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Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other—and the World
FEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE NEW INTERVIEW WITH SIR PAUL McCARTNEY
Persuasive, captivating and bursting with insight, this dual biography by acclaimed journalist Jim Windolf dives into the surprisingly supportive, occasionally rivalrous, always fertile relationship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Few artists have shaped pop culture as profoundly as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In Where the Music Had to Go, Jim Windolf offers a new, persuasive interpretation of how two of the twentieth century's greatest recording artists influenced one another - and reveals how their apprenticeships, accomplishments and legacies are uncannily intertwined.
From Dylan's early dismissal of the Beatles as being for 'teenyboppers' to his rapid acknowledgment of their talent, the book captures the pivotal moments that pushed Dylan to 'go electric' and inspired the Beatles to deepen their lyrics. Packed with vivid anecdotes (the Beatles rehearsing Dylan songs; Dylan spending hours at Lennon's childhood home), the book paints a picture of a relationship full of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual evolution.
Windolf's meticulous research uncovers hidden gems, peeling back layers of history to reveal the stories fans didn't even know they were missing. From Lennon's and McCartney's lyrical transformations to George Harrison's growth as a songwriter, the book showcases the ripple effects of the Beatles-Dylan connection. More than a music biography, this is a front-row seat to the forces that shaped the sound of a generation.
Persuasive, captivating and bursting with insight, this dual biography by acclaimed journalist Jim Windolf dives into the surprisingly supportive, occasionally rivalrous, always fertile relationship between Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Few artists have shaped pop culture as profoundly as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In Where the Music Had to Go, Jim Windolf offers a new, persuasive interpretation of how two of the twentieth century's greatest recording artists influenced one another - and reveals how their apprenticeships, accomplishments and legacies are uncannily intertwined.
From Dylan's early dismissal of the Beatles as being for 'teenyboppers' to his rapid acknowledgment of their talent, the book captures the pivotal moments that pushed Dylan to 'go electric' and inspired the Beatles to deepen their lyrics. Packed with vivid anecdotes (the Beatles rehearsing Dylan songs; Dylan spending hours at Lennon's childhood home), the book paints a picture of a relationship full of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual evolution.
Windolf's meticulous research uncovers hidden gems, peeling back layers of history to reveal the stories fans didn't even know they were missing. From Lennon's and McCartney's lyrical transformations to George Harrison's growth as a songwriter, the book showcases the ripple effects of the Beatles-Dylan connection. More than a music biography, this is a front-row seat to the forces that shaped the sound of a generation.
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Published April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 16, 2026
A Brilliant Dual Biography for Dylan Obsessives and Beatles Novices Alike
I’ll admit it: for the last three months, I’ve been completely down the Bob Dylan rabbit hole. Between listening to his music on repeat, catching him live, and reading every book I can find about him, I’ve been fully immersed in the mythology. It’s been a total blast.
The Beatles, on the other hand? I’ve never known nearly as much about them. Apparently, my Dylan immersion program accidentally turned into Beatles continuing education.
I spotted this book at the Lake Forest Bookstore—one of my favorite local independent shops—and decided to give it a shot. I’m very glad I did.
Jim Windolf, a New York Times journalist, has written an outstanding dual biography that beautifully captures how these musical giants pushed one another toward artistic greatness. The research is impressive, tracing the story from their legendary first meeting at the Delmonico Hotel in 1964 through decades of creative influence, admiration, and occasional collaboration.
I especially appreciated that the book doesn’t simply linger in the 1960s. It follows the Dylan–Beatles connection right up to the present day. As a Dylan fan, I loved the deep dive into his friendship with George Harrison. Learning the behind-the-scenes stories of how they co-wrote “I’d Have You Anytime,” and the fortunate accident that helped give rise to the Traveling Wilburys, was a particular highlight.
Whether you’re a diehard obsessive or simply curious about how these two artistic forces reshaped popular music, this book offers a fascinating front-row seat to musical history. I had a great time with it and came away knowing much more about both artists.
Highly recommended- Digital/audio. ( a hardcover with some good pictures that I will give as a FD gift. Shh!)
Read a bit more and dig a little deeper https://open.substack.com/pub/lposse1...
I’ll admit it: for the last three months, I’ve been completely down the Bob Dylan rabbit hole. Between listening to his music on repeat, catching him live, and reading every book I can find about him, I’ve been fully immersed in the mythology. It’s been a total blast.
The Beatles, on the other hand? I’ve never known nearly as much about them. Apparently, my Dylan immersion program accidentally turned into Beatles continuing education.
I spotted this book at the Lake Forest Bookstore—one of my favorite local independent shops—and decided to give it a shot. I’m very glad I did.
Jim Windolf, a New York Times journalist, has written an outstanding dual biography that beautifully captures how these musical giants pushed one another toward artistic greatness. The research is impressive, tracing the story from their legendary first meeting at the Delmonico Hotel in 1964 through decades of creative influence, admiration, and occasional collaboration.
I especially appreciated that the book doesn’t simply linger in the 1960s. It follows the Dylan–Beatles connection right up to the present day. As a Dylan fan, I loved the deep dive into his friendship with George Harrison. Learning the behind-the-scenes stories of how they co-wrote “I’d Have You Anytime,” and the fortunate accident that helped give rise to the Traveling Wilburys, was a particular highlight.
Whether you’re a diehard obsessive or simply curious about how these two artistic forces reshaped popular music, this book offers a fascinating front-row seat to musical history. I had a great time with it and came away knowing much more about both artists.
Highly recommended- Digital/audio. ( a hardcover with some good pictures that I will give as a FD gift. Shh!)
Read a bit more and dig a little deeper https://open.substack.com/pub/lposse1...
July 19, 2026
"Life is wonderful and horrible. The hours may pass sweetly, but we know from an early age that we're under a death sentence. Those in positions of power can try to avoid the inevitable by redrawing maps, building empires, creating moral panics, waging wars. [.] The rest of us try to stay sane, try to keep some money in the bank, try to find love and solace. There are happy days, blank days, and days so bad you want to bury yourself in the ground. An artist records it all from deep inside experience and thought." -- on page 306
On the surface, Bob Dylan and the Beatles may not exactly appear to contemporaries in the world of music - especially during their first meeting in August 1964, as the folksy troubadour was releasing his fourth album of socially-conscious songs within two years, and the Fab Four (then best known for frothy pop tunes like 'She Loves You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand') were in the midst of their inaugural summer tour of the 'Beatlemania'-crazed U.S. - but author Windolf spins an involving and very good compare and contrast narrative about this legendary quintet in his Where the Music Had to Go. The two acts - both of whom sincerely cite Little Richard and Buddy Holly as the early influences on their work and/or career choices - became both friends AND rivals during that eventful decade, inspiring each other in evolving musical and lifestyle choices, establishing relationships that endured into the 21st century. (I loved the revealing bit of trivia that a grinning Dylan was tipping his hat on the cover artwork of his countryfied 1969 album Nashville Skyline as a thank you gesture to George Harrison, who had gifted him the Gibson J-200 guitar he is holding and had used during recording sessions.) Perhaps 'brotherly bond' would be a bit more accurate way of describing their connection - there are instances where they seem to feud or just be plain catty towards one another - witness the laugh out loud moment where Dylan and Harrison verbally spar over respective song choices before the fundraiser event 'The Concert for Bangladesh' in 1971 - but an underlying mutual respect firmly develops as this quintet move from mere 60's sensations to eventual 'last man standing' status in the fickle world of entertainment. I'd like to give Mr. Dylan the final word here, in a quote from 2012 that floored me with its absolutely heartfelt candor - "[John Lennon] came from the northern regions of Britain. Just like I did in America, so we had some kind of environmental things in common. Both places are pretty isolated. [.] Everything is stacked against you when you come from that. You have to have talent to overcome everything. That was something I had in common with him. We were all about the same age and heard the exact same things growing up. Our paths crossed at a certain time, and we both had faced a lot of adversity. I wish that he was still here because we could talk about a lot of things now."
