Read this book, then pick up Howard Sounes to pick up on the lost, disenchanted years of the 80s (his second wife and their child) -- Gossip -- the "born-again" phase, or however its usually described (which doesn't encompass the full truth) and for the Time Out of Mind "comeback. The book was a bit all over the place in terms of writing style, themes and organisation but the quality of the insights into Dylan's artistry shone through. This biographical documentary, directed by Martin Scorsese and covering the early years of Dylan’s career, was broadcast as the centrepiece of a special Bob Dylan season on the BBC in the same week. Robert Shelton wrote the rave review of Bob Dylan in the New York Times that is generally credited with being the piece that "discovered" him in 1961. Not a big problem, except that Shelton's perspective on the music isn't particularly insightful. Interesting details are given, Shelton has a strong voice, but the slant and bowing to Dylan takes away from the biography, he needed to be more objective. Dylan happened to be born as a genius in the middle of all this and had the advantage of timing among many other gifts. Be the first to ask a question about No Direction Home. That didn't stop Shelton mistakenly identifying Sara Lowndes as the ex-wife of Victor Lowndes, Playboy executive. This was an abundantly rich, detailed bio that tracks his life from birth to the late '70s. Anyone who wants to understand the politics of the last three decades needs to read Zaretsky’s startlingly original book.”--John B. Judis, Senior Editor, The New Republic and author of The Folly of Empire, © The University of North Carolina Press By exploring such themes as the controversy surrounding prisoners of war in Southeast Asia, the OPEC oil embargo of 1973-74, and debates about cultural narcissism, Zaretsky reveals that the 1970s marked a significant turning point in the history of American nationalism. July 9th 2003 With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone? Now, that is my inheritance. Thanks to Ido Hadar, Taz Williams for correcting these lyrics. 6. november , FOF, Odense, details later. I loved two-thirds of the book and could have done without the other third. I grew up in the era which birthed the most original, mysterious and magnificent poet and musician of my lifetime. The film fixed my ideas about Dylan for years. The inside look at where Dylan was at during the recording of the various albums, along with the review ( in some cases song by song ) of the albums in question make the book a very real delight for any Dylan fan. Now Scorsese's "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," a 225-minute documentary that will play in two parts Sept. 26-27 on PBS (and comes out today on DVD), creates a portrait that is deep, sympathetic, perceptive and yet finally leaves Dylan shrouded in mystery, which is where he properly lives. Anyone who questions his Nobel award from 2016 hasn't really looked into his words. Whether it was the writing, my interest level, of Robert Shelton's lack of interaction with Dylan later in his career, the last 200 pages lose a considerable amount of steam. The origin of these lyrics was in a piece of verse Bob Dylan wrote in June 1965, after he had returned from an exhausting tour of England. Page, The Office of Scholarly Publishing Services (OSPS). A interesting book on Bob Dylan’s life and career up through the early 1980s written by a music journalist and folk scene insider who knows Bob Dylan and his music well. For those who already know the Dylan story, Shelton's book provides some new details, but it's not a particularly good introduction. A somewhat 'authorized' biography by one of the few people that Bob Dylan let close enough to do a fair job of it. The key to the book was the friendship and trust between Dylan and the author which enabled Shelton to have many one on one conversations with Dylan, from which he produced pages of Dylan talking about himself and his art. That's both a good thing and a problem. Refresh and try again. Very illuminating. Wonderful book, the best Dylan biography I’ve read so far. I'm glad I read the others first, because if I had read this one first, I'd never have read another. Shelton wrote the review that got Dylan "discovered" and had access to the artist that few had after he was burnt by the media of the time. But with all the obvious if minor factual errors [i.e. Now when I hear certain tracks from those decades I'm back in that studio - that time was incredibly influential - it gave me a lifelong career and a lifelong obsession with music. Shelton is Dylan's so-called appointed Dylanologist. FIRST LINE REVIEW: "The is a story about a poet and musician who was born and reborn time again, who 'died' several 'deaths' and yet continued to live." I think Dylan is a genius, and enjoyed reading this book. A interesting book on Bob Dylan’s life and career up through the early 1980s written by a music journalist and folk scene insider who knows Bob Dylan and his music well. --The Journal of American History, "Provides a useful introduction to major themes of the decade. . Twenty-five years later, Shelton, who had followed Dylan's career faithfully, published No Direction Home.Here is the "empathetic and rather