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Classes in Bob Dylan are big at Boston University. Kevin Barents teaches students about poetry using Dylan albums such as John Wesley Harding, which is written in what Barents calls "perfect iambic pentameter."
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For the past few weeks, listeners have been voting for the best albums of 2008 in the All Songs Considered online poll. Bob Boilen talks about the year in music and the poll's final results, singling out music from Bob Dylan, She & Him, Girl Talk and this year's top album from Fleet Foxes.
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In the new movie I'm Not There, director Todd Haynes deploys six actors to portray the many lives of one man: Bob Dylan. Haynes talks about the unorthodox nature of the film and how he hopes it evokes Dylan's universe of the 1960s.
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How much of Bob Dylan's staying power comes from his signature craggy voice? And how much comes from the poetry of his songs? It can be hard to separate the two, so it's intriguing to hear his songs covered by the likes of Bryan Ferry.
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Music journalist and author Greil Marcus's transcript from the recording sessions of the 1965 Bob Dylan hit. Excerpted from 'Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads.'
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Bob Dylan says that being labeled the voice of his generation actually got in the way of what he really wanted to do: write songs and play them. Hear his interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep.
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Gary Himmelfarb, a.k.a. Doctor Dread, has always admired the music of Robert Zimmerman, a.k.a. Bob Dylan. The result is a new tribute album to the protest singer, cast in the protest music of reggae. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Doctor Dread.
()NPR's Alex Chadwick talks with World Cafe host David Dye about Bob Dylan's new series of remastered albums.
()NPR's Melissa Block talks with Larry Charles, who directed the new movie starring Bob Dylan, Masked and Anonymous. Charles also picked the songs for the soundtrack. They're all Dylan songs — either he's performing them or a panoply of international musicians are. We sample some of the international fare. Among them are Italian and Japanese covers of Dylan tunes, which Charles says are testament to Dylan's worldwide appeal.
()Writer David Hajdu is the author of the new book, Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina, and Richard Farina. (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux). The book focuses on the early 1960s when the four of them changed the nature of popular music. Hajdu is also the author of the award-winning biography, Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn. Hajdu also writes for The New York Times Magazine, and Vanity Fair.
()Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has a birthday today. The man who wrote Forever Young is now 60 years old. His influence on popular culture is strong. He also influenced many to pick up the guitar and sing. Dylan's music inspired a fellow Minnesotan named Bob Feldman to start a record label dedicated to recording great singer-songwriters. Red House Records has just released A Nod to Bob, a collection of artists interpreting their favorite Dylan songs. We hear from four of the artists. Guy Davis sings Sweetheart Like You, Eliza Gilkyson does Love Minus Zero, No Limit, Lucy Kaplansky sings It Ain't Me Babe, and Martin Simpson performs Boots of Spanish Leather. (12:30) For more information, visit Red House Records Web site, or call 1-800-695-4687.
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Later this month Bob Dylan, will release his 33rd studio disc, and based on our early listen, it's going to be stunning. On this edition of All Songs Considered we've got a preview of the new Dylan record, Together Through Life, with the song "Beyond Here Lies Nothing." Also on the program: a new, self-released single from Sam Phillips, singer Jill Sobule, Malian duo Amadou and Mariam, solo music from The Knife's Karin Dreijer Andersson, a collaboration between Orenda Fink and Scalpelist, and an exclusive live cut from Grizzly Bear's recent South by Southwest performance.
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When the votes started pouring in from NPR listeners for the year's best albums, two things became clear immediately: It was going to be tight, and many of the top spots would go to new, smaller bands and their debut albums. Bigger, more established acts (Coldplay, My Morning Jacket) were well represented, but listeners seemed more inspired by the year's quieter, more intimate albums.
()For the past few weeks, listeners have been voting for the best albums of 2008 in the All Songs Considered online poll. Bob Boilen talks about the year in music and the poll's final results, singling out music from Bob Dylan, She & Him, Girl Talk and this year's top album from Fleet Foxes.
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Hear an exclusive sneak preview of the entire two-disc album Tell Tale Signs, the latest volume in Bob Dylan's "bootleg" series. Widely regarded as America's greatest living songwriter, Dylan has written and recorded some of the most influential and acclaimed music of the past century.
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All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen looks at some of the most anticipated CDs due out this fall, with reviewers Tom Moon, Will Hermes, and Meredith Ochs. Hear a sneak preview of TV On the Radio's spectacular new album, Dear Science, plus the latest and reportedly final album from The Streets, a sultry new CD from Lucinda Williams, more bootleg recordings from Bob Dylan, the comically cool Eagles of Death Metal, Blitzen Trapper, Jolie Holland, and more.
