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Dylan The Biography
The ultimate biography of the musical icon.
A groundbreaking and vibrant look at the music hero to generations, DYLAN: The Biography digs deep into Bob Dylan lore--including subjects Dylan himself left out of Chronicles: Volume One.
DYLAN: The Biography focuses on why this beloved artist has touched so many souls--and on how both Dylan and his audience have changed along the way.
Bob Dylan is an international bestselling artist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and an Oscar winner for Things Have Changed. His career is stronger and more influential than ever. How did this happen, given the road to oblivion he seemed to choose more than two decades ago? What transformed a heroin addict into one of the most astonishing literary and musical icons in American history?
At 72 years of age, Dylan's final act of his career is more intriguing than ever--and classic biographies like Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades and even his own Chronicles: Volume One came too soon to cover this remarkable new chapter in Dylan's life.
Through extensive interviews and conversations with Dylan's friends, family, sidemen, and fans, Los Angeles Times journalist Dennis McDougal crafts an unprecedented understanding of Dylan and the intricate story behind the myths. Was his romantic life, especially with Sara Dylan, much more complicated than it appears? Was his motorcycle accident a cover for drug rehab? What really happened to Dylan when his career crumbled, and how did he find his way back? To what does he attribute his astonishing success? McDougal's meticulous research and comprehensive interviews offer a revealing new understanding of these long-standing questions--and of the current chapter Dylan continually writes in his life and career.
A groundbreaking and vibrant look at the music hero to generations, DYLAN: The Biography digs deep into Bob Dylan lore--including subjects Dylan himself left out of Chronicles: Volume One.
DYLAN: The Biography focuses on why this beloved artist has touched so many souls--and on how both Dylan and his audience have changed along the way.
Bob Dylan is an international bestselling artist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and an Oscar winner for Things Have Changed. His career is stronger and more influential than ever. How did this happen, given the road to oblivion he seemed to choose more than two decades ago? What transformed a heroin addict into one of the most astonishing literary and musical icons in American history?
At 72 years of age, Dylan's final act of his career is more intriguing than ever--and classic biographies like Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades and even his own Chronicles: Volume One came too soon to cover this remarkable new chapter in Dylan's life.
Through extensive interviews and conversations with Dylan's friends, family, sidemen, and fans, Los Angeles Times journalist Dennis McDougal crafts an unprecedented understanding of Dylan and the intricate story behind the myths. Was his romantic life, especially with Sara Dylan, much more complicated than it appears? Was his motorcycle accident a cover for drug rehab? What really happened to Dylan when his career crumbled, and how did he find his way back? To what does he attribute his astonishing success? McDougal's meticulous research and comprehensive interviews offer a revealing new understanding of these long-standing questions--and of the current chapter Dylan continually writes in his life and career.
540 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2014
44 people are currently reading
872 people want to read
About the author
Dennis McDougal
22 books61 followersDennis McDougal was an American author and newspaper journalist, who has been called "L.A.'s No. 1 muckraker". His book Privileged Son was described as "illuminating reading for anyone interested in 20th-century Los Angeles or modern-day newspapering" by The New York Times. A native of Southern California, he lived near Memphis, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 12, 2016
https://msarki.tumblr.com/post/151713...
If what Dennis McDougal presents in this biography is in fact true then Bob Dylan is a far different person than the accepted history his celebrity suggests. The tone attached to this appraisal reminds me of a documentary I watched on Hunter S. Thompson some time ago that had him admitting on camera that he lost himself in becoming the person his infamous celebrity had made him. This book as well, almost too eagerly at times, attempts to show how Bob Dylan and Robert Zimmerman became two different people. And to illustrate this ever-widening gulf between the two personalities in respect to all that has been already extensively written regarding Dylan’s life and music offers a novel opportunity for McDougal to move beyond the incessant analysis of his lyrics and well-worn biographical facts. Though often intuited at times to be a “hit piece” of sorts, the book proved to be an interesting read. And as I neared the last fifth of the book I began to see clearly McDougal’s honest fairness presented and redeemed.
The publisher’s opening blurb asks the question, “What happened during the past two decades to transform a heroin addict into one of the most astonishing literary and musical icons in American history?“ I was never aware that Dylan had a heroin addiction, but if true, I am not surprised. And his abusive use of alcohol would explain his erratic behavior both in concert and on the road. I believe I have personally seen him perform to both extremes.
