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Chronicles : Volume One

by Bob Dylan

3.95 · rating details · 7,282 ratings · 727 reviews

""I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else.""

Bob Dylan's "Chronicle: Volume One" explores the critical junctions in his life and career. Through Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he f

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Audio CD, Abridged, 6 pages

Published October 5th 2004 by Simon & Schuster Audio (first published January 1st 2004)

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Jan 25, 2012

Ian Graye rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: muse-ik, thin-white-mercury-sounds

Positively Fraud Street?

I see you on the street
I always act surprised
I say, “How does it feel?”
But I don’t mean it.

"I can't taste your words,"
You said, "Your songs are just lies."
So I cried that you were deaf,
You'd lost the sight in your eyes.

And I said that you were wrong
When you accused me of theft
But all I really wanted to know was
What else have you got left?

No, I never w...more

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Oct 27, 2011

Paul rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: essential-music-books, bob-dylan

Conscience impels me to remove one star from my original 5. I'm bewitched, bothered and bewildered.

When this gorgeously written, completely eccentric and endearing memoir came out in 2004 I loved it, and my original review is included below. In the years since then, Dylan fans and commentators have been finding out stuff, and it opens a big can of worms, the worms of

PLAGIARISM

Because, it seems, if the rabid batgooglers and archive monkeys are to be believed, l...more

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Mar 19, 2008

Tosh rated it

· review of another edition

Mark my words, this book is going to be considered as an American classic piece of literature. Students in the year 2035 will study it, and young men wearing plastic rain coats will be holding this book as a fashionable prop in the most elegant nightclubs.

As for me, this was such a surprise remarkable read. I didn't expect it to be so great. What makes it so great is Dylan personal observations on the world around him. The way he goes through his frirends' library was one of my ...more

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Oct 02, 2008

Dustin rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: already disillusioned Bob Dylan fans

Bob Dylan has given us a meandering, often boring and only occasionally interesting account of some of the formative moments of his career. Two thirds of the book is taken up by the story of how he came to record "New Morning" and "Oh Mercy." Yowzah! He gives only glancing, arrogant mention to the days of his most prolific and brilliant songwriting--which is fine, it doesn't shatter my perception of Dylan to find him arrogant and evasive, but I do take umbrage with the boring...more

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Oct 25, 2011

Geoff rated it

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Shelves: lives

I’m going to do something I try not to do here, since I consider this to be a site about other people’s words- I’m going to ramble on autobiographically for a bit.

I bought this first volume of Dylan’s Chronicles the day it came out in 2004, was anticipating the hell out of it. Back then I was managing a used record store in College Park, Maryland. I studied poetry and creative writing at UMD, big waste of my time, could’ve learned all that on my own, learn more now on my own than I...more

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Jul 04, 2009

Evan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 1960s, celebrity-famous-bio, music-non-reference, ebook-special-coll, my-faves, 2009-reads

"There was a missing person inside of myself and I needed to find him."

God, this is incredible. Completely wonderful. A fucking masterpiece autobiography. Wondrous observation. Surprising self effacement. The wisdom of years. A delicious and well-honed sense of irony. Every sentence a joy. More references in one graph than in whole books. A complete world brought to life. Ruminations and the joy of learning and discovery: Dylan's own and his conveyance of it to us. Dylan's ...more"There was a missing person inside of myself and I needed to find him."

God, this is incredible. Completely wonderful. A fucking masterpiece autobiography. Wondrous observation. Surprising self effacement. The wisdom of years. A delicious and well-honed sense of irony. Every sentence a joy. More references in one graph than in whole books. A complete world brought to life. Ruminations and the joy of learning and discovery: Dylan's own and his conveyance of it to us. Dylan's highlights aren't the highlights of traditional biographers; they're his own and they make you understand his inner thought processes, his mind, his self better than a bland externalized treatment. Another thing that's great about this is how funny it is. Dylan has a wicked sense of humor.

