Bob Dylan LP: New Morning (Song-by-Song + Rarities & Live Apperances, 1970-71)

The Paul Williams books really are great. Just like the Paul Cable book, they manage to tackle the Dylan catalog in a completely non-pretentious way (which is harder than it seems. Can't say my own posts meet that standard). I love the Heylin books for their terrific research, but he doesn't match these other two pioneers on their own terms.

 

I can't deny my parochial interest. But I still contend it was smart songwriting.

 

I always kind of thought it was a reference to Visions of Johanna, as in the man standing next to him was still stuck on the old Bob Dylan of 1966. That Dylan of 1970 says his neighbor's head was exploding, rather than that his consciousness was exploding, is pretty dismissive, and shows how far Dylan had moved on by then. But that was just my interpretation.

 

Isn't the line in Visions of Johanna "while my conscience explodes," not consciousness?

 

For better or worse, the latest edition of Clinton Heylin's Behind the Shades (the "20th Anniversary Edition") is the best Dylan biography out there. Heylin, as has been mentioned in threads around here many times, can be very, very irritating, and when it comes right down to it he's not much as a critic or interpreter of Dylan's work. But he's done the research, connected all the dots we at least know about for now, and he writes in a clear, direct style when he's not trying to be too clever, snide, or partisan about his own aesthetic judgments.

If you want the story of the life and career, he's the one to read.

L.

 

Oops yes you're right.

 

Couldn't agree more. But I recommend his "Revolution In The Air"/ "Still On The Road" books even above his biographical, Day-by-Day, or Sessionography efforts. Ultimately, it's Dylan's songs on which he'll be judged, and Heylin does a superb job of cataloging and analyzing the available facts about them there.

 

if there is someone who did 0 research is helyin. his books are fanzine based gibberish. took sounes book to inform him what everybody else had known for many years.

 

I can see people objecting to Heylin's tone or writing style. But his research? He has probably established more FACTS than any other Dylan scholar. Has he ever been wrong? Sure. Has anyone else contributed to this field of knowledge? Of course. But to dismiss his work as gibberish seems to overlook a very substantial body of work.

 

he wrote a BIOGRAPHY on Dylan and not only didnt know he was married but didnt even know when his kids were born or how many he had.

Page 198 of the first version of what can only very loosely be described as a 'biography':

"When Dylan and Sara finally flew into Heathrow Airport, twelve days had elapsed and they were minus the children, who stayed at home in New York. Curiously (my LOL),Sara looked extremely pregnant,though as far as is known (double LOL)the next Dylan child, Jacob, was not born until 1971."

He must be the king of research no doubt.

 

I agree with every word you said, but I can't bring myself to get the latest from Mr. H. I have the earlier edition, but like the Bob Spitz bio, the writing style is simply too grating. Attempted cleverness is no substitute for true insight.

He is, without question, one of the preeminent Dylan researchers, and has gone to great lengths to broaden the scope of our knowledge, but I wish he would stick to being an investigator, report his findings, and take himself out of the narrative. If he wants to put his "clever" observations on a blog, or in a forum such as this one, fine. But not in a published work.

I would love to have Peter Guralnick do a definitive biography of Dylan. His two volume set on Elvis is the gold standard for me.

 

to continue with his most excellent investigative research, from the aforementioned page 198 :
"Shots of Sara backstage (lol) indicate an equally pregnant lady, SO CLEARLY the initial impression at Heathrow was not one of Dylan's little japes(lol) at the expense of the press. To confuse the issue further, Anthony Scaduto (who wrote 20 years prior to CH, maybe actually doing some real research was in order, but never mind), in HIS biography, refers to a child of Dylan's named Seth, though this was on of his brother's (sic) children"
I can go on forever, every page has a researchial gem.

 

Oh, those song books look interesting, thanks. I could read that sort of things for hours on end. Now that you mention it, are there any good books on day-by-day or sessionography info? I have the giant All Day and All of the Night Kinks book, and it has some really great info. Is there something similar for Bob?

Are we going to cover any more albums with these threads? Or have I missed out on previous ones?