But for some reason McDougal seems to have an unhealthy fixation on Dylan’s sex life and his discarding use of women. Though he does try, McDougal eventually fails in his attempt to portray Dylan as a buck in heat during rutting season. There is no doubt Dylan enjoyed many sexual opportunities due to his royal celebrity. He is probably the most famous American icon who has ever lived. My guess was a woman having sex with Bob Dylan was much different than a tumble in the hay with Robert Zimmerman. The one time I did express a bit of wonder over all these women falling for such a reported mess, with his bad teeth and tendency towards flight, my wife explained, “He’s Bob Dylan. Who wouldn’t want to be with Bob Dylan?”
There is no doubt the man did learn how to live and thrive in a world in which he constantly remade himself even in routinely risking his possible destruction. His work remains vital in spite of his more than five decades continuing to fan the music’s flames. Unlike other long-suffering artists from the sixties, such as the previously amazing Neil Young, Bob Dylan remains an original. And Dennis McDougal makes good use of interviews and available material in which to prove it. I had no idea Bob Dylan was such a real estate mogul. He has countless properties and businesses while remaining silent behind the scenes. Why the man wants as many homes he has is a bit of a conundrum to me, but most likely it is his investment portfolio that directs the management of his financial empire. Hard to imagine Bob Dylan a thriving businessman, but Dennis McDougal diligently follows his winding trail a long way from its humble beginnings on Macdougal Street.
If what Dennis McDougal presents in this biography is in fact true then Bob Dylan is a far different person than the accepted history his celebrity suggests. The tone attached to this appraisal reminds me of a documentary I watched on Hunter S. Thompson some time ago that had him admitting on camera that he lost himself in becoming the person his infamous celebrity had made him. This book as well, almost too eagerly at times, attempts to show how Bob Dylan and Robert Zimmerman became two different people. And to illustrate this ever-widening gulf between the two personalities in respect to all that has been already extensively written regarding Dylan’s life and music offers a novel opportunity for McDougal to move beyond the incessant analysis of his lyrics and well-worn biographical facts. Though often intuited at times to be a “hit piece” of sorts, the book proved to be an interesting read. And as I neared the last fifth of the book I began to see clearly McDougal’s honest fairness presented and redeemed.
The publisher’s opening blurb asks the question, “What happened during the past two decades to transform a heroin addict into one of the most astonishing literary and musical icons in American history?“ I was never aware that Dylan had a heroin addiction, but if true, I am not surprised. And his abusive use of alcohol would explain his erratic behavior both in concert and on the road. I believe I have personally seen him perform to both extremes.
But for some reason McDougal seems to have an unhealthy fixation on Dylan’s sex life and his discarding use of women. Though he does try, McDougal eventually fails in his attempt to portray Dylan as a buck in heat during rutting season. There is no doubt Dylan enjoyed many sexual opportunities due to his royal celebrity. He is probably the most famous American icon who has ever lived. My guess was a woman having sex with Bob Dylan was much different than a tumble in the hay with Robert Zimmerman. The one time I did express a bit of wonder over all these women falling for such a reported mess, with his bad teeth and tendency towards flight, my wife explained, “He’s Bob Dylan. Who wouldn’t want to be with Bob Dylan?”
There is no doubt the man did learn how to live and thrive in a world in which he constantly remade himself even in routinely risking his possible destruction. His work remains vital in spite of his more than five decades continuing to fan the music’s flames. Unlike other long-suffering artists from the sixties, such as the previously amazing Neil Young, Bob Dylan remains an original. And Dennis McDougal makes good use of interviews and available material in which to prove it. I had no idea Bob Dylan was such a real estate mogul. He has countless properties and businesses while remaining silent behind the scenes. Why the man wants as many homes he has is a bit of a conundrum to me, but most likely it is his investment portfolio that directs the management of his financial empire. Hard to imagine Bob Dylan a thriving businessman, but Dennis McDougal diligently follows his winding trail a long way from its humble beginnings on Macdougal Street.
September 26, 2025
I wanted to know more about Dylan after seeing the movie about him last year…. This was a little more info than I cared to know, but hearing the story of a hero for the generations older than me… how he resonated with them… that was worth it.
