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Bob Dylan’s idea of modern song is nothing of the sort

Most of the 66 songs he discusses in a collection of meditative essays date from the late 1940s to the advent of punk – a movement that evidently passed him by

7 January 2023

9:00 AM

7 January 2023

9:00 AM

The Philosophy of Modern Song Bob Dylan

Simon & Schuster, pp.352, 35

Between 2007-9, Bob Dylan compiled no fewer than 100 Theme Time Radio Hour broadcasts of songs he rated, prefaced by seemingly off-the-cuff verbal riffs on their meaning, history and importance. He was no natural DJ, but his love for the form shone through, as did a well-honed gruff ol’ man persona.

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