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Bob Dylan In America Audiobook
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(3.04) - 645 listener ratings
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One of America’s finest historians shows us how Bob Dylan, one of the country’s greatest and most enduring artists, still surprises and moves us after all these years. Growing up in Greenwich Village, Sean Wilentz discovered the music of Bob Dylan as a young teenager; 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. Drawn in part from Wilentz’s essays as “historian in residence” of Dylan’s official website, Bob Dylan in America is a unique blend of fact, interpretation, and affinity—a book that, much like its subject, shifts gears and changes shape as the occasion warrants. Beginning with his explosion onto the scene in 1961, this book follows Dylan as he continues to develop a body of musical and literary work unique in our cultural history. Wilentz’s approach places Dylan’s music in the context of its time, including the early influences of Popular Front ideology and Beat aesthetics, and offers a larger critical appreciation of Dylan as both a songwriter and performer down to the present. Wilentz has had unprecedented access to studio tapes, recording notes, rare photographs, and other materials, all of which allow him to tell Dylan’s story and that of such masterpieces as Blonde on Blonde with an unprecedented authenticity and richness. Bob Dylan in America—groundbreaking, comprehensive, totally absorbing—is the result of an author and a subject brilliantly met.
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"I learned more about history than Dylan, but I knew that going in to this book. Wilentz is a historian, so I could only read this in small sections at a time. It is well-written; I'm just a fiction nut. There is much to be read re: Dylan, and this book is worth the time for any Dylanphiles out there. Wilentz frames the history that molded and influenced Dylan. I especially liked the section on Blind Wille McTell."
— Jack (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Wilentz’s vast knowledge of Dylan performances touchingly conveys his nearly lifelong reverence for his subject.”
— New York Times -
“Among those who write regularly about Dylan, Wilentz possesses the rare virtues of modesty, nuance, and lucidity, and….Wilentz is very, very good on the actual music.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“What this book finally does…is establish Dylan as the twentieth century’s Walt Whitman.”
— Sunday Times (London) -
“Wilentz locates Dylan’s work in the context of some surprising influences…The greatest gift for Dylan fans, however, is Wilentz’s detailed account of the making of 1966’s ‘Blonde on Blonde.’”
— Rolling Stone -
“An enjoyably thorough, convincing explanation of why Dylan’s new music has gone on finding new audiences…Where Wilentz excels is in teasing out the origins of Dylan’s artistic impulses, the context in which they arose and flowered, the multiple sources of his art.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Wilentz’s cool tenor never ceases to assure the listener that he’s highly engaged with his subject matter, and the production is further enhanced by the inclusion of several snippets of actual Dylan music.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A New York Times Bestseller
Bob Dylan In America Listener Reviews
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" Wilentz over writes throughout the book and bogs down the prose with too much information that he puts forth but does not ever fully connect, which leads to rambling. And a sense that he (and only he) is the foremost expert/critic/historian on Dylan. Perhaps if he were able to shelve his idolatry of Dylan his cause would be helped. (400 pages, pfffft, 335 really, lots and lots of bibliography type pages) "
— Charity, 2/8/2014 -
" A very carefully researched trip into Dylan's influences and his cultural importance. I thought some of the sections picking apart chordal structures and harmonies were dry but overall I thought it was a great book. "
— Lucas, 1/28/2014 -
" Another book about Bob Dylan?! This one, however, spends much of its time analyzing a number of his songs and revealing the wide variety of sources he drew from. I enjoyed much of this but it was frustrating not having access to many of the rare and obscure blues and folk tunes that were discussed (I kept thinking this would work better as a textbook in a classroom setting). Also, the author makes quite a few assumptions, which might be surprising since Sean Wilentz has close connections to Dylan's people (he was asked to write for Dylan's website and added the liner notes to one his official bootleg CDs). I'm assuming he tried to get to the source but Dylan most likely was not cooperating... "
