Bob Dylan: The Stories Behind the Songs, 1962-69

by Andy Gill

In this book, Andy Gill assess the circumstances behind Dylan's most famous songs, tracing the artist's progress from young tyro folkie to acclaimed protest singer, and through the subsequent changes which saw him invent folk-rock and transform rock 'n' roll with symbolist poetry, before retreating into country-tinged conservatism just as his followers were engaged in the great psychedelic freak-show of the late 1960s. Even then, he couldn't help but innovate, introducing the world to another strain of popular music-country-rock-which would come to dominate the American charts through the next decade. Always one step ahead of the crowd, always pushing himself to extend the boundaries of his art, the Dylan of the 1960s remains a beacon of integrity to which fans and fellow musicians keep returning.

192 pages, Hardcover

Published December 10, 2024

Reviews

[Gerry Beane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The approach that I took with this book was by reading the forward, and then the first page of each album it’s summary and so forth, and then reading the description of the song. I then actually listened to each and every song before moving to the next song. Although it extended the length of time for reading this book, I had the opportunity to compare my interpretations of Dylan’s songs with the author’s interpretations of the songs. Sometimes we agreed, sometimes we did not, but I found each instance to be very insightful. I enjoyed listening to all of this music once again in chronological order and with the context of Dylan’s life experiences at that time. Very enjoyable!