On the surface, Bob Dylan and the Beatles may not exactly appear to contemporaries in the world of music - especially during their first meeting in August 1964, as the folksy troubadour was releasing his fourth album of socially-conscious songs within two years, and the Fab Four (then best known for frothy pop tunes like 'She Loves You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand') were in the midst of their inaugural summer tour of the 'Beatlemania'-crazed U.S. - but author Windolf spins an involving and very good compare and contrast narrative about this legendary quintet in his Where the Music Had to Go. The two acts - both of whom sincerely cite Little Richard and Buddy Holly as the early influences on their work and/or career choices - became both friends AND rivals during that eventful decade, inspiring each other in evolving musical and lifestyle choices, establishing relationships that endured into the 21st century. (I loved the revealing bit of trivia that a grinning Dylan was tipping his hat on the cover artwork of his countryfied 1969 album Nashville Skyline as a thank you gesture to George Harrison, who had gifted him the Gibson J-200 guitar he is holding and had used during recording sessions.) Perhaps 'brotherly bond' would be a bit more accurate way of describing their connection - there are instances where they seem to feud or just be plain catty towards one another - witness the laugh out loud moment where Dylan and Harrison verbally spar over respective song choices before the fundraiser event 'The Concert for Bangladesh' in 1971 - but an underlying mutual respect firmly develops as this quintet move from mere 60's sensations to eventual 'last man standing' status in the fickle world of entertainment. I'd like to give Mr. Dylan the final word here, in a quote from 2012 that floored me with its absolutely heartfelt candor - "[John Lennon] came from the northern regions of Britain. Just like I did in America, so we had some kind of environmental things in common. Both places are pretty isolated. [.] Everything is stacked against you when you come from that. You have to have talent to overcome everything. That was something I had in common with him. We were all about the same age and heard the exact same things growing up. Our paths crossed at a certain time, and we both had faced a lot of adversity. I wish that he was still here because we could talk about a lot of things now."
Want to Read
April 10, 2026WSJ review:
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/book...
(Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers)
Excerpt:
"Rock ’n’ roll, with its roots in black American music, offered something urgent and liberating: a sense of community and the intoxicating possibility that nothing was inevitable. “It made sense,” Mr. Windolf writes, that Mr. Dylan “and the four future Beatles would find solace, meaning, and joy in rock ’n’ roll, the emerging musical genre that laid a challenge to the status quo.”
If Mr. Dylan and the four Liverpudlians weren’t mutual admirers initially—early on Mr. McCartney called Dylan’s music “folk crap,” while Mr. Dylan said the Beatles were “bubblegum”—they changed their minds once they began listening to each other’s records in earnest, recognizing that they weren’t rivals but peers.
In 1964 Mr. McCartney played Mr. Dylan’s first two albums for his fellow Beatles; they fell for them on the spot and afterward listened to them repeatedly. “Right from that moment,” Harrison said, “we recognized some vital energy, a voice crying out somewhere, toiling in the darkness.”
For his part, Mr. Dylan told an interviewer that as he listened to the quartet’s early songs that same year, he realized that the Beatles “were doing things nobody was doing.” At a cafe in California, he put quarter after quarter into a jukebox so he could listen to “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/book...
(Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers)
Excerpt:
"Rock ’n’ roll, with its roots in black American music, offered something urgent and liberating: a sense of community and the intoxicating possibility that nothing was inevitable. “It made sense,” Mr. Windolf writes, that Mr. Dylan “and the four future Beatles would find solace, meaning, and joy in rock ’n’ roll, the emerging musical genre that laid a challenge to the status quo.”
If Mr. Dylan and the four Liverpudlians weren’t mutual admirers initially—early on Mr. McCartney called Dylan’s music “folk crap,” while Mr. Dylan said the Beatles were “bubblegum”—they changed their minds once they began listening to each other’s records in earnest, recognizing that they weren’t rivals but peers.
In 1964 Mr. McCartney played Mr. Dylan’s first two albums for his fellow Beatles; they fell for them on the spot and afterward listened to them repeatedly. “Right from that moment,” Harrison said, “we recognized some vital energy, a voice crying out somewhere, toiling in the darkness.”
For his part, Mr. Dylan told an interviewer that as he listened to the quartet’s early songs that same year, he realized that the Beatles “were doing things nobody was doing.” At a cafe in California, he put quarter after quarter into a jukebox so he could listen to “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
May 15, 2026
Engaging, highly readable and sometimes revelatory, even to longtime fans. The final few pages are especially poignant, thoughtful, insightful and yes, even poetic.
May 31, 2026
When you think of musical rivalries, what springs to mind? Usually it's artists-versus-artists (Prince vs. Michael Jackson) or bands-versus-bands (Blur vs. Oasis). But one of the most productive rivalries in pop-music history was between a singular artist and a recording group who pushed each other to new and greater artistic heights. And they did it while making some of the greatest music of all time.
"Where the Music Had to Go," by Jim Windolf, shows how the Beatles and Bob Dylan bounced off one another, primarily in the Sixties, to produce some of the most revolutionary sounds that the world has ever known. Much like last year's "John and Paul," this is not a book that goes deep into never-before-known facts; anyone with a familiarity with the histories of Dylan and the Fab Four will be let down if they go looking for that. But if you want a book that examines each as a response to one another, both feeding off of and inspiring one another, this is the book for you. And it's just damn fun to read.
Windolf avoids bogging down the story in too much of the lore surrounding each of the artists; early on, he also weaves together the strands of each artists' story to make sure that connections are shown. John, Paul, George, and Ringo are not quite sure what to make of the young folksinger Bob Dylan when they first hear him, but soon they fall under his spell as the world begins to be laid at their feet; similarly, Dylan goes from dismissing them as "music for teenagers" and realizes how liberating the Beatles' sound is (and how in line it is with his earlier love of rock and roll).
The two entities will end up doing a dance of mutual respect and rivalry as the Sixties unfolds around them; Dylan will push the Beatles, especially John Lennon, to dig deeper for lyrical meaning, while Dylan, increasingly hemmed in by the strictures of the folk scene, will see a way out by plugging in and using a band (The Band, as it turns out) to help him take his talents to rock music. And along the way, each will trade compliments and complaints, humorous putdowns and barbed insults, and eventually genuine warmth and mutual respect with each other.
Like I said, I'd be lying if I said this had anything to it that, in terms of each artists' story, isn't already known on some level. But that's not the draw of the book for me; I have spent a lot of time thinking about how the Beatles did have rivalries with groups, like the Stones or the Beach Boys, but I never considered that they might have a mutual admiration/fierce rivalry association with a solo artist like Dylan, and that Dylan would similarly see the Beatles both as an impetus to his own work and a force to be engaged with directly. Dylan and the Beatles made each other better, and "Where the Music Had to Go" charts this evolution wonderfully. It's a fun read about artists who brought out the best in one another, during a moment in time when the artificial boundaries separating high art and low art were beginning to fall.
"Where the Music Had to Go," by Jim Windolf, shows how the Beatles and Bob Dylan bounced off one another, primarily in the Sixties, to produce some of the most revolutionary sounds that the world has ever known. Much like last year's "John and Paul," this is not a book that goes deep into never-before-known facts; anyone with a familiarity with the histories of Dylan and the Fab Four will be let down if they go looking for that. But if you want a book that examines each as a response to one another, both feeding off of and inspiring one another, this is the book for you. And it's just damn fun to read.
Windolf avoids bogging down the story in too much of the lore surrounding each of the artists; early on, he also weaves together the strands of each artists' story to make sure that connections are shown. John, Paul, George, and Ringo are not quite sure what to make of the young folksinger Bob Dylan when they first hear him, but soon they fall under his spell as the world begins to be laid at their feet; similarly, Dylan goes from dismissing them as "music for teenagers" and realizes how liberating the Beatles' sound is (and how in line it is with his earlier love of rock and roll).
The two entities will end up doing a dance of mutual respect and rivalry as the Sixties unfolds around them; Dylan will push the Beatles, especially John Lennon, to dig deeper for lyrical meaning, while Dylan, increasingly hemmed in by the strictures of the folk scene, will see a way out by plugging in and using a band (The Band, as it turns out) to help him take his talents to rock music. And along the way, each will trade compliments and complaints, humorous putdowns and barbed insults, and eventually genuine warmth and mutual respect with each other.
