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.

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9781498582636

Table of Contents

Reviews

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 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

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

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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