Beviglia Jim - Counting down Bob Dylan: his 100 finest songs

THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC.

Lanham Toronto Plymouth, UK

2012

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Beviglia, Jim.

Counting down Bob Dylan : his 100 finest songs / by Jim Beviglia.

pages cm. -- (Counting down)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8108-8823-4 (cloth : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-8108-8824-1 (electronic)

1. Dylan, Bob, 1941---Criticism and interpretation. 2. Dylan, Bob, 1941- Songs. 3. Popular music--History and criticism. I. Title.

ML420.D98B45 2013

782.42164092--dc23

2013016471

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

For Marie,

Without your love Id be nowhere at all

Id be lost if not for you

Although this endeavor may seem like the work of one Bob Dylan fan with a bevy of opinions and way too much time on his hands, it is, in truth, the product of many, many people who have, directly and indirectly, helped make this happen.

Bennett Graff, my editor at Scarecrow Press, was not only the person who was willing to take a chance on a first-time author but also was patient enough with my reluctance to change the book from its initial form as a very personal, first-person account of one fans love of Bob Dylan into something that might resonate far beyond that. His advice and support throughout this process have likely spoiled me for all other editors should I ever chance to do this again. In conjunction with that, the good folks at Scarecrow Press have been an integral part of this process and are responsible for putting this book in the hands of readers everywhere.

Im very grateful as well to Evan Schlansky, my editor at American Songwriter magazine, who gave me a job based on nothing more than the long-winded bloviating on my blog. His faith allowed me to believe that my writing could be a vocation and not just a hobby. Even further back than that, Douglas Newman, who hired me for my first online music-writing gig several years ago, provided me with the impetus to get to this point.

Anybody who writes about Bob Dylan has some pretty impressive predecessors in that department, and many of those books formed the basis of my knowledge of Dylan history, which appears in these writings. Many of their works appear in the bibliography and the endnotes. But Id like to thank, in particular, Greil Marcus, Howard Sounes, Oliver Trager, and Christopher Ricks for helping me to understand, through their own writings, what Dylan analysis is all about, even as they set imposing standards for me to try to meet.

Speaking of rock writers, Dave Marsh, whose books on Bruce Springsteen, the Who, and so many others are among the best in the genre, was nice enough to comment on my blog, have me on his radio show, and serve as a valuable source of information on the book-writing process, often going out of his way to do these things. In addition, Id like to thank Karl Erik Andersen and the folks at Expectingrain.com, the ultimate Dylan website, for promoting the blog series, which served as the starting point for this book. My blog readers also deserve mention since their comments about Dylans music have been unfailingly insightful.

I have a wonderful group of family and friends who have supported me in my writing endeavors. Chief among these: my mom; my brothers, Bob and Rich; my sisters-in-law; my nieces; my daughter, Daniele; and my girlfriend, Marie. None of these people are big Bob Dylan fans, but they have endured my endless monologues about his music, so I feel like this book belongs to them as much as it does to me.

Finally, Id like to thank Bob Dylan himself. I know hes probably skeptical about this project, if hes even aware of it at all. Yet if he is reading this, Id just like to say thank you, Bob, for bringing me and so many of your fans so much wonderful music. This book is my humble attempt to repay that debt.

Degree in Dylanology Not Required

They have a name for fans of Bob Dylan who really like to delve into his work: Dylanologists. It implies that these people study his work like an anthropologist studies other cultures or a psychologist studies the human mind. It also implies a cerebral, almost clinical, approach to his songs.

While I dont doubt that this kind of in-depth study can be rewarding, and Ive indulged in it myself over the years, the Dylan that I know and love engages the heart as much as, if not more than, the mind. I dont think you need to have a doctorate in folk music or a firm grasp of this particular songwriters biography to appreciate his music. You just need to be open to it and let it work its magic.

I know a lot of people who say they dont get Dylan. My belief is that a lot of those people fall for the stereotype of the man with the whiny voice and the impenetrably wordy lyrics. They dont ever give his music a fighting chance, and as a result, they miss out on some of the most moving, impactful music that has ever been recorded. I wrote this book as much for these uninitiated folks as I did for the Dylanologists out there.

This project might seem, like some others, to be just another song list generated to grab attention and stir controversy. That has never been my intent, although I wont turn down a spirited debate on the matter. Ultimately, this book is intended to celebrate Bob Dylans music, serving as a tribute not only to the brilliance of specific songs but also to the sheer number of great ones he has given us. I only went up to 100 here; I could easily have gone another 150 deep and still not run into a song I dislike.

Music can never be judged objectively, so personal feelings definitely factor into these rankings. I tried to separate the songs from any personal relevance they might have had, and I also considered certain intangibles, like the cultural impact a particular song might have had or its staying power over time. I considered chart success far less since Dylan is not a radio artist, and some of his biggest hits were almost accidental in nature and lack the beguiling depth of his finest work.