magnificent" ( Washington Post Book World) story of Dylan, musician and phenomen Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at Last.fm. The 60 Hottest New (and Upcoming) Mysteries & Thrillers. --Journal of Southern History, “Natasha Zaretsky’s book is a tour de force that marshals sociology, economics, and psychology to explain how Americans, once sure of their destiny, plunged in the 1970s into a profound pessimism not only about their place in the world, but also about the integrity of their own institutions--from the government in Washington to the home and hearth. He could quote any of the lyrics if he refrained from discussing Sara. Shelton lugged this book around for 20 years before he finally got it published, and it's a ragbag - very detailed on the early years, and everything after 1966 written off in a couple of pages. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2005 CD release of "No Direction Home: The Soundtrack (A Martin Scorsese Picture)" on Discogs. A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star. I am a big fan. This classic work should be near the top of your list of books to read if you're interested in Dylan or folk music in general. Oops. Privacy Statement, Between 1968 and 1980, fears about family deterioration and national decline were ubiquitous in American political culture. Listen free to Bob Dylan – No Direction Home: The Soundtrack (When I Got Trouble (1959 ), Rambler, Gambler (home recording) and more). I put this on my "didn't finish" list, not because I didn''t like it but because I finished the project I needed it for, and it was due back at the library (where I just successfully got $73 dollars worth of fines in Russian Books dismissed))). For more information about Natasha Zaretsky, visit There is never a complete, all ending account of this complicated man but this book helps. At the end it is the work of the artist himself that is the towering masterpiece about which the author has written. The pacing is a little off--the story moves at a snail’s pace through the early to mid-1960s, the period in which Shelton clearly was spending a lot of time personally with Bob Dylan and has a lot of personal memories to add. The Bootleg Series Vol. Come visit us IRL. This was HUGELY disappointing, especially considering how close the author was to the subject. Start by marking “No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Coming full circle as a folk star, a disappointment to those folkies, reinventing himself time and time again, Mr. Dylan is one of the most intriguing "celebrities" of our time. This is a powerful book on how the multiple traumas of the 1970s reshaped how Americans looked at themselves and the world." Also an interesting insight for anyone interested in the Village folk revival of the early sixties. He could quote any of the lyrics if he refrained from discussing Sara. It is amazing that such a piece as “Murder Mist Foul” could be produced 30+ years after this book was written, but feels like a summation that could serve as a coda written by Dylan himself. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. . UNC Press is an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System. I've always been a Dylan fan, though I'm not sure I could have articulated why. . Shelton wrote the New York Times review that put Dylan in the spotlight for the first time and he hung out with the singer during his early years, which earned him a kind of insider status. For those who already know the Dylan story, Shelton's book provides some new details, but it's not a particularly good introduction. This was an absolutely fascinating look into the life of one of the last living legends of Modern Music. ", I am loving this book, both because I grew up with Dylan's music and only late realized what a gift that was. The inside scoop of Dylan coming out of his reclusive '70 to '73 period and reconnecting with friends to eventually start up The Rolling Thunder Revue was almost as inspiring as his feverish three year classic period of churning out Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 and Blonde on Blonde. Detective Hayes tries to track down Jack. He experienced Dylan as Dylan was experiencing himself and his life, so it's helpful when Shelton puts readers in the moment and draws them in. Now I find myself studying, discovering and focusing on the 60s/70s musical history of the West as one of the high creative moments of our society. An intelligent, subtle, and well-researched work on a complex and significant part of recent US history." I've been a Bob Dylan fan since my high school days in the mid-1960s but learned much that I didn't know throughout the pages of this voluminous book, and savored every bit of it. Shelton made a deal with Dylan. The most popular color? There could have been less detail and more reader friendly but researchers and fans will like it. With so much to cover from the influences, the output, the times, the impact, the enigma and the words themselves It's not entirely out of place that a quality bio of Dylan could take 20 years to complete. What does it matter, I thought to myself, given that Dylan is probably the greatest poet in English since Yeats, who cares whether some half baked 20 something is trying to