Like I said, I'd be lying if I said this had anything to it that, in terms of each artists' story, isn't already known on some level. But that's not the draw of the book for me; I have spent a lot of time thinking about how the Beatles did have rivalries with groups, like the Stones or the Beach Boys, but I never considered that they might have a mutual admiration/fierce rivalry association with a solo artist like Dylan, and that Dylan would similarly see the Beatles both as an impetus to his own work and a force to be engaged with directly. Dylan and the Beatles made each other better, and "Where the Music Had to Go" charts this evolution wonderfully. It's a fun read about artists who brought out the best in one another, during a moment in time when the artificial boundaries separating high art and low art were beginning to fall.
May 4, 2026
This is largely all information that I've read in other biographies or cultural histories rearranged in a new order. But it's the Beatles and Bob Dylan there's no new information at this point.
I thought the author was really reaching with a lot of the conclusions and others that I straight up didn't believe.
Were John Lennon and Bob Dylan friendly? Yes. Friends? Not really. And I'm sticking with it.
George is really the only one of the Beatles that took the time to get to know Bob which is evident in their many collaborations.
There was one line that made me laugh aloud: "...unlike the other Beatles Ringo didn't change that much."
I thought the author was really reaching with a lot of the conclusions and others that I straight up didn't believe.
Were John Lennon and Bob Dylan friendly? Yes. Friends? Not really. And I'm sticking with it.
George is really the only one of the Beatles that took the time to get to know Bob which is evident in their many collaborations.
There was one line that made me laugh aloud: "...unlike the other Beatles Ringo didn't change that much."
Read
May 19, 2026loved this!! would definitely recommend to beatles/dylan fans, loved seeing how their lives intertwined throughout the 60s and the impact they had on each other
May 18, 2026
When you read you sometimes you learn things you had no idea about.
May 10, 2026
It's about Dylan and the Beatles, what's not to like.
May 1, 2026
Not fucking kidding when I say this is the most important book ever written for me personally
April 11, 2026
“The significant rivalry was between the world’s greatest group and the world’s greatest songwriter. The tussle was not for chart positions or numbers of hits. It was for the intellectual or moral high ground.”
I can honestly say that I've not read a book quite like this before. I have been a lifelong Beatles and Dylan fan and knew that they gained popularity in the late 60s around the same time however, I had no idea their orbits overlapped their entire careers.
People in the music industry and listeners tend to want constant innovation, and they are not satisfied when an artist doesn't grow beyond their reach. That's what the Beatles and Dylan did for each other. Additionally, reading this book gave me a completely different insight to the Traveling Wilburys and how they started, and how it was more meaningful than just being a super group of really talented musicians.
This book was such a fun read given the material is well-researched and cited. So many times when you have a book with a lot of references, it's dry and hard to read, but not this book. I would definitely recommend this to any Beatles or Dylan fan or just a general fan of 60s and 70s music.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.
I can honestly say that I've not read a book quite like this before. I have been a lifelong Beatles and Dylan fan and knew that they gained popularity in the late 60s around the same time however, I had no idea their orbits overlapped their entire careers.
People in the music industry and listeners tend to want constant innovation, and they are not satisfied when an artist doesn't grow beyond their reach. That's what the Beatles and Dylan did for each other. Additionally, reading this book gave me a completely different insight to the Traveling Wilburys and how they started, and how it was more meaningful than just being a super group of really talented musicians.
This book was such a fun read given the material is well-researched and cited. So many times when you have a book with a lot of references, it's dry and hard to read, but not this book. I would definitely recommend this to any Beatles or Dylan fan or just a general fan of 60s and 70s music.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.
August 9, 2026
Dave’s Summary
Given their different musical styles, you might not think that Bob Dylan and The Beatles were fans of each other. The Beatles didn't like Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" while Dylan dismissed the sonic experiments on the Beatles Revolver album. Dylan told Paul McCartney, "Oh I get it. You don't want to be cute anymore. They were competitive. But as their journey to,stardom continued they began to appreciate what both were accomplishing.
The book, book, "Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other―and the World" by Will Hermes follows Bob Dylan and the Beatles as their lives and music cross during the 1960s and beyond. Their paths began in very different places, yet both artists wanted to escape many of the expectations that their fans had about who they should be.
Dylan changed his name, created a new past, and moved from folk music toward rock. The Beatles began as a tight pop group, then pushed into new sounds, ideas, and forms. Their first meeting in 1964 became an important link between them. They shared records, talked about music, drank together, and watched each other’s careers with interest and some rivalry.
Dylan influenced John Lennon and the other Beatles through his lyrics, themes, and a refusal to follow rules. The Beatles also affected Dylan as he explored louder guitars and rock sounds. Their influence spread through other artists, including the Byrds, who blended the sounds of both acts into major hits.
The book shows how each artist kept changing while trying to protect a sense of freedom. Dylan shocked folk fans when he played electric music at Newport in 1965. The Beatles faced a similar shift as they moved beyond simple rock songs and began using studios as creative tools. George Harrison found a new path through Indian music and study with Ravi Shankar. His interest in the sitar and Indian thought helped him build an identity beyond the Beatles. LSD also changed how Lennon and Harrison viewed music, life, and faith. Lennon read widely and became more interested in ideas beyond popular music. McCartney began thinking about ways the Beatles could escape the weight of their own fame. That thinking helped lead to Sgt. Pepper and its invented band identity. The Beatles spent hundreds of hours shaping that record, while Dylan created a huge body of songs with the Band. Dylan then moved toward a sound filled with Bible stories and old folk themes. His work on John Wesley Harding showed that he could change direction without losing his voice.
The book also follows the personal strain behind the music. The Beatles faced death threats, angry crowds, drug arrests, failed tours, and growing tension within the group. Their 1966 touring ended as live shows became less rewarding and more dangerous. Lennon’s comment that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus caused a major backlash in America. Dylan also used his motorcycle crash as a break from the pressure of touring and public life. Both artists needed time away from the roles they had created.
Dylan focused on family, painting, reading, faith, and quiet work in Woodstock. The Beatles moved into a period of personal change after their manager Brian Epstein died. Apple Corps gave them more control but also created new problems. George, Ringo, Paul, and John each sought greater freedom in different ways. George became more independent as a songwriter and musician. Ringo explored acting and began writing his own songs. Paul built a new family life with Linda Eastman. John became more closely tied to Yoko Ono while facing drug problems and deep personal strain. By 1969, the Beatles’ private conflicts had begun to threaten their work. George even walked away during the Get Back sessions after repeated clashes with Paul and John. Billy Preston’s arrival helped lift the band’s mood and showed how outside musicians could bring fresh energy.
Throughout the book, Dylan and the Beatles remain linked by a shared need to change. Their music grew because they challenged each other, copied each other, resisted each other, and learned from each other. Their story is not simply about two famous musical acts. It’s about artists trying to stay free while fame, fans, money, drugs, love, and personal change pulled them in many directions. Their influence reached far beyond their own records and helped reshape popular music for generations.
Key Takeaways
- Dylan and the Beatles constantly influenced each other. Their relationship included friendship, rivalry, shared ideas, and close attention to each other’s music. Dylan pushed the Beatles toward deeper lyrics, while the Beatles helped show Dylan new ways to use rock sounds.
- Both artists fought against fixed identities. Dylan changed his name and invented parts of his past to create a new public self. The Beatles later created new musical identities, with Sgt. Pepper becoming the clearest example of their attempt to escape expectations.
- Musical change often created conflict with fans and bandmates. Dylan’s move from folk to electric music upset many loyal followers. The Beatles also faced resistance as their music moved away from simple rock and became more experimental.
- The late 1960s brought major personal and creative changes. George explored Indian music, Paul built a new family life, Ringo sought new creative roles, and John faced drugs, love, politics, and growing tension within the Beatles.
- Their lasting impact came from refusing to stand still. Dylan and the Beatles kept testing new sounds, ideas, and ways of working. Their choices shaped other musicians and helped change what popular music could say and become.
Memorable Highlights
The Beatles Shea Stadium concert in New York netted them $160,000 which in today's dollars was $1.6 million.
