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Ten Thousand Motels |
REVIEW
Dylan on Dylan
"Essential Interviews" exposes artist
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 05/19/06
BY CHRIS M. JUNIOR
STAFF WRITER
THE ESSENTIAL INTERVIEWS
EDITED BY: Jonathan Cott
PUBLISHED BY: Wenner Books; $23.95
He once referred to himself simply as a song and dance man.
He also claimed to play mathematical music, offered no explanation for his popularity other than it "just happened, like anything else" and didn't believe songs can change people.
Much like the lyrics to his classic tunes, Bob Dylan's comments about himself and his work can be freewheeling and intriguing. The above assessments are among the many he's made that can be found in "Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews" (Wenner Books, $23.95), which arrived in stores this week.
The book contains 31 Dylan conversations that took place from 1962 to 2004. Arranged in chronological order, the interviews show an artist who, depending on his mood, the circumstances and the question, would give succinct, elaborate and sometimes bizarre answers.
His Dec. 3, 1965, TV press conference for San Francisco's KQED clearly was a trying experience for both Dylan and the media. When asked if he considered himself a politician, Dylan rambled about having his own party that's "more or less in the center — kind of on the uppity scale." (Chances are Dylan was exacting revenge for being asked moments earlier if he had a rhyme for the word "orange.")
"The Essential Interviews" shows that through the years, Dylan became more forthcoming with the press. In a Rolling Stone magazine interview from June 21, 1984, he talks at length about his motivations behind "Self Portrait," a double album that baffled many of his fans when it was released in the early 1970s.
While most of the book contains straightforward question-and-answer interviews, some pieces are in narrative form, and those provide informed perspective and precise description. Among the best is a story written by Jon Pareles that ran in the Sept. 28, 1997, edition of the New York Times, in which Dylan admits: "I'm inconsistent, even to myself."
Inconsistent — maybe. Interesting — absolutely, and "The Essential Interviews" is proof.
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speedfreakjive |
first Blonde on Blonde, now Dylan on Dylan, |
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stonedinaustralia |
i married isis on the 5th day of May...but i knew i could not hold on to her very long....
oh well, shit happens |
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Gazza |
good idea for a book - looks interesting. thanks |
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