THE DOUBLE LIFE OF BOB DYLAN Vol 1. A Restless, Hungry Feeling. By Clinton Heylin Due April 2021

MK?

 

I've been waiting for the Brinkley book as well, but haven't heard anything about it in quite a while other than the Amazon pre-order page. Wasn't it supposed to be multiple volumes as well?

 

Why do I get the feeling that any examples I might give would not convince you?

Where did I ever say that Heylin was 'inaccurate'?

 

didnt he have to publish an addendum to that sessions book because of all the inaccuracies?

 

'this book is NOT dedicated to Jeff Rosen'

 

You know this:

Michael Krogsgaard is "a lesser Dylan authority" who produced the invaluable and mostly accurate "Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions" having been given access by BobInc to all available tape reels, session diaries, recording sheets, tape boxes, CO cards, and Columbia Artist Cards from 1961 to 2002. He made his findings available to the masses, with next to no commentary, no speculation, no opinion and no criticism of anyone. He reported the facts that were laid in front of him.

http://www.dylanstubs.com/extras/sessions.pdf


For example, MK reported a take recorded on March 3rd 1970 as "Dock of the Bay". That is how it is written on the recording sheet so that is how he reported it. Others (Heylin, Bjorner et al) took this information and made an assumption, without listening to the tape, that it must be the Redding/Cropper song "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". What else could it be? Dylan was doing covers on that day so it's bound to be that one; there is no other song with that title.

Nope, it's actually "I Can't Help Wonder Where I'm Bound." The studio engineer had written "Dock of the Bay" on the recording sheet, presumably because he didn't know the title of the song, didn't ask, it was a warm-up, and the song contains reference to San Francisco Bay.

Heylin, in this latest book, still savages MK for no reason that I can think of and moans that "Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions" is available online but is "uncorrected", as though somehow Krogsgaard is obliged to update his epic work now that more information is available and negligent if he doesn't update it. He, MK, has chosen to do other things with his life.

Meantime, Heylin's books also remain uncorrected.

 

well..when you say that the books are not "worthwhile sources", and "less than useless", that pretty much implies an "inaccuracy". and, still, not able to give even ONE example, or fact, that might support your opinion, then, that pretty much tells me everything i need to know about your critical thinking process. And that is just what I expected. I just wanted to give you that chance, and you could not do it. Instead, you accused me of not being able to be convinced. How absurd. I don't have any horses in this race. Just wanted to hear a factual clarification on the subject because you seemed to have intense opinions on this subject. Turns out, you just don't like the author, for personal reasons. And that is fine. Being unable to state factual reasons for such dislike, is lazy and slipshod, and says more about you than the subject.

 

Thank you.

Everywhere people use acronyms and expect you to know instantly who they mean.

Now you mention him, yes, it becomes obvious but, like him, "I have other things to do with my life" so why didn't @musicaner just say Michael Krogsgaard in the first place? (I know you can't answer that!)

FBI, CIA, BBC....dig it!

 

Your baseless insults are water off a duck's back, but - yes - they say more about you than me.

>I don't have any horses in this race.

Sure. Why would anyone think you would? It's not like you're unwilling to let the matter drop, is it?

The fact that you equate factual accuracy with critical judgement... well, that really does say it all.

 

Certainly he's not a reporter in any traditional sense, so he's not really a threat to expose anything the Dylan camp doesn't want exposed. He scrounges through documents then opines and speculates aloud on the page. He's kind of alike a proto blogger. And his opinions and analyses are often far enough afield of any actual insight as to play like the equivalent of Dylan's own Rolling Thunder Review mockumentary.

 

So, trying to follow this thread, perhaps I missed something. What is this "double life" Bob Dylan is leading according to the author? Pardon me if I missed it so far.

 

But he does have affection for the songs, some of them he adores. He does understand the lyrical and musical elements in many of the songs I was most interested in. I got plenty of insight into his songs, especially the obscure favorites. His writing style aside, those books dig pretty deeply into the meaning and the inspiration of the songs. And he hits the mark enough times.

You are speaking far too general here in your bashing.

 

I've just passed the point, about 180 pages in - yes, I'm a very slow reader - where Heylin again nails his colours to a mast without seeming to give much thought to his assertion, but rather fits "evidence" to support the narrative he has been peddling for years.

Once again, we are told that Bruce Langhorne played the guitar on "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" because Dylan wasn't capable of playing so exquisitely. This time around there is, apparently, irrefutable evidence in the shape of a tape with the guitar part isolate on a track, "which confirms" that the guitar was overdubbed by Langhorne, replacing Dylan's original part.

Coincidentally, this subject is raised and discussed in this recent podcast:-

Definitely Dylan

 

And in detail here "It Wasn't Bruce" (A Musical Whodunnit) | dylanchords

 

Might buy this second hand to avoid giving Clinton any money

 

Alan Freed was using the term on his radio show in 1951.

 

Sure

 

ugh - I have no interest in reading this just because the guy is so unlikable ...

 

Heylin's (limited) reporting of the banter between Dylan and his producer(s) during studio sessions for his first three albums makes me wish - hopelessly - for the release of big boxed sets of complete session tapes for each album. Surely.... one day they shall be released.

 

Isn't it part of the Tulsa plan that someday, the great unwashed will be able to make the pilgrimage to the Dylan Archive, sit in a booth with headphones, and listen to copies of any and all tapes that we want? Or is there always going to be a "Scholars Only" section and a dumbed-down "museum" for the rest of us?

 

I don't think Columbia session tapes are part of the Tulsa archives. Those are Sony property. The archive is stuff that was Dylan's property -- notebooks, correspondence, lyric drafts, photos and film and video, etc. There aren't going to be complete Columbia session tapes in there.

 

IIRC, all the Columbia master tapes are in Tulsa (they have or will eventually revert to Bob's ownership), but due to the current contract, only Columbia has the rights to commercially release the material.

It seems possible at some point that they might be available for listening while at the Bob Dylan Center opening next year. The soon to open (2022) OKPOP museum in Tulsa has a number of unreleased albums, session tapes, etc., from Leon Russell, Bob Wills & others they plan to have available at listening stations in the museum. OKPOP - The Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture

 

I think Heylin should do an in-depth study of the 'Dylan vs. AJ Weberman' hubbub.....

 

One Heylin whopper that always stuck with me because I have personal knowledge: He reported a Dylan concert in Kenyon, Minnesota in October 1964 where Dylan gave his first known performance of "Gates Of Eden". This would have been the tour where Dylan played Philadelphia Town Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, New York Philharmonic Hall.

Now, I know where Kenyon, Minnesota is. It's a small farming community, not even a college town, far from any urban area. In 1964 the population was 1,500 (today it is 1,800). My instincts as a researcher (though much inferior to Heylin's) tell me that Dylan never played in Kenyon, Minnesota.

OK, so Heylin got it mixed up with Kenyon College in Ohio, which would be forgivable if the man was humble in his mistakes.