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Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Obsessing over Bob Dylan
Opinion Bob Dylan, the enigmatic musician, singer and songwriter, turned 84 years old on May 24. His remarkable career has now spanned more than 60 years. He has been bestowed with numerous honours including the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature 'for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.' There can be no denying Dylan's enduring legacy as one of the greatest songwriters in history. But he was and remains a complex personality. The recent film A Complete Unknown is a biopic about his early years in New York City's Greenwich Village from 1961 to 1965, when he literally went from being 'a complete unknown' — a phrase he used in one of his most celebrated songs, Like a Rolling Stone — to the most revered folk singer in United States and beyond. A telling scene takes place the morning after an intimate night Dylan spent with Joan Baez, then a young rising folk star played perfectly by Monica Barbaro. She snaps at Dylan, played equally as perfectly by Timotheé Chalamet. 'You're kind of an asshole, Bob,' says Baez, in response to Dylan's caustic comments about her alleged weak songwriting skills. 'Yeah, I guess,' he mutters, before launching into a rendition of one of his iconic songs, Blowin' in the Wind. Despite her anger, Baez is so taken by the song that she sits down beside Dylan to sing it with him. The real Joan Baez did in fact record her own version of Blowin' in the Wind, among many other Dylan songs she covered. 'Dylanologists' have pointed out several errors in the movie's narrative and the not-quite-correct timeline it uses. Such is literary licence. The film, which reaches its climax at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when Dylan 'went electric' — using an electric rather than acoustic guitar was regarded as an act of 'heresy' by true 'folkies' — is superb nonetheless. I first saw A Complete Unknown last December when it was released and was bowled over by the music and the performances of the main actors. In addition to Chalamet and Barbaro, who both learned how to sing and play the guitar at the same time — Chalamet mastered the harmonica as well — the cast also includes Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, who is supposed to be artist Suze Rotolo, Dylan's first true love and the woman snuggling with him on the cover of his 1963 breakout album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Since the movie started streaming on Disney Plus, I have become somewhat obsessed with it and have watched it another six times. I saw Dylan perform once in Toronto in October 1978. As I recall, much to the consternation of those in attendance, he sang alternate and odd versions of some of his best-known songs. He also lived up to his reputation for being uncommunicative; during the concert, he barely acknowledged the audience. Still, at 37 years old, there was a definite aura about him. A Complete Unknown captures his enormous drive and talent as well as his introverted nature, his attempt to disown his past as Robert Zimmerman, the middle-class son of Jewish parents in Hibbing, Minn., and his insensitive, even callous, treatment of Rotolo and Baez. Both loved him deeply, supported his career, especially Baez, and urged him to embrace the social injustices of the 1960s. And he cheated on both of them. Rotolo, who met him when she was 17 and he was 20, resisted speaking publicly about her relationship with Dylan for more than four decades. She eventually revealed much in her memoir, A Freewheelin' Time, published in 2008 three years before she died from lung cancer at the age of 67. As a younger woman, she could not, as she puts it, deal with the 'aura of darkness and intensity' that 'enveloped' her when she was with him. Baez, who performed melodic duets with Dylan, wrote the haunting song Diamonds and Rust in 1975 about their tormented relationship. She admitted only recently that he broke her heart. Yet, at the age of 84, she says she has finally forgiven him. In a rare 2004 interview with Ed Bradley on the CBS news show 60 Minutes, Dylan conceded that he does not know how he wrote so many poetic songs when he was in his early 20s and did not think he could replicate such a period of creativity again. As the movie depicts, he had a difficult time with his overnight success and the explosive fame it generated. He resented being labelled 'a cultural and political icon.' As he writes in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Volume 1, 'people have always told me that I'm a protest singer or the voice of a generation, but I write for me.' His legion of fans, who latched on to his 1964 anthem-like song The Times They Are A-Changin', profoundly disagreed. Rotolo, perhaps understood him best. 'Bob was driven—focused on his path,' she writes. 'He was his own person…Artists we admire aren't necessarily exemplary human beings just because they are exceptional in their chosen fields. Their art is their work offered for public consumption, and nothing else.' Now & Then is a column in which historian Allan Levine puts the events of today in a historical context.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bob Dylan's unseen artworks to go on display