August 26, 2014
(Won in Goodreads giveaway in return for honest review)
This biography of the elusive Mr. Dylan reads like a back-handed compliment: Dylan has maintained his privacy so closely ,especially regarding his wives(yes, there was more than one) and children, and now grandchildren (17..good for you, Bob!),not to mention his lovers, that McDougal has precious little direct commentary from Mr. D. himself.He relies, at least intitally in the bio, on the scathing and /or less-than- kind comments of those whom Dylan has cast away or pissed off over the decades. He "outs" Bob as inventing stories and wild fantasies presented as truth, which may surprise or disillusion some fans (obsessive Dylanophiles and Dylanologists) but which fit with the essence of Dylan, as those who appreciate his music can attest...he's a poet, an interpreter of dreams, a folklorist, a madman,a besotted lover, a boxer with fate,a hard-shelled turtle,a committed father,a burlesque performer and no less than a snake shedding his skin over seven decades.He has morphed, evolved, grown, exceeded, disappointed,disappeared, re-birthed himself countless times.....so at what point do more shallow, less talented voyeurs deserve his personal goods? "Hey, Bob,put your entire dirty laundry on the line,we wanna creep under your skin?" (One of the most pathetic parts of the bio is the depiction of a stalker who literally for years rooted thru Dylan's garbage,dirty diapers and all, and "diagnosed" his life...the moron was proud of "driving him out of Manhattan due to his obsession.) As derogatory as this bio seems,recounting endless petty grievances and accounts of alleged substance abuse and debauchery, even McDougal can't totally smear the man. In fact, as the years pass and Dylan keeps on keeping on, he manages to include more and more of Dylan's own words. The Never ending Tours (sometimes as many as 120 a year) are testimony to how deeply,unstintingly and richly the artist has given of his vision.Dylan is repeatedly quoted as saying," My religion is the music, it's in the song,that's my spiritual belief system." The reason to read this book is not the personal scoops or tragedies;the reason is because you will want to pull out all your Dylan CDs and go on a listening marathon.The music is the message. And BTW, thanks,Bob.
This biography of the elusive Mr. Dylan reads like a back-handed compliment: Dylan has maintained his privacy so closely ,especially regarding his wives(yes, there was more than one) and children, and now grandchildren (17..good for you, Bob!),not to mention his lovers, that McDougal has precious little direct commentary from Mr. D. himself.He relies, at least intitally in the bio, on the scathing and /or less-than- kind comments of those whom Dylan has cast away or pissed off over the decades. He "outs" Bob as inventing stories and wild fantasies presented as truth, which may surprise or disillusion some fans (obsessive Dylanophiles and Dylanologists) but which fit with the essence of Dylan, as those who appreciate his music can attest...he's a poet, an interpreter of dreams, a folklorist, a madman,a besotted lover, a boxer with fate,a hard-shelled turtle,a committed father,a burlesque performer and no less than a snake shedding his skin over seven decades.He has morphed, evolved, grown, exceeded, disappointed,disappeared, re-birthed himself countless times.....so at what point do more shallow, less talented voyeurs deserve his personal goods? "Hey, Bob,put your entire dirty laundry on the line,we wanna creep under your skin?" (One of the most pathetic parts of the bio is the depiction of a stalker who literally for years rooted thru Dylan's garbage,dirty diapers and all, and "diagnosed" his life...the moron was proud of "driving him out of Manhattan due to his obsession.) As derogatory as this bio seems,recounting endless petty grievances and accounts of alleged substance abuse and debauchery, even McDougal can't totally smear the man. In fact, as the years pass and Dylan keeps on keeping on, he manages to include more and more of Dylan's own words. The Never ending Tours (sometimes as many as 120 a year) are testimony to how deeply,unstintingly and richly the artist has given of his vision.Dylan is repeatedly quoted as saying," My religion is the music, it's in the song,that's my spiritual belief system." The reason to read this book is not the personal scoops or tragedies;the reason is because you will want to pull out all your Dylan CDs and go on a listening marathon.The music is the message. And BTW, thanks,Bob.
January 2, 2016
Rather than try to summarize what this thorough and revealing biography covers, I’ll do what Bob Dylan would probably prefer, let him speak for himself. On page 461 of Dylan by Dennis McDougal is the standard stage introduction Bob Dylan had his introducers use on his Never Ending Tour (N.E.T.) “deep into the 21st century.” It was adapted from an article that appeared in the August 9 edition of The Buffalo Tribune.
