Product Description
Spanning 30 years (1965-1995) this book contains the collected writings of Paul Williams, renowned Bob Dylan critic.Amazon.com Review
Critics seem to flock around Bob Dylan the way earlyphotographers gravitated to New York's Flatiron Building: there's justso much to appreciate. Of all the scribes who have commented onDylan's astounding contribution to music, Paul Williams stands apartas the person who perhaps best fit the criticism to the music.Muchin the way that Dylan has created not just art but an entire genre,Williams, over the course of 30 years, has created his own uniquestyle of writing about Dylan as a performer. Williams is not afraid togo out on a limb--some of his observations are eccentric, but he'slucid and never boring. Watching the River Flow collects thebest of Paul Williams's essays about Dylan, from his 1966 comments onthe classic Blonde on Blonde to his December 1996 concert dates (atwhich Patti Smith was the opening act and tributes to Jerry Garciafilled the air). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Leading Authority on Dylan's Music
I have enjoyed this book & the 2 others Paul Williams has written about Dylan's music & also the one he wrote on Neil Young's music. The "Performing Artist" volumes are more scholarly & well-thought-out (I'm still waiting anxiously for volume 3 in the series) but this book (& the Young book) are written more from a fan's viewpoint. But a fan who really knows his subject. Williams can be rambling & eccentric at times but his enthusiasm for his subject's work is so infectious, you find yourself caught up in his thoughts & feelings. He definitely makes you want to run to your stereo & play Dylan's albums. And that is what the job of a good critic should be. He makes you even want to run & play albums that he doesn't like, just so you can see what he's talking about. He writes these essays in a very excited enthusiastic manner. He is someone who really listens & studies & tries to get everything out of a recording that you can possibly get. And he makes you want to do the same. He makes you want to look at all kinds of art the same way - to really spend time looking, listening, reading & watching. He tries to teach you how to truly appreciate art. That is a hard task in the time that we live in, where everything has to be consumed in a half hour. We treat art (movies, albums, books, etc.) in a very impatient, cynical manner - waiting to be entertained, instead of putting some effort into it, to truly get all that can be gotten out of it. He points out that to appreciate art in a deep & lasting way, we also have to put some effort into it - not just the person who created the art. We're part of the creation as well.
I can read these essays over & over again - which I have. I truly wish there had been a lot more. As someone else pointed out, Williams' writing is like a performance itself. He doesn't worry much about saying something the correct way - he just unleashes his thoughts in a mad, rambling way (often repeating himself) that truly grabs you. It's nothing but a joy to read this man. And I really trust his opinion on Dylan's work. Like Lester Bangs, he really is a fan of music & his reviews & essays are as much about himself as the people he writes about. They are worth reading, even if you don't agree with them. But unlike most critics, Williams gives you his own personal opinion but doesn't assume that you feel the same way or that you should feel the same. I look forward to several more books on Dylan, Young or anybody else he may want to share his opinions about. Definitely get this book. It's a must for Dylan fans & an even bigger must for people who have never gotten into Dylan's music. If this doesn't get you to listen with "new" ears, nothing will.

A Little Too Much
I think Mr. Williams write beautifully. His style flows through the whole book, his concert reviews are rather unique, and, even though I have never had the opportunity to see a Dylan concert, I really could grasp a good picture of them. The only problem is: I think the reviews should have been made a bit less fan-ish. I cannot be sure about the concert part, but the album reviews have such an exaggerated tone that, more than once, I had to think if the album he had reviewed was the same I had listened to. I love Bob Dylan. But, come on, making no difference in quality between albums like Blood on the Tracks and World Gone wrong does sound more like a fan writting than a critic.

Buy it. . .
"Buy it, give your money to the rich as long as you have it, you're better off with the music." Williams on "Down in the Flood" (p. 34)

Superlatives?I'll give you superlatives.Paul Williams is as much a performing artist as Bob Dylan, only he uses a pen rather than a guitar. Like the great Dylan performances, the best pieces in this collectionshould be "heard" more than once; "Blood on the Tracks" (1974) "Dylan -What Happened?" (1979) and "The Supper Club Shows" (1993) are just three ofthe ones I return to again and again.

You should expect a mostly positiveassessment of Dylan's output here.The author admits in the introductionthat he prefers to write about performances which excite him ". . .becausedisappointment was not the kind of news I felt compelled to spread." (p.11) We'll have to wait (how long?) for volume three of Willams's outstandingPerforming Artist series to read more about such"disappointments."

Williams has resisted the temptation to tamper withthe originals (he does, however, introduce and provide context for them) soin effect WTRF is a snapshot of two artists' work-in-progress.

So buy it.You'll be better off with the book.

Bob Dylan approximately
Spanning over 30 years of an incredible career, "Watching the River Flow" is a fantastically perceptive collection of Dylan essays and comment by perhaps the most e enthusiastic - and least pretentious - author/critic who regularly writes on Dylan. Rather than read it cover to cover like a novel, I like to return to it now and again and skip around, knowing I can still pick it up and read a review or essay that I haven't read yet. If you're into Dylan, I suggest picking this one up. William's passion for Dylan's music is contagious, and his insights illuminate the music. I heartily recommend Williams's 2-book "Performing Artist" series about Dylan as well. (And if you're looking to buy a Dylan album, I suggest "John Wesley Harding.")

A great book by the best commentator on Dylan's live work
Paul Williams is easily the best (and most pleasant to read) commentator on Dylan's live performances. This book contains reviews of Dylan's live work, plus other pieces of note.Contents include 24 essays. Of special interest to this reader are the review of Hard Rain, the essay "Who Pagan Became," an extended 72 page essay "Dylan - What Happened" dealing with Williams' impressions after the initial November 1979 concerts following Dylan's becoming a Christian, an essay "Those Talking Crazy, Spilling My Buttermilk, Not One More Kiss Blues" about Under the Red Sky, and reviews of World Gone Wrong, the Supper Club Shows, and the Paradise Lost Tour. Buy this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Treasure
Received as a gift this collection is real treat for any fan. Most entertaining is following along to his represented recordings of the songs to catch the variations from text to vocalization.

The drawings are a bit scarry, he must have kept them from his analyst's visits. They are a combo of Shel Silverstein and kindergarten art class. ... Read more

Product Description
An in-depth look at the creation of one of Bob Dylan's most celebrated albums, Blood on the Tracks.

In 1974 Bob Dylan wrote, recorded, reconsidered, and then re-recorded the best-selling studio album of his career. Blood on the Tracks was composed as Dylan's twelve-year marriage began to unravel, and songs like "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Shelter from the Storm" have become templates for multidimensional, adult songs of love and loss.

Yet the story behind the creation of this album has never been fully told; even the credits on the present-day album sleeve are inaccurate. Dylan recorded the album twice-once in New York City and again in Minneapolis, with a rag-tag gang of local musicians, quickly rewriting many of the songs in the process.

