The Bob Dylan Albums

In the process Varesi unearths new meaning in both Dylan's most famous works and in songs that have received less attention."--BOOK JACKET.

Publisher description

Bob Dylan's influence on popular music is incalculable. As a songwriter, he pioneered several different schools, from confessional to hallucinatory, stream-of-consciousness narratives. As a vocalist, he redefined the lead singer's role in popular music. As a musician, he sparked many genres of pop music, including electrified folk-rock and country-rock. Many of his songs have become popular standards, covered by many artists, and his best albums are undisputed classics. Bob Dylan: Album File and Complete Discography includes descriptions of Dylan's 43 officially released albums and collaborative efforts, including year of release, label, credits, track list, timings and comments on each track. This is a must for every devoted Dylan fan.

Since the first edition of The Bob Dylan Albums appeared in 2002, there have been seven new Bob Dylan studio albums and fifteen archival collections. The latter have included the complete studio recordings for the famed 1965-1966 sessions, the entirety of the Basement Tapes recordings, a Blood on the Tracks box set and several complete concerts from the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue, released to coincide with director Martin Scorsese's acclaimed 2019 film Rolling Thunder Revue. And 2022 marks the 60th anniversary of the release of Dylan's first studio album. Dylan's body of work is vast; this second edition is the most complete and up to date study of all of Dylan's official albums, presented in an accessible, highly readable fashion.

WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE A beautiful, comprehensive volume of Dylan’s lyrics, from the beginning of his career through the present day—with the songwriter’s edits to dozens of songs, appearing here for the first time. Bob Dylan is one of the most important songwriters of our time, responsible for modern classics such as “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’.” The Lyrics is a comprehensive and definitive collection of Dylan’s most recent writing as well as the early works that are such an essential part of the canon. Well known for changing the lyrics to even his best-loved songs, Dylan has edited dozens of songs for this volume, making The Lyrics a must-read for everyone from fanatics to casual fans.

FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED. “The coolest class on campus” – The New York Times When the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan in 2016, a debate raged. Some celebrated, while many others questioned the choice. How could the world’s most prestigious book prize be awarded to a famously cantankerous singer-songwriter who wouldn’t even deign to attend the medal ceremony? In Why Bob Dylan Matters, Harvard Professor Richard F. Thomas answers this question with magisterial erudition. A world expert on Classical poetry, Thomas was initially ridiculed by his colleagues for teaching a course on Bob Dylan alongside his traditional seminars on Homer, Virgil, and Ovid. Dylan’s Nobel Prize brought him vindication, and he immediately found himself thrust into the spotlight as a leading academic voice in all matters Dylanological. Today, through his wildly popular Dylan seminar—affectionately dubbed "Dylan 101"—Thomas is introducing a new generation of fans and scholars to the revered bard’s work. This witty, personal volume is a distillation of Thomas’s famous course, and makes a compelling case for moving Dylan out of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and into the pantheon of Classical poets. Asking us to reflect on the question, "What makes a classic?", Thomas offers an eloquent argument for Dylan’s modern relevance, while interpreting and decoding Dylan’s lyrics for readers. The most original and compelling volume on Dylan in decades, Why Bob Dylan Matters will illuminate Dylan’s work for the Dylan neophyte and the seasoned fanatic alike. You’ll never think about Bob Dylan in the same way again.

A unique look at Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan's place in American cultural history through unprecedented access to Dylan's studio tapes, recording notes, and rare photographs. Sean Wilentz discovered Bob Dylan’s music as a teenager growing up in Greenwich Village. Now, almost half a century later, he revisits Dylan’s work with the skills of an eminent American historian as well as the passion of a fan. Beginning with Dylan’s explosion onto the scene in 1961, Wilentz follows the emerging artist as he develops a body of work unique in America’s cultural history. Using his unprecedented access to studio tapes, recording notes, and rare photographs, he places Dylan’s music in the context of its time and offers a stunning critical appreciation of Dylan both as a songwriter and performer.

This book features 27 integrated essays that offer access to the art, life, and legacy of one of the world's most influential artists.