Almost 100 of Bob Dylan's unseen artworks will go on display from next week. The 83-year-old Blowin' in the Wind singer, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, has created 97 new works to feature in London's Halcyon in a solo show. Dylan's exhibition, opening on May 9, is based on the artist's studies of 'characters, objects and scenarios', according to the organisers, who added that they 'read like a glimpse into his visual journal'. The American musician said of his latest works, which were made between 2021 and 2022: 'The idea was not only to observe the human condition, but to throw myself into it with great urgency.' He added that he wanted to 'create living, breathing entities that have emotional resonance, colours used as weapons and mood setters, a means of storytelling'. The exhibition comprises of 97 works made by Bob Dylan between 2021-22 - Halcyon The artworks will 'read like a glimpse into his visual journal' - Halycon The choice of Dylan's subjects include a mirror displaying a set of lips, a saxophonist with his instrument and a cowboy in front of a rising sun. The artist has previously said that drawing provides him with moments where he can 'relax and refocus a restless mind'. Dylan has recently been the subject of an Oscar-nominated Hollywood biopic about his early career and rise to fame, A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet. The show, called Point Blank, also includes a range of figure studies as well as a limited selection of reworked drawings in monochromatic blue, red and neutral colours. Part of the exhibition will also be a series of reworked drawings and sketches - Halycon The series will feature a range of figure studies - Halycon Paul Green, the president and founder of Halcyon, said: 'It is nearly 18 years since Halcyon first started working with Bob Dylan and it has been an extraordinary experience to watch this cultural icon develop into such a critically revered and important visual artist so closely. 'This latest body of paintings feels like a more intimate connection to the artist than in any of his previous work and it is a great privilege to share them with the public for the first time.' Kate Brown, the gallery's creative director, said: 'These works on paper feel like memories, intangible windows into the life and imagination of one of the greatest storytellers who ever lived. 'People who attend the exhibition will discover that they provoke stories from our imagination. We consider the circumstances of the protagonists and ponder our movement through the spaces that the artist depicts.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Forbes
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New Bob Dylan Paintings To Be Highlighted In Upcoming Art Exhibition
NOBLESVILLE, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 23: Special guest Bob Dylan performs in concert during Farm Aid at ... More Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana. (Photo by) Bob Dylan is no longer a complete unknown as a musician, but people might not know he's a painter, too. Dylan, who is having a career renaissance thanks to Timothée Chalamet's portrayal of the folk legend's early years in director James Mangold's music biopic A Complete Unknown, is about this have his work as an artist highlighted in Bob Dylan – Point Blank. The exhibition opens Friday, May 9, at the Halcyon Gallery in London. A summary of the exhibition from the Halcyon Gallery reads, 'Comprising 97 original paintings, this new body of work captures Dylan's intimate perspective on the world, blending storytelling, memory, and spontaneity. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder "Akin to his previous series, Drawn Blank, these new works use original sketches created between 2021 and 2022 as their foundation. These drawings were then painted over with vibrant colours and expressive brushwork.' A sampling of Dylan's artwork can be viewed on the Halcyon Gallery online and one of the paintings in the exhibition is highlighted below. In a description of his artistic process on his Halycon Gallery Point Blank exhibition page, Bob Dylan is quoted as saying, 'What would I draw? Well, I guess I would start with the typewriter, a crucifix, a rose, pencils and knives and pins, empty cigarette boxes. "I'd lose track of time completely. An hour or two could go by and it would seem like only a minute. Not that I thought that I was any great drawer, but I did feel like I was putting an orderliness to the chaos around.' Dylan, of course, is legendary for his music dating back to the early 1960s with such classic songs as 'Blowin' in the Wind,' 'Like a Rolling Stone,' 'My Back Pages,' 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' 'The Times They Are A Changin,'' 'Tangled Up in Blue' and dozens more — some of which were performed by Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown. Released on Dec. 25, 2024, A Complete Unknown was a high-profile film over awards season, earning multiple honors including eight Oscar nominations including Best Actor for Chalamet, Best Director for James Mangold and Best Picture. A Complete Unknown is currently streaming on Hulu after ending its theatrical run and Dylan, who turns 84 on May 24, is currently on the road with his Rough and Rowdy Ways Worldwide Tour. Dylan's art exhibition, Bob Dylan – Point Blank, opens Friday at the Halcyon Gallery in London.