HALFWAY:
A frequent thematic element of the book is Dylan's war with the media and his public image, his battle against the idea that he was/is "the voice of a generation." His evasiveness, elusiveness and parrying, he says, were intentional. The strategy seems to have worked, and yet the elusiveness seems only to have made him an even more mystical and mythical figure, opening him up to even more iconographic treatment by the media, the critics, the sycophants. I'm not sure Dylan fully realizes the backlash resulting from his attitude. It's a complex and uneasy dance, but it has worked for him nonetheless, for, despite charges of "selling out" by various sectors of his critical and fan base through the years, it's hard to imagine an artist who has managed a more solid balance, in general, of critical street cred and commercial success.
In discussing his "middle period", which seems to have begun with "Nashville Skyline" (an album he talks about at length but never mentions by name; indeed, he rarely seems to mention any of his albums by name), he admits to his creative drought, self-doubt and failings.
This is an observational autobiography; a ramble perhaps, but it hangs together due to Dylan's sweet turns of phrase and often profound musings, mostly flavored by an impish bemusement.

Further in:
Dylan ruminates on how he found a self charging General Electric portable radio in the sand on the beach -- built like a tank -- and yet it is broken; this leads to a lovely passage about how all things become broken. And it led to the writing of a song. This book is like that.

FINAL:
This is about what Dylan sees and thinks. And about people he's met and what they said. It's not chronological; it has its own internal logic, and it's an incredible book. Highest recommendation.(less)

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Jun 13, 2008

Cobardon rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Dylan fans, social historians

I went in to this with mixed expectations: sure, the hype was big and the guy is one of the great lyricists of our age, but I'd read his garbled sleeve notes on those seminal 60s albums and excerpts from his wilfully confusing novel 'Tarantula', and there was no huge cause for celebration at him writing some more prose. Further, his ventures into cinema (and painting, in my opinion) have been poor so there was no guarantees that he could 'do' anything other than write some of the best songs I'v...moreI went in to this with mixed expectations: sure, the hype was big and the guy is one of the great lyricists of our age, but I'd read his garbled sleeve notes on those seminal 60s albums and excerpts from his wilfully confusing novel 'Tarantula', and there was no huge cause for celebration at him writing some more prose. Further, his ventures into cinema (and painting, in my opinion) have been poor so there was no guarantees that he could 'do' anything other than write some of the best songs I've ever heard. Likewise, his interviews are notoriously guarded and lacking in candour, so, as I say, I was not sure what to expect. Would he open up and share his inner self, or would he hide behind cryptic metaphor and write hundreds of pages saying nothing much at all?

'Chronicles' is a triumph. No, seriously and unreservedly, it is. His prose is blindingly brilliant at times, utilising every skill gained over forty years of writing, and the narrative draws you in from the first page. This is an extraordinary life story, by any standard. Told in chunks in a non-sequential manner, it doesn't matter that he eschews standard ideas of chronology. It works all the better for suddenly switching his tale from New York in 61, to his Woodstock retreat in the late 60s, through to his youth in Minnesota and a wonderfully evocative late 80s New Orleans before returning to New York and the eve of his big breakthrough by the end.

Along the way he paints pictures of the sort of character that has always inhabited his best songs, only this time putting real names in place. Not only do we get cameos by Bono, John Wayne, David Crosby ('an architect of harmony' declares Dylan) and so on, but the kind of fabulously memorable individual like a gift shop owner in Louisiana who exchanges dialogue with the subject. There are many such figures dotted in the book, brought splendidly to life. We are left with a wonder at them, but also whether Dylan has used poetic licence throughout such long quoted passages. Is he a reliable narrator? Is that the point? (He outlines an exchange with a PR guy very early on where he basically lies throughout about himself, giving many of the myths that stuck about him for years. Perhaps he's letting us know the form.)

Yet, there is not the level of obfuscation you might have expected. Dylan opens his life up like never before, about his relationships, his dreams, his fame, his music. Sure, there are huge gaps about key figures - notably little on Woody Guthrie the person, rather than the ideal - but then maybe he's saving all that for the sequel. There are, we assume, plenty of insights on Dylan the man and what makes him what he is. He tells us of his epiphanies regarding Guthrie, Brecht and Robert Johnson, and his sincerity and discernable influence from those figures make that sort of detail hard to doubt. He's open about Suze Rotolo (and Joan Baez to some extent, hinting more than he tells, all the same), about how much he is in debt to key figures of the early 60s New York folk and Beats scene, about his disdain for fame and his reputation as 'spokesman of a generation' that he tried so hard to destroy in the mid 60s.

