Decoding Dylan
Making Sense of the Songs That Changed Modern Culture
Published on 26. April 2019
Book
Paperback/Softback
177 pages
978-1-4766-7845-0 (ISBN)
Description
Taking readers behind Bob Dylan's familiar image as the enigmatic rebel of the 1960s, this book reveals a different view--that of a careful craftsman and student of the art of songwriting. Drawing on revelations from Dylan's memoir Chronicles and a variety of other sources, the author arrives at a radically new interpretation of his body of work, which revolutionized American music and won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Dylan's songs are viewed as collages, ingeniously combining themes and images from American popular culture and European high culture.
Reviews / Votes
"An expert look at the life and work of folk singer-songwriter and cultural icon Bob Dylan...an exceedingly comprehensive portrait of one of American's most important and enigmatic musicians...excellent job of depicting Dylan as a man...certainly a must-read for Dylan fanatics"-Pop Cultural Studies "gives an insight to Dylan and his songs that other books that focus on his life don't. It's a refreshing approach and if you're really into Bob Dylan's music, you should definitely read it...this book definitely made me appreciate his genius even more than I did before"-Crazy on Classic RockMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Jefferson, NC
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
notes, bibliography, index
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
268 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4766-7845-0 (9781476678450)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jim Curtis taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia for 31 years. He lives in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Content
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
"Songs for Passersby" by James M. Curtis
Preface
Introduction
Section I: Theories and Practices
1.?Bob Dylan: His Biography and His Career
2.?The Early Years in New York
3.?Affinities with Franz Kafka, T.S. Eliot and Pablo Picasso
Section II: Songs and Songwriting
4.?Songs of Transcendence-Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde
Table 1.?Chronology of Songs
Table 2.?Night Songs
5.?Songs of Assimilation-John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline
6.?"Putting a Certain Orderliness to the Chaos"
Table 3.?Rhyme Forms in Dylan's Songs of the Early 1960s
Table 4.?Rhyme Forms in Dylan's Songs of the Late 1960s
Table 5.?Examples of Triple Rhymes in Tin Pan Alley Songs
Table 6.?Triple Rhymes or More in Some American Songs (1968-1984)
7.? Dylan and Springsteen
8.?The Real Revolution of the 1960s
Table 7.?Chronologies of Early Successes of Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Woody Allen by Approximate Age
Conclusion: Dylan's Paradoxes
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
"Songs for Passersby" by James M. Curtis
Preface
Introduction
Section I: Theories and Practices
1.?Bob Dylan: His Biography and His Career
2.?The Early Years in New York
3.?Affinities with Franz Kafka, T.S. Eliot and Pablo Picasso
Section II: Songs and Songwriting
4.?Songs of Transcendence-Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde
Table 1.?Chronology of Songs
Table 2.?Night Songs
5.?Songs of Assimilation-John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline
6.?"Putting a Certain Orderliness to the Chaos"
Table 3.?Rhyme Forms in Dylan's Songs of the Early 1960s
Table 4.?Rhyme Forms in Dylan's Songs of the Late 1960s
Table 5.?Examples of Triple Rhymes in Tin Pan Alley Songs
Table 6.?Triple Rhymes or More in Some American Songs (1968-1984)
7.? Dylan and Springsteen
8.?The Real Revolution of the 1960s
Table 7.?Chronologies of Early Successes of Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Woody Allen by Approximate Age
Conclusion: Dylan's Paradoxes
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index