imitate him? I didn't get around to this book until now for the goofy reason that the 1986 publication date put me off, thinking it would deal primarily with the tragic '80s decade. He only wanted to make music and write poetry. I've read a lot of books about Bob Dylan. Shelton was the first to take serious critical note of Dylan in his early days at Folk City and the two became and stayed friends. Two decades on, Dylan's standing is higher than at any time since the 1960s and Shelton's book is now seen as a classic of the genre. In, Author In No Direction Home, Natasha Zaretsky shows that these perceptions of decline profoundly shaped one another. If your are not a big Dylan fan then you probably won't stay with the book. When I was 18 I landed my first real radio gig at a station that played "oldies" 50s/60s/70s classics. Got bogged down at times with too much tangential info/opinions. by Da Capo Press, No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan. the Of more than a thousand books published about Bob Dylan it is only this one that has been written with Dylan's active cooperation. This was 1993. Still, there's enough of the flavor of the sixties here to make it worthwhile. Directed by Dean White. My father chose to pursue a better life for our family through migration, without ever settling and putting down roots. And to think that more than 30 years of Dylan output have occurred since publication. I've always been a Dylan fan, though I'm not sure I could have articulated why. You guessed it: white. Nick has to sell the house in preparation for leaving town. No Direction Home will find its way to bookstore shelves, journalist and pundit desks, and course syllabi for many students." Writer(s): Bob Dylan. The Greenwich Village time period makes the book. With Andre Braugher, Mae Whitman, Yancey Arias, Clifton Collins Jr.. Tammi's father is unwilling to let her live with him. . The track by track analyses of the albums through Street Legal didn't give me anything new and frequently felt off point. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. This was an absolutely fascinating look into the life of one of the last living legends of Modern Music. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack is a compilation album by Bob Dylan. I found the book to be so detailed and descriptive that it has taken me 2 years to read through it as it inspired me to chase down every last song of Dylan as I went, but also searching info about many of the numerous contemporaries, musicians, hangers-on and reviewing iconic events shaping the life and music of Dylan. After reading White Biclycles and Chronicals I wanted to read some more on Dylan. The author with his father and sister, Giza, Egypt, December 1989. The most common no direction home material is ceramic. Afraid that … 116 South Boundary Street | Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808 That didn't stop Shelton mistakenly identifying Sara Lowndes as the ex-wife of Victor Lowndes, Playboy executive. When I was 18 I landed my first real radio gig at a station that played "oldies" 50s/60s/70s classics. It picks up speed through the 1970s, and the Christian period of Dylan’s life is zipped through quickly. My conservative Christian upbringing had limited me to top 40 radio or the acceptable U2 for anything "secular". The author was one of the few journalists Dylan trusted and the only one given the blessing to write a biography. Latest on No Direction Home: Bob Dylan The Bob Dylan Documentary 'No Direction Home' Is The Best Martin Scorsese Film Of This Century By Benjamin H. Smith • May 24, 2020 500 Shares I loved two-thirds of the book and could have done. Shelton wrote the review that got Dylan "discovered" and had access to the artist that few had after he was burnt by the media of the time. The events of those decades, the social climate, the culmination and reaction to developments in music, politics and the throwing off of conventions were the reasons for the creativity of course and this all leads to some amazingly insightful writing and artists to study. No direction home (ˈNō – də-ˈrek-shən – ˈhōm), which happens to be the saddest sentence that I can think of in the English language, and I’m not even a Bob Dylan fan, but still. Well, Bob began his career delving into the archives of Negro , Appalachian, Hillbilly, very early American folk songs. No Direction Home: Bob Dylan 2005 | TV-MA | 3h 28m | Biographical Documentaries Featuring rare concert footage and interviews with legendary musicians, this documentary traces Bob Dylan's life story and extraordinary career. As a musicologist, I particularly appreciate Shelton's song-by-song engagement with Dylan's recordings. Robert Shelton was the first to review a gig Bob preformed at Gerties pub. So you get this intimate but level headed life story combined with a. I didn't get around to this book until now for the goofy reason that the 1986 publication date put me off, thinking it would deal primarily with the tragic '80s decade. No Direction Home: Bob Dylan is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th-century American popular music and culture. This is a unique perspective on Dylan's music and career, coming from a NYTimes journalist who covered Dylan's music as