In 1969, the Beatles briefly discussed the possibility of adding two members to the group - Bully Preston and Bob Dylan under the name Beatles & Company. They came close to realizing that lineup during the Concert for Bangeldesh at Madison Square Garden in August 1971.
Dylan was born Richard Zimmerman but he wanted a better stage name and used the last name of "Dillon" which was the name of the star of the TV show Gunsmoke. He told people that it was his mothers name. It wasn't.
Given their different musical styles, you might not think that Bob Dylan and The Beatles were fans of each other. The Beatles didn't like Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" while Dylan dismissed the sonic experiments on the Beatles Revolver album. Dylan told Paul McCartney, "Oh I get it. You don't want to be cute anymore. They were competitive. But as their journey to,stardom continued they began to appreciate what both were accomplishing.
The book, book, "Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other―and the World" by Will Hermes follows Bob Dylan and the Beatles as their lives and music cross during the 1960s and beyond. Their paths began in very different places, yet both artists wanted to escape many of the expectations that their fans had about who they should be.
Dylan changed his name, created a new past, and moved from folk music toward rock. The Beatles began as a tight pop group, then pushed into new sounds, ideas, and forms. Their first meeting in 1964 became an important link between them. They shared records, talked about music, drank together, and watched each other’s careers with interest and some rivalry.
Dylan influenced John Lennon and the other Beatles through his lyrics, themes, and a refusal to follow rules. The Beatles also affected Dylan as he explored louder guitars and rock sounds. Their influence spread through other artists, including the Byrds, who blended the sounds of both acts into major hits.
The book shows how each artist kept changing while trying to protect a sense of freedom. Dylan shocked folk fans when he played electric music at Newport in 1965. The Beatles faced a similar shift as they moved beyond simple rock songs and began using studios as creative tools. George Harrison found a new path through Indian music and study with Ravi Shankar. His interest in the sitar and Indian thought helped him build an identity beyond the Beatles. LSD also changed how Lennon and Harrison viewed music, life, and faith. Lennon read widely and became more interested in ideas beyond popular music. McCartney began thinking about ways the Beatles could escape the weight of their own fame. That thinking helped lead to Sgt. Pepper and its invented band identity. The Beatles spent hundreds of hours shaping that record, while Dylan created a huge body of songs with the Band. Dylan then moved toward a sound filled with Bible stories and old folk themes. His work on John Wesley Harding showed that he could change direction without losing his voice.
The book also follows the personal strain behind the music. The Beatles faced death threats, angry crowds, drug arrests, failed tours, and growing tension within the group. Their 1966 touring ended as live shows became less rewarding and more dangerous. Lennon’s comment that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus caused a major backlash in America. Dylan also used his motorcycle crash as a break from the pressure of touring and public life. Both artists needed time away from the roles they had created.
Dylan focused on family, painting, reading, faith, and quiet work in Woodstock. The Beatles moved into a period of personal change after their manager Brian Epstein died. Apple Corps gave them more control but also created new problems. George, Ringo, Paul, and John each sought greater freedom in different ways. George became more independent as a songwriter and musician. Ringo explored acting and began writing his own songs. Paul built a new family life with Linda Eastman. John became more closely tied to Yoko Ono while facing drug problems and deep personal strain. By 1969, the Beatles’ private conflicts had begun to threaten their work. George even walked away during the Get Back sessions after repeated clashes with Paul and John. Billy Preston’s arrival helped lift the band’s mood and showed how outside musicians could bring fresh energy.
Throughout the book, Dylan and the Beatles remain linked by a shared need to change. Their music grew because they challenged each other, copied each other, resisted each other, and learned from each other. Their story is not simply about two famous musical acts. It’s about artists trying to stay free while fame, fans, money, drugs, love, and personal change pulled them in many directions. Their influence reached far beyond their own records and helped reshape popular music for generations.
Key Takeaways
- Dylan and the Beatles constantly influenced each other. Their relationship included friendship, rivalry, shared ideas, and close attention to each other’s music. Dylan pushed the Beatles toward deeper lyrics, while the Beatles helped show Dylan new ways to use rock sounds.
- Both artists fought against fixed identities. Dylan changed his name and invented parts of his past to create a new public self. The Beatles later created new musical identities, with Sgt. Pepper becoming the clearest example of their attempt to escape expectations.
- Musical change often created conflict with fans and bandmates. Dylan’s move from folk to electric music upset many loyal followers. The Beatles also faced resistance as their music moved away from simple rock and became more experimental.
- The late 1960s brought major personal and creative changes. George explored Indian music, Paul built a new family life, Ringo sought new creative roles, and John faced drugs, love, politics, and growing tension within the Beatles.
- Their lasting impact came from refusing to stand still. Dylan and the Beatles kept testing new sounds, ideas, and ways of working. Their choices shaped other musicians and helped change what popular music could say and become.
Memorable Highlights
The Beatles Shea Stadium concert in New York netted them $160,000 which in today's dollars was $1.6 million.
In 1969, the Beatles briefly discussed the possibility of adding two members to the group - Bully Preston and Bob Dylan under the name Beatles & Company. They came close to realizing that lineup during the Concert for Bangeldesh at Madison Square Garden in August 1971.
Dylan was born Richard Zimmerman but he wanted a better stage name and used the last name of "Dillon" which was the name of the star of the TV show Gunsmoke. He told people that it was his mothers name. It wasn't.
August 13, 2026
‘An artist is Lennon finding sustenance and inspiration in a variety of experiences, from lying in bed for six days straight to steering a sloop through a storm. An artist is McCartney in his Hunt Hanson disguise, watching the café patrons and imagining what their lives are like. An artist is Harrison hearing heavenly choirs in his head and forever lamenting in “My Sweet Lord” that he may never know God. An artist is Ringo, the ultimate songwriter’s drummer, going out of his mind on “Rain” and holding back to build the groove of “Come Together”. An artist is Dylan walking phantomlike through the city streets only to find himself somewhere between amusement and amazement when someone stops him to ask if he is registered to vote, as he describes in his 1997 song “Highlands”. An artist is Little Richard singing, “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop, a-lop-bam-boom!”’
July 23, 2026
Such a fun read. I knew the rough chronology of Dylan and The Beatles, but I learned so much. Reading the timelines side by side and intertwined gave everything such rich context, filling in holes. Like that satisfying feeling of placing the final pieces on a jigsaw puzzle.
May 4, 2026
I am trying to put this in the DNF group. Not terrible but I’m a Boomer myself and I’ve heard all these stories before. Oh, looks like it got here. Anyway, reading about all this stuff that happened so long ago is depressing.
May 20, 2026
Wow. I absolutely loved this book. I listened to the audio version. As a HUGE Beatles fan and a pretty big Dylan fan, I loved how in depth the author got with lyrics and albums for both. This book truly covered it all- personal and professional. 10/10.
May 4, 2026
Sublime journey into the heart of the best music ever made
Just a fabulous recounting of the creatively fueled relationship between the Beatles and Dylan as they formed each others music, knowingly and unknowingly. A great time capsule of a wonderful time in music.
Just a fabulous recounting of the creatively fueled relationship between the Beatles and Dylan as they formed each others music, knowingly and unknowingly. A great time capsule of a wonderful time in music.
June 18, 2026
Jim Windoff ‘Where the Music Had to Go’ – o rivalstvu i međusobnom nadahnuću Dylana i Beatlesa
Negdje tamo pred kraj knjige Jima Windoffa, novinara The New York Timesa, “Where the Music Had to Go” podnaslovljene “How Bob Dylan and The Beatles Changed Each Other – and the World”, nailazimo na citat Raya Foulka, organizatora festivala Isle of Wight, koji kaže, u mom slobodnom prijevodu, otprilike ovako: “Priča se o rivalstvu šezdesetih između Beatlesa i Rolling Stonesa, ali to promašuje poantu. Značajno rivalstvo bilo je između najveće svjetske grupe i najboljeg kantautora na svijetu. Borba nije bila za pozicije na ljestvicama ili broj hitova. Bila je za intelektualnu i moralnu nadmoć.“
Windoffova knjiga nam temeljito obrazlaže i opisuje ono što i otprije znamo. Iako je zgodno zamišljati odnos Boba Dylana i Beatlesa kao rivalstvo kakvo spominje Foulk, riječ je zapravo o mnogo kompleksnijem međudjelovanju koje je s obje strane uključivalo i visoku razinu poštovanja, nemalo čiste zavisti i međusobni utjecaj koji je od autore pop rock hitova natjerao da počnu pisati ozbiljnije tekstove, a nekadašnjeg folk idola da izađe iz tvrdih okvira tradicije i usmjeri svoj zvuk prema nečemu univerzalnijem. To međudjelovanje dovelo ih je do nekog trećeg terena, odnosno, kako kaže naslov knjige, “tamo gdje je glazba morala doći.”
