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 Undoubtedly one of the most important pop figures of our time, Bob Dylan continues in his 60s to perform constantly, defining what it means to be a working musician and poet. Across some 40-plus albums, Dylan has pioneered numerous schools of songwriting from traditional blues/folk to deeply personal poetry, and several genres of music (folk-rock and country-rock to name a few) that have had enormous influence on every generation of musician since.
Born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1942, Dylan learned to play guitar and harmonica and formed a rock and roll band in his teens. Taking his last name from poet Dylan Thomas, and inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Dylan moved to Greenwich Village to become part of its vibrant folk scene. Writing songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Masters of War” while still in his teens, he made a huge impact on the burgeoning civil rights and anti-war movements. Once the Byrds took his “Mr. Tambourine Man” to #1 on the charts, and his own "Like a Rolling Stone" reached the Top 10 soon after, Dylan became a pop star. His masterpieces have since spanned the decades, from Blonde on Blonde to The Basement Tapes with the Band, from Nashville Skyline to Blood on the Tracks. When Time Out of Mind debuted in the Top 10 in 1997, it sparked a revival of interest in Dylan among a new generation of fans.
Following up with the equally powerful Love and Theft and Modern Times, Dylan has had a wondrous re-birth in recent years, opening up in a documentary, a book, as a radio DJ of quixotic and illuminating taste, and on a never-ending series of tours (perhaps the primary force behind his remarkable late-career rejuvenation). His Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs, a set of previously unreleased recordings, arrived in 2008. The spare Together Through Life was the result of a rush of inspiration that followed “Life is Hard,” one of the songs commissioned from Dylan by French director Olivier Dahan (La Vie en Rose) for the film My Own Love Song.
Provenance: Hibbing, Minnesota
Latest Release: Together Through Life (2009)
© 2009 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
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