Bob Dylan in America, the biography written by Sean Wilentz, covers Bob Dylan’s life and the influence that American music and its history have had on his own. Wilentz covers Dylan and his influences from his early days of playing coffee shops in the Village to his Christmas album released in 2009.
Wilentz brings intense details that are often only reserved for history books. Putting emphasis on the history and story of those that Dylan borrowed influence from for each time in his life.
This puts Dylan and the wide variety of music and people that have influenced his career in a new light. Bringing little known details in the relationships that moved Dylan to change his genre of music so many times. While at the same time defending the rumors that Dylan has stolen from other artists by showing the imprint of the music, poetry and prose had on Dylan’s own life and of course music.
If history and music, especially American music history, are something that you may be interested in. Then this book was written in immense detail just for you. Bringing you back to America’s early music history, from the early minstrel shows of the mid 1800’s to the beginnings of blues and jazz in America’s South.
For those that show no interest in both history or music, then this book may not be for you. Bob Dylan in America is so rich in historical detail that you may find the majority of the book to be beyond your interests.
I have been attending Yuba College for since Fall of 2010 and have been on the The Prospector staff for two semesters. As a Political science major, I am interested in every aspect of politics, especially how our society responds to politics and politics to society.
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