Premda u početku nisu pozitivno reagirali na pjesme iz drugog tabora, njihovi izvorni uzori bili su isti, u rock and rollu Little Richarda i sličnih izvođača. A kad su pali pod međusobni utjecaj, stvari isprva nisu išle glatko. John Lennon je prvi počeo pisati “dilanovske” pjesme s “Hide Your Love Away”, a kad je Bob zaključio da su s “Nowegian Wood” s albuma “Rubber Soul” otišli predaleko na njegov teren, rivalstvo je doseglo jedan od vrhunaca nakon što je on na istu melodiju za album “Blonde on Blonde” napisao “Fourth Time Around” koja je završavala s izravnom porukom Beatlesima: ” I never asked for your crutch, now don’t ask for mine.”
Na vrhuncu ovog neslaganja snimljena je u Londonu u svibnju 1966. zloglasna scena koja će se u fragmentu pojaviti u dokumentarcu D.A. Pennebakera “Eat te Document” u kojoj na zadnjem sjedištu automobila Dylan pokušava suočiti Lennona s optužbama za kopiranja njegova stila, ali Amerikanac je očito bio po utjecajem sumnjivih sredstava i nije uspio povesti konkretan razgovor o temi prije nego mu je pozlilo. Ali napetost je bila velika i opipljiva je u postojećem videomaterijalu.
No mnogo je zapravo bitniji onaj pozitivni aspekt njihovog međusobnog utjecaja, pjesme koje zvukom i tematikom nastaju u dijalogu između Dylana i Lennona (ali i Paula McCartneyja, o čemu svjedoći vrlo duhovit i zabavan intervju sa Sir Paulom koji zatvara knjigu), ili pak prijateljstvo Boba s Georgeom Harrisonom u kojemu je “tihi Beatle” pod krilom starijeg kantautora isprva pronašao vlastiti autorski glas koji će ga dovesti do njegovog trostrukog klasika “All Things Must Pass”, da bi kasnije vratio uslugu pozvijajući Dylana koji je tijekom osamdesetih zapao u ozbiljnu kreativnu krizu u svoju supergrupu Travelling Willburys s Jeffom Lynneom, Royom Orbisonom i Tomom Pettyjem, a što će pak Bobu ponovno otvoriti put do pronalaženja svoje muze na albumu “Oh Mercy” i preobrazbu iz ocvalog rokera čije vrijeme je prošlo u starješinu scene koja će i desetljećima kasnije biti cijenjena kao najdugovječniji uzor i prvi glas iz svijeta glazbe nagrađen Nobelovom nagradom za književnost.
Windoff nema lagan zadatak pisanja paralelne biografije dviju najvećih sila popularne glazbe u dvadesetom stoljeću prvenstveno zato što su njihove karijere, pogotovu šezdesetima u kojima se odvija velika većina radnje u njegovoj knjizi, toliko pomno praćene i poznate da se o njima ima malo što novog otkriti i reći. Upravo ta hiperdokumentiranost bila je ključna kad je u jeku #MeToo pokreta jedna žena lažno optužila Dylana za seksualno zlostavljanje. Bilo je dovoljno baciti oko na kalendar i reći: “Dylan tada nije bio u New Yorku nego u Londonu, evo snimke.” Isto bi vrijedilo i za Beatlese, njihov itinerar u tom razdoblju još je dokumentiraniji od Bobovog.
Ipak, postavljajući sve poznate točke njihove karijere u usporedni pogled, zanimljivo je gledati njihova poklapanja, a Windoff svaku od njih prikazuje u nekakvoj vezi sa suprotnim taborom a da to pritom tek rijetko zvuči suviše nategnuto i izmišljeno. Mnogo češće u njegovom tumačenju pronalazimo uvjerljive dokaze za to da su Dylan i Lennon živjeli jedan drugom u glavi i dugo nakon što su se Beatlesi raspali.
Ipak, autor uspijeva pronaći neke podatke koji će iznenaditi mnoge čitatelje. Jedan od takvih mogao bi primjerice biti onaj da je Dylan nakon atentata na Lennona bio u tolikom strahu za vlastiti život da je periodu ranih osamdesetih na koncertima nije hodao iz backstagea na pozornicu, već bi taj put prevalio ni manje ni više nego motociklom.
Naravno, ima još mnogo takvih i sličnih detalja u ovoj knjizi koji je čine dovoljno zanimljivom i fanovima koji misle da već sve znaju o Fab Fouru i Robertu Zimmermanu, a oni koji o njima tek uče naći će se pred vrijednom riznicom podataka punom zgodnih uvida vrlo dobro pripremljenog autora. Budući da je ovo već četvrta knjiga o Dylanu na koju se ove godine osvrćemo, a treća kojoj je težište upravo na njegovoj karijeri u šezdesetima, dovoljna bi preporuka treabla biti to da Windoff uspijeva pronaći još mnogo stvari o kojima u posljednje vrijeme nismo čitali.
(White Rabbit, tvrdi uvez, 375 stranica, 2026.)
Negdje tamo pred kraj knjige Jima Windoffa, novinara The New York Timesa, “Where the Music Had to Go” podnaslovljene “How Bob Dylan and The Beatles Changed Each Other – and the World”, nailazimo na citat Raya Foulka, organizatora festivala Isle of Wight, koji kaže, u mom slobodnom prijevodu, otprilike ovako: “Priča se o rivalstvu šezdesetih između Beatlesa i Rolling Stonesa, ali to promašuje poantu. Značajno rivalstvo bilo je između najveće svjetske grupe i najboljeg kantautora na svijetu. Borba nije bila za pozicije na ljestvicama ili broj hitova. Bila je za intelektualnu i moralnu nadmoć.“
Windoffova knjiga nam temeljito obrazlaže i opisuje ono što i otprije znamo. Iako je zgodno zamišljati odnos Boba Dylana i Beatlesa kao rivalstvo kakvo spominje Foulk, riječ je zapravo o mnogo kompleksnijem međudjelovanju koje je s obje strane uključivalo i visoku razinu poštovanja, nemalo čiste zavisti i međusobni utjecaj koji je od autore pop rock hitova natjerao da počnu pisati ozbiljnije tekstove, a nekadašnjeg folk idola da izađe iz tvrdih okvira tradicije i usmjeri svoj zvuk prema nečemu univerzalnijem. To međudjelovanje dovelo ih je do nekog trećeg terena, odnosno, kako kaže naslov knjige, “tamo gdje je glazba morala doći.”
Premda u početku nisu pozitivno reagirali na pjesme iz drugog tabora, njihovi izvorni uzori bili su isti, u rock and rollu Little Richarda i sličnih izvođača. A kad su pali pod međusobni utjecaj, stvari isprva nisu išle glatko. John Lennon je prvi počeo pisati “dilanovske” pjesme s “Hide Your Love Away”, a kad je Bob zaključio da su s “Nowegian Wood” s albuma “Rubber Soul” otišli predaleko na njegov teren, rivalstvo je doseglo jedan od vrhunaca nakon što je on na istu melodiju za album “Blonde on Blonde” napisao “Fourth Time Around” koja je završavala s izravnom porukom Beatlesima: ” I never asked for your crutch, now don’t ask for mine.”
Na vrhuncu ovog neslaganja snimljena je u Londonu u svibnju 1966. zloglasna scena koja će se u fragmentu pojaviti u dokumentarcu D.A. Pennebakera “Eat te Document” u kojoj na zadnjem sjedištu automobila Dylan pokušava suočiti Lennona s optužbama za kopiranja njegova stila, ali Amerikanac je očito bio po utjecajem sumnjivih sredstava i nije uspio povesti konkretan razgovor o temi prije nego mu je pozlilo. Ali napetost je bila velika i opipljiva je u postojećem videomaterijalu.