Best of all he's open about his music. The details of his writing then recording of 'Oh Mercy' with Daniel Lanois in New Orleans are insightful as anyone could have hoped, and while telling us about that music he brings that famous city to life magnificently. In each location he does a fabulous job of transporting the reader to his side, to see, smell, feel and hear his life through his own eyes, whether it be the dingy room he rents in freezing New York City or the foghorns of Hibbing and Duluth.

His writing is economical and brilliant, employing the gift for metaphor and unusual depth of observation that has served him so well in his best song lyrics.

To summarise: if you are a fan of Dylan, reading this is essential. For anyone interested in his life and times, it's a fine read in any case, fan or not.
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Apr 09, 2008

Brian rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: True Bob Dylan fans & fans of any artists in general

Know this, readers. Bob Dylan has ALWAYS and will forever continue (probably even at his death) to do things HIS OWN WAY!

I read some of the reviews for this book. First off, ignore all those who are not even fans of Bob Dylan or are the ones that wish he would sing "Like a Rolling Stone" or "Tangled up in Blue." Get over it.

What I saw in this book was his inspiration. You will NEVER get this in any biography about any artist. Or at least rarely. Biogr...moreKnow this, readers. Bob Dylan has ALWAYS and will forever continue (probably even at his death) to do things HIS OWN WAY!

I read some of the reviews for this book. First off, ignore all those who are not even fans of Bob Dylan or are the ones that wish he would sing "Like a Rolling Stone" or "Tangled up in Blue." Get over it.

What I saw in this book was his inspiration. You will NEVER get this in any biography about any artist. Or at least rarely. Biographies and even autobiographies are a way for the "experts" to place the person in history. Dylan is more than willing to allow the music critics and even historians to do that (yes he acknowledges that he is a historical figure--and he is pretty humbled by it I assume). Just don't expect him to really care. They can pour through volumes of interviews (those that he gave that revealed something of the "inner-Bob") and articles and talk to hundreds of friends and relatives. They will still never KNOW the subject completely. Bob Dylan proved that with this book.

The book is "rambling" for some, but I found this stream-of-consciousness style to be refreshing and definitely influenced by Jack Kerouac or Woody Guthrie--who he has been most compared. His story telling reminded my of a grandfather or the fascinating older man down the neighborhood who would entertain you with stories. Yes they "rambled" and digressed into other subjects. But they were REAL and true and revealed something about the speaker.

I am sure when the book came out almost 4 years ago, people thought "FINALLY he will give us a true picture of his life and influences!" And then they were bitterly disappointed. Bob Dylan has always done things his owne way and refuses to be pigeon-holed into wherevever even his fans want him to be. That is what makes him THE artist for the last half of 20th Century and still into today! He wants true freedom--freedom from being who even millions of people demand him to be. A freedom we all should strive for.

I look forward to reading Volume II and III or IV if ever writes them.

And, finally, CONGRATS on the PULITZER PRIZE, BOB! You were overdue, but I hope your best stuff is still to come and you can collectively tell the music critics and fans that haven't let go of the '60's to shove it! (less)

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Dec 09, 2007

Jenna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: memoir

In this autobiography, the poet from Minnesota arrives in New York City as a young man, ready to launch his career. A saxifrage bursting into bloom. What qualities did Dylan have, aside from his knack for words and music, that account for his success? His self-assurance. His faith in his own methods. His strange sense of kinship with all great visionaries and revolutionaries in history (generals, philosophers, men of faith, men of science, you name it; he says, "It was like they were l...moreIn this autobiography, the poet from Minnesota arrives in New York City as a young man, ready to launch his career. A saxifrage bursting into bloom. What qualities did Dylan have, aside from his knack for words and music, that account for his success? His self-assurance. His faith in his own methods. His strange sense of kinship with all great visionaries and revolutionaries in history (generals, philosophers, men of faith, men of science, you name it; he says, "It was like they were living in my backyard"). His prescient conviction that he would someday be a great mover and shaker himself. His strong sense of history. His equally strong sense of destiny (unusual for a man living in our scientific-minded times, in which it seems no serious intellectual believes in Fate or Destiny anymore). And -- most importantly, I think -- his emphasis on the importance of having *vision* (a word we rarely hear in discussions of poets or musicians anymore). On his first encounter with a singer who was later to help him jump-start his career, he writes, "I saw him walking towards me in the frosty silence... It was like the wind was blowing him my way." It is Dylan's rather reactionary belief that destiny *does* play a role in our lives, his belief that the wind *does* blow mystical revelations our way and his receptiveness to these revelations, I think, that was the keystone of his unique success.

For such a highly politicized figure, Dylan devotes surprisingly few words in this book to discussing the sociopolitical issues of his time. He doesn't think of his songs as "protest songs," he says; instead, he prefers to think of them as "rebel ballads." This nomenclature emphasizes the heroically rebellious personalities of the *characters* in his songs, rather than the political *messages* that the songs incidentally convey. (This could be a useful lesson for all aspiring writers of political poetry: if you want to avoid accidentally crossing the hazy line from political poetry into political propaganda, keep your focus on your characters rather than on your message.) Indeed, one of the most striking things about this book is how character-centered it is, and how vivid all the characters are. Throughout his life, Dylan surrounded himself with people with strong iconic personalities, the kind of people whom you could write a good strong folk-ballad about. I'm guessing that this was another of the secrets to his greatness.

Though his diction here isn't anywhere near as poetic as you might expect after hearing his song lyrics (I guess it's unrealistic to expect a writer to be able to maintain his voice at such an elevated register for the duration of an entire book), this is nonetheless a worthwhile, easy read that's stuffed with insights into the artistic process.(less)

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Nov 29, 2007

Chad rated it

· review of another edition

After reading half of this book sometime ago and then getting side track, I finally picked it up again. Mainly to get reacquainted with Dylan before seeing I'M NOT HERE.

I am currently reading the chapter where Dylan is lost with in himself. No longer enjoying is creativity or understanding it. "The problem was that after relying so long on instinct and intuition, both these ladies had turned into vultures and were sucking me dry" Dylan said. He was stuck unable to change ...more

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Oct 11, 2007

Christian rated it

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Recommends it for: those who don't believe in Zimmerman

Let me start off by saying is that I'm not a Dylan music fan; it's not that I dislike Dylan, but I've just never really listened to him. I think I own just two of his songs (Rainy Day Women and All Along the Watchtower, thanks BSG finale). So I'm not what you'd call a fan.

As a result I was kinda surprised by what this book is. It's not a biography per se, it's more of a summation of the inspirations and their effects on his life. There's enough other names thrown around in this b...more

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Aug 03, 2007

Keith rated it

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Shelves: recentpast

If you're a song-writer or care at all about the craft of song-writing then this is a great read. He doesn't give you any road maps, just explains things in his typically disjointed manner. Some quotes...

A song is like a dream, and you try to make it come true. They're like strange countries that you have to enter. You can write a song anywhere, in a railroad compartment, on a boat, on horseback-it helps to be moving. Sometimes people who have the greatest talent for writing songs n...more

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Jul 23, 2007

Mikey rated it

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Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: fiction

Bob Dylan's Chronicles Volume One is a bizarre masterpiece, an autobiography of deliberately misremembered facts that puts the reader directly in the mind of one of the greatest artists of...all time, really. Dylan's (and not Robert Zimmerman's; there's a distinction here, and it's why the book is best categorized as fiction) voice comes through loud and clear here and presents an incredible picture of the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 60s, the rock scene of the 80s, the intellectuals who...more

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Feb 16, 2008

Andrew rated it

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I've only come around to liking Dylan in the last few years, despised him since youth. I didn't read this when it first came out cause at that point I didn't care. Waiting around in Heathrow and not wanting to get stuck with British coins I spent my remaining funds on one particularly good British candy and this paperback. Figured that I would get around to reading it sooner or later. I completely forgot about the book I had been reading and spent the next day and a half burning thought this. Dy...more

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Mar 10, 2008

Salma rated it

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Recommends it for: Everyone! Even if they don't like Bob.

Shelves: music, favorites

there's no way to do this work justice- it's like one of his songs- you've gotta experience it- let it hit you. Like a Dali painting.

He talks in poetry- he made me laugh so hard with his sarcasm I got cramps. He tells us what inspired him- when he got inspired (age 12, banging around on the piano, listening to Little Richard records), talks about Suze, the love he's still obviously in love with. Talks about his dry spells- the despair that came with it.

He doesn't give u...more

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Mar 25, 2009

Margaret added it · review of another edition

Wow..
Just... wow...
Now I see why people were raving about this book. It's Bob Dylan's story - told in a uniquely Dylan-esqe way.
It's as stream-of-consciousness as Todd Haynes' film - and just as poetic.

