sdelmonte | Dylan Writes

Here is a brief but glowing recommendation of "Chronicles," volume 1, by Bob Dylan. It's Dylan's memoirs, of a sort. If you want his life story in chronological order, look elsewhere (such as Down the Highway : The Life of Bob Dylan by Howard Sounes, which I also recommend). But if you are a fan of Dylan, and want to hear some of the stories he's got, you must read this.

Parts of the book talk about his early days in Minneapolis and New York, parts are about his life after the motorcycle crash in the late 60s and his adventures recording what would be his album "Oh Mercy." There is no order to this, and there shouldn't be one. Dylan has some stories to tell, some things to recall and to impart, and like a fine storyteller, he lets the story guide him. Along the way, we learn a bit about his influences, and about his encounters with the famous and the forgotten. It's not a perfect book, with some moments where Dylan tries to embrace his role as a music god while rejecting everything it meant. But the skill he brought to his songwriting is the skill he brings to his prose.

Looking for a good gift for the music lover? This could be it.