For A Simple Twist of Fate, the authors have interviewed the musicians and producers, industry insiders, and others, creating an engaging chronicle of how one musician channeled his pain and confusion into great art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

It is hard to read bad writing
We Dylan fans love to read recollections of the many lives of Bob Dylan. And this particular album is a favorite of many. It has elements of his folk past, plumbs the depths of his poetic powers, and points to the complexities that will follow. It hints at being autobiographical, but resists easy mapping onto real events or persons. So I leapt upon this book, but quickly tired. It is as if someone backed a flatbed of adjectives (or should I say "opinions?") and dumped it into the pages. We read of musical trends that are "tired" or "soulless" or "inflated" or "vapid" but are never given explanations. Dylans work is "mesmerizing" and "brilliant" but there is barely one quotation or verse.

I will use the same technique to end: This is terrible writing, opinionated gobbledygook.

Fails to deliver on real promise
This was my second read of "A Simple Twist of Fate, Bob Dylan and the making of Blood on the Tracks" by Andy Gill and Kevin Odegard. A slight book at 212 pages, it didn't seem like a waste of time to read again and it wasn't; however the original annoyances returned almost immediately.

While interesting as a history of how Bob Dylan recorded "Blood on the Tracks", it relies too much in the amateur criticism of the authors and the sour grapes reminiscences of the musicians, engineers and producers, especially Odegard a guitarist on some of the songs.

"Blood on the Tracks" was Bob Dylan's 1974 come-back album that has been called his greatest, at least for wearing a broken heart on one's sleeve. Dylan is both a romantic and a cynic. Many early fans are in love with the snarling sarcasm of "Like A Rolling Stone" and his poetic flights of words in "Visions of Johanna". They tend to pass negative judgements on other periods and recordings but almost everyone agrees "Blood the Tracks" is a classic Dylan work.

Personally, I'm willing to give Dylan the wide latitude earned by a great artist. Some of his work is obviously more successful than other parts; however, I tend to appreciate it all as part of the artistic expression.

A book about one recording seems like a slight job. The Bob's story is: Bob's marriage is on the rocks and he creates one great album that expresses the inner angst with poetic skill.

The essential story of the book is how Dylan recorded the album with Eric Weissberg, Deliverance with famous producer Phil Ramone in New York City. Listening to the tapes, Dylan decided he could do it better.Over Christmas Dylan recorded the music again in Minneapolis with a pick up band of local musicians.The released album contains 5 songs from the NYC sessions and 5 from Minneapolis.

Initially only Dylanologists knew the difference since the album cover and credits have never changed from the Weisberg and Ramone credits. All of the album re-prints contain the error and the authors go on at great length to interviewthe musicians, disgruntled and otherwise.The point could have been made in about 90% of the space devoted to the topic.

Of more interest would have been a careful dissection of the songs, the various versions that are in official release and on bootlegs. Most Dylan collectors already have both versions. I would have been interested in reading about the SACD (Super Audio CD) release which changes the sound dynamic in a big way.

Essentially this is the books failure to deliver on the promise of the story behind "Blood on the Tracks". We get some of the negative and positive personal stories but not enough about the music itself.

A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE
I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY BOY FRIEND FOR X-MAS AND HE JUST LOVED IT,AND HAD IT READ IN 2 DAYS.THE BEST PART OF THIS IS THE SHIPPING DATE WAS RIGHT ON,THAT WAS QUIK,SO THANKS FOR BEING ON TIME.I LOVE WHEN I DO ORDER FROM YAS CAUSE EVERYTHING COMES RIGHT ON

Great for Dylan Fans, Not Necessary if You Are Not a Fan
A Simple Twist Of Fate is a fascinating look behind the scenes of the making of one of the greatest of Dylan albums, who is one of the greatest singer-songwriters ever. However, the book includes many technical details of the recording sessions which border on the arcane to boring - I mean, how many people really care about the make and model number of the microphone used?

An interesting exclusion in a book about the making of an album is that the book does not include the complete lyrics of the songs (maybe they thought anybody buying book already knows all the lyrics)?

If you are a true fan of Dylan, you will want to read the book.If you aren't, you can avoid this and still lead a productive life (although you may not read this far unless you were already a fan).

Behind the Scenes
Throughout his songwriting career Bob Dylan's creativity knows no bounds.Dylan effortlessly swings back and forth from folk to rock-a-billy to gospel to blues.In 1974, Dylan was looking for a new sound, but at the same time to get back to his roots.The album "Blood on the Tracks" was the successful culmination of this effort, and the album continues to be Dylan's most popular."A Simple Twist of Fate" gives the everyman's version of the making of this album.Most Dylan fans know that "Blood" was recorded once in New York City and once in Minneapolis.It is clear that the authors favor the Minneapolis sessions not only because one of the authors played on the tracks, but because the sound that was produced seemed crisper.One of the leading gripes of the New York session musicians is that they did not have time to practice or warm up before Dylan went right in to the music.Besides that Dylan kept changing around the chords without any warning to the musicians.Eventually, those same musicians realized that Phil Ramone (the New York producer) "was only interested in getting Dylan on tape.It didn't matter what any of us played.That could be dealt with later.'Because of the various problems with the New York sessions, Dylan went back to the mid-west where his brother set up another session.This session, according to the authors, was a much more successful endeavor.As a result, the album itself is a mix between the relative confusion of the New York session and the more temperate Minneapolis session.Throughout the book, the authors attempt to offer contextual analysis of the album but almost wholly concentrating on the vagaries of Dylan's break-up with his wife.The last third of the book drags itself down with various gripes of the Minneapolis session musicians who did not receive credit for their input.This is the principal weakness of the book and takes away from the strength of the very interesting behind the scenes narrative that the book offers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I Got Dylan's Autograph in Mine
The book was given to me by my FIRST Love.
I saw Dylan play in Milwaukee at the Riverside theatre & was determined to get his autograph/meet him.
SOMEHOW it did...

Just get "Lyrics"
Though invaluable and unsurpassalbe as far as it goes, this edition of Bob Dylan's lyrics and assorted other poetry has been replaced by (the now equally out of print) Lyrics, 1962-1985. A book like this is invaluable to the Bob Dylan fan: it can resolve arguments, end bets, and settle a worried mind kept up at night worrying over whether a certain lyric went this way or that. However, this collection has been rendered obselete by the publication of Lyrics; the two books are identical, down to the layout, font and text styles, except for the differing front and back covers. That, and this book covers Dylan's lyrics through New Morning, while Lyrics covers them through Empire Burlesque. So, if you're looking for a Dylan lyrics Bible, get that book instead of this one. Of course, if you're an obsessive Dylan collector *looks around innocently*, you'll want to get both, anyway.

Note: Being as even Lyrics is now well out of print, and itself misses 15 years of Dylan artistry (including such major albums as Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind, and Love and Theft), it is time for a new edition of this book. This would also give them the opportunity to include some of the songs that were left out, for whatever reason, from both this and Lyrics (along with such items as the Planet Waves linear notes.) There are various seeming typos and changes (sometimes inexplicable) from the lyrics here (apparently the original ones that were copyrighted), and the ones that were actually recorded. This would be a chance to rectify these as well. And now is the perfect time to release it: Love and Theft was a success, huge with the critics, Dylan's touring his butt off to great raves, thousands are turning to his music for healing in the wake of September 11th, he's nominated for three Grammy awards (including Album of The Year), and there is much talk about him still because of his 60th birthday, previous Album of The Year, Things Have Changed, Nobel Prize nomination, etc. If ever there was a perfect time to release the book, it is now. Come on, publishers! ;-) ... Read more

Product Description
Fatherhood provides one of life's most joyful yet challenging tasks. This lively and fascinating book recounts specific guidance from more than 150 of history's most famous fathers, from Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway to Benjamin Disraeli and Mahatma Gandhi. With advice on such subjects as character, success, faith, love and happiness, this is a unique and unprecedented window into fatherhood through the ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Paternal advice from Moses to Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan gets paternal advice from Moses????

