“What is Bob Dylan?” That’s the fundamental question behind this new podcast, which explores the work and career of Bob Dylan in a series written and produced by Michael Hacker. The first season is a projected 12 episodes covering from Dylan’s roots in Minnesota up to his 1997 release, Time Out Of Mind. With literally hundreds of books already written about Dylan, along with countless documentaries, radio shows and articles devoted to his life and music, one might ask if there’s a need for anything else about the man. A BOB DYLAN PRIMER is an attempt to cut through the enormous mass of material already produced, to create something simple and enjoyable, yet with journalistic accuracy and a depth of insight that can engage both the brand-new fan and the wizened Dylanologist, as well as anyone in-between. Drawing on a lifetime spent listening to and studying Dylan’s music and career, A BOB DYLAN PRIMER is unabashed in its appreciation for the magnitude and amplitude of Dylan’s achievements. Still, every observation is filtered through a freshly polished and contemporary lens, examining the varied path of Dylan’s work with a deep historical perspective and a heavy shot of humor.
A small departure, this episode traces my personal journey with Dylan's work and music. Highlights include watching Dylan's house get built in Malibu, seeing The Last Waltz in person, getting the weakest handshake of all...
As we say fare thee well, Dylan drops his best music in years Episode links: Spotify playlist for A Bob Dylan Primer Episode 15 Dylan – Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech Bob Dylan speech at the 2016...
40 years after showing up in New York, Dylan propels himself headfirst into the 21st century with a quartet of ferociously strong albums and a sweet book that tells more than the most telling tell-all....
Never a dull moment for Mr. D, he contracts a serious infection of the heart, sings for the Pope, and releases his strongest album in 20 years. Episode links: Not Dark Yet – Dylan...
Dylan somehow stops his creative slide at the end of the 1980s and turns it all around, again. Episode links: Dylan Live (TV Broadcast) – 1993 – Hard Times Dylan – Live in Paris –...
Few who lived through the nineteen-eighties would claim the decade as their greatest era. Dylan is no exception. Episode links: Dylan 2019 – Girl From The North Country (partial) Dylan 2019 – When I Paint...
Twenty years into his career, Bob Dylan unleashes his most shocking transformation …and finds religion. Episode links: Bob Dylan – June 1978 Live – Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan – Pressing On Bob Dylan...
It seemed like Bob Dylan was finished. Then he emerged with what many consider the strongest album of his long career. Episode links: Tangled Up in Blue – Rolling Thunder 1975 Bob Dylan 1974...
Would you believe Dylan almost became a movie director? A slight detour from the chronology as we take a look at Bob Dylan, filmmaker. Hear all about it in Episode 8, The Movie'll Be Like...
The sixties are ending, long live the sixties. How does the single most iconic performer leave the decade that defined him and move in the 1970s? Find out in Episode 7 of A Bob Dylan...
In 1969, America is coming apart at the seams. Rock music is exploding into densely complex forms. Bob Dylan releases an album of pure … country music Episode links: Dylan and Johnny Cash –...
“Live fast, die young” is the mantra of many a dead rock star – but what happens if you live fast, and survive? Maybe that's the toughest test of all.
Imagine you've bought a ticket to see your favorite artist in concert. Imagine then that you're horrified at what that artist plays – would you consider them a traitor? Would you call them Judas? ...
What does it mean to be a “rock star?” Attitude? Swagger? Shades? Can a folk singer turn into a rock star? Let's find out – Episode links: Bob Dylan – Don't Think Twice –...
Once, a single song could change the world. In 1963, a 22-year-old kid wrote a song called Blowin' In The Wind … and it changed the world. Episode links: Dylan – Talkin' John Birch...
Before television, a boy was born in springtime Minnesota. 25 years later he was the most beloved, and most reviled – pop star on the planet. Episode links: Greenwich Village Folk Riot – 1961...
A short intro about what is happening with this series of broadcasts – launching in January 2019. It's rolling, Bob.
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