Monday, February 9, 2009

two things about bob dylan

i found these as i was going through some old notes. they are from the book bob dylan: behind the shades by clinton heylin.

one
people live with the hope for green trees and beautiful flowers, but dylan seems to lack that sort of simple hope. at least he did from 1964 to 1966. this darkness wasn't new to me. but it became stronger as the years passed by.
so says suze rotolo, a former girlfriend. she's the woman clinging to dylan on the cover of the album the freewheeling bob dylan. her quote is on page 162 of the book.

two
dylan's three types of apocalyptic songs:
1. the black of cataclysmic apocalyptic tradition -- i'd hate to be you on that dreadful day, all along the watchtower or changing of the guard. he rarely used this.
2. the red or revolutionary tradition -- ain't gonna grieveor the times they are a-changin'.
3. the green or pastoral tradition -- chimes of freedom, when the ship comes in or gates of eden.
this is on page 321 of the book, where heylin quoted joseph campbell's essay bob dylan and the pastoral apocalypse that was published in 1975 in the journal of popular culture.

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