Marvelous insight into parenting.
Hoffman has a gift for making obscure and difficult truths clear and easily understood. He has selected words of powerful wisdom that bring the oft forgotten subject of "Fatherhood" into crisp focus. This book is written with compassion for children and the deepest respect for fatherhood. Only a soul that has no sympathy for the difficulties and challenges of being a male parent could find this book lacking. An excellent book written by an author with uncommon vision and heart. An excellent gift for a father you may know.

save your money....this book is tripe.
this book isn't worth the paper it's written on...it provides no insight into parenting, and it has silly/annoying cartoons throughout.it reads quickly, because there's no substance....and yet i couldn't even bear tofinish it. ... Read more

Product Description
From his apocalyptic expressions onstage and in the studio, to his unapologetic biblical views that leak out during interviews, Bob Dylan's spiritual journey makes for a fascinating story. A curious icon of popular culture, yet distinct in his Judeo-Christian expressions, Bob Dylan doesn't fit neatly into the typical rock 'n' roll mold. Who else would have the chutzpah to publicly contribute to Orthodox Jewish communities while publicly singing songs about Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and eventual return? RESTLESS PILGRIM wrestles with the seemingly contradictory facts of Dylan's preoccupation with Jesus and his own Jewish heritage, by looking through the lens of this reluctant legend's four-decade career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Restless Fan
I am a committed Christ-follower in pursuit of truth.I hope Mr. Dylan in his search for 'salvation' has truly found it.This book may not have answered that for me (who can know the heart of another?), but it gave evidence that he may be a fellow Christ-follower.I hope so.

Clues to the Spiritual Side of Dylan
Much has been written about the many phases of Bob Dylan.And there are many points of view.This book offers a compelling case for Bob Dylan, the ongoing Christian.If you are interested in spiritual side of Dylan and his lyrics, this book is for you.

Bob Dylan's Spiritual Journey
Bob Dylan is a wizard with words. But his life is almost as interesting as his compositions, especially his spiritual life. Scott Marshall takes us on a tour of Dylan's spiritual life. His thesis seems to be that even though Bob is a seeker of truth, he is still a Christian after all these years. He highlights interviews that Dylan has given through the years, from the Sixties all the way to the present day.

However, when you read a Dylan interview, you never know whose answering the questions; the real Bob Dylan baring his soul, or Dylan the icon, or Dylan the whatever. Bob seems to enjoy being masked and anonymous, so I think it is tenuous at best to make a firm conclusion based on his interviews.

I think Dylan has gone back to the Judaism of his youth, and so I disagree with the author. Yet I also appreciated the fascinating journey that this book takes you on. Dylan truly is a restless pilgrim, and Marshall's book is faithful to its title. Recommended reading.

Pilgrim's Progress

One thing that really struck me about Martin Scorcese's recent Dylan documentary, "No Direction Home," is how much integrity Dylan displays when considering his artistic vision.And the pressure has been tremendous, as different camps have sought him out to make him their own.Joan Baez's comments regarding the desire to enroll him in protest efforts is perfectly illustrative of this.Just as illustrative is Dylan's push-back, which would result in his severing, at least partially, ties with that activist singer.His words have that kind of pull, but Dylan insists that the songs stay in a territory that he, not others, defines.

Still, the real career capper that went beyond Dylan's rejection of the folk movement, is his turn to Christianity.What to make of this turn?As Marshall and Ford point out in their book "Restless Pilgrim," his fans shouldn't have been that surprised, since Dylan has been signaling a religious sensibility for years in a number of his songs.And Dylan has said, look to his songs, if folks want answers about where his head and soul are at.

"Restless Pilgrim" is for the most part a distillation of things Dylan during the "faith" part of his career.Following this progression, Marshall and Ford make a strong case for Dylan still being a Christian - and a Jew, which are not at odds with each other.Looking at the songs Dylan still plays in concert, not to mention any number of comments made to interviewers over the years, you can't help but shake your head at the various Dylan "experts" out there who insist the Christian thing was just a phase.Well, clearly it's a phase that goes on.

One aspect of the book I really liked, were the various discussions of neglected albums.For example, Marshall and Ford suggest that the much maligned gospel albums "Shot of Love," and "Saved," are, upon examination of the actual songs, much better than critics have given them credit for. Listening to "Shot of Love," after reading the book had me agreeing."Shot of Love" is a very good album, and I didn't even know that the great song "Every Grain of Sand" could be found on it.But Dylan's biblical interest didn't stop with these albums.Far from it. Marshall and Ford follow the thread up to the near present.If anything, Dylan's biblical vision is of a conservative and apocalyptic nature.But Dylan being Dylan, it's a vision that operates as a prophetic sword, one that cuts neither right nor left, but only aims at the truth.

too much propaganda
Very interesting subject, but as I got farther into the book, I noticed that some of the reference Bible verses and quotes were starting to last over a page.I soon came to realize that the book was published by a Christian publishing company (Relevant Books).I learned more about "the sermon on the mount" than I did new information about Bob Dylan."Restless Pilgrim" included some interesting facts, but was definitely written from a point of bias. ... Read more

Product Description
From his apocalyptic expressions onstage and in the studio, to his unapologetic biblical views that leak out during interviews, Bob Dylan's spiritual journey makes for a fascinating story. A curious icon of popular culture, yet distinct in his Judeo-Christian expressions, Bob Dylan doesn't fit neatly into the typical rock 'n' roll mold. Who else would have the chutzpah to publicly contribute to Orthodox Jewish communities while publicly singing songs about Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and eventual return? RESTLESS PILGRIM wrestles with the seemingly contradictory facts of Dylan's preoccupation with Jesus and his own Jewish heritage, by looking through the lens of this reluctant legend's four-decade career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Restless Fan
I am a committed Christ-follower in pursuit of truth.I hope Mr. Dylan in his search for 'salvation' has truly found it.This book may not have answered that for me (who can know the heart of another?), but it gave evidence that he may be a fellow Christ-follower.I hope so.

Clues to the Spiritual Side of Dylan
Much has been written about the many phases of Bob Dylan.And there are many points of view.This book offers a compelling case for Bob Dylan, the ongoing Christian.If you are interested in spiritual side of Dylan and his lyrics, this book is for you.

Bob Dylan's Spiritual Journey
Bob Dylan is a wizard with words. But his life is almost as interesting as his compositions, especially his spiritual life. Scott Marshall takes us on a tour of Dylan's spiritual life. His thesis seems to be that even though Bob is a seeker of truth, he is still a Christian after all these years. He highlights interviews that Dylan has given through the years, from the Sixties all the way to the present day.

