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No One Else Could Play That Tune: The Making and Unmaking of Bob Dylan’s 1974 Masterpiece
‘This is a really excellent read. If you’re a Dylan fan it is a must have and, even if you’re not, this is one of the finest pieces of forensic analysis of a major album that you are ever likely to read – which makes it a must have.’ Americana UK
NO ONE ELSE COULD PLAY THAT TUNE is the perfect companion to the all-singing all-dancing boxed set of the complete New York sessions for Dylan’s fabled Blood On The Tracks: More Blood, More Tracks.
I tracked down and interviewed just about every eye-witness still standing, including the only musician – Dylan excepted – to play at all the New York sessions; a new interview with Ellen Bernstein, Dylan’s CBS A&R girlfriend at the time; at least one engineer previously undocumented and two old Village friends who attended the initial sessions at Dylan’s behest.
I also spent a fortnight at the Tulsa Dylan archive, researching and annotating the two working notebooks into which the artist wrote two dozen original songs, only a dozen of which would make it all the way to the September A&R sessions.
In 40,000 words, I tell the full tale of the making of Dylan’s greatest masterpiece as well as providing a detailed examination of the thought processes that went into the unmaking of it; as Dylan dismantled the New York album, re-recorded 60% of it and sped the rest of it up, removing audible blood from each and every track he changed.
Never fully revealed before, it is a story only now ready to be told, accompanied as it is by the full soundtrack, courtesy of Sony Music.
As the first instalment in what one hopes will be a second Wanted Man Study Series, this monograph, profusely illustrated and annotated, will hopefully set the bar high for many more to come…
Clinton Heylin
NO ONE ELSE COULD PLAY THAT TUNE is the perfect companion to the all-singing all-dancing boxed set of the complete New York sessions for Dylan’s fabled Blood On The Tracks: More Blood, More Tracks.
I tracked down and interviewed just about every eye-witness still standing, including the only musician – Dylan excepted – to play at all the New York sessions; a new interview with Ellen Bernstein, Dylan’s CBS A&R girlfriend at the time; at least one engineer previously undocumented and two old Village friends who attended the initial sessions at Dylan’s behest.
I also spent a fortnight at the Tulsa Dylan archive, researching and annotating the two working notebooks into which the artist wrote two dozen original songs, only a dozen of which would make it all the way to the September A&R sessions.
In 40,000 words, I tell the full tale of the making of Dylan’s greatest masterpiece as well as providing a detailed examination of the thought processes that went into the unmaking of it; as Dylan dismantled the New York album, re-recorded 60% of it and sped the rest of it up, removing audible blood from each and every track he changed.
Never fully revealed before, it is a story only now ready to be told, accompanied as it is by the full soundtrack, courtesy of Sony Music.
As the first instalment in what one hopes will be a second Wanted Man Study Series, this monograph, profusely illustrated and annotated, will hopefully set the bar high for many more to come…
Clinton Heylin
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2019
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34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 25, 2018
As always with Clinton Heylin's books on Dylan, this is a very well researched account of those sacred days in September 1974, featuring also some excellent interviews with the people who were there during the recording of Dylan's monumental heartache album (Ellen Bernstein, the apparent muse behind some of the songs (she came from Ashtabula!), is particularly illuminating). It is therefore an excellent reading companion to the upcoming Bootleg Series Vol. 14 and certainly one should keep it handy whilst listening to the series. Then again, as always with CH's books, you do occasionally get his mannerisms on full display, in particular some puerile lashing out against other artists (this time it's Joni Mitchell and Neil Young), totally uncalled for and which smears the otherwise impeccable account to some extent.
November 28, 2018
The book places us in the New York recording studio as Bob Dylan lays down version after version of the 10 songs that would be issued as his masterpiece Blood on the Tracks. We are witness to the relentless pursuit of a take that would satisfy the artist. Perhaps uncharacteristically unsure of himself, Dylan lays down multiple takes of each song, at first simply with just his guitar and vocal and, at times, with just bass or contributions from a few musicians called in.
The underlying thesis of Heylin’s call to arms is that the tracks as recorded on four successive days in New York in September 1974 are immeasurably more potent – more personal, more vulnerable ¬ than versions Dylan recorded a few weeks later in Minnesota that would supplant the majority of the earlier versions.
Various voices are gathered from people who were present in the studio, as well as musicians and friends who were privy to test pressings and acetates before the official release. The consensus backs up his opinion.
In addition to speaking with numerous witnesses to concatenate impressions and memories, Heylin has scoured the Dylan archives, referred back to the initial reviews and displays his extensive knowledge of the previous books on Dylan’s work. As well, he has listened deeply to all the various versions ¬and they are plentiful ¬ to back up his contention that what was recorded in New York is a treasure still hidden.
The underlying thesis of Heylin’s call to arms is that the tracks as recorded on four successive days in New York in September 1974 are immeasurably more potent – more personal, more vulnerable ¬ than versions Dylan recorded a few weeks later in Minnesota that would supplant the majority of the earlier versions.
Various voices are gathered from people who were present in the studio, as well as musicians and friends who were privy to test pressings and acetates before the official release. The consensus backs up his opinion.
In addition to speaking with numerous witnesses to concatenate impressions and memories, Heylin has scoured the Dylan archives, referred back to the initial reviews and displays his extensive knowledge of the previous books on Dylan’s work. As well, he has listened deeply to all the various versions ¬and they are plentiful ¬ to back up his contention that what was recorded in New York is a treasure still hidden.
February 21, 2021
An extended essay on Dylan's classic Blood On The Tracks, focusing on the sessions in New York which produced the original version of the album, before Dylan latterly decided to recut some of the tracks.
As ever, Heylin's analysis is excellent and this is a terrific addition to his series of Dylan books, all of which should be read by any serious Dylan fan.
As ever, Heylin's analysis is excellent and this is a terrific addition to his series of Dylan books, all of which should be read by any serious Dylan fan.
May 28, 2022
For obsessive Dylan fans only, this is an account of how Dylan's masterpiece "Blood on the Tracks" was recorded in the fall of 1974. Includes interviews with many of the people who were present at the sessions, and analysis of the recordings. The book also discusses the late changes that pulled half of the NYC tracks and replaced them with less personal versions recorded in Minnesota.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews