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richardwells's review against another edition
4.0
Sean Wilentz's "Bob Dylan in America" follows Greil Marcus's "The Old, Weird America" as an attempt to place Dylan in the cultural history of the United States, and it's a much more coherent read.
What Wilentz does is compare Dylan's artistic development with the artistic and political milieu that he would have brushed against as a boy, how that milieu moved him in a particular direction as a young artist, and how those connections formed a web as he matured and moved through life. For instance, the author surmises what knowledge Dylan could have had of American composer Aaron Copland, how that knowledge of Copland's method of appropriating cowboy songs into his compositions may have provided the license for Dylan's continuing appropriations, and how Dylan acknowledges and pays the debt by using snippets (samples) of Copland to introduce his own shows. Mr. Wilentz makes a compelling case. Or take for example Dylan's obvious relationship and affection for the Beat Generation, especially through Allen Ginsberg, and how Beat literature, and social mores have affected Dylan the writer. In the main, Mr. Wilentz is right on the money.
Mr. Wilentz also examines the politics of the near 70 years Dylan has been in the world, but spends less time there than with Dylan's artistic influences and evolution.
The big plusses of this book are Mr. Wilentz's familiarity with his source material, his refusal to over analyze Dylan's lyrics (a failing of most other Dylan chroniclers,) and his "you are there" information regarding Dylan's creative process in the studio. Interesting is Mr. Wilentz's defense of the plagiarism charges leveled against Dylan, and how Dylan's appropriations can be viewed as part of the "folk process," indeed of literary method through the ages, and of how Dylan's appropriations don't meet the legal standard of plagiarism. The defense leads us into deep water, but Mr. Wilentz is a good pilot.
The only thing that slowed the book down for me was my disinterest in the author's presentations of the minutia of history - cultural or artistic.
I learned a few things. Unusual at this point as my Dylan shelf is buckling under its own weight.
What Wilentz does is compare Dylan's artistic development with the artistic and political milieu that he would have brushed against as a boy, how that milieu moved him in a particular direction as a young artist, and how those connections formed a web as he matured and moved through life. For instance, the author surmises what knowledge Dylan could have had of American composer Aaron Copland, how that knowledge of Copland's method of appropriating cowboy songs into his compositions may have provided the license for Dylan's continuing appropriations, and how Dylan acknowledges and pays the debt by using snippets (samples) of Copland to introduce his own shows. Mr. Wilentz makes a compelling case. Or take for example Dylan's obvious relationship and affection for the Beat Generation, especially through Allen Ginsberg, and how Beat literature, and social mores have affected Dylan the writer. In the main, Mr. Wilentz is right on the money.
Mr. Wilentz also examines the politics of the near 70 years Dylan has been in the world, but spends less time there than with Dylan's artistic influences and evolution.
The big plusses of this book are Mr. Wilentz's familiarity with his source material, his refusal to over analyze Dylan's lyrics (a failing of most other Dylan chroniclers,) and his "you are there" information regarding Dylan's creative process in the studio. Interesting is Mr. Wilentz's defense of the plagiarism charges leveled against Dylan, and how Dylan's appropriations can be viewed as part of the "folk process," indeed of literary method through the ages, and of how Dylan's appropriations don't meet the legal standard of plagiarism. The defense leads us into deep water, but Mr. Wilentz is a good pilot.
The only thing that slowed the book down for me was my disinterest in the author's presentations of the minutia of history - cultural or artistic.
I learned a few things. Unusual at this point as my Dylan shelf is buckling under its own weight.
h2oetry's review against another edition
4.0
Quick re-read for a refresher. I learned more about history than Dylan, but I knew that going in to this book. Wilentz is a historian, so I could only read this in small sections at a time. It is well-written; I'm just a fiction nut. There is much to be read re: Dylan, and this book is worth the time for any Dylanphiles out there. Wilentz frames the history that molded and influenced Dylan. I especially liked the section on Blind Wille McTell.
pinkalpaca's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
This started off pretty good, slowly became more interesting, and then turned into a flat-out page-turner. My favorite parts were the Blonde on Blonde sessions, Rolling Thunder Revue, Delia & the entire end/recent period. Absolutely fascinating stuff!
This started off pretty good, slowly became more interesting, and then turned into a flat-out page-turner. My favorite parts were the Blonde on Blonde sessions, Rolling Thunder Revue, Delia & the entire end/recent period. Absolutely fascinating stuff!
zachkuhn's review
1.0
If half as much energy was spent just listening to Dylan as has been spent by (let's be honest) old white dudes talking about what Dylan MEANS and why THEIR VERSION OF DYLAN IS THE DYLANEST I think the man himself might not be so damn gunshy about talking about himself.
Might be the last words I'll ever read about Dylan. What's the damn point?
Might be the last words I'll ever read about Dylan. What's the damn point?
brucefarrar's review
4.0
Wilentz reads his critical history of Dylan and his compositions as they relate to and were formed by the history of the United States and the American experience. The author touches only briefly on the influence of Woody Guthrie and Dylan’s infamous introduction of rock and roll at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, since he feels that these have already been well reported and discussed. Wilentz describes his subject as a magpie who collects bits of music, history, and literature and then transforms them into something new. So in this history and criticism he concentrates on other influences, such as Aaron Copland Allen Ginsberg, Blind Willie McTell, Sacred Harp music, minstrel shows, and the Civil War and illustrating his arguments from Dylan’s recordings and stage performances. It makes for a delicious intellectual smorgasbord. In the audio edition he intersperses short excerpts from songs by Dylan and others to demonstrate his commentary.
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