Originally broadcast: May 6, 2009
Bob Dylan, almost 68 now, is America’s grand old man of … what? Folk? Rock? Touring honky tonk? Everything?
He’s out with his 33rd studio album, called “Together Through Life.” It’s #1 in the UK. He’s touring — a hundred gigs a year. And just lately, he’s been talking — not to a music critic, but to a bonafide historian, Douglas Brinkley.
Brinkley followed Dylan through Europe on his “never-ending tour.” His interviews became the cover story of this month’s Rolling Stone. Dylan talked about Texas, Elvis, patriotism, morality. About Duluth and Neil Young and Marcus Aurelius and Caravaggio.
This hour, On Point: Douglas Brinkley on Bob Dylan in Rolling Stone.
It’s been a long time since Blowin’ in the Wind. Since Blood on the Tracks. What does this man, this artist, this American mean to you? How do you see Bob Dylan? Tell us — here on this page, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
-Tom Ashbrook
Guest:
Douglas Brinkley joins us from Austin, Texas. He’s a professor of history at Rice University and author of Rolling Stone’s current cover story, “Bob Dylan’s America” (not available online). He’s the editor of “Windblown World: The Journals of Jack Kerouac, 1947-1954″ and two volumes of letters of his late friend Hunter S. Thompson, “The Proud Highway” and “Fear and Loathing in America” (a third and final volume is on the way). The author of many works of history and current affairs, on subjects from Hurricane Katrina to Henry Ford, he’s also profiled Ken Kesey, Norman Mailer, and Kurt Vonnegut for Rolling Stone.
More links:
David Fricke reviews “Together Through Life” in Rolling Stone.
Dylan’s own vast website has news about his tour, as well as a complete discography and an archive of song lyrics.
And in a different vein, On Point’s Wen Stephenson was moved by a moment in Brinkley’s piece where Dylan pays tribute to Neil Young (you can watch videos of Young and Dylan covering the other’s songs).
I have followed Bob’s work since 1964. First, it was just eye opening mind blowing songs like Blowing in the Wind and Masters of War(both written, for crying out loud, in 1963!)and then I hit the road with Like A Rolling Stone and have pulled pearl lyrics out of his songs which have helped me grasp the reality of life( I love this line:(No one messin’ with you but you!). No greater artist has been around in the 20th century, including Picasso because Bob got into your mind and constantly pushed you to grow. And he still does it.
Posted by Jeffrey McMeans, on November 27th, 2009 at 2:57 am UTCI am sick of those who put down some periods of his and elevate others. To quote the bard(who I have seen 100 times, many many times recently)It’s All Good. Who else plays small double A baseball parks and brings Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp on board the tour, AFTER he had already sold the tickets. As for him touring too much, what would we give to have had James Dean for more than 3 movies?
Yes, let’s get that Nobel Prize for Literature.
[...] Bob Dylan and America: Douglas Brinkley, WBUR On Point Radio. [...]
Posted by Podcast Picks: Friday 27 November 2009 GregorWeekly, on November 27th, 2009 at 11:56 pm UTCAnother lame segment from “off point”.
Posted by Louise, on November 29th, 2009 at 7:54 pm UTC