Thanks for the review, Carl. Because of the reviews of the movie, I've been prompted to think (more) about the shapeshifter character of Dylan. Question: Is that primarily expressed in the voices/points of view presented in his songs, or more deeply and broadly in his self-presentation? A c/c between him and Bowie would be illuminating, perhaps. BTW: I watched a youtube of Joni Mitchell speaking her mind about "Bob". She's really down on him! And she has a certain credibility, such that she can't simply be dismissed.
I might sometime compare the two self-presentations they both made, in relation to my study of Plato's and Whitman's Kaleidoscopic Soul, https://substack.com/home/post/p-151426592 but I doubt that I'm ever going to go into the biographies--there's one that practically tracks his activities day-by-day!--and the various he-said/she-said controversies which come out of them. Initial impressions suggest that Bowie's story--which does have its complications and mystery areas--would be quite a bit more straightforward to study than Dylan's.
My limited dives into Dylan-studies have focused on his music and writings. Somewhere the major Dylanologist Michael Gray says something like "I realized that if one was going to do this right, one had to make this one's main task." There is something about Dylan and all the commentary around him that actually makes that reasonable, but of course, I could never do that, and there's a real danger--as the perhaps most perceptive student of his latter-day work Scott Warmuth once suggested--or was it Joni Mitchell?--Dylan is like a black hole for intellectuals.
I've been listening to Dylan's music since 1964 when I was 14. I caught the bus into my capital, Perth one Saturday to buy Bringing It All Back Home. My folks had rescently bought a Radiogram.
It was obvious that LP was going to change music. It was his goodbye Folk hello electric. Aes for Highway 61 and Blonde on Blonde, well all others were left behind. On our way to get the bus to his 1966 world tour with the Hawks, later the Band, I said to my friend, "He writes prose and sets it to music. "
After the acoustic first half the electric kicked in, minus Levon Helm, he had left the tour in America, tired of the booing. Perth was more accepting. Someone yelled "Get on with it Bob" as Dylan took some time to tune up his Fender. The heckler didn't realise that Dylan was stoned, as were Robbie Robertson and the rest. They had access to dope. Dylan replied "They didn't laugh at us in ohio." Dylan slid off his piano stool playing Ballad of a Thin Man.
Brilliant concert played in front of a giant American flag. I haven't seen the movie, but no merights n has been made of his interest in human rights. We know about the early sixties but Dylan took a great interest in the history and plight of the Indigenous Australians, world's oldest culture of 60 000.
Color me jealous, Greg! Though I wasn't quite born yet... Did you also catch the Stones-imitating (but maybe better) Pretty Things when they toured Australia 'round that time?
Oh, and maybe Bob did make it out to the middle of that "Australian mountain range" which he sings about in "Outlaw Blues?"
Thanks for introducing me to Stoler's blog. Some fine stuff there indeed, on Dylan, other things. Such as the post on 1930's lynching, "Strange Fruit."
Thank you for this intelligent, heartfelt review. I thought Mr. Lack's review was too harsh about how the film didn't respect Joan Baez's character much, but he offered very insightful thoughts about the movie and characterizations. Bob Dylan was and is my favorite poet. I even love his singing. The movie depicted well the many moods of Dylan and his genius. I am very glad it was made.
The Illuminati and Freemasonry connections to the Hollywood and music industry are obvious, but I'm still untangling Dylan's involvement in all of that...
I liked it quite a bit. 8/10.
Thanks for the review, Carl. Because of the reviews of the movie, I've been prompted to think (more) about the shapeshifter character of Dylan. Question: Is that primarily expressed in the voices/points of view presented in his songs, or more deeply and broadly in his self-presentation? A c/c between him and Bowie would be illuminating, perhaps. BTW: I watched a youtube of Joni Mitchell speaking her mind about "Bob". She's really down on him! And she has a certain credibility, such that she can't simply be dismissed.
Likewise, Carl, thanks, haven't got around to seeing it yet, but I will look for it now!
Paul -- very good suggestion about the Bowie comparison. Something about the differences between England & America would come out...
I might sometime compare the two self-presentations they both made, in relation to my study of Plato's and Whitman's Kaleidoscopic Soul, https://substack.com/home/post/p-151426592 but I doubt that I'm ever going to go into the biographies--there's one that practically tracks his activities day-by-day!--and the various he-said/she-said controversies which come out of them. Initial impressions suggest that Bowie's story--which does have its complications and mystery areas--would be quite a bit more straightforward to study than Dylan's.
My limited dives into Dylan-studies have focused on his music and writings. Somewhere the major Dylanologist Michael Gray says something like "I realized that if one was going to do this right, one had to make this one's main task." There is something about Dylan and all the commentary around him that actually makes that reasonable, but of course, I could never do that, and there's a real danger--as the perhaps most perceptive student of his latter-day work Scott Warmuth once suggested--or was it Joni Mitchell?--Dylan is like a black hole for intellectuals.
I've been listening to Dylan's music since 1964 when I was 14. I caught the bus into my capital, Perth one Saturday to buy Bringing It All Back Home. My folks had rescently bought a Radiogram.
It was obvious that LP was going to change music. It was his goodbye Folk hello electric. Aes for Highway 61 and Blonde on Blonde, well all others were left behind. On our way to get the bus to his 1966 world tour with the Hawks, later the Band, I said to my friend, "He writes prose and sets it to music. "
After the acoustic first half the electric kicked in, minus Levon Helm, he had left the tour in America, tired of the booing. Perth was more accepting. Someone yelled "Get on with it Bob" as Dylan took some time to tune up his Fender. The heckler didn't realise that Dylan was stoned, as were Robbie Robertson and the rest. They had access to dope. Dylan replied "They didn't laugh at us in ohio." Dylan slid off his piano stool playing Ballad of a Thin Man.
Brilliant concert played in front of a giant American flag. I haven't seen the movie, but no merights n has been made of his interest in human rights. We know about the early sixties but Dylan took a great interest in the history and plight of the Indigenous Australians, world's oldest culture of 60 000.
Color me jealous, Greg! Though I wasn't quite born yet... Did you also catch the Stones-imitating (but maybe better) Pretty Things when they toured Australia 'round that time?
Oh, and maybe Bob did make it out to the middle of that "Australian mountain range" which he sings about in "Outlaw Blues?"
My friend Mark Stoler also reviewed the movie -- he concurs with you on many points!
https://havechanged.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-complete-unknown.html
Seems like it will be quite a success...
Thanks for introducing me to Stoler's blog. Some fine stuff there indeed, on Dylan, other things. Such as the post on 1930's lynching, "Strange Fruit."
Thank you for this intelligent, heartfelt review. I thought Mr. Lack's review was too harsh about how the film didn't respect Joan Baez's character much, but he offered very insightful thoughts about the movie and characterizations. Bob Dylan was and is my favorite poet. I even love his singing. The movie depicted well the many moods of Dylan and his genius. I am very glad it was made.
The Illuminati and Freemasonry connections to the Hollywood and music industry are obvious, but I'm still untangling Dylan's involvement in all of that...
https://rumble.com/v46w4si-bob-dylan-admits-it.html
https://rumble.com/v1efpcf-bob-dylans-on-the-bargain-he-made-with-the-chief-commander.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2MYbOO_vc0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXzL8lUQCM0
Michael Jackson sounds like he was telling the truth too:
https://rumble.com/v2ywzc0-michael-jackson-2002-tutto-falso.-il-mondo-manipolato-da-entit-occulte.html
Maybe this is the Joni Mitchell commentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZY8aDg_dTI