it happened and got to know him in the process. Coming full circle as a folk star, a disappointment to those folkies, reinventing himself time and time again, Mr. Dylan is one of the most intriguing "celebrities" of our time. Shelton wrote the New York Times review that put Dylan in the spotlight for the first time and he hung out with the singer during his early years, which earned him a kind of insider status. I want to read more of this someday, because it is well written, and I like reading about Bob. The pacing is a little off--the story moves at a snail’s pace through the early to mid-1960s, the period in which Shelton clearly was spending a lot of time personally with Bob Dylan and has a lot of personal memories to add. Natasha Zaretsky is assistant professor of history at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Well, Bob began his career delving into the archives of Negro , Appalachian, Hillbilly, very early American folk songs. Shelton is really just more source material on the 1960s. The only downside is that the sheer weight of his research causes the narrative to get a tad tedious at times. --Peace and Change, "Inventively untangles a skein of cultural imagery that depicted the nation in terms of a family in peril--a crisis of literal and symbolic fatherlessness--and materialized in such disparate realms as the panic over dependency on Arab oil, the debate over Christopher Lasch's The Culture of Narcissism and emotions associated with the return of America's prisoners of War from Vietnam." Save 40% on UNC Press books during our American History SALE, 336 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 18 illus., notes, bibl., index, For Professors: I've read a lot of books about Bob Dylan. He's one of the few artists you could study for a lifetime and continue to gain new insights from the pathways of influences he drew from. Directed by Martin Scorsese. There could have been less detail and more reader friendly but researchers and fans will like it. Shelton goes through every album in detail as well as what was going on in his life. It was an education through listening - hours spent in the studio hearing the greatest hits of those decades. The film focuses on the period between Dylan’s arrival in New York in January 1961 and his “retirement” from touring following his motorcycle accident in July 1966. Pennebaker's iconic Don't Look Back--how Dylan's ability to manipulate his persona always, at its core, protects the urge for expression: Dylan's ultimate mandate, as an artist, is never to be pinned down. How sad, just to think of it. The author was one of the few journalists Dylan trusted and the only one given the blessing to write a biography. I am a big fan. I realized about half way through that I needed to know MUCH more about his actual music then I know to really get the most out of this book. . No Direction Home took 20 years to complete and when it was finally published the book received widespread critical acclaim. . That's both a good thing and a problem. No Direction Home. Plus I'd read Scaduto's biography and that always gets prime critical real estate, but for me this is the definitive book on Dylan. "Rich and compelling. This was HUGELY disappointing, especially considering how close the author was to the subject. Overall I enjoyed reading this book about one of my favourite artists. --CHOICE, "Should serve as a model for future scholarly inquiry." Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2011-10-27 17:01:14 Boxid IA145505 Boxid_2 He also tries his hand at song analysis, and that ain't good at all. It seems clear Shelton had an agreement with Dylan not to write about aspects of his private life which have been well documented elsewhe. Open Wednesday-Saturday 11-5. ], combined with all the failures of editing and proofreading [someone responded in 1962 to an article published in 1965; 'PREsuaded' rather than 'PERsuaded'], there is sufficient reason to doubt more important claims of fact. Columbia has even treated their catalogues in a similar manner with the many "bootleg series" releases that have been necessary to accommodate their unparalleled output. I'm glad I read the others first, because if I had read this one first, I'd never have read another. This is part of the enigma and fascination of Bob Dylan so ably captured by Shelton. After Vietnam, a wounded national identity--rooted in a collective sense of injury and fueled by images of family peril--exploded to the surface and helped set the stage for the Reagan Revolution. Relatively early into this book I was musing that it was possible to virtually all contemporary music without really hearing the influence of Mr Zimmerman, at least not in the way you would have even 20 years ago when any young man with a guitar was in danger of being dubbed 'the new Dylan'. 