Here is the TL/DR version up front - If you are a Dylan fan, or if you are someone who has had a lukewarm view of him, liking a few songs maybe, understanding his impact on the culture, but never really "getting" him, you MUST see Rolling Thunder Revue, A Bob Dylan Story. You simply must. The fans will no doubt enjoy it, for the rest, it might just change your mind. It changed mine.
Here's my story.
I'm 57, and I have been aware of Dylan as one would expect, for nearly as long as I can remember. My first recollection of him is a comment from my mother, "he's a great writer but an awful singer". By the time I was in my teens I had heard any number of his tunes on AOR and to me, the songs were OK but never really
grabbed me, and never had me thinking "that was awesome, I need to dig a bit deeper". I just wasn't paying attention. Give me my Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Sabbath, and so on.
As I got older I started to gain an appreciation for songwriters over "riff writers" if you will, but never chose to explore Dylan, even with my additional exposure to him via The Band's Last Waltz (my favorite concert film and a favorite band of mine). That changed a few years ago after using his Forever Young for a photo montage for my son's Bar Mitzvah. What a beautiful song! While waiting to pick up my son from somewhere, I thought "I really should give Dylan a listen", so I pulled up a Spotify playlist and........whatever. I don't recall what tunes were on it, but they didn't grab me and I bailed on it before we got even home.
Then came a night about two months ago. It was a bit after midnight and everyone in the house was asleep but me. I was in no mood to turn in, so I poured some Grand Marnier and headed for the basement thinking maybe I'd watch the recent Robbie Roberson/Band documentary again (a must see IMHO), or the Classic Albums episode covering The Brown Album (also again). Thanks to the magic of algorithms, Netflix suggested to me "The Rolling Thunder Revue - A Bob Dylan Story", produced by Martin Scorsese. If I'm being honest, it was Scorsese's name that caused me to press "play", as I was fairly certain it would be a quality documentary at least.
Now I had in my head a perception of Dylan that was aloof, cranky, sullen, etc. Not sure what I expected, but I figured he'd be a somewhat static, stoic performer. I was in for an awakening.
If you haven't seen the movie, and want to see it with no preconceptions, stop reading now.
Anyway.....
So the first time we see Dylan on stage in the movie he's seated on a stool, playing Mr. Tambourine Man on acoustic. He's got a cool hat on, whiteface, and eyeliner. I must say the image was striking, and I had seen pictures in the past of the whiteface bit. So OK, I'm a bit intrigued.....this is the tour where he was doing THAT for whatever reason. There is some period footage (1975/76), rehearsals, interviews, party scenes, and so on, Scorsese is doing a good job of developing a story. I am seeing Dylan relaxed, laughing, smiling.....hmmm, I didn't think he ever smiled, and he's driving the tour bus. What? So I am now invested....and the GM is good, so I settle a bit deeper into the sofa.
About 20 minutes in, a song I am not familiar with begins while a psychedelic cartoon thing is scrolling across the screen, then we cut to the stage when Dylan begins his vocal. I am struck by the way he's singing, expressive, his phrasing very deliberate, lingering on certain words, emphasizing others. Visually he is animated, almost theatrical at times, and strutting around the stage between verses while playing harmonica. Next to him is Scarlett Viera on violin, striking in her own right, I think I am in love. The song is Isis, and between the music, the story in the lyrics, Dylan's intensity, and the absolutely killer band, I am now completely sucked into the experience. I dash upstairs to make sure the basement door is closed, and then turn up the volume.
THIS is Bob Dylan??? Never in a million years did I anticipate what I just saw. What's next?
When I Paint My Masterpiece is what's next. I knew Dylan wrote this, but I know and love the Band's version sung by Levon and man, I'm gonna have a hard time getting my head around someone else singing this because......Levon! And yet.....I'm sold. Again it's his phrasing, the way he manipulates the words and the melody, like he's savoring it all. At times during this song I'd say he is actually playful. I'm fascinated by it all. I don't understand how I could have been so ignorant for so long about this man's talent.
The movie continues, mostly songs I'm not familiar with, a few I know, all excellent. The band is fantastic, and there is a guitarist in the background I think I recognize. A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall.....blows me away. The lyrics......I am hanging on every word. And suddenly I see the guitarist well enough to figure out who it is.....Mick Ronson. ***? Dylan's got Ronson on guitar? He burns through a solo on Hard Rain. I learn through my later exploration that the original is just acoustic and vocal. I have no preference, it depends on my mood. Another song I am floored by in the film that I learn is radically different from its earlier acoustic version is The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. As with Hard Rain, I don't have a preference, both are powerful and moving, but DAMN he delivers this one with intensity. As the movie unfolds, each song becomes a revelation for me.
Joan Baez's insights are a highlight of the film, and her singing with Bob on I Shall Be Released and one or two others is just beautiful. I have a new appreciation of her. Late in the film Joni Mitchell sings Coyote at Gordon Lightfoot's house apparently shortly after writing it, if Roger McGuinn's comments at the time are to be believed. Just amazing, and a wonderful surprise! McGuinn takes a verse on Knocking on Heaven's Door, Patti Smith is seen earlier in the film, and there are other surprises throughout. We get a fair bit of Alan Ginsburg in the movie, his reading of "Kaddish" is powerful, I had never heard it before. I learned he wrote it following the death of his mother in 1957. His closing remarks in the last few minutes of the film are very "70s", but I am still moved by them. I'm moved by the whole thing really. I completely buy into the whole experience of the tour, at least as it's presented.
About Dylan Baez says at one point, and I'm paraphrasing, "Everything is forgiven when I see Bob sing, the charisma, I haven't ever seen before or since, and the beauty of those songs.....". Yeah, two and a half hours later, that's my takeaway as well. It's nearly 3AM and I am texting friends saying "you must see this movie"!
I have become aware from reviews that within the movie there is a fair bit of fiction tossed in, why is not known exactly. One reviewer was actually angry about it. Most others kinda shrugged it off saying "that's Dylan". The more I learn of him, this seems to be the case. Not sure why anyone would be mad about it. I'm amused, yet at the same time puzzled.
The next day I pulled up Bob Dylan on Spotify and.......now it clicks. No idea why it never did before, but I have immersed myself in his material for about two months now, and I can't seem to stop. I have also begun to assemble a collection of vinyls. So far I have picked up (all used):
- His first album
- The Times they are a Changing
- Hard Rain
- Desire
On the hunt for Freewheelin, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, Highway 61, Bringing it all Back Home, some of the Rolling Thunder releases, and no doubt others in time.
I also just finished and highly recommend his "biography" Chronicles Vol.1. It's an excellent read, and yes....there is some storytelling involved, hence the quotation marks. Don't let that deter you, he is an excellent storyteller. I will say when I finished it the other night I was disappointed to learn that as of this date, there is no Vol 2. However, in November he will publish a collection of essays on songs by other people, artists/songs he feels are significant. Should be a good read.
Anyway, if you got to this point in my post, I applaud your efforts and patience. Not sure why I sat and wrote this last night, there was no GM involved.
I suppose it's because I have rambled on and on about these discoveries to my wife, kids, and friends, and I think if I continue they may begin to shun me. I figured I might find a few receptive ears here.
Any knowledge, insight, personal stories and opinions, and/or suggestions for further exploration, are all welcome.
PS - Go listen to Murder Most Foul if you have some time.
Have a look at Lord Randall. 
