Book description
Bob Dylan has always regarded himself as a songwriter: 'I am my
words,' he wrote in 1964.
Distilling a lifetime's passion and study, leading Dylan author,
Clinton Heylin charts the development and first moments of genius of
this unique artist whose songs changed the world.
From his first attempts at writing, Song to Bridget, in
1957, (apparently for Brigitte Bardot) Bob Dylan always aspired to
poetry, yet his role as a writer rather than a performer of his own
songs is often overlooked. In over fifty years of creativity he had
penned some of the most iconic, and perfect, songs in popular history.
Arriving in New York in 1961, the city had an enormous impact on the
young artist and, as he established himself amongst the folk clubs and
artists, he would produce songs that spoke for a whole generation:
Blowing in the Wind, A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, The Times They Are
a Changin', Like a Rolling Stone, and Forever Young.
In Revolution in the Air Clinton Heylin recounts the
story of each song as it is written, giving a full appreciation of the
songs themselves as well as Dylan the emerging artist. Unlike any
other book on Dylan, it charts his rise as a writer, where he gained
his inspiration, the burst of energy which produced some of his most
famous songs as well as the lesser known stories behind the more
iconic verses.
This is an essential book for anyone interested in Dylan and his
place in literature. Informative, opinionated, packed with new
insights and revelations, this is an instant classic.