"The poet laureate of rock ‘n’ roll! The voice of the promise of the ‘60s counterculture. The guy who forced folk into bed with rock, who donned makeup in the ‘70s and disappeared into a haze of substance abuse, who emerged to “find Jesus,” who was written off as a has-been by the end of the ‘80s, and who suddenly shifted gears and released some of the strongest music of his career beginning in the late ‘90s. Ladies and gentlemen, Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan!"
What is clear from this thoughtful, well-researched biography is that Bob Dylan is a complex man with a complicated life. Even the mega fame he enjoys is complex. Although he has always been revered for the music he created in his 20s, for decades after that, he wasn’t connecting with the fans who so admired his early work. The remarkable thing about Dylan is that even though he wasn’t connecting, he never gave up. He kept performing and making albums, no matter what the public thought of them.
If you’re interested in Dylan and the path he’s been on for the past 50 plus years, I recommend this book.
"The poet laureate of rock ‘n’ roll! The voice of the promise of the ‘60s counterculture. The guy who forced folk into bed with rock, who donned makeup in the ‘70s and disappeared into a haze of substance abuse, who emerged to “find Jesus,” who was written off as a has-been by the end of the ‘80s, and who suddenly shifted gears and released some of the strongest music of his career beginning in the late ‘90s. Ladies and gentlemen, Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan!"
What is clear from this thoughtful, well-researched biography is that Bob Dylan is a complex man with a complicated life. Even the mega fame he enjoys is complex. Although he has always been revered for the music he created in his 20s, for decades after that, he wasn’t connecting with the fans who so admired his early work. The remarkable thing about Dylan is that even though he wasn’t connecting, he never gave up. He kept performing and making albums, no matter what the public thought of them.
If you’re interested in Dylan and the path he’s been on for the past 50 plus years, I recommend this book.
June 5, 2025
A generous 3.5 rounded to four four. Dennis McDougall should never have titled the book Dylan: The Biography when scores of Dylan biographies are scattered across the land, and the indefatigable Clinton Heylin continues to update, relentlessly, his own superior Dylan works. McDougall is useful for his scores of opinionated interviewees and his determination to expose Dylan in a variety of dimensions: as a relentless liar, a make-believer of his own biography, a. relentless philanderer and sex addict, a substance abuser, a lyric and melody thief, and much much more... and, as McDougall concludes, Dylan comes off as a man who has something to tell us yet wants to be left alone as well. Most of the story will be familiar to Dylanistas, but the book is easy reading and worth a bit of your time if you fancy Dylan stories, both from Bobby's own voice as well as those who knew him well, worked with him, hung out with him, or simply wanted to be alone.
February 13, 2021
What a life. So many moments of history, of art, of meaning. And also--what mystique. Dylan lied about himself from his first appearance in the media, and the lies and secrecy continued all the way to now. One of the revelations of this book is that Dylan's autobiography has fake people and incidents in it, things that almost certainly didn't happen with people who almost certainly didn't exist.
The book is well written and moves along. It does not make the easy mistake of spending far too much time on 1964-1969, the years of Dylan's greatest artistic and popular success.
It also makes a noble attempt at the end to elucidate deeper meaning, and is surprisingly successful.
Another highlight is the inclusion of figures forgotten to history, like David Blue, a Dylan friend/crony who struggled for six albums to have his moment of success. The lengthy excerpt from Leonard Cohen's eulogy of Blue is beautiful, has almost nothing to do with Dylan, and yet you're so glad he kept it in there.
McDougal really tries to track down many of Dylan's paramours and document his love life. It's a very tangled web. He gives Dylan's kids a respectful distance for the most part, although he rightfully includes the incident where a reporter fakes a romance with Dylan's daughter in order to get (successfully ) an interview with Bob.
A couple omissions: Almost nothing on the Traveling Willburies.
Very basic and small set of photographs of his life.
Very little comparison to other giants of popular music, even in passing.
All in all, very much worth reading.
The book is well written and moves along. It does not make the easy mistake of spending far too much time on 1964-1969, the years of Dylan's greatest artistic and popular success.
It also makes a noble attempt at the end to elucidate deeper meaning, and is surprisingly successful.
Another highlight is the inclusion of figures forgotten to history, like David Blue, a Dylan friend/crony who struggled for six albums to have his moment of success. The lengthy excerpt from Leonard Cohen's eulogy of Blue is beautiful, has almost nothing to do with Dylan, and yet you're so glad he kept it in there.
