Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973 - Hardcover

Heylin, Clinton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1556528434 ISBN 13: 9781556528439

Publisher: Chicago Review Press, 2009

Synopsis

The first of two volumes, this companion to every song that Bob Dylan ever wrote is by far the most comprehensive book on the words of America’s greatest songwriter. Here you’ll find not just opinionated commentary or literary interpretation, but facts, first and foremost. Clinton Heylin is the world’s leading Dylan biographer and expert, and he has arranged the songs--including a number that have never been performed--in a continually surprising chronology of when they were actually written rather than when they appeared on albums. Using newly discovered manuscripts, anecdotal evidence, and a seemingly limitless knowledge of every Bob Dylan live performance, he has uncovered a wealth of information about the songs, leaving no stone unturned in his research.

            Here we learn that the middle verse of Blowin’ in the Wind” was written much later than the first and third verses; that The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” was based on a complete distortion of the facts of the case; that Mixed Up Confusion,” despite being Dylan’s first single, was composed later than many of his early masterpieces; that Fourth Time Around” was a direct response to John Lennon’s Norwegian Wood”; and much more.

            Reading this volume will fundamentally change how you hear Dylan’s songs and will make you want to revisit the man’s lesser-known masterpieces. This is an essential purchase for every true Bob Dylan fan--and perhaps your most essential purchase, for, as a guide to the man’s work, it will never be surpassed.

About this title

About the Author

Clinton Heylin is the author of Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades, So Long as Men Can Breathe: The Untold Story of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Can You Feel the Silence: Van Morrison, From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk, Despite the System: Orson Welles vs. Hollywood, Babylon’s Burning: From Punk to Grunge, The Act You’ve Known for All These Years: A Year in the Life of Sgt. Pepper and Friends, All Yesterday’s Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions, and others.

Review

"Documents the nuts and bolts."  Rolling Stone

"One of the most important volumes in the already groaning Bookshelf of Bob"  Houston Press

True to form, Heylin digs deep way deep into the songs, mixing cold hard facts with illuminating anecdotes."  Mark Smith, managing editor, Acoustic Guitar

"A magnum opus that anyone curious about, fascinated by, and devoted to His Master's Voice will want to read and ponder."  Jonathan Cott, author, Dylan, and editor, Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews

"An exhaustive look at one of the 20th century's best and prolific songwriters uncovers tons of info about these timeless tracks."  Cleveland Scene

"An excellent supplement to a good Dylan biography . . . including Heylin's highly empirical Behind the Shades."  Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

"Comprehensive . . . obviously written very lovingly."  PopMatters.com

"Revolution in the Air, like its precursor, Ian McDonald’s Revolution in the Head about the Beatles' recordings, is an invaluable guide to have by your side as you traverse this monstrous body of work."  NUVO

Edition details

• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1556528434
• ISBN 13: 9781556528439
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 496