However, when you read a Dylan interview, you never know whose answering the questions; the real Bob Dylan baring his soul, or Dylan the icon, or Dylan the whatever. Bob seems to enjoy being masked and anonymous, so I think it is tenuous at best to make a firm conclusion based on his interviews.

I think Dylan has gone back to the Judaism of his youth, and so I disagree with the author. Yet I also appreciated the fascinating journey that this book takes you on. Dylan truly is a restless pilgrim, and Marshall's book is faithful to its title. Recommended reading.

Pilgrim's Progress

One thing that really struck me about Martin Scorcese's recent Dylan documentary, "No Direction Home," is how much integrity Dylan displays when considering his artistic vision.And the pressure has been tremendous, as different camps have sought him out to make him their own.Joan Baez's comments regarding the desire to enroll him in protest efforts is perfectly illustrative of this.Just as illustrative is Dylan's push-back, which would result in his severing, at least partially, ties with that activist singer.His words have that kind of pull, but Dylan insists that the songs stay in a territory that he, not others, defines.

Still, the real career capper that went beyond Dylan's rejection of the folk movement, is his turn to Christianity.What to make of this turn?As Marshall and Ford point out in their book "Restless Pilgrim," his fans shouldn't have been that surprised, since Dylan has been signaling a religious sensibility for years in a number of his songs.And Dylan has said, look to his songs, if folks want answers about where his head and soul are at.

"Restless Pilgrim" is for the most part a distillation of things Dylan during the "faith" part of his career.Following this progression, Marshall and Ford make a strong case for Dylan still being a Christian - and a Jew, which are not at odds with each other.Looking at the songs Dylan still plays in concert, not to mention any number of comments made to interviewers over the years, you can't help but shake your head at the various Dylan "experts" out there who insist the Christian thing was just a phase.Well, clearly it's a phase that goes on.

One aspect of the book I really liked, were the various discussions of neglected albums.For example, Marshall and Ford suggest that the much maligned gospel albums "Shot of Love," and "Saved," are, upon examination of the actual songs, much better than critics have given them credit for. Listening to "Shot of Love," after reading the book had me agreeing."Shot of Love" is a very good album, and I didn't even know that the great song "Every Grain of Sand" could be found on it.But Dylan's biblical interest didn't stop with these albums.Far from it. Marshall and Ford follow the thread up to the near present.If anything, Dylan's biblical vision is of a conservative and apocalyptic nature.But Dylan being Dylan, it's a vision that operates as a prophetic sword, one that cuts neither right nor left, but only aims at the truth.

too much propaganda
Very interesting subject, but as I got farther into the book, I noticed that some of the reference Bible verses and quotes were starting to last over a page.I soon came to realize that the book was published by a Christian publishing company (Relevant Books).I learned more about "the sermon on the mount" than I did new information about Bob Dylan."Restless Pilgrim" included some interesting facts, but was definitely written from a point of bias. ... Read more

Product Description
The Bob Dylan 6 Chord Songbook allows even the beginning guitarist to play and enjoy the magic of Dylan's music. By learning 6 simple chords you will soon master 20 of his best songs.

The Bob Dylan 6 Chord Songbook does not use musical notation. All you need to learn is 6 chords and their symbols. The chord boxes are printed on each page to remind you, and the chord changes are shown above the lyrics. If you find the pitch of a song outside your vocal range, simply place your capo behind a suitable fret and use the same chord shapes! The strum rhythm or picking pattern most suited to the song is left for you to decide. The Bob Dylan 6 Chord Songbook guarantees hours of enjoyment for guitarists of all levels, as well as providing a fine basis for building a strong repertoire. When you have mastered the first 6 chords, you will want to progress to six more chords with these lessons. These are described within the text and illustrated in a comprehensive Chord Glossary at the back of the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

What piece of garbage is this so called Songbook
Do Not Buy This Songbook. Here's why:

1. The book contains lyrics and six chords. You can look these up online. Google is your friend.

2. There are only 21 songs; total page 40. You are paying about 50 cents per song and what you receive for your money is junk. It won't show you the correct chords, just the easy approximations. If you are good, you just might be able to make it sound good. If you're a beginner like me, it will sound HORRIBLE.

3. Avoid Hal Leonard's books like the plague. There are FAR better books on learning to play guitar and there are also FAR better books on playing Dylan songs on your guitar.

I bought this book hoping to strum some Bob Dylan songs and sorely disappointed at the lack of details. I could've saved my money. Well, the book gave me a few minutes of warmth because I threw it in the fireplace 10 minutes after I received it.

Fan favorite
I bought this for my father, a Dylan fanatic, and he was very pleased. It includes recognizable songs and comprehensible notation. He said it was easy for his beginner level and he had a lot of fun playing through it the first time. He still breaks it out 6 months later because he loves the music, so it's useful for learning and just playing even once one has progressed. He has vision problems and thankfully can read everything in the book with little trouble.

Good Book
This book has the lyrics and chord changes for the songs--all stuff you can get from the internet, but it is nice to have them all together in a nice little book.
It is basically set up with a verse and the chord symbol (like G or Dm) above the word where the chord changes.So you will need the song handy to get the strumming down and hear how the vocals should be sung.Other than that these are some great songs to learn.Everyone knows the words so it is great for sing-a-longs.

Great Book for Beginners
Advanced players stay away, but this is as good a beginning guitar book to learn to play and strum that there is. The chords are simple, so spending time with this book will really teach you to comfortably play G and C chord songs.

Many of the songs are "dumbed down" or have had the key moved. Purists will be unhappy, as the songs lose a lot of that Bob Dylan funk, but, nonetheless, virtually every song in the book sounds good when played and is recognizable. Plus, for beginners, almost every song can be played with either a Carter-Style strum or a simple 1 2 3+ 4+ strum pattern.

Within weeks, you'll be able to play Dylan songs recognizably and, if you have even been playing for 6 months, you'll be able to play many of these songs on the first run-through.

This book is ok.
I am not very familiar with Dylan's works but I bought this book anyway because I thought the 6 chords used would be simple.This turned out to be true.The chords are simple and if you forget some, there is a chart of all chords used at the beginning of the song.Since I have never heard of some these songs, I had to improvise on how it is played.Compared to other guitar related books, this one is fairly simple.There are no tablatures or written notes, just the lyrics with the corresponding chords.If there was a CD as a reference, this book would be good for a beginning guitar player. ... Read more

Product Description
Dylan: Visions, Portraits, and Back Pages is now available in a compact paperback edition. The world's best rock journalists from MOJO magazine piece together the complete Bob Dylan saga, revealing new insights into his life and career and telling the stories behind the songs. Previously unseen photographs, interviews, and commentary by fellow artists shed new light on Dylan's life and his enduring influence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Dylan Bio
A very interesting read.I never want to put it down.So many neat, intimate stories about Bob and his associates as he was gaining popularity.An interesting person.

GREAT PICTURES AND REVIEWS
I WISH the publishers of this book would start thinking of doing another book like this one!!!!This was a GOOD ONE!!!