No mnogo je zapravo bitniji onaj pozitivni aspekt njihovog međusobnog utjecaja, pjesme koje zvukom i tematikom nastaju u dijalogu između Dylana i Lennona (ali i Paula McCartneyja, o čemu svjedoći vrlo duhovit i zabavan intervju sa Sir Paulom koji zatvara knjigu), ili pak prijateljstvo Boba s Georgeom Harrisonom u kojemu je “tihi Beatle” pod krilom starijeg kantautora isprva pronašao vlastiti autorski glas koji će ga dovesti do njegovog trostrukog klasika “All Things Must Pass”, da bi kasnije vratio uslugu pozvijajući Dylana koji je tijekom osamdesetih zapao u ozbiljnu kreativnu krizu u svoju supergrupu Travelling Willburys s Jeffom Lynneom, Royom Orbisonom i Tomom Pettyjem, a što će pak Bobu ponovno otvoriti put do pronalaženja svoje muze na albumu “Oh Mercy” i preobrazbu iz ocvalog rokera čije vrijeme je prošlo u starješinu scene koja će i desetljećima kasnije biti cijenjena kao najdugovječniji uzor i prvi glas iz svijeta glazbe nagrađen Nobelovom nagradom za književnost.
Windoff nema lagan zadatak pisanja paralelne biografije dviju najvećih sila popularne glazbe u dvadesetom stoljeću prvenstveno zato što su njihove karijere, pogotovu šezdesetima u kojima se odvija velika većina radnje u njegovoj knjizi, toliko pomno praćene i poznate da se o njima ima malo što novog otkriti i reći. Upravo ta hiperdokumentiranost bila je ključna kad je u jeku #MeToo pokreta jedna žena lažno optužila Dylana za seksualno zlostavljanje. Bilo je dovoljno baciti oko na kalendar i reći: “Dylan tada nije bio u New Yorku nego u Londonu, evo snimke.” Isto bi vrijedilo i za Beatlese, njihov itinerar u tom razdoblju još je dokumentiraniji od Bobovog.
Ipak, postavljajući sve poznate točke njihove karijere u usporedni pogled, zanimljivo je gledati njihova poklapanja, a Windoff svaku od njih prikazuje u nekakvoj vezi sa suprotnim taborom a da to pritom tek rijetko zvuči suviše nategnuto i izmišljeno. Mnogo češće u njegovom tumačenju pronalazimo uvjerljive dokaze za to da su Dylan i Lennon živjeli jedan drugom u glavi i dugo nakon što su se Beatlesi raspali.
Ipak, autor uspijeva pronaći neke podatke koji će iznenaditi mnoge čitatelje. Jedan od takvih mogao bi primjerice biti onaj da je Dylan nakon atentata na Lennona bio u tolikom strahu za vlastiti život da je periodu ranih osamdesetih na koncertima nije hodao iz backstagea na pozornicu, već bi taj put prevalio ni manje ni više nego motociklom.
Naravno, ima još mnogo takvih i sličnih detalja u ovoj knjizi koji je čine dovoljno zanimljivom i fanovima koji misle da već sve znaju o Fab Fouru i Robertu Zimmermanu, a oni koji o njima tek uče naći će se pred vrijednom riznicom podataka punom zgodnih uvida vrlo dobro pripremljenog autora. Budući da je ovo već četvrta knjiga o Dylanu na koju se ove godine osvrćemo, a treća kojoj je težište upravo na njegovoj karijeri u šezdesetima, dovoljna bi preporuka treabla biti to da Windoff uspijeva pronaći još mnogo stvari o kojima u posljednje vrijeme nismo čitali.
(White Rabbit, tvrdi uvez, 375 stranica, 2026.)
February 19, 2026
4.5 stars. I have read a lot of Beatles biographies over the years and very few any more add new information to my knowledge of the band, but this one did. It looks at the relationship, influence and competition between the Beatles and Bob Dylan. It included great instances of influence and fun anecdotes. I really enjoyed this one. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Howeverthanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this dual biography and examination of the relationship between a band, and an American singer, a relationship that strangely parallels each other, with shared experiences, shared problems, and in their creation of music that changed so much, and entertained so many more.
I was never into sports, something that will probably not change. However I understood rivalry, but I really never thought that occured in the arts. I am not sure why. As a portly child with a lot of well social issues I was jealous quite a bit, and still am. However, until I got older, and began to really pay attention to music, and well all the arts, I never realized how green with envy so many people were of each other. Not just rival musicians, but people in their own band. Partners even. I just thought that one would be happy that someone had a good song, a good book, a good movie or painting. I never knew that people hated those who painted masterpieces., that make what they did look so easy. Or showed how much another influenced them. I never thought much of the ties that bound the Beatles and Bob Dylan. I knew they met, I knew on member was in a band with Bob, but the rivalry, the sniping between the two I had no idea. Nor the mutual admiration they had, and shared experiences. I always find it amazing that more things can be shared about music that is older than I am. And yet I learned much from the extraordinary book. Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other—and the World by music critic and historian Jim Windolf is the tale of a band, a man, their meeting, their influence on each other, the praise left unsaid, and the legacy their music has cast over everything we hear, even how we hear it.
The book begins with a young man growing up in a town that had seen better, with a love for music, a talent for entertaining, and dreams of getting out, getting away and making something of himself. Or themselves. For this could fit Robert Zimmerman, John Lennon Paul McCartney, who the book focuses on, along with Ringo Starr and George Harrison. The book looks at wha made this people who they were, looking at their youth, trials and tribulations. And the music that influenced them. All loved American rock and roll, from black influences, to blues jazz and even country. The book looks at their slow rise, from coffee houses, Cavarns and Hamburg night clubs, to influential managers who might not have had their best interests at heart. Problems with monogamy, difficulties with drugs, especially heroin, and public controversies. The book looks at how the musicians first heard each other, maybe not sure of what made the music good, until it hit, sometimes by chance for Dylan a ride through Colorado where it was Beatlemania on every radio channel. Also the author looks at the their meetings, both with others, on film, some of them wonderful. Some of them ugly in nature. And how the events changed them in many ways, including the deaths of two of the Beatles.
A really well done book that looks not only at the music but the lives of all these musicians. What struck me was how much they all had in common. Except Ringo, Ringo seems to have let thing go by. Lennon and Dylan seemed to have a difficult relationship, with Lennon jealous of Dylan's skill at song writing, this jealousy letting some nasty asides through, including a few songs that probably shouldn't have been. Windolf is a very good writer, discussing things that were new to me, looking at songs in different ways, and coming up with comparisons that really made me reappraise my thoughts on both groups.
The book covers mostly the 1960's of course, though the lost 70's are looked at also. The focus is mainly on Bob, John and Paul, which makes sense as they were the primary song writers, though George gets a chance to shine later on. This is a really wonderful book, one that I quite enjoyed and had a hard time putting down. One would think there was no real way to write about these acts so many years later, but Windolf does a really great job. Fun of fans, and for those interested in musical history, and musical creativity.
I was never into sports, something that will probably not change. However I understood rivalry, but I really never thought that occured in the arts. I am not sure why. As a portly child with a lot of well social issues I was jealous quite a bit, and still am. However, until I got older, and began to really pay attention to music, and well all the arts, I never realized how green with envy so many people were of each other. Not just rival musicians, but people in their own band. Partners even. I just thought that one would be happy that someone had a good song, a good book, a good movie or painting. I never knew that people hated those who painted masterpieces., that make what they did look so easy. Or showed how much another influenced them. I never thought much of the ties that bound the Beatles and Bob Dylan. I knew they met, I knew on member was in a band with Bob, but the rivalry, the sniping between the two I had no idea. Nor the mutual admiration they had, and shared experiences. I always find it amazing that more things can be shared about music that is older than I am. And yet I learned much from the extraordinary book. Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and the Beatles Changed Each Other—and the World by music critic and historian Jim Windolf is the tale of a band, a man, their meeting, their influence on each other, the praise left unsaid, and the legacy their music has cast over everything we hear, even how we hear it.
