Bob Dylan in His Own Words

by Bob Dylan

Gathers quotations from radio and television shows, interviews, and press conferences to present Dylan's views on his music, performing, films, and books as well as the rock'n'roll lifestyle

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Biography

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician, poet, and, of late, disc jockey who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of Dylan's most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of American unrest. A number of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements. His most recent studio album, Modern Times, released on August 29, 2006, entered the U.S. album charts at #1, making him, at age sixty five, the oldest living person to top those charts.

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature (2016).

Reviews

[Jose Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always better to hear it from the man itself.
Great photos
It goes only till 1991.

[John Matthew IV · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of quotes (without listing the source), photos (also without credit) nor context.

Bob often seems annoyed by the questions.

You learn a bit about the man but a real biography would be better. This is just a two-hour read so you don't feel like you are wasting time.

p. 34: "I always play as it nobody out there has ever heard of me. If you don't do that, you get too complacent and you can't read a crowd. You start assuming too many things." (New York, 1989)

[Ralph Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think you learn more about Bob Dylan by listening to him sing rather than listening to him speak. I don’t think he would want you putting a lot of stock in these interviews. It’s interesting, though, that his most favourite and personal of his own albums appears to be “Nashville Skyline” and decidedly not Blood on the Tracks. Note the Hank Williams and Elvis Presley Influence.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally inarticulate (even at times downright incomprehensible)...and lotsa fun. :)

[Matthew Moes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for quotes and pictures. I enjoyed this book. I did not rate it high because the kind of book it is, which is simply a compilation of pictures and quotes by Dylan on various topics. I imagine there are a bunch of books just like it, and probably little that is unique about any of them. But the subject (Dylan) is always of interest and here you find some of his flippant statements organized by topic and taken out of context. Handy, I guess, in a way.

MM November 4, 2006

[Jonathan]

None

[Lee Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enough meat on the bone.