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Guest DJ Mark Ronson chats with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen and shares some of the songs that have inspired his own music over the years. Ronson is known for his horn-driven production work for artists like Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. He also makes bold remixes of music by other artists like Coldplay and Bob Dylan. Ronson's most recent album is called 'Version.'
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The best albums of 2007 include a plethora of reliable favorites, whether they're treading new stylistic ground (Iron and Wine), returning to roots (Wilco) or merely holding steady (Spoon). And, of course, a few new favorites join the mix, too.
()A duet from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; Bob Dylan remixed by DJ Mark Ronson; British folk guitarist Martin Simpson; The trippy morning face of Small Sins; Artful harmonic pop from Georgie James; The beautifully depressing Doveman.
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Find out the number one album of the year as selected by NPR listeners. Count down the top ten CDs with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen as he chats with reviewers Robert Christgau, Will Hermes, Meredith Ochs and John Richards.
()All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen counts down listener picks for the 10 best CDs of 2006, with reviewers Robert Christgau, Will Hermes, Meredith Ochs and John Richards. They also share some of their own favorites from the year and take comments from listeners. This program originally webcast live on NPR.org Dec. 5, 2006.
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Bob Dylan's nine-minute "Ain't Talkin'" saunters along at a measured gait that inspires the author to savor mystic gardens and this "weary world of woe." He doesn't seek out company — he intends to take his troubled secrets with him. He is, as he notes repeatedly, not talking, just walking.
()All new music from folk legend Bob Dylan; Woody Guthrie covered by The Klezmatics; Country electronica from Geoff Reacher; Music for balloons from Judy Dunaway; Throat singing meets Zeppelin in Yat Kha; The sweet sound of My Brightest Diamond; The perfect world of Madeleine Peyroux.
()The editors of Paste magazine wondered: who are the best living songwriters around. They gathered a team of 50 musicians and writers and put together a list of the top 100. On this edition of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen talks with Paste magazine editor Josh Jackson, the arts editor for NPR News, Bill Wyman and songwriter Mary Gauthier. They discuss great songwriters, life-changing songs and the art and craft of songwriting.
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Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker offers his picks for the best music of the year, including Fiona Apple's latest album and a Bob Dylan DVD. He also addresses the topic of women in music, and he talks about the year in hip-hop. Tucker is the film critic for New York magazine.
()Best rock music books ever: All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen talks with NPR reviewers Tom Moon, Meredith Ochs and Will Hermes about their picks for the best music books to take to the beach this Summer. A complete list of recommended reading is listed below.
()Contra music from the Portland Selection; Hawaiian ukelele master John King; Music of the Smiths by The Ukrainians; Glasgow's art school band Franz Ferdinand; Good news/bad news from Modest Mouse. Featured Artist: Bob Dylan.
()On this edition of All Songs Considered: Secret messages from Bach; The imaginary world of Bjork; Sublime harmonies from Music Boxes; Crossing the Nile with Patrick Hadley; A tragic love story from Paul Simon; Relax and dissolve with Leonard Cohen; And a Sun Records tribute from Bob Dylan.
()A sampling of Bob Dylan's first ever Christmas album, plus an appeal for listeners' nominations for NPR's new series "50 Great Voices."
()With legendary artists like Bob Dylan allowing their music to be used in television commercials, is the notion of "selling out" antiquated?
()On his new album, Modern Times, Bob Dylan seems to have borrowed some lyrics from a little known Civil War-era poet named Henry Timrod. Albuquerque, N.M.-based disc jockey Scott Warmuth has found a number of Timrod lyrics in Dylan's recent catalogue. Robert Siegel talks with Warmuth about the findings.
()Bob Dylan is 65, an age at which many people expect to slow down. The revered songwriter is doing the opposite. In the last two years, he's launched his own weekly satellite radio program, the Theme Time Radio Hour. This week brings a CD called Modern Times, the first new songs Dylan has released in five years.
()Day to Day book reviewer David Kipen looks at social critic Greil Marcus' new book Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads.
()NPR's Melissa Block talks with Larry Charles, who directed the new movie starring Bob Dylan, Masked and Anonymous. Charles also picked the songs for the soundtrack. They're all Dylan songs — either he's performing them or a panoply of international musicians are. We sample some of the international fare. Among them are Italian and Japanese covers of Dylan tunes, which Charles says are testament to Dylan's worldwide appeal.