— Dennis, 1/23/2014 -
" move over while the reagan scholar historifies 'desolation row' for ya; ?!? How did he get all these names to endorse it....a dare of some kind? A least it's pretty obvious that Roth just skimmed it. It has some interesting view points though, almost none of which i think entered dylans mind, past, present or future. This guy wears a bow tie right? He must. He's probably a nice guy, Mr. Wilentz. I just heard some much hype and then got a chance to sit down with it for a long while and it was bewildering. But not excting, Martin. "
— Kiof, 1/23/2014 -
" Absolutely fantastic history of Bob Dylan and the roots of much of American Music:) There is so much good music in this book, my personal collection has defenitly been enhanced:) "
— John, 1/14/2014 -
" EXCELLENT HISTORY OF AMERICA'S MOST ENIGMATIC AND INFLUENTIAL POET-SONG WRITERS. "
— Ho, 1/8/2014 -
" Most recent book I read. I partly did not want to know "everything" about Robert Zimmerman, because I wanted to keep him super-human. However, his musical and literary influences were incredible. I now know about Blind Willie McTell's music and others. "
— Kerryadixon, 12/26/2013 -
" Loved this biography that places Dylan in context with American history, poetry, and music. "
— Mary, 11/23/2013 -
" Easily the best book on Dylan I've read not written by the man himself. Highly informative and packed with cultural and historical roots to basically every musical venture Bob Dylan has made. Near-perfect. "
— Dave, 10/24/2013 -
" Wilentz, an actual historian, puts Dylan within multiple historical and cultural contexts, and the result is real insight. "
— Andy, 9/25/2013 -
" An okay biography about Dylam "
— Dave, 7/25/2013 -
" I'm currently on a Dylan odyssey. Saw him this Labor Day. This book was very enjoyable. It is SO full of information that there is no way to retain a fraction of it. But I have even more appreciation for his amazing talent. He is way more than a gravelly voice! "
— Jana, 7/24/2013 -
" This book was amazing. It was interesting, informative, entertaining, and left me smarter than it found me. Brilliantly ties Dylan in to American 20th century music - the opening chapter is about Aaron Copeland! "
— Ann, 7/12/2013 -
" Perhaps a bit esoteric for the casual Dylan fan, which is what I consider myself. Still, one can't help but admire Wilentz's skill and and ability to draw connections between Dylan (man and music) and a larger cultural history. "
— Timothyarnold1973, 1/19/2013 -
" I would have gotten more out of this book if I know Dylan's music better than I do. Made me realize how much more I need to get acquainted w/ it even tho I know quite a few of his songs. This book is best for serious Dylan fans. "
— Leigh, 11/28/2012 -
" i found this book absolutely fascinating, if a little too exhaustive in parts. definitely only for the truest of true believers. "
— Mike, 7/22/2011 -
" Had to read this for class. I still don't like learning about people in this way, but Wilentz is a wonderful historian and writer. He doesn't confuse readers and separates memory from fact nicely. "
— kho, 5/2/2011 -
" Drifts between history, uncritical musical criticism and thoughtful analysis of the man himself. "
— Adam, 4/19/2011 -
" Just finished this last night. Truly excellent. Puts Dylan in context of American culture. Not a true biography, per se, but rather an examination of the man's life and art against the backdrop of evolving American society writ large. "
— Ed, 3/21/2011 -
" Excellent. Solid analysis of Dylan's work. Best read with a copy of Lyrics "
— Bernie, 2/27/2011 -
" Awesome..finally a real historian and Bob! "
— Tom, 1/30/2011 -
" Loved this biography that places Dylan in context with American history, poetry, and music. "
— Mary, 1/29/2011 -
" I learned a lot about American cultural history from this fine book. Wilentz situates Dylan very firmly in the traditions and culture of his country. "
— Eamonn, 1/16/2011 -
" I am really enjoying this so far... "
— Karin, 1/9/2011
About Sean Wilentz
Sean Wilentz is a professor of American history at Princeton University. He is the author of The Age of Reagan and The Rise of American Democracy, which received the coveted Bancroft Prize. The historian-in-residence for Bob Dylan’s official Website, he has also received a Deems Taylor Award for musical commentary and a Grammy nomination for his liner notes to Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Bob Dylan, Live 1964: The Concert at Philharmonic Hall.