Whether he's talking about writing his first song or sitting around his kitchen table talking about fame with Bono - it's all Dylan in his warped, too-sensible-for-this-world voice.

One of the most interesting stories in the book:
So.. Bob Dylan, f...more

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Jan 22, 2009

bookczuk rated it

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Shelves: biography-autobiography-or-memoir, skim-read-til-the-end

One of my friends gave me this saying, "Hated it, hated it, hated it". I had just seen the wonderful documentary on Bob Dylan, and wanted to give it a try. Equal parts fascination and exasperation were my reaction. didn't go for Volume II. I had no idea Dylan so totally remade himself.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
"I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobod...more

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Dec 25, 2008

Pudge rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Hardcore Dylan Fans

Some people have said this book doesn't reveal enough about Bob Dylan's personal life and that it skips around too much. I feel differently. Far as self-disclosure goes, Bob Dylan will never write a tell all, because that's just not the kind of person he is. I was very happy with the many personal thoughts and experiences he did share in Chronicles; he was way more open that I expected. This book does not read like a normal story. It's true. Bob doesn't always stick to a chronological line, but ...more

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Dec 16, 2011

Brent rated it

· review of another edition

Dylan is a better songwriter than he is an author. That said, I found his book to be fascinating in parts, amusing in others, and a bit unfocused at times. The story isn't linear, but Dylan manages to cover his life from the summer after finishing high school in Minnesota, to recording the album Oh Mercy! in the 1980s. The Greenwich Village parts of the book were particularly interesting and bring to life an era I'll never experience. As someone who is passionate about music, I was intrigued...more

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Oct 16, 2011

Richard rated it

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I picked this up not knowing what to expect – like just about everybody in my generation I was a fan but couldn’t figure out where Dylan was coming from. Looking for insight, I watched DA Pennebaker’s 1967 documentary on Dylan “Don’t Look Back” and came away even more confused about Dylan. Reading the book reveals some of the mystery and truths from Dylan’s perspective and provides a good deal of the influences behind his music. He talks a about growing up in the mining town of Hibbing, MN of...moreI picked this up not knowing what to expect – like just about everybody in my generation I was a fan but couldn’t figure out where Dylan was coming from. Looking for insight, I watched DA Pennebaker’s 1967 documentary on Dylan “Don’t Look Back” and came away even more confused about Dylan. Reading the book reveals some of the mystery and truths from Dylan’s perspective and provides a good deal of the influences behind his music. He talks a about growing up in the mining town of Hibbing, MN of his father and uncles all of whom went to WWII and came back, never said a single word about their experiences (dinner around the Dylan table must have been a spectacle:

Pa: Pass (the) potatoes…
Ma: How wuz yer day?
Pa: Sure

You definitely get the idea that Bob wanted to set the record straight and clean up the confusion that has surrounded his name since his days as folk singer in Greenwich Village to the anti-war poet of the people, to dissolute rock n roller with The Band to Christian to just another performer as he is now. As revealing as this memoir is it still contains haziness that could have been better clarified with some dates. Chronicles Volume I begins with his days in MN and the events/music that formed his direction, followed by a short stint in Duluth where he practiced his folkie technique (copying his muse Woody Guthrie primarily) to his launch as an unknown to Greenwich Village where he encounters Dave Van Ronk and other luminaries of the folk scene. After hooking up with the legendary manager Albert Grossman a legendary deal maker/bully he landed in Woodstock at the height of his 60’s fame. It’s here that Dylan makes it very clear he wanted nothing to do with the 60’s scene he was thought to be leading and details how he could find no peace in Woodstock even going so far as to be armed to protect has young family. He was baffled by the mantle of sage handed to him, wanting nothing more than the prototypical small house with a white picket fence and a place to enjoy his family.

