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Bob Dylan: Outlaw Blues
Bob Outlaw Blues by Spencer Leigh is a fresh take on this famous yet elusive personality, a one-man hall of mirrors who continues to intrigue his followers worldwide. It is an in-depth account with new information and fascinating opinions, both from the author and his interviewees. Whether you are a Dylan fan or not, you will be gripped by this remarkable tale.
Most performers create their work for public approval, but at the center of this book is a mercurial man who doesn't trust his own audience. If he feels he is getting too much acclaim, he tends to veer off in another direction. Despite his age, Bob Dylan still tours extensively. Famously known for not looking happy, the author looks at what motivates him.
"Journalists are very fond of saying Bob Dylan is an enigma," says Spencer Leigh, "but that word is flawed. It's as good as saying you don't know... I have not called Bob Dylan an enigma at any point in the book as I have tried to find answers."
Spencer Leigh has spoken to over 300 musicians, friends and acquaintances of Bob Dylan in his research for this book.
Most performers create their work for public approval, but at the center of this book is a mercurial man who doesn't trust his own audience. If he feels he is getting too much acclaim, he tends to veer off in another direction. Despite his age, Bob Dylan still tours extensively. Famously known for not looking happy, the author looks at what motivates him.
"Journalists are very fond of saying Bob Dylan is an enigma," says Spencer Leigh, "but that word is flawed. It's as good as saying you don't know... I have not called Bob Dylan an enigma at any point in the book as I have tried to find answers."
Spencer Leigh has spoken to over 300 musicians, friends and acquaintances of Bob Dylan in his research for this book.
544 pages, Hardcover
Published September 29, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 16, 2021
On 24th May Bob will be 80 so they have published a flurry of Bob books as a cash in/celebration, and as a Bob fan I thought I’d better show willing and read at least one of them, so I got this one.
Mistake.
For fellow Bob fans consider this a gentle warning : get one of the other ones!
As an author Spencer Leigh is a grand list maker. This book is one long list! On 3rd June 1981 Bob did this. On 4th June 1981 Bob did that.
My heart began to sink on page TWO :
The most famous entertainers to come from Minneapolis are the Andrews Sisters
Well, they are pretty famous, but there was another entertainer came from Minneapolis and I would argue he became more famous even than the Andrews Sisters – yeah, Prince.
Spencer interviewed hundreds of tangentially related people for this book. This book is very long (500 small print pages) sometimes because Spencer includes random irrelevancies by his interviewees, like a paragraph from Charlie Gillett about how much he loves Mark Knopfler’s songs. Who cares. Occasionally someone gives a snappy quotable response, like Paul Jones who said :
Bob Dylan’s harmonica playing is useless, utterly and incorrigibly useless but very endearing
Spencer likes to make his own sarcastic comments too :
Dylan was experiencing arthritis in his fingers and he found it easier to play piano than guitar on stage. He often wore a pink jacket and he cancelled a show at Brixton Academy because of laryngitis, though how could he tell?
There’s an example of this book’s peculiar non-sequiturs. What’s the pink jacket got to do with arthritis or laryngitis?
Open this book at random and you’ll get a comment from Spencer that sounds like he’s just transcribing late night thoughts.
“One of Us Must Know” could be about Joan Baez or his relationship to the folk world, but I tend to think not as he had already used those subjects : “I never really meant to do you any harm” might have no bearing on his life at all.
Hmm, you don’t say so? Musing over the song “Licence to Kill” on p345 Spencer says
Dylan sings “Man has invented his doom, first step was touching the moon”. Dylan has commented on wasting money in space exploration but what does this mean? It’s only a song and it doesn’t have to mean anything but it is still perplexing. Sometimes I wish Dylan’s songs came with footnotes. This incidentally is one marked difference with Neil Young who is infatuated with space travel in several of his songs.
And it also distinguishes him from Pink Floyd. They love space travel.
On page 323 we read
When Elvis Presley died on August 16, Bob was morose for a couple of days.
When I decided to jack in this weird, slightly funny, more than slightly batty and eventually rather ghastly book, I was morose for a good 15 minutes.
*****
Soundtrack
What Was it You Wanted? : Bob Dylan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3_-w...
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun : Pink Floyd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Qio...
Lost in Space : Neil Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_BRC...
Jokerman : Bob Dylan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XSvs...
Mistake.
For fellow Bob fans consider this a gentle warning : get one of the other ones!