I really think this book is worth more than what you spend on it.Great pictures that are VERY CLEAR AND SHARP and of EXCELLENT QUALITY and valuable information on his special albums (like Oh Mercy and Slow Train Coming), articles, reviews and so much more.All Bob's best pictures are not in this book, but it has many many VERY GOOD pictures.I especially enjoyed the picture of Bob with the Beatles in the Fab Five photo--Really.He is better looking than John and Paul--wow!!!I was in my early and mid teens when I heard all his commercial songs along with all the other groups that were playing non-stop on the radio--in the car, under the trees at the pool-in-the-park.I spent many summer days with friends, going to radio-sponsored rock festivals, TV rock shows, and I really liked his music very much, and we all knew who he was certainly, however the first 45 record I bought from Bob was Lay Lady Lay--lots of cool songs back then and too much to choose from.Unfortunately it was only fairly recently that I discovered that most of his best works are hidden in albums I had not purchased at the time--forgive me "since 1964 fans"--I was very young back then & too much going on--the 60's were superpacked years.This book has lots of everything--and some photos with his best-known girlfriends--one famous one less famous and one picture that really tugs at the heart--the one in which his girl fans in Ireland are right up close to their idol, Bob Dylan asking some questions.

Joan Baez looked gorgeous back then and Suzy looked great and very much in love.Despite the heartaches that came in each of these lives, these were priceless years and these priceless moments are all caught on camera preserved for us to see.

How can you possibly go wrong with purchasing this book if you are in any way interested in Bob Dylan?You CANNOT possibly go wrong.

Buy This!
It's been no secret to my friends,family and childrenthat I have been a fan of Bob Dylan since 1966.I love just about everything Dylan has written and sung and respect the man as a genius.When I purchased Dylan Visions,Portraits,And Back Pages I flipped.The series of articles spanning his career from Hibbing to the present moment are filled with some new information and compiled in chronological order,but what blew me away are the photos.Many of which we have seen before but many others that are spectacular.For instance Dylan looking intently upon a portrait of St. Peter in Washington,DC.Super photos from the Rolling Thunder Review.I am going to buy another copy of this book so that I can frame some of the pictures.Enjoy this book!

Pretty good book with great pictures and original people.
I love the fact that you can learn so much from this book.I am dissapointed though, in the fact it seems to be pieced together uncarefully.Great book.Worth the low Amazon price!

Not Needed If You Have Most Everything Dylan
Good for intro to Dylan or for the most basic Dylan fan - not for the hardcore. Beautiful pictures and some interesting articles but if you are a die-hard and have read/seen most everything published, nothing new here. ... Read more

Product Description
Although I have several beefs with Bob but I have to admit that Dylan is America's greatest Anti-Communist Poet. Take this verse from It's Alright Ma:

"While one who sings with his tongue on fire" while those who speak out against the Soviet regime in no uncertain terms; Eleven Outlined Epitaphs 1964, "with melodies of Yevtushenko" Yevtushenko, through his poetry, was the first voice to speak out against Stalinism. Yevtushenko became one of the best known poets of the 1950s and 1960s in the Soviet Union. "Gargles in the rat race choir" refuses to be part of the culture of informing on others. Some Other Kinds of Songs 1964, "you tell me about politics / this that / you speak of rats" "Bent out of shape from society's pliers" Yevtushenko's maternal grandfather had been a Red Army officer during the Russian Revolution and the Civil War but both of Yevtushenko's grandfathers were arrested as 'enemies of the people' in 1937 during Stalin's purges. "Cares not to come up any higher" Yevtushenko was kicked out of the Soviet Literary Institute for individualism "But rather get you down in the hole / That he's in" but he would rather get you in a deep and isolated place of confinement; a dungeon. Yevtushenko was confined to the Soviet Union "But I mean no harm nor put fault" sarcastic; I would like to kill the Communists who bare the blame for the persecution this poet "On anyone that lives in a vault" on anyone that lives in a country where you have to get an exit visa from the Government to get out of, a vast minimum security prison known as The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. "But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him" but who cares if I can't fulfill the will and desire of the Communists; 'May it please the court.'
You may hate my guts but as fate would have it I know Bob Dylan like I know the back of my hand! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Ha Ha Ha
What a pile of garbage.At least with A.J., you don't have to go out and find his garbage, he publishes it.Don't take my word for it, just start reading through the pages of the book that are available on Amazon.com.You got to give him a tad of credit for the wildly inventive claim that Dylan, with the conspiratorial help of Peter, Paul & Mary, tricked MLK and the Civil Rights Movement, into singing Blowing In the Wind at the 1963 March on Washington: A.J.'s preposterous claim -- that the song is a racist dirge.This trash-heap of a text belongs in the Internet's ether and nowhere else.

weberman the dumpster maestro
sung to the tune " blowin' in the wind " --how many times must we be subjected to this idiots ramblings ? the answer, my friend , is in not buying or reading this book...........

Garbage from an expert on garbage
The premise that Bob Dylan might be somewhat middle-of-the-road politically is hardly sensationalist enough to sell books, so this self-proclaimed Expert on Garbage [Weberman became "famous" for going through Bob Dylan's trash outside of his then Greenwich Village flat] needs to concoct the absurd notion that Bob Dylan is a racist. Apparently, the Right Wing media doesn't want you to know this either, as I don't see Fox News reporting it or even medicated Rush talking about it. It is ironic that he goes through garbage, as A.J. Weberman is literally the trash matter born of Bob Dylan. On a good day, Dylan sneezed and created Folk-Rock, Country-Rock, Gospel-Rock and "Wild Mercury" music. On a bad day, he went to the bathroom and allowed A.J. Weberman to escape before he had a chance to flush.

However, if you feel that in-depth insight can be gained by smelling empty pickle jars and picking the fecal-crust-of-the-famous out from ones fingernails, then by all means... buy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are widely acknowledged as the great pop poets of the 1960s, transforming the popular song into a medium for questionng the personal, social, and political norms of their times. They emerged at a time when the music industry was transforming the revolutionary sound of black music into something bland, homogenous, and fit for mass consumption. For many members of their generation, Dylan and Cohen were able to articulate what they were feeling and could not express: anti-establishement anger, angst, and despondency.

Dylan and Cohen is a fascinating political, psychological and artistic profile of these two iconic writers and performers. With reference to both biographical details and lyrics. David Boucher explores their similarities and differences, tracing the development of religious political, and social themes in their work and the ways in which those ideas engaged a new audience.

A must-read for all serious fans of either Dylan or Cohen, this book will also engage anyone interested in the North America of the 1960s, or more generally in the relationship between music, identity and politics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Take This Waltz
What makes this book such a unique and significant contribution to its genre is that it is written with the insight and sensitivity of a spirit that seems deeply attuned to those of its subjects. Not only does the reader come away with a better understanding of the historical times and political contexts that shaped these men, and the personal struggles and psychological bents that motivated their writing, but also with a clearer understanding of what attracts their devotees to their work.

Throughout the book, Boucher weaves explorations of various aspects of the lives and cultural context of Dylan and Cohen that strongly affected them and their work. These include the civil rights movement, drugs, women, sexuality, God and religion, what it means to be reluctantly identified as the voice of a generation, and -- particularly for Cohen -- the holocaust. Boucher also explores the influence of other artists on their work, from Woody Guthrie for Dylan to Lorca for Cohen, as well as the influence that Dylan and Cohen had on each other.

