As I read my newspaper over the breakfast table this morning, one news item more than any other today brought instant stirrings of nostalgia, faith , and mortality: Bob Dylan is 70.
Thanks to Bob, I invested in my first guitar, wrote my first poem, busked as a student, turned socialist in my Christianity, romanced my first girl-friend and now wife, and kept believing in the benevolent artistic creativity of mankind, under God.
His music drew from primitive roots, his words from the dramatic landscape of history and its mystical dimension. He drew around him gifted men and women, stirred sleeping youth, and reached out over the walls of racism and bigotry. Only in the North of England was he ever insulted, and that was because he had moved on, and the beer-bellies were dead in their tracks.
Even now my happiest moments are when I am with good friends, my family, my guitar, and a Dylan song that speaks me to me of love, betrayal, protest, and the challenge of being true to oneself. Happy Birthday Bob- you are my true rolling stone. My love she speaks of silence, without ideals of violence.
Jimmy, for once I am in TOTAL agreement with you… If there is a living musician, poet, writer who stands above all others, it is Mr Zimmerman. For those of us who listened to music in the late 60`s and 70´s, He marked our lives (together with the Beatles – but they were a foursome).
And oddly enough, I owe him my English Literature degree from East Anglia University (I was a border line case..2.2/3 – our studies went beyond books – in the words of Steve Winwood, we were also Fantasy Men!), as in my final exam my main essay was on his song “A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall” which I knew backwards and all its history.
Long Live the Maestro!
He’s the Man! I remember well those days at Stonyhurst with the various talented players, yourself, Dennis, Alan and others all introducing us to Bob Dylan.
HeyJimmy. Go easy on us Northeners. We have the best football club in the world and our ‘beer belllies” are the result of fine dining and vintage red wine . We too have the ability to appreciate Dylan’s mastery. Self Portrait goes especially well with a fine Armagnac.Perhaps a fine Northern education is the subliminal root of your love of Dylan and dislike of our Football team.