Positively 4th Street (Great Book!)

[zero]

The whole title is Positively 4th Street: The lives and times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina and Richard Farina. Rarely if ever will you find such a ridiculously meticulously researched book as this one. The author David Hajdu has details right down to what people were wearing at after parties in like '63- any of us think we'll remember what shirt we were wearing at any of the debauched affairs we've attended fourty years from now! I've never been a big Joan Baez fan but understanding hers and Dylan's relationship sheds a great deal of light on Bob's own self-mythologizing- his transition from Robert Zimmerman to Ellston Gunn to Bob Dillon to Bob Dylan.

You see how Joan took him under her wing and introduced him to the world when she was a far bigger star, one that he would soon eclipse. The book spends a huge amount of time introducing us to an obscure figure in the folk seen Richard (Dick) Farina, an absolutely charming and quizzical character. If you're a Dylan buff, interested in folk music, or any music you really should get this book or get it for someone you love. It is just that good.

[Esau]

I haven'tpicked this up yet but I've read good things on all the Dylan sites I frequent.

Sorta on topic still,I have a great recording of Bob Dylan (Billed as "Blind Boy Grunt") playing with Dick Fariña & Eric von Schmidt @ Dobell's Jazz Record Shop,London,England 1963-01-14 & 15.

You can read an interesting write up about here(5th review down).Mentions this recording in the book also.

http://www.searchingforagem.com/1964.htm

[zero]

You gotta read this book Esau. Both this and Old, Weird America (by Greil Marcus) really opened up Dylan to me- both as a real person and as a cryptic self-mythologizer. I forgot about the Blind Boy Grunt pseudonym he went by from time to time. Eric Von Schmidt is also a great illustrator and the picture of Joanie and Bob on the cover is done by him (if I'm remembering right).

Incidentally the origin of almost every song the Dead covers of theirs is explained. You really see how traditional American songs cross pollinate with English, Irish and Scottish songs and where Dylan has taken one traditional songs structure and essentially written a new song over top of it.

This book just keeps you turning pages it is just that good and I really didn't want it to end.

[SmoothedShredder]

Well, he is still playing.

[Mike Daley]

i loved this book too. one of the most revealing portraits of Dylan i've ever read. much more candid than, say, "Chronicles"....

md