The book begins with a young man growing up in a town that had seen better, with a love for music, a talent for entertaining, and dreams of getting out, getting away and making something of himself. Or themselves. For this could fit Robert Zimmerman, John Lennon Paul McCartney, who the book focuses on, along with Ringo Starr and George Harrison. The book looks at wha made this people who they were, looking at their youth, trials and tribulations. And the music that influenced them. All loved American rock and roll, from black influences, to blues jazz and even country. The book looks at their slow rise, from coffee houses, Cavarns and Hamburg night clubs, to influential managers who might not have had their best interests at heart. Problems with monogamy, difficulties with drugs, especially heroin, and public controversies. The book looks at how the musicians first heard each other, maybe not sure of what made the music good, until it hit, sometimes by chance for Dylan a ride through Colorado where it was Beatlemania on every radio channel. Also the author looks at the their meetings, both with others, on film, some of them wonderful. Some of them ugly in nature. And how the events changed them in many ways, including the deaths of two of the Beatles.
A really well done book that looks not only at the music but the lives of all these musicians. What struck me was how much they all had in common. Except Ringo, Ringo seems to have let thing go by. Lennon and Dylan seemed to have a difficult relationship, with Lennon jealous of Dylan's skill at song writing, this jealousy letting some nasty asides through, including a few songs that probably shouldn't have been. Windolf is a very good writer, discussing things that were new to me, looking at songs in different ways, and coming up with comparisons that really made me reappraise my thoughts on both groups.
The book covers mostly the 1960's of course, though the lost 70's are looked at also. The focus is mainly on Bob, John and Paul, which makes sense as they were the primary song writers, though George gets a chance to shine later on. This is a really wonderful book, one that I quite enjoyed and had a hard time putting down. One would think there was no real way to write about these acts so many years later, but Windolf does a really great job. Fun of fans, and for those interested in musical history, and musical creativity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I grew up in the 60s and 70s, so I think I know a fair amount about the Beatles - or at least as much as I could gather from: the teen mags and television coverage I eagerly devoured during those years. I know less about Bob Dylan, probably because by the time I started to get into civil rights and social issues, Dylan’s output had slowed down and I was familiar with his work primarily from other folk musicians who covered his work (plus, as a classical singer, I didn’t really appreciate Dylan’s voice. How naive I was). Because of this, I was completely unaware of the ways the Beatles’ and Dylan’s lives intersected. And, as Jim Windolf meticulously explains, their creative work greatly influenced each other and music history in general.
The book is divided into two sections (cleverly, Side 1 and Side 2). Side 1 chronicles their early lives and careers, when they had little interaction with each other but admired each others’ work. I’ll admit that Side 1 dragged a bit for me…was the rest of the book just going to be about them admiring each other from a distance? But Side 2 completely pulled me in. Windolf uses a steady stream of quotes from articles (cited in detail in the appendix) to share intimate stories about each artist’s life and work, in addition to their surprising relationships with each other. Among other revelations, I was enchanted by the sweet interaction between Dylan and George Harrison, which resulted in an acoustic cover of “Yesterday” with Dylan’s vocals and Harrison; on guitar (look it up - it’s wonderful). At the end, Windolf shares an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney.
I’ll admit I don’t know how many other writers have tackled this subject - my brief search turned up a couple of books that seemed to be completely different than this one.. So I can’t say this is the only book about the Beatles’ relationship with Dylan, or even the definitive one. But I am prepared to say that it should be regarded as an important contribution to the oeuvre of pop music history. Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance reader’s copy. All opinions are my own.
The book is divided into two sections (cleverly, Side 1 and Side 2). Side 1 chronicles their early lives and careers, when they had little interaction with each other but admired each others’ work. I’ll admit that Side 1 dragged a bit for me…was the rest of the book just going to be about them admiring each other from a distance? But Side 2 completely pulled me in. Windolf uses a steady stream of quotes from articles (cited in detail in the appendix) to share intimate stories about each artist’s life and work, in addition to their surprising relationships with each other. Among other revelations, I was enchanted by the sweet interaction between Dylan and George Harrison, which resulted in an acoustic cover of “Yesterday” with Dylan’s vocals and Harrison; on guitar (look it up - it’s wonderful). At the end, Windolf shares an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney.
I’ll admit I don’t know how many other writers have tackled this subject - my brief search turned up a couple of books that seemed to be completely different than this one.. So I can’t say this is the only book about the Beatles’ relationship with Dylan, or even the definitive one. But I am prepared to say that it should be regarded as an important contribution to the oeuvre of pop music history. Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance reader’s copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 Stars
I'm a die-hard Beatles fan of several decades and have read scores of books about The Beatles. I have a keen eye when deciding to read a new book about them since it's such a well-trodden subject. Is it just going to be a dry regurgitation of what was written in other books, or will it be something special and unique to add to the lexicon? I initially glossed over this one because of the Dylan aspect (I'm not much of a Dylan music fan, but he intrigues me as a person), not realizing just how much the crux of this book- of how Dylan and The Beatles influenced each other...was a major thing. I learned so much about their introduction and interactions with each other throughout the years, and it was exhilarating to glean new kernels of information. For instance, I always saw Dylan working with George Harrison on projects such as when he contributed to The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in 1971, and as a fellow band member of the Traveling Wilburys group (consisting of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty). I didn't realize that Dylan initially connected more with John Lennon and also just how much he admired the mega talent of Paul McCartney. Also, there is a new interview included at the end of the book with Paul McCartney all about The Beatles' relationship with Bob Dylan. The author did a great job tracking each band's history in tandem from the early sixties to the present, defining their musical influences towards each other. It spurned such an interest in me that I look forward to reading Dylan's memoir Chronicles, Volume One and sampling some of his songs mentioned in this book. I do own one CD that I love from Bob Dylan called "Oh Mercy" from 1989 that has a gorgeous song on it called "Most of the Time", but I'm sure there's so much more to discover and enjoy.
Thank you to the publisher Scribner who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I'm a die-hard Beatles fan of several decades and have read scores of books about The Beatles. I have a keen eye when deciding to read a new book about them since it's such a well-trodden subject. Is it just going to be a dry regurgitation of what was written in other books, or will it be something special and unique to add to the lexicon? I initially glossed over this one because of the Dylan aspect (I'm not much of a Dylan music fan, but he intrigues me as a person), not realizing just how much the crux of this book- of how Dylan and The Beatles influenced each other...was a major thing. I learned so much about their introduction and interactions with each other throughout the years, and it was exhilarating to glean new kernels of information. For instance, I always saw Dylan working with George Harrison on projects such as when he contributed to The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in 1971, and as a fellow band member of the Traveling Wilburys group (consisting of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty). I didn't realize that Dylan initially connected more with John Lennon and also just how much he admired the mega talent of Paul McCartney. Also, there is a new interview included at the end of the book with Paul McCartney all about The Beatles' relationship with Bob Dylan. The author did a great job tracking each band's history in tandem from the early sixties to the present, defining their musical influences towards each other. It spurned such an interest in me that I look forward to reading Dylan's memoir Chronicles, Volume One and sampling some of his songs mentioned in this book. I do own one CD that I love from Bob Dylan called "Oh Mercy" from 1989 that has a gorgeous song on it called "Most of the Time", but I'm sure there's so much more to discover and enjoy.
Thank you to the publisher Scribner who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
July 15, 2026
Billed (accurately) as a cultural biography of Dylan and the Beatles, this begins as a series of connections that don’t seem much more than coincidences and off-the-cuff remarks but builds to something much richer, brimming with significance -- expressions of mutual admiration and rivalry, “answer songs” in which the lyrics and/or the music seem to respond to or be borrowed from the song of another, attendance at each others’ performances, and, increasingly actual meetings, almost always involving lots of drink and drugs. (The Beatles first tried marijuana when someone in Dylan’s entourage offered it.) For a time, a lot of this turns on comparisons between Dylan and Lennon, the so-called “brainy Beatle,” and the ups and downs of charted popularity, familiar territory for anyone paying attention at the time. More interesting are the darker, latter days, the Beatles breakup, the solo ventures, Harrison's astonishing efflorescence, Dylan’s long slump, the assassination of John and reactions to that. After a while, the accretion of detail takes on a kind of synergistic weight, more than correspondences and contrasts, something more like the warp and weft of interwoven destinies. The book’s one failing is when it tries to do some summing up of its own at the end with statements like “An artist tries to get at the core of what it means to be a human being, that is, a being who necessarily loves and suffers. An artist tries to capture life and share it.” This takes us as close to the genius of Dylan and the Beatles as a dictionary definition of music takes us to the experience of it. But amassed details here shows us something different: that the greatness of the Beatles and Dylan lay in their ability to change, to break formulas, to reimagine themselves.
