* The Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan (Cambridge Companions to American Studies) by Kevin J. H. Dettmar (hbk/pbk - 31 Jan)
Feb
* The Political Art of Bob Dylan by David Boucher and Gary Browning (pbk)
March
* Bob Dylan: The Illustrated Biography (Classic Rare & Unseen) by Chris Rushby (hbk, 1 Mar)
* Bob Dylan (Music Icons) by Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees (pbk, 25 Mar)
April
* Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973 by Clinton Heylin (hbk)
* Dylan: 100 Songs and Pictures by Bob Dylan (pbk)
May
* Bargainin' for Salvation: Bob Dylan, a Zen Master? by Steven Heine (pbk)
* Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan's Road from Minnesota to the World by Colleen J. Sheehy and Thomas Swiss (pbk)
June
* Real Moments: The Photographs of Bob Dylan by Barry Feinstein (pbk)
Gerry Smith
Jan
* The Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan (Cambridge Companions to American Studies) by Kevin J. H. Dettmar (hbk/pbk - 31 Jan)
Feb
* The Political Art of Bob Dylan by David Boucher and Gary Browning (pbk)
March
* Bob Dylan: The Illustrated Biography (Classic Rare & Unseen) by Chris Rushby (hbk, 1 Mar)
* Bob Dylan (Music Icons) by Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees (pbk, 25 Mar)
April
* Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973 by Clinton Heylin (hbk)
* Dylan: 100 Songs and Pictures by Bob Dylan (pbk)
May
* Bargainin' for Salvation: Bob Dylan, a Zen Master? by Steven Heine (pbk)
* Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan's Road from Minnesota to the World by Colleen J. Sheehy and Thomas Swiss (pbk)
June
* Real Moments: The Photographs of Bob Dylan by Barry Feinstein (pbk)
Gerry Smith
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