McDougal really tries to track down many of Dylan's paramours and document his love life. It's a very tangled web. He gives Dylan's kids a respectful distance for the most part, although he rightfully includes the incident where a reporter fakes a romance with Dylan's daughter in order to get (successfully ) an interview with Bob.
A couple omissions: Almost nothing on the Traveling Willburies.
Very basic and small set of photographs of his life.
Very little comparison to other giants of popular music, even in passing.
All in all, very much worth reading.
May 6, 2017
I read this book right around the time I started to get back into Bob Dylan and his albums and that really compelled me to read this biography which had just come out at the time. It's a pretty comprehensive overview of his entire life including the not so glamorous aspects of his personality.
Covering Bob from the time before he had even donned the name of Bob Dylan back when he was Robert Zimmerman and goes all the way up to his most recent album that came out a few years ago it really has everything you want in the biography. The nitty gritty of his life mixed in with the common misconceptions that go along with the mystique of the man. I especially loved the stuff with his career overlapping with famous bands like The Beatles, who he introduced to weed or The Grateful Dead who he toured with for a little while.
The book wanders away from the main narrative line from time to time which is okay once and a while but it happens a bit more near the end when you can tell the author struggled to get more information on Bob after he became a relative shut-in, so the book could have been a little shorter and tighter had he wrapped it up instead of spinning his wheels.
Otherwise great book for the Bob Dylan fan, very informative and eye opening to the man, myth and legend.
Covering Bob from the time before he had even donned the name of Bob Dylan back when he was Robert Zimmerman and goes all the way up to his most recent album that came out a few years ago it really has everything you want in the biography. The nitty gritty of his life mixed in with the common misconceptions that go along with the mystique of the man. I especially loved the stuff with his career overlapping with famous bands like The Beatles, who he introduced to weed or The Grateful Dead who he toured with for a little while.
The book wanders away from the main narrative line from time to time which is okay once and a while but it happens a bit more near the end when you can tell the author struggled to get more information on Bob after he became a relative shut-in, so the book could have been a little shorter and tighter had he wrapped it up instead of spinning his wheels.
Otherwise great book for the Bob Dylan fan, very informative and eye opening to the man, myth and legend.
July 6, 2014
Ever since I first listened to the Freewheelin' CD, I have said that I LOVE Bob Dylan. After reading this book, I saw that what I loved was Bob Dylan, the artist; not Bob Dylan the person. He's not someone I could even imagine sitting down with for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine--that just wouldn't be a realistic scenario under any bizarre twist of fate.
I loved this book and enjoyed learning more about the man behind the music. The writing is stellar with a casual inclusion of phraseology that was classic Dylan.
Kudos to McDougal for a job well done.
(Full disclosure: Dennis is a friend and he included a mention of me in the acknowledgements. Honestly, though, if I didn't think this was a fabulous book, I would not have posted any review at all. From me, you'll get four-star or five-star or nothing at all.)
I loved this book and enjoyed learning more about the man behind the music. The writing is stellar with a casual inclusion of phraseology that was classic Dylan.
Kudos to McDougal for a job well done.
(Full disclosure: Dennis is a friend and he included a mention of me in the acknowledgements. Honestly, though, if I didn't think this was a fabulous book, I would not have posted any review at all. From me, you'll get four-star or five-star or nothing at all.)
December 30, 2014
Dennis McDougal writes in Dylan The Biography that Dylan uses his influence to intimidate those close to him to ensure the most intimate details of his life will remain a mystery. Perhaps, McDougal speculates, the public will only have access to the those details of his life until after he has died and those people feel safe to speak. Despite this and Dylan's own reticence McDougal has written a thorough and humanizing portrait of the self described song and dance man. Unlike Martin Scorsese’s No Direction Home and D.A. Pennebaker's Don’t Look Back which focus on the decade Bob Dylan experienced the height of his popularity in the 1960’s this biography focuses on the entirety of Dylan's career spanning five decades.
March 4, 2014
As a long time Bob Dylan fan it was great to read the uncorrected proof copy from Dennis McDougal.Reading about the highs and lows,and the many changes throughout Bob's career was very interesting and also comical.I loved the book and have now passed it over for my wife
August 17, 2020
I was not impressed at all... was curious enough to start this hook with an open mind and cast aside and preconceived ideas I had of Mr Dylan (bearing in mind he was before my time so to speak). I found the tone of the book very negative and condescending rather than informative and enlightening. I was searching for why he was such a sensation and how his music affected the generations before mine. If I had to state out loud that in my opinion the man simply cannot sing, my mother would confiscate the LP’s she so lovingly brought with her from the UK in the 60’s and immediately disinherit me! Seems I’ll have to plough through another biography to get the answers...