 

For sessionography (most of the books are now outdated -- this is the site many of us here rely on)
http://www.bjorner.com/still.htm

For year-by-year summaries:
http://www.bjorner.com/chronologies.htm

For releases:
http://www.searchingforagem.com/

 

The first Guralnick Elvis book was a rarity for me - a "can't put it down" biography. Even knowing the general story line of Elvis's life fairly well, I was always excited to read the next chapter. The Spitz Dylan book left me completely flat. Heylin is awesome for finding out what 400 year old traditional song Dylan based one of his melodies on, but he is far too fond of the sound of his own voice when he writes. Still, I find myself referring back to his books the most, so despite the tone, he does succeed.

 

+1

And yes, Heylin's detective work is admirable, and I do refer to his books fairly often, but he still makes me wince. As grating as he can be, at least he's not long-winded.

EDIT: BTW, everyone should check out this RayS thread:
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/dylan-book-revolution-in-the-air-by-clinton-heylin.326133/

 

You fine gents are the first people I thought of when I saw the news:
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...ent-tapes-complete-11-4.376934/#post-10966933

I hope there isn't some elaborate hoax behind this, for I will be crushed.

 

Best place i could find to put this info on Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid:

This new book by film editor and Peckinpah biographer Paul Seydor discusses Dylan and the soundtrack conflicts:



As an aside the original poster said:

 

Great info -- thanks a lot. I'll put this on my Amazon Wish List, for sure.

It's funny, I pulled out the DVD of the film a few days ago, intending to watch it, and now maybe I will.

 

The first edition of that biography was not at all impressive. It was no more, really, than an "oral history," a bunch of interview segments stitched together. The later editions, however--especially the most recent one--are another thing entirely. When he set about revising the bio the first time, he set himself to doing real research, and he's kept it up as new information has become available since. He wasn't really "scooped" on the later marriage thing, either. Some of that was known before Sounes, too, and Heylin was later able to correct him and others who had reported on the marriage and the children on several details. Still, not everything is known about this aspect of Dylan's life, which is fine, given that he does deserve at least a little privacy. He's still keeping it hid.....

L.

 

He's very frustrating that way, but I don't think he's anything like the hack that Spitz is (or at least was in his Dylan bio--I haven't read any of his other books). Guralnick, on the other hand is the full-blown real thing in every way. I don't think Dylan would be a congenial subject for him, however. I don't know if Dylan will ever get a biographer equal to the task. I guess we'll see--or our children or grandchildren will.....

I was surprised by Sylvie Simmon's I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, just when I thought we'd never get a good book (let a lone a great one) about Cohen, so who knows?

L.

 

He knew gossip, some dylanologists used to follow bob from the studio, and they saw him driving along with little kids.
From the 2000 'revised' heylin bio, page 598:
"Gospel singer Carolyn Dennis, having returned to singing duties in the four piece Queens of Rhythm on the True Confessions Tour, and returned as well to his affections, was AGAIN with child, about to make Dylan a father for the sixth or seventh time. He had also convinced another African American woman named Darlene (to Heylin credit he doesnt call her Darlene Love), whom he had met in Texas on the Petty tour, to continue their OCCASIONAL liasions."

Thats it. If that is research then the world of research has gone beserk.

 

Just because Sounes was able to ferret out more information about Dylan's relationship with Dennis in 2000/2001 or just before does not make Sounes the better researcher or biographer. Sounes' book has nothing like the detail of the 200o/2001 edition of Behind the Shades Revisited/Take Two in most, if not all, other respects, and the 2011 edition adds a good deal more (including a rather dyspeptic discussion of Sounes' handling of the second marriage, which while it did reveal things Heylin didn't know at the time, did not get everything right either). In any case, there's a lot more to Heylin's book in its latest incarnation, despite its flaws an incompletions. To dismiss it because he wasn't able to figure out that was going on in that aspect of Dylan's life in the '80s and '90s is pretty short-sighted. I wish there were a better book out there, but if you want a detailed account of the life and career, Heylin's is the best place to get that right now.

L.

 

Sounes did not ferret any information, its called actually doing research, hitting city hall instead of relying on gossip and innuendo which constitutes most of what heylin writes. his books are glorified fanzines.

 

That's just an absurd exaggeration. I'm not going to make a case for Heylin being the greatest researcher or biographer I've ever encountered, but the idea that he's done little or no research is just silly.

L.