Just as Dylan and Cohen make poetry an accessible part of popular culture, with equal skill Boucher makes philosophy of art and interpretation accessible as well. He points out that our experience of lyric poetry is informed by the questions we bring to it and he explains that the richest experience is to be had when the most appropriate questions are asked. Boucher uses the theories of several philosophers such as R. G. Collingwood, Henry Jones, and Michael Oakeshott, to identify which questions are most appropriately asked of particular works at particular moments in the artists' creative development. He also shows the fruitlessness of asking the wrong kind of questions of a particular poem, as is the tendency of many thinkers.He describes various forms of artistic expression: pseudo-art, or art as magic; art as the expression of emotion, or imaginative art; and inspirational art, or poetry which delights in images. He then demonstrates how, at various stages in Dylan's artistic development, his work takes all three forms of expression, whereas Cohen's work primarily takes the form of the last two. He then offers examples from their poetry to illustrate which form(s) of expression is/are being inhabited by a particular work and he supports his demonstrations with quotations about their work from the artists themselves.

Finally, Boucher helps to bring the period to life for his reader by including several pictures of book covers, concert and film posters, magazine covers and various photographs. The overall result of the book is that Boucher successfully positions his readers to have a richer experience and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the lyric poetry of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

Compulsively Readable
This is an excellent study of the music and lyrics of the 2 greatest rock "poets."Boucher explores whether or not their lyrics even qualify as poetry and keeps the subject interesting!He effectively delves into their psyches,as well, without getting hung up on personal, biographical details which have been over analyzed in other places.I found the final chapter "The Religious Experience" to be some of the best writing that I've seen on Dylan and Cohen's spiritual journeys.I highly recommend this to fans of either man's work.

Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
The irate and intemperate person signing himself pepidude in a previous review seems incapable of being able to appreciate an argument or of understanding the nature of the exercise that David Boucher has undertaken. It is a thematic book with a wide range of references, not a book of facts about Bob Dylan.The author introduces us to the complexities of issues relating to the difference between popular music lyrics and poetry, between origins and originality, the poetry of imagination and inspiration and much more. Anyone interested in ideas and issues, and in theories as well as facts will find this book immensely stimulating and fascinating.

Poetry Always was the New Rock & Roll
David Boucher has written a book that examines in detail the contribution of both artists to the worlds of both literature and rock & roll. In his intoduction he looks at the progress of Cohen from serious poet to rock & roll recording artist and performer. This transition cost him status in the literary world but aided by the legendary "golden voice" and some consummate musicians it allowed him to reach a hitherto undreamed of audience.

Dylan, whom he refers to as "The Changing Man" in Chapter Three, was the chameleon-like performer who picked up, and discarded new personas and new musical styles at the drop of his very famous hat. The obvious example here is the infamous "electric tour" where Dylan was heckled and called "Judas". This abuse was, the book shows, not only for his perceived betrayal of the acoustic folk movement, but also a reaction to the contempt with which Dylan treated his audience. Dylan had always been a confrontational performer, and his response to such attacks was to become louder and less acoustic than ever. What David Boucher also shows is that this signified a shift from the community centred ethic of the folk movement to the excessive individualism and nihilism of the Beat poets who through the drug culture wanted, like Rimbaud, to experience the extremes.

In other chapters the myriad influences on both performers are examined as well as their involvement with political and religious organisations. Finally David Boucher gives us an insight into the road travelled by both men in search of their own personal salvation.

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are complex men and complex performers. To listen to, or to read the works of either man is always challenging. In this book the author has written an analysis that is equally challenging exploring, as it does, the anger and the angst of the 1960s and beyond. I enjoyed every minute of the challenge.

How lovely does it get...?
David Boucher's masterly work 'Dylan & Cohen' is essential reading, not simply for devotees of these 'Poets of Rock and Roll' but for anyone with an interest in the history of the radical cultural, political and musical changes in the last century.

It is clear from this eloquent book that neither Dylan nor Cohen wished to speak for anyone but themselves and equally clear that the strength of their work would be seized upon by a generation looking for a new direction.Thankfully they both continued to write through their tribulations and we have a bank of some of the most evocative music to continue to listen to.

I urge you to buy this book but with a word of warning: you won't want to stop reading once you've started. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

We Just Saw It From A Different Point Of View
If you're reading reviews about "Still on the Road" it probably means you're pretty serious about Dylan's work. I am, and that's why I read Clinton Heylin's books. He does the kind of research I can't do, so I appreciate the light he throws on Dylan's work. His books are so rich that I usually read them twice to find the things I missed the first time 'round, and "Still on the Road" is no exception. There's a whole lot to value in Dylan's later work, often dismissed as inferior to his work from the mid 60's, and Clinton Heylin illuminates the gems of this period: songs like "Changing of the Guards," "Jokerman," "Blind Willie McTell," "Most of the Time," "Series of Dreams," and "Brownsville Girl." These songs, along with a big handful of others, hold their own with Dylan's greatest work on "Bringing It All Back Home," "Highway 61 Revisited," and "Blonde on Blonde." For us folks who are convinced that Dylan is one of the great writers and performers of the last half of the 20th century to the present, this book is a must.

So, why only 3 stars?

- Heylin's habit of second guessing Dylan about lyric changes, best versions of songs, and so on, is hubris. Dylan is the writer and performer, and though it is reasonable to question choices he makes, Clinton Heylin crosses over into making definitive pronouncements thereby placing himself in a superior position to Dylan. Uh ... really?

- Heylin's condescending dismissal of other writers about Dylan is irritating. For some reason he seems to feel he needs to put down these writers. What I mean is that he doesn't just disagree and present a different point of view, he insults them. What is gained by this?

- Heylin, like so many writers on Dylan, seems to think it's cool, or a mark of superior knowledge, to incorporate allusions to lines and phrases from Dylan's songs in his prose. Give it a rest. It's a bore (not to mention that it's very easy to do), and given that advertisers, editorialists, journalists and the like drop Dylan references like jelly babies at Beatles' concerts, this stylistic habit is tedious. English Composition 101 - put it in your own words.

- Why on earth Heylin spends a good portion of his discussion of "Brownsville Girl" discussing the earlier studio take "Dansville Girl" is beyond me. I assume it's because, according to Heylin, Dylan has a habit of rewriting his songs in ways that make the released versions inferior to the earlier studio takes. But most people will likely only have access to the released song, so it would seem sensible to discuss that version. This is a case where Heylin "decides" that Dylan was wrong and so takes it upon himself to substitute his preference for Dylan's. Come again? I'm familiar with both versions and I think, after maybe a hundred listens, that Dylan made the right choice by releasing "Brownsville Girl."

