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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thus far, the definitive biography, July 7, 2001
This review is from: Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited (Hardcover)
Clinton Heylin's revised edition of Behind the Shades is, at this point, the definitive Dylan biography, and is not likely to be surpassed anytime soon. In spite of it's comparative neglect in relation to Sounes' Down the Highway (published almost simultaneously, to coincide with Dylan's 60th birthday), Heylin's book is a more informative and rewarding book. In tone, Heylin's writing is not as journalistic as Sounes', and more judgmental of Dylan as artist and musician. It draws heavily on interview material with associates and friends of Dylan's, and is significant in giving detailed attention to Dylan's career in the 80's and 90's, which is necessary for anyone seeking to understand Dylan's recent critical resurgence. Based on his knowledge as the world's pre-eminent Dylan scholar, Heylin gives extensive commentary on Dylan's albums and their recording, a process he has given even greater attention to in his companion book Bob Dylan: The Recording Sessions (1994). This is one of the major differences between Heylin's book and Sounes'. Sounes does not focus so much on Dylan as a musician or even Dylan as a lyricist. Sounes' biography is more, well, biographical, providing tons of anecdotal accounts of Dylan's life and travels, while missing the point - Dylan matters because of his music and his lyrics above all else. His life, so cloaked in mystery and seclusion, is a mystery, and will remain so. A recording artist is ultimately most communicative through their recordings - through what they are, what they're not, and how they are presented to the artist's audience. Sounes attempts to fill in the mystery of Dylan's life, which is ultimately an impossible task, at the expense of communicating any real understanding of his music. Heylin's biography is also superior in that it draws on an extensive knowledge of Dylan's unreleased recordings. When dealing with a subject whose own officially released canon is so often poorly representative of his recording career, Heylin's knowledge is wide-ranging and intensely critical. An informed and considered discussion of Dylan's unreleased recordings, which are in many cases superior to those he has chosen to issue, is especially important when examining Dylan's 1980's output, a series of albums sometimes marred primarily by the choices of which songs and takes of songs to include on the released albums. Sounes barely acknowledges the existence of important unreleased recordings, and that diminishes the importance of his biography considerably. Sounes' one trump over Heylin's biography is the much-publicized revelation of Dylan's second marriage. How important this biographical detail is to understanding or appreciating Dylan's music, however, is very debatable. If you are looking for an easily-readable, readily-digestable account of Dylan's life with little detailed discussion of his music, go for the Sounes bio. Otherwise, Heylin's Behind the Shades, especially in its new revised edition, is the real deal and is the preeminant Dylan bio. Highly recommended.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As Objective and Thorough as a Biography can be., July 26, 2003
In Behind the Shades Revisted, Heylin presents his findings with the astute, detached eye of a detective. Some reviewers are skeptical of an unauthorized biography, but Heylin effectively defends his approach: With authorized biographies, the subject has ultimate approval of the finished product. Consequently, the results are unavoidably subjective and incomplete. Heylin culls from a multitude diverse sources (interviews with musicians Dylan has worked with, friends, former girlfriends, ex-wives, to name just a few), presenting many different sides of his subject. Heylin has never interviewed or even met Dylan, and while this makes Behind the Shades feel somewhat detached, it offers more potential for objectivity. [Dylan is notoriously disingenous with reporters, so the value of first-hand interviews is probably negligible.] Heylin describes Dylan's childhood and adolescence in northern Minnesota. Dylan's origins (both personal and musical) are described; Dylan has been enthusiastic about music at least since his early teens. Heylin provides detailed analysis of Dylan's early influences (mostly American pop icons like Little Richard) and follows his evolution during his early 20s, when he discovered folk and blues. He then proceeds to describe Dylan's artistic heyday during the mid-60's, his late 60s-early 70s hiatus, and his mid-70s resurgence. One of the most impressive aspects of Heylin's writing is his willingness to discuss Dylan's largely derided work during the 80s-early 90s. While Dylan's work during this era has been understandably ridiculed (though Heylin's interpretation of much from this period is a little more positive than most other critics), his analysis provides essential insight into his subject. Whether intentionally or not, Heylin creates a dichotomous portrait of Dylan. The younger Dylan (ca 1960-68) is a vibrant, often affable personality with unwavering idealism. As the story progresses, the pressures of fame and the demanding nature of celebrity begin to take there toll to the extent that it seems to impact Dylan's work. By the time Behind the Shades concludes, Dylan is presented as a weary, slightly confused and misanthropic curmudgeon no longer capable of producing new material that is inspired or surprising. This is the only arguable flaw with Behind the Shades. This conclusion might have seemed perfectly reasonable in 1999 (when the edition I read was published), but the release of Love and Theft in 2001 somewhat discredits Heylin's conclusion. Heylin can hardly be blamed for this; Love and Theft, Dylan's most inspired work in fifteen years (and his most extroverted since the 60s), was a completely unexpected triumph, but it does make the last chapter seem a little dated. Despite it's slight flaws in the last chapter or two (hardly his fault) Heylin has created a rich, multi-faceted portrait. By interspersing numerous quotes from Dylan's associates within his own writing, Heylin creates a book of many voices. Heylin definitely has strong views, but tries to be fair and accurate, and makes every effort to present contrary perspectives. Despite it's seemingly intimidating length (700+ pages), Behind the Shades is compellingly readable; his approach is always well-defined, and often clever (he subtly reference Dylan's lyrics on numerous occasions). Behind the Shades is a critical, objective portrait of pop music's greatest (and most psychologically elusive) songwriter.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Balanced Account of Dylan's Life and Artistry, May 9, 2001
This review is from: Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited (Hardcover)
Clinton Heylin's empirical approach to examining Bob Dylan's career is refreshing in the world of libelous, trash rock biography. Rather than throwing out lofty, outrageous statements--like Bob Spitz in his 1989 "Dylan" biography--Heylin lets his sources do the talking. The bulk of "Behind the Shades" relies on first-hand accounts from those close to Dylan, with their names accentuated in bold print. This not only reads well, but at the very least, presents an illusion of credibility to Heylin. Sure, Heylin has an agenda. His preference of Dylan's outtakes and bootlegs, versus his commercially released recordings, can be frustrating (see Heylin's "The Recording Sessions"). But such shortcomings are forgiveable, considering Heylin's appreciation of Dylan's artistry. And although the... price tag might be pretty steep, this is a luxury item that no Dylanologist should be without.
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