March 22, 2022
Bob Dylan! Wow! People give him such hell… but I love that he doesn’t feel like he has to answer to anyone! He plays what he loves… and when people tried to put him in a specific box… he stepped over the box and walked away! Not to mention his pure talent and drive. Anything about Mr. Bob Dylan I gobble it up!!! Such a cool guy! Now, on to Chronicles volume I for me!!! I am thankful that my hubby listened when I told him what I would like for Christmas…. Both books were beautifully wrapped under the tree!!! 😎
August 7, 2021
Interesting book to get an idea of who Bob Dylan is, for someone who knows almost nothing about him except maybe 1 or 2 hit songs.
But this still doesn’t really give a good idea of who Bob Dylan actually is. That might be because his life is quite a mystery, but if you’re going to write a biography, make sure you get some good insight. This missed a bit of it for me.
But this still doesn’t really give a good idea of who Bob Dylan actually is. That might be because his life is quite a mystery, but if you’re going to write a biography, make sure you get some good insight. This missed a bit of it for me.
June 17, 2020
Interesting book. Covered everything I wanted to know.
July 29, 2020
Legend.
September 1, 2020
Boring.
September 11, 2020
Didn't finish.
This guy is bitter, and his negativity towards Dylan transpires from the first line (in the preface) literally.
Too biased, no point reading.
This guy is bitter, and his negativity towards Dylan transpires from the first line (in the preface) literally.
Too biased, no point reading.
January 24, 2023
God said to Andrew kill me a son! Not unless your driving on highway 61!
January 29, 2025
A highly detailed account of the voice of a generation and one of the most misunderstood, unlikable geniuses of our time.
April 24, 2020
Quite a different perspective after finishing Chronicles.... Ha! Mr. Mcdougal covers a lot, lot of territory. While covering basics like where Zimmerman is from, his trip to NYC, girlfriends/wives and the some of the many twists and turns, this is a fairly comprehensive telling of the tale. Some of his inspirations were either old Blues players
and even some other Woody devotees. He seems to leave very few rocks unturned. Amazing that so much is disclosed, given the bard's secrecy, disdain for the press and strong desire for privacy. By all accounts, no one could blame him. I probably learned more than I wanted to know. Almost 80 years, he has sure touched a lot of people, for good or ill. I do regret, though, in a close brush with leaving this world (it happens from time to time), I gave away my entire CD collection. While I reflected on the songs as the story moves along, it might have been nicer to spin tunes as I went.. c'est la vie. Enjoy.
and even some other Woody devotees. He seems to leave very few rocks unturned. Amazing that so much is disclosed, given the bard's secrecy, disdain for the press and strong desire for privacy. By all accounts, no one could blame him. I probably learned more than I wanted to know. Almost 80 years, he has sure touched a lot of people, for good or ill. I do regret, though, in a close brush with leaving this world (it happens from time to time), I gave away my entire CD collection. While I reflected on the songs as the story moves along, it might have been nicer to spin tunes as I went.. c'est la vie. Enjoy.
May 27, 2014
I have listened to Bob Dylan's music since I was in high school in the mid sixties. Mr. McDougal's biography allowed me to learn a bit more about the stories, legends, and lies that have circulated over the past fifty years of Dylan's public life.
When I read a biography of a musician, I like to listen to their music as I read their story. Dylan: The Biography let me read and listen in an orderly fashion. Sometimes I had to stop reading and just sit there and listen to one of my favorite Dylan albums. But sometimes the album was so weak that I just skipped it. Many of his lesser albums have a good song or two, but not all of them.
Mr. McDougal tells the story behind each album. He lets you put the music in perspective. You follow the path that Dylan went down. He tells some interesting tales. He examines how Bob Dylan and Robert Zimmerman became two different people, how Dylan and his people fashioned a public persona and kept control of what was known about his private life. They controlled the media. If an interviewer broached a subject that Dylan didn't want to talk about, he got the look and if he continued along that line, then Dylan would just get up and leave. The interview was over, and most likely the interviewer would never get another chance. So this brings up the question, how much of this book is fact? Has this biography been shaped by Dylan and his people? Much of this book draws on other references, but since they may be suspect, who can ever really know.
