Price: $45.00 - $22.50
(as of Jan 22, 2025 17:54:02 UTC – Details)
The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal. These essays are written in Dylan’s unique prose. They are mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are nearly 150 carefully curated photos as well as a series of dream-like riffs that, taken together, resemble an epic poem and add to the work’s transcendence.
In 2020, with the release of his outstanding album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan became the first artist to have an album hit the Billboard Top 40 in each decade since the 1960s. The Philosophy of Modern Song contains much of what he has learned about his craft in all those years, and like everything that Dylan does, it is a momentous artistic achievement.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Simon & Schuster; First Edition (November 1, 2022)
Language : English
Hardcover : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 1451648707
ISBN-13 : 978-1451648706
Item Weight : 2.2 pounds
Dimensions : 7.38 x 1.3 x 9.13 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book insightful and entertaining. They appreciate the interesting insights into songs, songwriting, and style. The illustrations and photos are praised as cool, beautiful to look at, and well-designed. Many consider it a perfect gift for musicians. The writing style is described as intelligent and rich in facts. However, opinions differ on the writing style – some find it captivating and elegant, while others feel it’s confusing and lacks musical analysis.
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