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Bob Dylan's unseen artworks to go on display
Almost 100 of Bob Dylan 's unseen artworks will go on display from next week. The 83-year-old Blowin' in the Wind singer, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, has created 97 new works to feature in London's Halcyon in a solo show. Dylan's exhibition, opening on May 9, is based on the artist's studies of 'characters, objects and scenarios', according to the organisers, who added that they 'read like a glimpse into his visual journal'. The American musician said of his latest works, which were made between 2021 and 2022: 'The idea was not only to observe the human condition, but to throw myself into it with great urgency.' He added that he wanted to 'create living, breathing entities that have emotional resonance, colours used as weapons and mood setters, a means of storytelling'. The choice of Dylan's subjects include a mirror displaying a set of lips, a saxophonist with his instrument and a cowboy in front of a rising sun. The artist has previously said that drawing provides him with moments where he can 'relax and refocus a restless mind'. Dylan has recently been the subject of an Oscar-nominated Hollywood biopic about his early career and rise to fame, A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet. The show, called Point Blank, also includes a range of figure studies as well as a limited selection of reworked drawings in monochromatic blue, red and neutral colours. Paul Green, the president and founder of Halcyon, said: 'It is nearly 18 years since Halcyon first started working with Bob Dylan and it has been an extraordinary experience to watch this cultural icon develop into such a critically revered and important visual artist so closely. 'This latest body of paintings feels like a more intimate connection to the artist than in any of his previous work and it is a great privilege to share them with the public for the first time.' Kate Brown, the gallery's creative director, said: 'These works on paper feel like memories, intangible windows into the life and imagination of one of the greatest storytellers who ever lived. 'People who attend the exhibition will discover that they provoke stories from our imagination. We consider the circumstances of the protagonists and ponder our movement through the spaces that the artist depicts.'
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
The end of the Vietnam War was also a turning point for protest songs
NEW YORK -- Out of the many Vietnam War protests she performed at in the 1960s and 1970s, Judy Collins can never forget one in Washington, D.C., where she stood before thousands and sang Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War.' 'It was just me, and Bruce Langhorne playing the guitar, for this huge event. ... And everybody knows the words and very quickly they all start singing along,' she says, remembering the 'amazing' spirit of those rallies. 'It does trigger something in the brain to hear those songs. They make you say, 'I must be able to contribute something.'" The end of the Vietnam War, 50 years ago, also helped wind down an extraordinary era of protest music. For Collins and such contemporaries as Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul and Mary, bringing the troops home was a mission that carried them around the country, and the world. The journey was shared with like-minded audiences who joined in on 'Masters of War,' 'Give Peace a Chance,' 'Blowin' in the Wind' and other standards — as if to say the songs belonged as much to the movement as they did to the singer. The causes have endured, and proliferated: arms control and apartheid, women's rights and globalization, climate change and police violence. And protest songs have been written for them, from Kendrick Lamar's 'Alright' to Steve Van Zandt's 'Sun City.' But few, if any, have entered the collective cultural memory like the music of decades ago: Protest songs are as common as ever, protest anthems are rare. 'These days you have all these genres and all of these identities, and things are more decentralized,' says Ginny Suss, who helped organize the 2017 Women's March in Washington and helped found the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of dozens of singers who specialize in protest music. Ronald Eyerman, a professor of sociology at Yale University and co-author of the 1998 book 'Youth and Social Movements,' says that it's been a long time since a song like 'We Shall Overcome' has emerged, one so universal in its message that it can be adapted to any number of issues. 'Protest songs tend to be very specific to an issue and a time and place,' he observes, adding that he can't think of 'any anthem related to mobilization about climate change or gay rights.' The rise of protest music in the 1960s fits into the greater narrative of the post-World War II era. Growing prosperity and young technologies such as television and transistor radios helped give the emerging 'baby boom' generation an unprecedented sense of autonomy and common experience, and the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movements united millions across race and class and geography. Eyerman notes that the military draft, which ended in the early 1970s, made Vietnam more than just a moral issue for Americans, but one with a 'personal, self-interested dimension.' And rock and folk music helped forge a soundtrack of easy melodies and memorable, resonant phrases for an explosive historical moment. 'There was just an incredible intensity of feeling about the political situation,' says Dorian Lynskey, author of '33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs,' published in 2011. 