So this book was a moderately interesting story, maybe fiction mixed in with the fact. It gives a new way of looking at all the Dylan books out there, and throws them all under suspicion. But it still was a fun read for a Dylan fan. It will open up your eyes and make you reexamine what you thought that you knew about Bob Dylan. I give this book 4 Stars out of 5. It was well written and an interesting biography of a famous musician of our time. It shows that Bob Dylan is a poet and a joker, a Jew and a Born-Again Christian, a master story teller and a songwriter, ... but who is Robert Zimmerman?
I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com.
When I read a biography of a musician, I like to listen to their music as I read their story. Dylan: The Biography let me read and listen in an orderly fashion. Sometimes I had to stop reading and just sit there and listen to one of my favorite Dylan albums. But sometimes the album was so weak that I just skipped it. Many of his lesser albums have a good song or two, but not all of them.
Mr. McDougal tells the story behind each album. He lets you put the music in perspective. You follow the path that Dylan went down. He tells some interesting tales. He examines how Bob Dylan and Robert Zimmerman became two different people, how Dylan and his people fashioned a public persona and kept control of what was known about his private life. They controlled the media. If an interviewer broached a subject that Dylan didn't want to talk about, he got the look and if he continued along that line, then Dylan would just get up and leave. The interview was over, and most likely the interviewer would never get another chance. So this brings up the question, how much of this book is fact? Has this biography been shaped by Dylan and his people? Much of this book draws on other references, but since they may be suspect, who can ever really know.
So this book was a moderately interesting story, maybe fiction mixed in with the fact. It gives a new way of looking at all the Dylan books out there, and throws them all under suspicion. But it still was a fun read for a Dylan fan. It will open up your eyes and make you reexamine what you thought that you knew about Bob Dylan. I give this book 4 Stars out of 5. It was well written and an interesting biography of a famous musician of our time. It shows that Bob Dylan is a poet and a joker, a Jew and a Born-Again Christian, a master story teller and a songwriter, ... but who is Robert Zimmerman?
I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com.
August 13, 2014
A good single-volume introduction, but with some occasionally clunky writing. I didn't see any footnotes for some of the more explosive assertions, like repeated insinuations about heroin. While the gospel period isn't treated with outright disdain, I would have liked a deeper and more respectful examination (hey man, Slow Train Coming is an amazing record!)
I can't imagine McDougal taking on a project of this magnitude without really liking Bob's music, but there's a tendency to describe post-1966 work in such a way that you're not really sure if he finds any merit in it. Later on, he kind of trashes everything except for Blood on the Tracks, but at the end of the book it's unclear if Bob is a genius who's wasted his talent or if the last 40 years of work has any merit.
Also, the treatment of Rolling Thunder and the Never Ending Tour, along with several later albums, is just plain weird. There's very little about how the music was reconceptualized, you know, like, how it sounded? Why that may be important? What people took away from it?
The stuff on Bob's Hibbing days, and continuing connection to the place, is very interesting. I wish it was more clear from the text where information was coming from.
Howard Sounes's book was better. Chronicles is dope, of course, but who knows when we'll get Volume 2. This one needs some work.
I can't imagine McDougal taking on a project of this magnitude without really liking Bob's music, but there's a tendency to describe post-1966 work in such a way that you're not really sure if he finds any merit in it. Later on, he kind of trashes everything except for Blood on the Tracks, but at the end of the book it's unclear if Bob is a genius who's wasted his talent or if the last 40 years of work has any merit.
Also, the treatment of Rolling Thunder and the Never Ending Tour, along with several later albums, is just plain weird. There's very little about how the music was reconceptualized, you know, like, how it sounded? Why that may be important? What people took away from it?
The stuff on Bob's Hibbing days, and continuing connection to the place, is very interesting. I wish it was more clear from the text where information was coming from.
Howard Sounes's book was better. Chronicles is dope, of course, but who knows when we'll get Volume 2. This one needs some work.
May 8, 2015
Imagine a book about Ted Williams written by me, a guy who doesn't know much about baseball. That's what McDougal's biography is like. It's fine, I guess, but there's no there there. He barely talks about the songs and spends more time trying to paint his subject in some kind of edgy dark light--but even that gets old since facts about Bob are about as easy to confirm as facts about the Clintons. And when he does talk about the songs, he does so sparingly. (I can't resist noting that McDougal says this in his passage on Time Out of Mind: "A plea like 'To Make You Feel My Love' summoned sentiment as profoundly as any love song he'd ever written." Really? Is he kidding?)