The story proceeds in something of a dreamlike state free of any dates but included are the occasional references to shows, albums, sidemen that act as waypoints to give you an idea of the period he’s writing about. Maddening is that The Band gets only one single reference and that only an exchange between Robbie Robertson and Dylan traveling in a car when RR asks Bob something like “What’s next, man”? and he replies something like “WTF, you too?” and mentions wanting to jump out of the car. It was just THE BAND after all Bob, why would you want to mention THEM??? Maybe he’ll circle back for more in Volume II, one can only hope.
Interestingly, he goes into a lot of detail about hooking up with notable produce Daniel Lanois and recording his first album with him (”Oh Mercy, 1989). Lanois’ own material like “Acadie” “For The Beauty of Wynona”, “Shine” etc. is spectacular, understated, haunted stuff so one would think he would be a perfect fit as a producer for Dylan, but Bob being Bob that wasn’t necessarily the case. Still it provides an interesting look into the creative process among musicians that is worth reading.

Dylan closes Volume I of Chronicles by circling back on his days in Greenwich Village and his time spent with his then muse Suze Rotell for whom he wrote the epically beautiful “Boots Of Spanish Leather” (delivered in fine form by guitarist Martin Simpson on “A Nod To Bob” released as a 60th birthday tribute). Despite Suze’s beauty and talent, Bob being Bob it didn’t last long and so the first Volume comes to an end.
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Oct 15, 2011

Taylor rated it

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The best autobiography I have ever read. Scratch that, one of the best books I have ever read.
The style of writing is pristine. It feels like your grandfather is telling you a bunch of interesting stories from his past. But you can just hear Bob speaking to you. Since he is the greatest songwriter of our time, you'd hope it'd transfer over well into a book. It certainly does. He is one of the greatest writers of all time. The insight he has and shows in Chronicles is amazing. I got so much...more

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Mar 23, 2011

Jay Batstone rated it

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Bob Dylan, arguably the most famous performer to come out of sixties haze and cold war blues, will always be remembered. Perhaps for his Joycean lyrics of introspection and commitment to freedom, perhaps for the wildly diverse nature of the music he has written, perhaps because the times were a changin' and Dylan changed with them. He is a man absolutely shrouded, wrapped in mystery. After having been crowned King of every movement needing an artist, retiring from the cages of Maggie's Farm, spa...more

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Oct 14, 2010

West Hartford rated it

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Bob Dylan is an extraordinary songwriter, and here turns his pen toward his own life for a few hundred pages. What is amazing is that he can tell us so much without revealing anything. Stories of pivotal moments in his life--arriving in New York, learning to love playing live again, signing his first record contract--are presented in a semi-random (or at least not chronological) order and focus entirely on his artistic life. The writing is exquisite (on Hank Williams' death: "The silence of...more

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Mar 26, 2010

Monthly Book Group rated it

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The structure chosen for the book - a series of different shots in time presented in a circular rather than linear manner - provoked wide differences of view. For those who did not like the book this structure was simply awful. Even for some Dylan fans the circularity and complete lack of references or even dates was the major weakness in the book. For others, including some non-Dylan fans, the circularity of structure, cleverly moving through time to end back at the beginning, was not very diff...moreThe structure chosen for the book - a series of different shots in time presented in a circular rather than linear manner - provoked wide differences of view. For those who did not like the book this structure was simply awful. Even for some Dylan fans the circularity and complete lack of references or even dates was the major weakness in the book. For others, including some non-Dylan fans, the circularity of structure, cleverly moving through time to end back at the beginning, was not very different to many modern novels. It helped to illuminate cause and effect in the creative process. Dylan had a similar approach to his songs as he argued the order of the verses did not matter.

Guileless as the book appeared, we felt there must be some shaping - or re-creation - of his image involved. He never criticised anyone, and this became irritating and implausible after a while. He went to great lengths to list all the writers he had come across in the libraries of his friends, without saying much of substance about what he took from them. We wondered if this was partly a response to academic speculation about his influences, but felt it also revealed the insecurity of the auto-didact. That being said, his years in New York had clearly served as a very valuable education in the university of life. On the subject of his influences it was pointed out that he seemed to have little or no knowledge of black music in his early formative years. But the most interesting insight into his influences was the role played by reading old newspaper cuttings in public libraries.

Surprisingly open as the book was, he was still enigmatic in some areas, starting with the complete lack of introduction or dedication for the book. We were surprised to be told that the "wife" he refers to in two different episodes was in fact two different wives (the second wife being revealed for the first time to Dylan scholars through the publication of this book). We also noted that he, presumably deliberately, never referred to the colour of any person he mentions.