- The "Christian Period" ~ Heylin does an excellent job of showing, from "Street Legal" to "Modern Times," that the so called Christian Period was not a period at all. Dylan's work is soaked in Biblical imagery and reference, his sensibility has been Apocalyptic from as early as "Freewheelin'" and Dylan has always been a moralist of the prophetic type. The problem I had with Heylin's discussion of songs from "Slow Train," "Saved," and "Shot of Love" is that he goes on and on about the Biblical references in these songs. Sure, a certain amount is appropriate, but Heylin goes on at such length it seemed more like he was displaying his endless "rabbinical" knowledge of The Gospels and The Prophets. If I felt his long discursions on Biblical passages actually helped to understand the songs it would be okay, but to me it came off more as an opportunity for Heylin to display his knowledge of the Bible (I have a Ph.D. in Religious Studies). It might be worth noting that there are websites like Oremus that can search and find Biblical references quite easily. Heylin could have written all those pages with no Bible in sight. Of course I don't know if Heylin is well versed in the Bible, but the main point is that this whole section of his book was filled with long discussions that focus far more on Biblical passages than on Dylan's song. I skipped or scanned lots of this section.

Clinton Heylin's books are always a mixed bag, but at his best his work is full of valuable research and quite interesting commentary on Dylan and his work. If you are seriously into Dylan then you seriously ought to consider getting "Still on the Road," along with the earlier companion volume "Revolution in the Air."

Is This The Bob Dylan Book For You?
I have prepared a short quiz to help you determine if this book is for you.

1. Are you a white male in your 40's or 50's?
2. Do you own all of Bob Dylan's official catalog?
3. If yes, are you slightly offended that I would even ask the previous question?
4. Apart from official cds do you own hundreds of Dylan books, unofficial live cds and dvds.
5. Do you get most of your news from a man named Karl Erik?
6. Does your wife (or more likely ex-wife) sigh when she hears the name Bob Dylan?
7. On the day of 9/11/01 did you go to the store and buy the newly released Love And Theft CD?
8. If Bob Dylan played "Never Say Goodbye" tonight in concert would you be visibly excited?
9. When you hear the name Clinton Heylin do you never throw up in your mouth, even a little bit?

If you answered NO to more than 2 or 3 of these questions you will not enjoy this book. I recommend you try another Bob Dylan book.

Better than the first volume
The second volume in this two-part examination of every song Dylan ever wrote is a more entertaining read than its predecessor, perhaps because it covers periods of Dylan's career that have gotten less attention than his groundbreaking 60s work.Heylin has clearly done an immense amount of research and brings to light interesting facts about some of the more obscure songs in Dylan's catalog.What emerges is a fascinating glimpse into what motivated this extraordinary artist during the most tumultuous periods of his career.

Unfortunately, some of the problems present in the previous volume are here as well.The author has a tendency to make definitive statements even when the truth is far from certain, and he resorts to childish insults of others who do the same.There's also an uneven treatment of the songs--the focus of the book is on the writing process, but sometimes Heylin discusses the music and sometimes he doesn't.This can be frustrating for those who see Dylan's evolution as a performing artist as important as his songwriting.

Despite these problems, this is the only book that examines all of Dylan's most recent work, and although Heylin can be arrogant at times, he's rarely boring.This makes the book easy to recommend to fans of Dylan's late-period work.

Just the facts please
This could be a very good book if the writer would keep his opinions and sarcasm to himself. It's self-serving for a lesser talent to spend his time second-guessing Bob Dylan with snide comments and personal opinions. Considering the amount of bias the writer displays, how much of what he writes is accurate?

Great for Dylan fans
Just a great compendium of information about Dylan songs.A must for any Dylan fan ... Read more

Product Description
Few photographers had greater access to Bob Dylan than Barry Feinstein. Having taken the iconic photograph that appeared on Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’ album in 1963, Feinstein was invited to Dylan’s European tour of 1966 and US tour of 1974. The photographs from these sessions and concerts, many previously unseen are included in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pic'd Apart but Nice
There are some great shots of Dylan in this book, but too many are cut by the seam in the focal points of the picture (biggest 'buzz-kill' is the shot of Dylan looking in the mirror when buying clothes, beautiful shot, bad place to split).The pages aren't of the greatest quality compared to other photo books of this nature. I wouldn't pay list price, (this would go down to three stars if I did), but I gave four stars b/c at Amazon's price I would still recommend this as worth buying for an average fan. Mostly I wish the book was a little bigger so there would not have to be spreads, better paper, and I would have happily paid twice as much.

An impressive compilation that will be of especial interest to the legions of Bob Dylan fans
Bob Dylan is an American music icon. Professional photographer Barry Feinstein had greater access to Dylan than any other photographer. It was Feinstein's iconic image that appeared on Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" album in 1963 and photographed Dylan at the musician's invitation during Dylan's European tour of 1966 and US tour of 1974. It is from among the photos taken on these two legendary tours that comprise "Real Moments: Photographs of Bob Dylan 1966-1974" and newly published by Omnibus Press. This is an impressive compilation that will be of especial interest to the legions of Bob Dylan fans, and a popular addition to personal, community, and academic library 20th Century Music History and American Photography reference collections. ... Read more

Product Description
An extraodinary collection of drawings and sketches-of women, hotel rooms, cityscapes, and more-by the world's best-known singer-songwriter, each accompanied by a note or short poem. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Side of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is not only a great songwriter and performer, but has had a long-standing interest in other media, particularly filmmaking and the visual arts. Some of his drawings and paintings illustrated his book Lyrics 1962-1985, the album covers of The Band's Music from Big Pink and his own album, Self Portrait. Drawn Blank is the most comprehensive collection of his art work to date. In a brief introduction to the book, he calls the work "sketches for paintings that either never were painted, have yet to be painted (or more likely never will be painted)." He states that the drawings were executed over a three-year period between 1989 and 1991 (though hard-core fans have identified many of them as having been executed earlier, possibly from 1985). The drawings are expressionistic and realistic: portraits and interiors and landscapes, many apparently drawn while on the road, from hotel room windows and other places he was passing through.

The obvious question raised by a book like Drawn Blank is whether the drawings succeed on their own terms or simply function as pop culture fetishes. Drawn Blank seems to tackle this question by treating its material simply and straightforwardly, and with a minimum of hype: there is no text in the book other than Dylan's introduction; no information is given about who the drawings depict, where they were drawn, or when they were done. Perhaps like Dylan's well-known avoidance of stage patter, this is a way of trying to let the works speak for themselves and to maintain Dylan's privacy - and indirectly, to add to the mystery and glamour of the work, to make it more abstract.

The drawings in Drawn Blank show some of Dylan's conservative tendencies as well as his moral interests. In the introduction, he mentions a high school art teacher's advice to draw what you see "so that if you were at a loss for words, something could be explained and, even more importantly, not be misunderstood." While the drawings show Dylan's attempts to "get at something other than the world we know" through drawing from observation, viewed in the context of his music, they are somewhat disappointing - they don't show the same range of imagery and are not as involved with metaphor as his songwriting. They are functional; like Dylan says, a way for him to "relax and refocus a restless mind." Some of the most interesting drawings in Drawn Blank are those where earlier drawings are visible underneath later ones - what may be a skull, barely visible underneath a still life; a cross that says "Jesus Saves" underneath a drawing of a neighborhood seen through a window; a figure showing through a drawing of a tree. The style of many of the drawings has an effect like that of Dylan's singing voice or his harmonica playing - gratingly smudgy, apparently unschooled, but with a stubborn integrity that can grow on you. They are as uncommercial a bunch of drawings as one might see, sent into the world to see if anything might happen as a result.