Someone told me that he judges any Bob biography this way: read the passages on the God trilogy and see how he tackles it. McDougal does fine with this, but, like so much else, it's milquetoast. Better to read (or reread) Ian Bell's 2-volume biography, which I can't imagine being surpassed and features one perfect sentence after another. I couldn't wait to pick those up every day. This one I finished just to finish.
Someone told me that he judges any Bob biography this way: read the passages on the God trilogy and see how he tackles it. McDougal does fine with this, but, like so much else, it's milquetoast. Better to read (or reread) Ian Bell's 2-volume biography, which I can't imagine being surpassed and features one perfect sentence after another. I couldn't wait to pick those up every day. This one I finished just to finish.
June 10, 2014
First of all I have to say that I received an ARC of this book for free from Wiley. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, and it was a good thing to read because it took me out of my fiction 'comfort zone'. This is the first biography I've read in years and since I've been a fan of Bob Dylan, particularly his earlier work, since I was a teen, this shed a lot of light on his entire history. Some folks might find this biography a bit off-putting as there are many footnotes (almost 500), but they are right there on the page with the reference so they work pretty seamlessly with the narrative. The sources for pretty much the whole book are previous biographies, but it seems to me that the author did his homework, and at least from my point of view provided an enjoyable read the covered Dylan's life in an enjoyable way. I know I enjoyed it, and I think that most any Dylan fan would as well.
December 9, 2014
Music and lyrics long loved, illusions about the man behind them now shattered. Shattered by the fine reporting of Dennis MacDougal. This book reveals that much in Dylan's own book "Chronicles" was as richly imagined as his songs. This book doesn't change my love of early Dylan - and even middle years Dylan - but it is an eye-opener. (Disclosure: the author is a friend, but I have no compunction about recommending this biography because I loved it despite its disturbing revelations about Dylan the man, and it's a must for fans.)
August 14, 2014
Goodreads win. Will read and review once recieved.
This is definitely a book any Bob Dylan fan would like. Even though I entered this to be a gift for a friend I couldn't resist but reading it. I loved this book. This is one of the first non ficiton books I've read in quite a while. This book definitely shed some light on his entire history which I found to be good. The author did a great job with putting this book together. I was a very satisfied reader.
This is definitely a book any Bob Dylan fan would like. Even though I entered this to be a gift for a friend I couldn't resist but reading it. I loved this book. This is one of the first non ficiton books I've read in quite a while. This book definitely shed some light on his entire history which I found to be good. The author did a great job with putting this book together. I was a very satisfied reader.
November 29, 2014
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I am not really a big fan of Dylan. I found the writing style hard to follow. I fealt it read like a history book rather than a biography about Bob Dylan. The author wrote more about the events surrounding BoB Dylans life (political events, other musical acts, etc,) than actually writing about Bob Dylans life.
I am not really a big fan of Dylan. I found the writing style hard to follow. I fealt it read like a history book rather than a biography about Bob Dylan. The author wrote more about the events surrounding BoB Dylans life (political events, other musical acts, etc,) than actually writing about Bob Dylans life.
September 1, 2015
One of my daughters is a big Bob Dylan fan and after hearing her talk about him for decades, I decided to read this book about his life and found it more interesting than I expected.
I want to thank Dennis McDougal, that author, Goodreads First Reads Giveaway and my daughter that won Dylan ~ The Biography in the Goodreads Giveaway.
I want to thank Dennis McDougal, that author, Goodreads First Reads Giveaway and my daughter that won Dylan ~ The Biography in the Goodreads Giveaway.
September 3, 2014
Good insight into the most influential rock politico of all time in the biography called Dylan. Dennis McDougal doesn't pull any punches when he discloses Mr Dylan's proclivity for dames, drugs, purloining and obfuscation. Good information and well written. Dylan fans add a star. Love his use of big words, too!
August 3, 2015
This is a good addition to the canon of Dylan literature. McDougal provides a more balanced view of Dylan as a public and private man - including a candid view of his personal affairs and addictions, which had impact on his art. Overall, a solid read for those interested in a deeper dive into Bob Dylan history.
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