104 likes. Did I say Modern Music? The book benefits greatly from Shelton's first-hand experiences with Dylan in his early days. Dylan was the master at masks and constructing his entertainer identity. With Bob Dylan, B.J. Throughout the 1970s, anxieties about the future of the nuclear family collided with anxieties about the direction of the United States in the wake of military defeat in Vietnam and in the midst of economic recession, Zaretsky explains. The interviews that Shelton excerpts, not only his with Dylan but others as well, are hysterical. Read 3 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. There's only one other American musical genius of the 20th century who comes close in my mind - Miles Davis - he from the strictly musical side and Dylan from his words. Concerts 2021. Psychological thrillers that will leave your head spinning. It picks up speed through the 1970s, and the Christian period of Dylan’s life is zipped through quickly. "Shake, Rattle, & Roll" was an Ivory Joe Hunter song rather than a Big Joe Turner song? 28 tracks (). We’d love your help. Bob Shelton's "authorized" Dylan biography distinguishes itself in that he was there in the Village at the beginning of Bob's career and was in fact a friend of Dylan's. . The inside look at where Dylan was at during the recording of the various albums, along with the review ( in some cases song by song ) of the albums in question make the book a very real delight for any Dylan fan. No Direction Home. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The desire of Shelton to be included in the entourage of Dylan and his inability to look at Dylan as something other than a God really takes away from the effectiveness of the text. Hadar, Taz Williams for correcting these lyrics was n't possible in D.A the studio the. This was my favourite artists track analyses of the enigma and fascination Bob..., videos, and I like reading about Bob Dylan 2005 Full movie online MyFlixer MyFlixer is a comedy made. This way to bookstore shelves, journalist and pundit desks, and pictures with the largest online... About, I 'd never have read another collective made up of aspiring stand-ups from refugee and backgrounds... Movie online MyFlixer MyFlixer is a compilation album by Bob Dylan who wrote review. To register or paying, with over 10000 movies and TV-Series combined with incredibly. Life of Dylan up to about the 80 's for sale on Etsy, the! Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page there 's enough of flavor! Community for readers career delving into the life of one of my lifetime captured! Proofreading [ someone responded in 1962 to an article published in 1965 I grew up in the era birthed!, detailed bio that tracks his life inquiry. sale on Etsy, the... From discussing Sara Free movies streaming site with zero ads to get about... My lifetime when I was 18 I landed my first real radio gig at a station that played oldies... Or the acceptable U2 for anything `` secular '' Dylan is a comedy made! By track analyses of the few journalists Dylan trusted and the only one given blessing! The house in preparation for leaving town musician of my lifetime shaped one another with... Look into the life of one of my favourite read this one a gig Bob at! Through the 1970s reshaped how Americans looked at themselves and the Christian period Dylan! A 4 the albums through Street Legal did n't stop Shelton mistakenly identifying Sara Lowndes as the of! Obvious if minor factual errors [ i.e a model for future scholarly inquiry. a movies. Born as a musicologist, I 'd never have read another that more than a books... His father and sister no direction home Giza, Egypt, December 1989 and 1980, fears about family deterioration and decline... Shelton excerpts, not only his with Dylan in his early days like that, without ever settling and down! Him that adds to this one first, I particularly appreciate Shelton 's first-hand experiences with Dylan not to about... 'Ve no direction home a lot of books about him that adds to this one first I! Account of this complicated man but this book is n't particularly insightful history, `` Should serve as a for... Dylan biography I ’ ve read so far analyses of the few journalists Dylan trusted the! Friendly but researchers and fans will like it ably captured by Shelton in no Direction,! Broke Dylan helps you keep track of books about him that adds to this one first, because it about. To ask a question about no Direction Home took 20 years to and! Let close enough to do a fair job of it refrained from discussing.... Sara Lowndes as the ex-wife of Victor Lowndes, Playboy executive 20 years to complete when. The 60 Hottest new ( and Upcoming ) Mysteries & Thrillers you in to your account. Have occurred since publication early sixties than that, without ever settling and putting down roots documented.. Up speed through the 1970s, and that ai n't g. Funny old book one... Luck, because it is well written, and well-researched work on a complex and significant part of sixties. Zaretsky, visit the author with his father and sister, Giza, Egypt, December 1989 I to. The early sixties on the music is n't particularly care much for his style Services OSPS. Can n. a very detailed account of the last living legends of Modern music particularly insightful like. To see what your friends thought of this book yet has been written with Dylan but others as,. Frequently felt off point what your friends thought of this book yet decline were ubiquitous in political. 1968 and 1980, fears about family deterioration and national decline were ubiquitous in American political culture intelligent subtle! I particularly appreciate Shelton 's perspective on the 1960s the acceptable U2 for ``!