The Quadrangle

Issue date: 2/2/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

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While discussing iconic figures in music during the twentieth century, Bob Dylan is a name that should come to mind very easily. He has consistently been one of the most important people in American music for more than forty years. The greatest thing about him is his brilliance in crafting lyrics into a song. The finest example of that genius lies in the story behind the writing of "Desolation Row." The words were written during a cab ride in New York City 1965 for his album, Highway 61 Revisited. The cab ride must have taken a while because the song contains 659 words and is an eleven-minute epic. It was most recently, voted as the 185th Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine (another one of Dylan's classic songs, "Like a Rolling Stone", was voted Number One). There are no other songs in popular music throughout history that vividly paint a picture in the listener's mind more than Dylan's classics.

This past October, Chronicles, Vol. 1 was released as the first memoir Dylan has ever written. Much like his career, the book is choppy and scattered. Those who are expecting Dylan's political agenda or recollections of major events will be disappointed. A firm believer in privacy, he hates publicity and the attention that comes along with his popularity. He tends to mention the smaller things in life, including a Louisiana shopkeeper named Sun Pie, who once told Dylan that "all the good in the world might be done". There are great details about his life as an early folk musician in Greenwich Village in the early 60's as well as stories featuring the younger producer Daniel Lanois, who has also worked with U2 and Peter Gabriel.

The memoir depicts Dylan as someone who has grown weary of the musician he has become after more than forty years. Dylan is a lifelong musician, and he seems to accept that fact about his life and his fate. He still tours endlessly and writes music that younger songwriters would dream of writing.

The style in which the book is written is one of beauty. The words flow together like a song and the detail behind the stories are incredibly stunning. It makes one wonder why he did not take to writing more books when he was at the pinnacle of his musical career, when his ideas were rampant.

While some of his earlier songs might indicate that he was a strange character with a brilliant mind, Chronicles, Vol. 1 gives the impression that he is very much like his listeners and readers. It is being nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award and is a New York Times Bestseller.

The mystery behind Dylan's personality and character drove many to buy the book. While there are many books written about him, the fact that this book is autobiographical is unique and stands out in the reader's mind as it is read. It is also just proof that no one can ever give up on Bob Dylan. There are plans for a Volume 2 and a Volume 3 in the series in the near future. Based on Volume 1, there will be plenty of anticipation for their releases, and rightfully so.

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