'A lot of people expected an imminent revolution.' Protest songs in the '60s and '70s weren't only heard at protest rallies: From 'Blowin' in the Wind' to 'People Get Ready' to 'Ohio,' they also placed high on the Billboard charts. Bill Werde, former editorial director of Billboard and director of Syracuse University's music business school, the Bandier Program, says protest music still exists in the U.S., but he isn't sure the appetite exists for them as mainstream hits. He points out that there is a lot of protest music happening outside of the U.S., like that of the popular Iranian singer Mehdi Yarrahi, who shared a song titled 'Roosarito,' Farsi for 'Your Headscarf,' urging women to remove their mandatory headscarves. He was flogged by Iranian officials over a conviction for possessing and consuming alcohol. Or the Indonesian post-punk band Sukatani's anti-corruption anthem 'Bayar Bayar Bayar" ('Pay Pay Pay'). 'It has led to this nationwide call for greater freedom of expression under an increasingly authoritative regime there,' he says of Sukatani's song. 'This may be hard for some folks to understand or to accept, but I think one of the simple realities may just be that things aren't bad enough here in America for people to really feel that urgency, when you compare America to places like that.' Puerto Rican rapper and filmmaker Residente, known for releasing socially conscious music on topics including war, colonization, socioeconomic inequality, climate change and beyond, disagrees. He says that there are contemporary protest songs — you just have to know where to look. For example: Bad Bunny's 'Lo Que Le Pasó A Hawaii," 'What Happened to Hawaii' in English, a song that ties the U.S. colonization of Hawaii to the Puerto Rican fight for independence. Last year, Residente released 'Bajo los Escombros,' ("Under the Rubble") with Palestinian artist Amal Murkus, dedicated to the children killed by the war in Gaza. 'There are not many songs talking about it,' he says. Eyerman wonders if the recent mass demonstrations against Donald Trump will 'grow into a national force,' with a 'distinctive protest anthem.' Like the 1960s and 1970s, the country is deeply divided, politically and socially. But Werde otherwise sees a more limited landscape for protest music. He cites the increased consolidation of the music industry and demise of legacy media outlets, which means 'today's hits are smaller than they used to be' and there are fewer opportunities for protest songs to become full-on anthems. The only way that happens is if 'things reach a certain point … like with George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.' Songs played around that time included Lamar's 'Alright,' Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' and Beyoncé's 'Freedom," which came out before Floyd's murder in 2020. Often, protest songs become anthems because of their reception. Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond" is an example, a song with no explicit ties to any political party that became an anthem for Republicans in 2023. 'It's all about the plight of the working man,' Werde says. 'It shows you how music can really be manipulative at times and how a lot of politics is all about like marketing an idea whether it's true or not.' A possible reason for the reluctance to produce protest songs may be simply that in 2025, "artists, like most corporations, really want to be left out of the political discussion these days because it's just too risky to their bottom line,' he says. His most mainstream example of pop music protest is Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show, with its nod to Gil Scott-Heron's early '70s anthem 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' and its indirect symbolism, delivered in a way that Werde says corporate sponsors had to agree to, and that wouldn't 'leave an enormous part of that audience feeling deeply offended.' Residente says that when he started his career in the early 2000s, performing political music had real-life consequences: He was banned from playing in Puerto Rico for four years; once, in Venezuela, he was shot at. 'To be censored in your own country is horrible,' he recalls. Nowadays, he is still political in his music but has noticed stateside artists tend not to be. 'I hope that in the United States there will be more (political songs),' he says. 'It's weird. Maybe they're very concentrated on the business. 'Not every artist is going to talk about social awareness,' he adds. He says he hopes there will be more activist groups in the U.S., like Rage Against the Machine or System of A Down. What were once protest songs have since been stripped of their original context and repurposed for antithetical ends. Creedence Clearwater Revival's anti-Vietnam War anthem, 'Fortunate Son,' was featured at Trump rallies — over the objections of songwriter John Fogerty — and used in a Wrangler commercial decades after its initial release. Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind' was the soundtrack to a Budweiser commercial aired during the Super Bowl in 2019. Green Day's anti-George W. Bush hit 'American Idiot' has been used by conservatives on TikTok. 'Things live on a fragmented level like never before,' Werde says. Music discovery happens on TikTok, presented without any context. Gen Z has discovered the Irish band the Cranberries, but when 'Zombie' plays, they don't necessarily know the history of the Troubles that the song was written about. Collins, however, says her audiences seem as engaged as ever. Now 85, she still gives some 100 shows a year and still features 'Where Have all the Other Flowers Gone' and others in the protest canon, along with such newer works as her own 'Dreamers,' about immigrants in the U.S. 'When I sing 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone' ... everyone sings it, everyone knows it. I'm kind of astonished when that happens,' she says. 'They're not just protest songs. They're songs of life and the journey of life, things you're up against."
