Bob Dylan in Performance: Song, Stage, and Screen

Author:   Keith Nainby, California State University, Stanislaus ,  John M. Radosta
Publisher:   Lexington Books
ISBN:  

9781498582650


Pages:   316
Publication Date:   09 November 2020
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
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Bob Dylan in Performance: Song, Stage, and Screen


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Overview

This study of Bob Dylan’s art employs a performance studies lens, exploring the distinctive ways he brings words and music to life on recordings, onstage, and onscreen. Chapters focus on the relationship of Dylan’s recorded performances to the historical bardic role, to the American popular song tradition, and to rock music culture. His uses of both stage and studio to shape his performances are explored, as are his forays into cinema. Special consideration is given to his vocal performances and to his use of particular personae as a performer. The full scope of Dylan’s body of work to date is situated in terms of the influences that have shaped his performances and the ways these performances have shaped contemporary popular music.

Full Product Details

Author:   Keith Nainby, California State University, Stanislaus ,  John M. Radosta
Publisher:   Lexington Books
Imprint:   Lexington Books
Dimensions:   Width: 15.40cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 22.00cm
Weight:   0.472kg
ISBN:  

9781498582650


ISBN 10:   1498582656
Pages:   316
Publication Date:   09 November 2020
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Part One: Formations Chapter One: Eternal Circle: Dylan and Performance Chapter Two: ABOUT THE SONGS (what they’re about): Dylan and the Popular Song Tradition Chapter Three: Like a Rolling Stone: Dylan and the Rock Tradition Chapter Four: Hero Blues: Dylan and the Bardic Tradition Chapter Five: The Wicked Messenger: Dylan’s Vocal Resources Part Two: Transformations Chapter Six: Simple Twist of Fate: Dylan (re)working songs live Chapter Seven: Bob Dylan’s Dream: Reworking Songs in the Studio Chapter Eight: Tempest: Bob Dylan’s Personae Spanning Two Centuries Chapter Nine: Masked & Anonymous: Bob Dylan and Cinema Chapter Ten: Gonna Change My Way of Thinking: Bob Dylan and the Evangelical Tradition Coda: An Idiosyncratic Guide to a Bob Dylan Concert Bibliography, Discography, and Videography About the Authors

Reviews

The historical and cultural connections drawn in this work are vital for a complete understanding of Dylan, while the insightful interpretations of the performances remind us that we can always revisit great artists. The scholarship is impeccable; the authors are familiar with the vast Dylan literature as well as with the equally overwhelming amount of albums, concerts, outtakes, etc, that form the Dylan oeuvre. As a long-time Dylan fan, it did open my eyes, or rather my ears, up to new ways to appreciating Dylan. After 40 years of listening to him, that is no small accomplishment. -- Peter Vernezze, Weber State University This is a worthy addition to the ever-growing mountain of research on Dylan. Nainby (communication, California State Univ., Stanislaus) and Radosta (English, Milton High School) have drawn on a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including song lyrics (which they quote extensively), offering a nuanced, scholarly exploration of Dylan's performance styles. Chapter 2, Dylan and the Popular Song Tradition, explores the amazing range of folk and popular songs with which Dylan is familiar. Chapter 3 jumps to the rock tradition with an analysis of his vocal gymnastics and complex lyrics. In chapter 4 the authors switch to the bardic tradition, observing that as a performer, Bob Dylan often dons the mantle of the bard, the keeper of civilization's stories and wisdom. The authors often contrast Dylan's live performances and his recorded legacy, as songs and styles have come and gone in his repertoire over 60 years. In chapter 6 they observe that a hallmark for fans of Dylan's live performances is the knowledge that they are likely to hear an entirely different rendition of a song-likely all of them. The discussion of Dylan's films is particularly insightful. Including a lengthy bibliography and discography, this book is intended for academic readers rather than fans. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *


Author Information

Keith Nainby is professor of communication studies at California State University, Stanislaus. John M. Radosta teaches English and creative writing at Milton High School.

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