()Nearly 40 years after his last appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, Bob Dylan returns to the stage in Rhode Island tomorrow. The former folkster allegedly angered his fan base in 1965 when he brought an electric band on stage with him. But as WRNI's Av Harris reports, the truth is somewhat different.
()A new book by David Hadju describes the heyday of folk music in Greenwich Village and the relationships between stars like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Richard and Mimi Farina. NPR's Melissa Block takes a tour through today's Village with the author of Positively 4th Street, and talks to some of its denizens.
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Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Together Through Life, Dylan's 33rd solo album. Throughout the disc, Dylan sings in cobwebbed moans, growling croons and spoken-word chants.
()When the votes started pouring in from NPR listeners for the year's best albums, two things became clear immediately: It was going to be tight, and many of the top spots would go to new, smaller bands and their debut albums. Bigger, more established acts (Coldplay, My Morning Jacket) were well represented, but listeners seemed more inspired by the year's quieter, more intimate albums.
()Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Tell-Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series, Vol 8. It is the latest in Columbia Records' officially-released collection of previously unreleased or alternate tracks by Bob Dylan.
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Tell Tale Signs, the eighth collection of rare and unreleased Dylan recordings, is devoted to the music Dylan made between 1989 and 2006. According to critic Tom Moon, the collection offers rare glimpses into Dylan's artistic process.
()Hear an exclusive sneak preview of the entire two-disc album Tell Tale Signs, the latest volume in Bob Dylan's "bootleg" series. Widely regarded as America's greatest living songwriter, Dylan has written and recorded some of the most influential and acclaimed music of the past century.
()All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen looks at some of the most anticipated CDs due out this fall, with reviewers Tom Moon, Will Hermes, and Meredith Ochs. Hear a sneak preview of TV On the Radio's spectacular new album, Dear Science, plus the latest and reportedly final album from The Streets, a sultry new CD from Lucinda Williams, more bootleg recordings from Bob Dylan, the comically cool Eagles of Death Metal, Blitzen Trapper, Jolie Holland, and more.
()Robert Christgau reviews the latest CD from vocalist Maria Muldaur, best known for her quirky 1970s pop tune "Midnight at the Oasis." Her new CD is Heart of Mine: Maria Muldaur Sings Love Songs of Bob Dylan. Reviewer Robert Christgau says Muldaur put the passion in these tunes in a way most singers don't match because they probably didn't know Dylan put all that passion there in the first place.
()Bob Dylan's new album, Modern Times, hit the top of the record charts last week. Now 65, the singer-songwriter continues to explore blues and older pop styles with lyrics that frequently contain contemporary references.
()For the first time in 30 years, Bob Dylan has an album that is No. 1 on music sales charts. Musician David Was, who co-produced an album for Dylan some years ago, says it's more than just luck that makes a 65-year-old singer relevant to young music lovers.
()Bob Dylan's nine-minute "Ain't Talkin'" saunters along at a measured gait that inspires the author to savor mystic gardens and this "weary world of woe." He doesn't seek out company — he intends to take his troubled secrets with him. He is, as he notes repeatedly, not talking, just walking.
()Bob Dylan's new album "Modern Times" comes out this week. Commentator Adam Langer says he can measure the milestones of his life in Dylan albums — and this one is no exception.
()Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker offers his picks for the best music of the year, including Fiona Apple's latest album and a Bob Dylan DVD. He also addresses the topic of women in music, and he talks about the year in hip-hop. Tucker is the film critic for New York magazine.
()Rock critic Ken Tucker offers up his top 10 lists of the best albums and singles of 2008.music. Here's his look at some of his own favorites.
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Now that the MP3 is king, vinyl has become something of an underground revolution. More and more artists have begun to insist on releasing their new albums on vinyl, and music fans who jettisoned their collections in favor of "clear, perfect digital sound CDs" are raiding garage sales and rediscovering analog music all over again. Here are 10 releases from 2008 that are worth the extra effort of vinyl.
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Virtually everyone has heard the siren song of the open road at some point or another. Out of the thousands of great road songs, here are five which provide a soundtrack to that long journey we're all forced to take at least once: to try to figure out what we're supposed to be doing with our lives.
()Marcie Sillman of member station KUOW provides the latest installment of the NPR 100, our project chronicling the 100 most influential American musical works of the 20th century. Today, Sillman examines Bob Dylan's hit Like a Rolling Stone. His electric performance of the song at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival made Joni Mitchell say, "The American folk song has grown up." For more on the NPR 100, visit our website, www.npr.org.
()Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" was selected as one of the NPR 100 most influential songs of the 20th century. NPR's Brian Naylor tells the story of the song's origins.
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