Drawn Blank's "On the Road"-like pictures of rural America, roadside stops, dressing rooms, cars and trucks, bicycles, playground equipment, tables and chairs, naked women's butts, and friends make no great claims for themselves. The drawings offer an intimate look at another way Dylan views the world, and offer a way of vicariously traveling with Bob in a way that is unavailable through performances and recordings. Dylan's straight-ahead effort to experience and understand the world through drawing helps to make Drawn Blank appealing. At the same time, Dylan uses drawing to maintain his distance, to create some private space in the middle of the commercial and very public world he occupies. In Drawn Blank, Dylan's artwork, like his music, gives him a way of both capturing private experience and offering that experience publicly, as a gift.

(adapted from a review first published in Texte zur Kunst, August 1995)

a 10 if there were commentaries
Just a note, there are no written commentaries in the edition (1st) that I purcahsed when the book first came out, other than the Foreward, which is written by Bob ... Read more

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Product Description
Songs that have become legends in their own time, all in piano/vocal with guitar chord diagrams and full lyrics. Includes Blowin' In The Wind; Rainy Day Women; Like A Rolling Stone; and Lay, Lady, Lay. ... Read more

Product Description
Bob Dylan was recently named by Life as one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th century. In this photographic tour of Dylan’s breakthrough years, 1964 to 1965, Daniel Kramer shows the human side of this legendary figure — playing chess, making coffee, and in one whimsical moment, sitting in a tree — and also in the studio and onstage. An essay by the photographer sheds further light on the man and his music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

PAPERBACK VERSION
I got this one in hardback from the public library before I bought this paperback version.I liked the hardback version, but I was disappointed with the paperback version and here's why:

It appears as if the pictures are copies of copies of copies taken out of the the original hardback and copied right on some copier rather than done correctly all over again, and there is at least one VERY GOOD picture M I S S I N G!!!!--one of my favorites--where Bob is reading a magazine or paper up close and he has his hat on.NOT DONE RIGHT IS ALSO A TOP FAVORITE: the one where Bob Dylan is playing chess at a French cafe--REALLY REALLY GOOD ONE, I love that one very much--but it still seems COPY OF COPY OF COPY quality--IT IS DARK AND GRITTY.The quality of the pictures in the original hardback book are FAR superior. and I SEE it.I did a copy of the one at the cafe on a copier before I returned the book to the library and believe me it is BETTER quality than the one in this paperback version!!! AAAAHHHHH!!! Maybe people won't notice, but I do notice it.Unfortunately I had to return the hardback book to the library.

P L E A S E TELL THE PUBLISHER TO R E D O THIS BOOK PROPERLY AND RESPECT Bob Dylan's fans because we want quality pictures.This book deserves to be done again properly.Paperback is okay to save the forests, but the quality of the pictures has something to do with the process and technology that they use.They just dished out a paperback version and copied the pictures from some other copies (as I see it) just to make money with no concern about the QUALITY OF THE PICTURES.

May I also suggest Dylan: Visions, Portraits & Back Pages as a book with FAR FAR FAR FAR SUPERIOR quality pictures and it even costs less!

Please do this PICTURE BOOK all over again, PUBLISHERS!!!These pictures deserve FIRST QUALITY production.

Absolutely Sweet Bob
These photos will absolutely break your heart.
They will break your heart absolutely. If you love Dylan and the mythology he created around himself, this book will give you a glimpse behind the curtain. The images of Joan Baez and Dylan are so gorgeous you'll want to duck out of your busy life and cry for five crucial minutes. The image of a back-lit Bob and a shadowy Joan in profile is a just, simple ode to these monoliths. These photos give us what we've intimated about Bob all along.

pure dylan
many of these photos became icons over the years. not only absorbing photos of dylan, but classics of the photographic art. dylan was lucky during this period to be photographed by so many excellent photographers: kramer's work is the best

Great B&W photos of young Bob Dylan
This seems to be a reprint of a book that first came out in the 60's. I still have my copy but it's a smaller format than this reprint. It is chock full of great photos of Dylan being whimsical and eccentric, posing in a studio setting. Very professional. All seem to be from the "Highway 61 Revisited" period (1965)when Dylan affected a "mod" style of clothes, including polka-dot shirts and Beatle boots. This is a treasure for any Dylan addict. Except for one essay, the book is all photos without text. ... Read more

Product Description
The arrangements in this book are aimed mainly at players of the ten hole major diatonic harmonica, or "blues harp", although those tunes that would be beyond the technical reach of most players on the diatonic have been arranged for the twelve hole chromatic harmonica.The tunes have been carefully selected and graded to provide something of interest for all players, from those who have recently started to play, and can play a few tunes and bend a couple of notes, to those who have a little more experience and are looking for melodic material upon which to try their skills.The harmonic is well used as a solo instrument in the music of Bob Dylan, so as well as using these tunes as pieces of music in their own right, you should also use them to sharpen your improvisational skills - the chord sequences used in many of these songs can be very rewarding to play over.It is often a good idea, and more fun than playing alone, to work on the pieces with afriend who plays guitar or keyboards to accompany you, or with one of the many programmable keyboards that are now available into which you have programmed the chords for the piece you are working on. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Dylan Harmonica Music
A great collection of Dylan songs.The harmonica pieces are easy to understand and are shown in numbers as well as the proper music.The were no words on the sheet music though, so it can be tricky to find out where in the song you are.

Should have paid better attention to the reviews
If when searching for this book you typed "Bob Dylan" before you typed "harmonica", this is not the book for you.

It isn't the quality of the book that is at issue -- that seems fine.It's clearly the choices that were made -- most notably the aforementioned decision to transpose all the songs to C.Anyone who wants to learn to play harmonica, even as simply as Dylan does, will probably be willing to buy more than one harmonica -- and changing the keys renders the ability to play along with the records useless.

Changing keys (to make it easy for piano I guess) is a common problem with simple music and tab books.I usually only buy books that say "Authentic Recorded Versions" on them -- and even then I am often disappointed.

Arrogant or not there is no plot
I borrowed the book from a friend thinking I was going to go home and learn some great dylan solos.the truth is it was a little dissappointing.the great thing about dylan and the harp is the rhythm he uses.I think you could pick apart the chords that he plays without the book.But we also cannot expect too much from tab books.the only way to learn some good solos is by the good old fashioned ear, and it really makes you a better harmonica player.The book is very simplistic, if you are a beginner than maybe look into it, but I have faith that you could jsut as easily go step by step and pick apart the melodies of bob dylan.

Quit being so arrogant
I realize those of you professional players like to bite down on these beginner books to show off your skills, or whatever it is that you do. But the key to writing a review is to rate something for what it is, not what you wish to make out of it. If you want a professional Dylan harmonica book, they're out there. This book is meant for begginers and I give it five stars as a begginer book. Your showing off is not going to help customers with their product choices.

Not a transcription of Dylan's harmonica.
This book contains a transcription of Dylan's melodys not his harmonica solos.Besides that the lyrics were not included making even playing the melodys a challange. ... Read more