July 23, 2026
On the plus side, "Where the Music Had to Go" is a well-researched, well-written book. Fans of The Beatles and Dylan will enjoy it. There's some new stuff in here.
On the other hand, Jim Windolf doesn't add much to the Really Big Stack O' Books about these two music legends. Is there really anything left to say? Well, sort of. Windolf digs up some entertaining anecdotes that take us inside the hotel rooms and backstage gatherings of the Fab Four and Mr. Zimmerman, mostly involving drinking and drug use (surprise!). But the mutual respect and influences between all - especially Dylan and Lennon - is already part of any basic rock history.
The title is a bit of a mystery. There isn't much here about why this was "Where the Music Had to Go." Sure, the influence of these artists is enormous and historically enduring. Nothing new there. But is the author's assertion made clear? Not really. From the perspective of the 60s, it's tough to declare this as inevitable. There's little here to back up its titular claim.
On the whole, this is a fun book. The stories are cool and entertaining. If you already know a lot about these guys, you'll enjoy it. Younger readers wondering what all the fuss was about should look elsewhere.
On the other hand, Jim Windolf doesn't add much to the Really Big Stack O' Books about these two music legends. Is there really anything left to say? Well, sort of. Windolf digs up some entertaining anecdotes that take us inside the hotel rooms and backstage gatherings of the Fab Four and Mr. Zimmerman, mostly involving drinking and drug use (surprise!). But the mutual respect and influences between all - especially Dylan and Lennon - is already part of any basic rock history.
The title is a bit of a mystery. There isn't much here about why this was "Where the Music Had to Go." Sure, the influence of these artists is enormous and historically enduring. Nothing new there. But is the author's assertion made clear? Not really. From the perspective of the 60s, it's tough to declare this as inevitable. There's little here to back up its titular claim.
On the whole, this is a fun book. The stories are cool and entertaining. If you already know a lot about these guys, you'll enjoy it. Younger readers wondering what all the fuss was about should look elsewhere.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Beatles changed the landscape of popular music. At the same time, so did Bob Dylan. In this book, the author presents the timeline of both of these iconic music acts at the same time, giving readers a better understanding of how music was shifting and shaping up to be the legend that it is.
I've read so many Beatles books that I thought I had read it all. However, this book is different in that it shows what The Beatles were doing at the same time as Bob Dylan. While on the surface that may not seem important, if you dig in the details, music fans can see that they were always listening to each other and always playing off of each other, much like the more famous story of The Beatles creating Sgt. Pepper after hearing Pet Sounds. While fans may already know these timelines, seeing things such as The Beatles first North American trip paired with Bob Dylan's Kerouac-esque trip around the country happening at the same time is fascinating. This is a must read for any Beatles or Dylan fan.
*Book provided by NetGalley
I've read so many Beatles books that I thought I had read it all. However, this book is different in that it shows what The Beatles were doing at the same time as Bob Dylan. While on the surface that may not seem important, if you dig in the details, music fans can see that they were always listening to each other and always playing off of each other, much like the more famous story of The Beatles creating Sgt. Pepper after hearing Pet Sounds. While fans may already know these timelines, seeing things such as The Beatles first North American trip paired with Bob Dylan's Kerouac-esque trip around the country happening at the same time is fascinating. This is a must read for any Beatles or Dylan fan.
*Book provided by NetGalley
April 22, 2026
Where the Music Had to Go presents a tightly argued, research-driven account of the creative interplay between Bob Dylan and the Beatles, positioning their relationship as a reciprocal engine of artistic evolution rather than a one-way influence narrative.
Jim Windolf’s strength lies in synthesis: he connects biographical detail, studio history, and cultural turning points into a coherent interpretive frame that shows how both Dylan and the Beatles continuously recalibrated each other’s musical direction. The inclusion of newly surfaced material, including an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney, adds both authority and freshness to a well-trodden subject.
What makes the book stand out is its emphasis on exchange rather than hierarchy, framing influence as dialogue. That shift gives the work strong potential beyond music biography audiences, particularly in cultural history, media studies, and modern intellectual history discussions.
Jim Windolf’s strength lies in synthesis: he connects biographical detail, studio history, and cultural turning points into a coherent interpretive frame that shows how both Dylan and the Beatles continuously recalibrated each other’s musical direction. The inclusion of newly surfaced material, including an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney, adds both authority and freshness to a well-trodden subject.
What makes the book stand out is its emphasis on exchange rather than hierarchy, framing influence as dialogue. That shift gives the work strong potential beyond music biography audiences, particularly in cultural history, media studies, and modern intellectual history discussions.
June 18, 2026
John, Paul, George, Ringo & Bob. Finally some background into that weird clip from "Eat the Document" where an obviously high Bob (smack?, LSD? too many filterless ciggies?) is pestering a rather nonplussed John in the back of a limo "what did you mean that time when you said 'a northern song', man? W-what did you mean, then Robbie told me what it was, man.'" Bobby had wrote an answer song to all the times he thought John Lennon clipped his stylee so "Fourth Time Around" is basically mocking "Norwegian Wood" Bob and the Beatles had a listening party for their Blonde On Blonde and Revolver. John muttered something about 4th time should be a Beatles published song on their Northern Songs publishing. Bob, chip on his shoulder said "Tomorrow Never Knows" oh I get it you ain't gonna be cute anymore. Boom!
This was indeed a 'good read' for a subject(s) that's been raked to death.
This was indeed a 'good read' for a subject(s) that's been raked to death.
August 11, 2026
I am a 70 year old lifelong musician and music producer and a major Beatles disciple as well as being a Dylanophile. I have a large library of books on them and many of their guitars and have read most that has been written on them. In many ways this book is the most intimate description of their career in the golden years. It tells many of the tales we all know but in a very personal and magical way that I have found enthralling especially as it ties them to the other major influences of the time such as the Stones, the Byrds, the Band in a very hands on and personal way. I thought I knew everything, I mean I could probably play 90% of the Beatles output from memory on a guitar at a moments notice but this lovely book reminded me that much of the day to day magic was still unsaid. I couldn't put it down once I started reading FAB!
April 23, 2026
Where the Music Had to Go is a very thorough look at the relationships of the Beatles and Bob Dylan. I knew a bit about the lives of the Beatles, but I knew nothing about Bob Dylan prior to reading this book. It was very interesting to see how their lives intertwined and how they inspired each other when writing music. I learned a lot about John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bob. At some points, it was a little overwhelming trying to keep up with all the other people in the story (producers, friends, etc.). I enjoyed how the book was broken up into sections- Side One and Side Two.
Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
June 16, 2026
An interesting idea that doesn’t really go anywhere. Windolf’s aim is to put the monumental cultural impact of The Beatles and Bob Dylan into the context of what they meant to each other and how they interacted during the ‘60s.
The problem is, these titans’ paths only crossed on so many occasions while The Beatles were still together, and the times they did (e.g., Dylan introducing The Beatles to pot in New York, John Lennon sharing a London limo ride with a very intoxicated Dylan) have been more than adequately documented over the years. So what we’re left with is basically a chronology of what both were doing at any given time.
It’s entertaining reading if you’re new to either act, but fans are unlikely to learn anything new.
The problem is, these titans’ paths only crossed on so many occasions while The Beatles were still together, and the times they did (e.g., Dylan introducing The Beatles to pot in New York, John Lennon sharing a London limo ride with a very intoxicated Dylan) have been more than adequately documented over the years. So what we’re left with is basically a chronology of what both were doing at any given time.
It’s entertaining reading if you’re new to either act, but fans are unlikely to learn anything new.
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