Feb 25, 2016 • Jon Bream

Dylan, Disc by Disc

Summary: Few figures in American music have compiled a body of work as impressive as that created by Bob Dylan over the past half-century. Beginning with his solo folk releases and role as a reluctant protest culture figurehead in the early 1960s and continuing through his controversial “electrification,” his work with the Band, his divisive “Christian” period, his struggle for artistic identity throughout most of the 1980s, and his return to critical success in 1997, the son of an appliance salesman from Hibbing, Minnesota, has always accommodated his own muse, critics be damned.

And it is a large cast of those damned critics, as recruited by author Jon Bream, who help dissect Dylan’s legendary studio catalog.

Bob Dylan: The Illustrated Discography*provides thoughtful analyses of all 35 studio releases, presented in chronological order and illustrated with LP art, period photography, 7-inch picture sleeves from around the world, and other memorabilia, as well as performance and candid offstage photography. In addition, sidebars spread throughout the book explore such topics as film and soundtrack appearances, session players, notable tours, pop culture references, live releases, and more. In the process,

Bob Dylan: The Illustrated Discography*provides Dylan fans with a unique, engaging, and handsome retrospective spanning this music legend’s entire storied career.

Finished reading: Feb 2016