We ended as we had begun with a wide range of contradictory views. This might be partly explained by the fact that the book assumed in the reader a wide knowledge of Dylan's life and works. However, while most of the non-Dylan fans were not fans of the book, this was not true of all of them, and while most of the Dylan fans were fans of the book, this was not true of all of them either.(This is an extract from a review at http://www.monthlybookgroup.com/)

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Jan 23, 2010

Matt Shake rated it

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Some may find this shocking, but Bob Dylan can really ramble on and on...Now don't get me wrong, I love Dylan's music and this book was worth the time. It just wasn't worthy of a higher ranking. Actually there were 2 things that intrigued me: 1) this man is extremely well-read. I guess he gained more respect from me because he's an astounding amateur historian. He's probably read more ancient history than this history major will ever read! Furthermore, I know why his music is so good: he ac...more

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Nov 21, 2009

Bubba added it · review of another edition

Shelves: america, music

It shouldn't be a surprise that this book is a poetic, stream-of-consciousness rumination, that references many characters in popular culture during the past 40-odd years--sort of like one of Dylan's longer compositions ("Desolation Row" in book form?). What is, somewhat, surprising is how human Dylan comes out in this, almost, dare I say it, normal.

The way Dylan is always trumpeted in the writings of the aging baby-boomer/hippie set, he comes off as ultra-cool and aloof; ...moreIt shouldn't be a surprise that this book is a poetic, stream-of-consciousness rumination, that references many characters in popular culture during the past 40-odd years--sort of like one of Dylan's longer compositions ("Desolation Row" in book form?). What is, somewhat, surprising is how human Dylan comes out in this, almost, dare I say it, normal.

The way Dylan is always trumpeted in the writings of the aging baby-boomer/hippie set, he comes off as ultra-cool and aloof; above mere mortals. But, by his own estimation, he's just a dude from Minnesota who wanted to be an artist: not a spokeman, revolutionary, etc., just a guy who makes music. Several times in the book he reminisces about muscians from his era, who though talented, never had the counter-culture/hipster cred that he did. He compares himself to Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers and Bobby Vee, feeling more kinship with them than Abbie Hoffman and other 60s era gurus. In fact, he vents alot of spleen at the hippies who would show up at his woodstock home, looking for a messiah, and often try to cajole him into leading an overthrow of the system. He talks about recording "Nashville Skyline" so he would seem uncool to these people, and that they would leave he and his family alone. By the late 60s he was married with three kids, and all he really wanted to do was spend time w/his family, go to his kids little league games, and not be accosted by crazies.

All that said, he's still an artist, so "normal" isn't the right word. As an artist he lives by creativity, and so his writing is not merely a chronicle of his life, but a kind of cerebral exploration of its many facets. Hence the book is organized, not chronologically, but thematically. It can seem a bit annoying, as you expect him to take you up to certain points in his career, building on what went before, so you understand the linear development of his life. But, being an artist, he's got to jump around through his days, like Dr. Sam Beckett, whenever it suits the point he's trying to convey.

It's Dylan, but he's much deeper, more sentimental, not as cynical as you might expect.(less)

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Aug 22, 2009

Dave Gourdoux rated it

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Dylan is a hero of mine, but I never expected this book to be this good. The parts where he describes his experiences as a young folksinger on the streets of New York City in 1960-61 are amazing. Here is this "complete unknown" from the wilds of Minnesota landing in the NYC coffee houses, learning his craft as a performer, and then, with no ambitions greater than adding some new material to his act, beginning to write songs. It's fascinating as he brings to life Dylan before he was ...moreDylan is a hero of mine, but I never expected this book to be this good. The parts where he describes his experiences as a young folksinger on the streets of New York City in 1960-61 are amazing. Here is this "complete unknown" from the wilds of Minnesota landing in the NYC coffee houses, learning his craft as a performer, and then, with no ambitions greater than adding some new material to his act, beginning to write songs. It's fascinating as he brings to life Dylan before he was Dylan, before he had ever written a song, before he became the greatest songwriter ever and the most elusive and enigmatic cultural icon, when he was just another anonymous folk singer on the NYC streets at a time when the fuse was being lit for what was to be the greatest cultural explosion in our history, an explosion that would resonate with the echo of his voice. "Blowing in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changing" have become the definitive, archetypical protest songs, theme songs for any attempt to promote and preserve humanity. “Like a Rolling Stone” captured the dissonance, the restlessness, the anger and the chaos of a world in change, while “Mr. Tambourine Man” poetically described where this chronicler of time and space landed after the explosion, bruised, exhausted, and longing for escape (“To dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free / silhouetted by the sea / circled by the circus sands/ with all memory and fate / driven deep beneath the waves / let me forget about today until tomorrow”). Before Dylan was Dylan, pop music was Perry Como, folk music was the Kingston Trio, and the Beatles were singing “I Want To Hold Your Hand”. Dylan recaptures where he was during this time with an amazing recollection of detail, and with a rhythm and voice of a seasoned novelist.

