by Ray Padgett
Rather than focusing on Dylan himself, Ray Padgett interviews forty
musicians, collaborators, and fellow travelers who spent time onstage,
in the studio, or on the road with him. The result is not a standard
profile of the man; it's a portrait assembled from the edges inward. The
book spans virtually Dylan's entire career, from the folk scene of the
early 1960s through Rough and Rowdy Ways and the Never Ending
Tour. Padgett's interview subjects range from major figures such as
Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Richard Thompson, Larry Campbell, and Benmont
Tench to one-off collaborators who found themselves unexpectedly swept
into Dylan's orbit.
There are a lot of terrific anecdotes, from
gushing, grateful unknown musicians given a chance to play on stage by
Dylan himself, to baffled sidemen wondering why they got hired (or let
go). There are terrific asides from talented musicians about how great a
guitar player or piano player Dylan is. Others marvel at his breadth of
musical knowledge (one guitarist recalls having to ask various friends
about all the obscure folk and blues artists Bob talks about are in
order to keep up: "if I knew half of what he's forgotten, I would be one
of the most well-educated musicians on the planet"). There is very
little communication from the man himself. Players are called up
unexpectedly to jam, go home, and then find the jam session was an
audition, and they're going on the road, or a late-night talk show,
tomorrow. If there's a central idea to the book, it's to serve as an
answer to this question: Why do so many accomplished musicians speak of
playing with him as a career highlight? Dylan's reputation among casual
listeners is built on his songwriting and distinctive voice, not on
instrumental virtuosity. Yet interview after interview describes the
experience as exhilarating. Musicians recount being thrown onstage with
little preparation, confronted with shifting arrangements, unexpected
keys, and performances that seem perpetually on the verge of collapse.
Yet the disorder is rarely random. As you read the various experiences,
it becomes clear that Dylan creates conditions that force musicians to
listen, react, and create in the moment, producing performances that
feel spontaneous yet require the most intense focus. The interviews also
reveal Dylan as a director-like figure, choosing musicians not simply
for technical ability but for the musical worlds they carry inside them.
Dylan's encyclopedic knowledge of blues, country, folk and more becomes
both a shared language and an audition process. As an interviewer and
editor, Padgett is exceptionally well prepared, asks the right
questions, and keeps the focus on music rather than gossip. As a result,
the book sheds light not just on Dylan's career but on his creative
process, which is fascinating to the Dylan devotee.
five stars
