Bob Dylan: Becoming Dylan
Born Robert Zimmerman in 1941, Bob Dylan was raised in Minnesota, far from the spotlight that he would endure for the rest of his life. Weaned on the sounds of Rock and Blues, a young Bob Dylan quickly flocked to music. Bob Dylan formed several bands in high school, including cover band the Golden Chords. When attending college, Bob Dylan encountered Folk music for the first time. The deep lyrics and powerful emotions of Folk turned him off of Rock. The works of poet Dylan Thomas captured Bob Dylan’s imagination so strongly that he adopted “Dylan” as his stage name and eventual surname.
Bob Dylan: Revolution
After traveling to New York City and saturating himself in the scene and knowledge of legendary Folk artists, Bob Dylan landed a record deal. Bob Dylan’s self-titled debut was a flop commercially but follow-up The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan would be an eventual platinum breakout and a cultural landmark for the 1960s. A collection of socially aware songs like “Blowin’ in The Wind” made Bob Dylan an icon to the counterculture and the anti-war movement. “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” expressed the fears of nuclear holocaust and “Masters of War” was an anti-war anthem.
The Times They Are a-Changin’ released in 1964 expanded on the earlier social-change styled songs. “The Times They Are a-Changin’” was one the most remembered songs of the 1960s and was possibly Bob Dylan’s most famous work. “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” struck at the inequality between America’s races and was a favorite of civil rights leaders. Bob Dylan found himself an unwilling head of the counterculture and felt manipulated. In response to the counterculture Bob Dylan shifted styles and lyrics away from protest. Another Side of Bob Dylan released in 1964 was directly made to this end. With “Chimes of Freedom” Bob Dylan leaned more to a poetic style of lyrics. The move drew criticism from many old fans but opened up Bob Dylan to a wider audience.
Bob Dylan: Changes
Bob Dylan’s embrace of electric instruments brought about more controversy. “Mr. Tambourine Man” was an early hit from this new style. The transition brought in more fans than it alienated and turned a new page for Bob Dylan. The usual solo performing Bob Dylan brought in an electric backing band simply called “The Band”. Later “Like a Rolling Stone” would become one of Bob Dylan’s all time fan favorites and was a huge influence on rockers to come. The albums Bringing it All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde formed a groundbreaking trio that helped shape modern Blues and Folk. A few years later Bob Dylan released the song “All Along The Watchtower” which would become one of the songs that best symbolized the Vietnam War and was made famous by Jimi Hendrix. “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” would be an often covered song.
Bob Dylan’s conversion to being a Born Again Christian changed the themes and lyrics of his music. Slow Train Coming was one of the albums that reflected powerful new faith. In this time Bob Dylan refused to play his old songs and drew both harsh criticism and praise. This period in the 1980s was a time of varying styles from Bob Dylan and was marred by a slump in record sales.
Bob Dylan: Return to Form
The 1990s were again slow for Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan began to slowly drift back to his roots with several tours and live performances. It wasn’t until 1997 when Bob Dylan released Time Out of Mind that he found chart success again. Time Out of Mind was heralded as some of Bob Dylan’s best work and brought in a Grammy award and platinum certification. “To Make You Feel My Love” was a hit and was covered by artists like Billy Joel and Garth Brooks. Song “Things Have Changed” won Bob Dylan both a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
“Love and Theft” was another critically acclaimed release and reached gold status. “Love and Theft” was a mix of different styles and had mass appeal. Bob Dylan’s modern opus Modern Times was released in 2006 and reached No.1 on the charts. Modern Times both won another Grammy for Bob Dylan and went platinum.
Bob Dylan: The Future and Legacy
With Bob Dylan returning to the heights of his art, Bob Dylan’s legacy continues. Bob Dylan’s “Never Ending Tour” began in 1988 and is still going strong today. Over the course of that time Bob Dylan has played over 2000 shows. A new interest for Bob Dylan has also been aroused by the Oscar nominated film I’m Not There which was an unorthodox biographical movie with many actors playing Bob Dylan. The legacy of Bob Dylan cannot be measured and only seems to be growing. With an influence that can be felt in any music genre in the world and countless followers Bob Dylan is well on his way to being known as the most important musician of all time.
Bob Dylan: Greatest Hits
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