Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
Bob Dylan is perhaps the best popular American songwriter/poet in the past century. Dylan, as he admits in this memoir/autobiography, was not the best student in high school, but he taught himself how to write by imitating the lyrical and musical work of the best folk artists of the day.
Although Dylan is known for his social conscience, in this work, he eschews that he ever aspired to dabble in contemporary politics. He claims – over and over – that he only wanted to be a true folk artist. Although he was popularly known for running away from the public spotlight, he claims that the press forced him to live this life. In so doing, he claims his persona is false – or at the very least, misguided.
Dylan would not be the first artist to claim that popularity hurt his/her life. I’m sure there is a solid nugget of truth in that claim. Nonetheless, Dylan appears to have nurtured this persona in his public portrayal of himself in pursuit of his artistic vision.
Either way, Dylan’s passion for songwriting comes through in this work. Most of this book dwells upon how Dylan’s unique and brilliant style came about through the deep study of others’ poetry and lyrics. Songwriters and poets will find it well worth the time to read, muse, and develop their own styles from Dylan’s brilliance.