As an author Spencer Leigh is a grand list maker. This book is one long list! On 3rd June 1981 Bob did this. On 4th June 1981 Bob did that.
My heart began to sink on page TWO :
The most famous entertainers to come from Minneapolis are the Andrews Sisters
Well, they are pretty famous, but there was another entertainer came from Minneapolis and I would argue he became more famous even than the Andrews Sisters – yeah, Prince.
Spencer interviewed hundreds of tangentially related people for this book. This book is very long (500 small print pages) sometimes because Spencer includes random irrelevancies by his interviewees, like a paragraph from Charlie Gillett about how much he loves Mark Knopfler’s songs. Who cares. Occasionally someone gives a snappy quotable response, like Paul Jones who said :
Bob Dylan’s harmonica playing is useless, utterly and incorrigibly useless but very endearing
Spencer likes to make his own sarcastic comments too :
Dylan was experiencing arthritis in his fingers and he found it easier to play piano than guitar on stage. He often wore a pink jacket and he cancelled a show at Brixton Academy because of laryngitis, though how could he tell?
There’s an example of this book’s peculiar non-sequiturs. What’s the pink jacket got to do with arthritis or laryngitis?
Open this book at random and you’ll get a comment from Spencer that sounds like he’s just transcribing late night thoughts.
“One of Us Must Know” could be about Joan Baez or his relationship to the folk world, but I tend to think not as he had already used those subjects : “I never really meant to do you any harm” might have no bearing on his life at all.
Hmm, you don’t say so? Musing over the song “Licence to Kill” on p345 Spencer says
Dylan sings “Man has invented his doom, first step was touching the moon”. Dylan has commented on wasting money in space exploration but what does this mean? It’s only a song and it doesn’t have to mean anything but it is still perplexing. Sometimes I wish Dylan’s songs came with footnotes. This incidentally is one marked difference with Neil Young who is infatuated with space travel in several of his songs.
And it also distinguishes him from Pink Floyd. They love space travel.
On page 323 we read
When Elvis Presley died on August 16, Bob was morose for a couple of days.
When I decided to jack in this weird, slightly funny, more than slightly batty and eventually rather ghastly book, I was morose for a good 15 minutes.
*****
Soundtrack
What Was it You Wanted? : Bob Dylan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3_-w...
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun : Pink Floyd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Qio...
Lost in Space : Neil Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_BRC...
Jokerman : Bob Dylan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XSvs...
March 15, 2021
I have read many Dylan book & this is one of the oddest. A lot of the book reads like a group of lists of assorted facts - some related to Dylan others not. There is hardly any analysis in the book and no real attempt to add to other works.
The other odd thing is that, particularly in the second half of the book, the author really seems to dislike Dylan - both his work and as a person so it gets very negative.
The other odd thing is that, particularly in the second half of the book, the author really seems to dislike Dylan - both his work and as a person so it gets very negative.
July 11, 2021
Fantastic!!!
March 30, 2025
For those seeking a straightforward, concise biography of Bob Dylan, this book might not align with your expectations. However, for readers who possess a deep passion for music and an insatiable curiosity about its history—particularly the cultural and social context surrounding Dylan's timeline—this is, in my view, unparalleled. The author, Spencer, masterfully creates a vivid backdrop through an intricate blend of social and musical history, commentary, and perspectives from other artists, interwoven with his own insightful analysis and opinions. Remarkably, entire sections may not even mention Dylan directly, yet they enrich the narrative with context that amplifies understanding and appreciation.
Having previously read Spencer's exploration of Doo-Wop music, I found myself inspired to purchase multiple albums as a complement to that reading experience. Similarly, this book has left me with an extensive list of names, albums, and historical events to delve into, thanks to Spencer's meticulous research and engaging presentation of details.
In essence, this is an extraordinary work of musical literature. It should be noted, however, that those seeking a traditional biography devoid of additional context and commentary may want to approach with tempered expectations. This book offers far more—it is an expansive, thoughtful exploration that stands among the finest I have ever read.
Having previously read Spencer's exploration of Doo-Wop music, I found myself inspired to purchase multiple albums as a complement to that reading experience. Similarly, this book has left me with an extensive list of names, albums, and historical events to delve into, thanks to Spencer's meticulous research and engaging presentation of details.
In essence, this is an extraordinary work of musical literature. It should be noted, however, that those seeking a traditional biography devoid of additional context and commentary may want to approach with tempered expectations. This book offers far more—it is an expansive, thoughtful exploration that stands among the finest I have ever read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews