REVIEW: Bob Dylan In America By Sean Wilentz

It’s always good to read a book intro and discover the author fully comprehends and admits to the uphill battle they’re facing. Within the first few pages of Bob Dylan in America, author Wilentz agrees the amount of material published on the folk artist made famous in the sixties is pretty dense. Which is why, he says, he’s taken a different approach, and one that’s worked pretty damn well.

Not so much a music writer as a historian who happens to be a massive music fan, Wilentz - rather than solely spotlighting Dylan, his work and accomplishments (which are, however, also covered) - takes the reader through various musical histories, focussing largely on musicians, scenes and artists who inspired, collaborated with or simply were enjoyed by Dylan.

As well as a look into Dylan’s career, this provides an interesting history on other kinds of music, as well as forgotten but impressive artists such as folk singer Blind Willie McTell, and various folk stories or legends that influenced him over the years. As well as providing an intriguing read, Wilentz manages to create a critical biography of Dylan’s career, and - by providing in-depth analysis of music and culture dating back to the 1800s - how it was shaped in the years leading up to his rise to fame.

By Amberleigh Jack