Dylan has spent much of the past forty years trying to deconstruct the myth and icon he has become. It’s fascinating that here, in his autobiography, he traces the origins of that myth, and, in many ways, embraces it, by describing the neon-lit wintry New York nights, the various couches and floors of apartments he slept in and their stuffed bookshelves from which he fed his new found intellectual appetite, and the coffee houses and clubs where the metamorphosis from a young anonymous mid-western misfit to the mysterious and misunderstood genius who would change the course of popular music and culture forever would occur. In doing do, Dylan seems to be accepting that our need for the myth and underlying mythology is just as important as his need to break free from it.
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Jun 18, 2011

Jim Leckband rated it

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You don't need to know much about Dylan to really enjoy the book - heck, I'm a fanboy and I didn't know any of the songs he talked about on the two albums he goes into depth on making. Mostly what this book is a portrait of the artist as he was being formed and a portrait of the artist after he has been formed and has to reinvent what he is doing.

Also it is a portrait from his viewpoint of "us" - the fans who are the receivers of his song and therefore expect something more...more

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Dec 31, 2008

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

I read Down The Highway (a biography about Dylan) about seven years ago. It was interesting enough, but it made me like Dylan as a person less. This book completely turned all that on its head. It was brilliant, meandering, and just an amazing read. It's great because he writes like he's talking and he's talking a little like he sings. He jumps around and gets caught up in little details and skips over huge events in his life.

You wouldn't expect him to divulge personal information a...more

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Oct 12, 2011

Ryan rated it

· review of another edition

I finished this book just moments ago, very good book, an incredible glimpse into the mind and life events of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists. I have always enjoyed Dylan’s music but had never delved much into learning about him; I had of course heard various things about him being a recluse and such. So reading this book was a great opportunity to learn on the man from the man himself.

For me the book started off somewhat slow, though everything he was talking about was v...moreI finished this book just moments ago, very good book, an incredible glimpse into the mind and life events of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists. I have always enjoyed Dylan’s music but had never delved much into learning about him; I had of course heard various things about him being a recluse and such. So reading this book was a great opportunity to learn on the man from the man himself.

For me the book started off somewhat slow, though everything he was talking about was very interesting. So I guess it is not so much about the first part being slow as the last half of the book moving incredibly swift. I rarely stepped away from the book only to sleep real quick and as soon as I woke up I was back at it. It was so fascinating to read his disdain for people regarding him as a prophet or the voice of the people, how he despised much of this and seemed to want to just make his music and live his life. To not be held up as some sort of “god” by his followers. This was very nice to hear, I always assume, perhaps misguided, that artists want people to faun all over them, even artists doing folk music. However, Dylan seems a rare breed, just wants to make music and at times does not even seem so confident in his own music.

Going back to the point about him being somewhat of recluse, in this book he still seems to keep a lot in, while you learn a lot about him to be sure, it still seems as though he keeps some things guarded. Of course I do not know enough about him to know what these things would be, but for some hardcore Dylan fans I am sure they could be disappointed. Regardless, I really enjoyed the parts where he does talk about family, his father and the relationship between him and his father, his mother, who seems to have been more loving, as mothers often are, and his Grandmother whom he held in very high regard. These parts really let you in.

The other great part about this book was, if you enjoy American cultural history, the timeframe considering that much of it covering the 1960s a tumultuous time to be sure. And hearing about it, about him being in New York and all the artists he encountered is fascinating in itself. Also from that same standpoint of cultural history and not just the artists who were current in his time, was listening to him talk about the musicians who influenced him, many I had heard of, however, I have whole new list of people which I need to listen to as to get an idea of who else inspired him.
Great book and would highly recommend it!
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About Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician, poet, and, of late, disc jockey who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of Dylan's most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of American unrest. A number of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "...more

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