Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights from Friends and Fellow Musicians [Hardcover]

Kathleen MacKay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 2007

Dylan s friends from Pete Seeger to Bruce Springsteen to Rosanne Cash to Bono to Tom Petty offer insight into the singer-songwriter s artistic genius and personality. This is an oral history of a major musician who played a significant role in America s cultural history. His story is told by the musicians who were at his side during the 60s rollicking changes and artistic breakthroughs. Bob Dylan: Musicians on the Man provides a keen portrait of the friendships that helped shape important musicians whose voices influenced our society as a whole. Herein are insights not only into Dylan s elusive personality but into the lives of the major musicians of our times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An essential purchase for all Dylan fans ... Thomas A. Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --The Library Journal

Bob Dylan is an icon of American popular music whose work and performances have influenced and inspired folk musicians and rock stars ranging from Pete Seeger to Bruce Springsteen. "Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights From Friends And Fellow Musicians" by biographer Kathleen MacKay provides Dylan's legions of fans with an intimate portrait of the man and his music in a published 'oral history' drawn from extensive interviews with his friends and associates. Superbly organized, here are the memories and reminiances regarding Dylan as related by such luminaries as Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny rivers, and dozens more. No one who has ever thrilled to a Dylan song or who were fortunately enough to catch him in a live performance will want to miss reading this outstanding biography which is enhanced with the inclusion of fourteen black-and-white photographs, source notes, an extended bibliography, and a listing of websites for musicians. --Midwest Book Review

Reading Kathleen Mackay's thrilling "Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights From Friends and Fellow Musicians" is like listening in on lively conversations that conjure not only the musical legend but also an America that doesn't exist anymore. Does she shatter the Dylan mystique? Hardly, but at least we're in the room. Mackay wisely taps the realm that Dylan most respects: his musician touchstones. Is she merely nostalgic? Nope. This must-have effort moves the public record forward using new interviews and, thankfully, isn't prone to psychobabble. It's human, filling gaps in the story of the elusive icon that celebrated his 66th birthday last month. And it feels real. Told through the words of Noel "Paul" Stookey, Liam Clancy, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Bobby Vee, Maria Muldaur, Johnny Rivers, Kris Kristofferson, Ronnie Hawkins, Rosanne Cash, Bono and the Beatles, the book aims to flesh out Dylan's 2004 book "Chronicles: Volume One." --Hector Saldaña, San Antonio Express-News

About the Author

Kathleen Mackay is a journalist and author who has written widely on arts and culture. Her articles have appeared in Time, People, Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and other publications. She has co-authored four books, including contributing an essay to The Anne Rice Reader (Ballantine) about her lifelong friendship with Anne Rice. A graduate of Harvard, she lives in Concord, Massachusetts with her husband, David Garcelon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Omnibus Press; 1st edition (May 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825673305
• ISBN-13: 978-0825673306
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,746,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh no, not another bad book about Bob Dylan, March 30, 2007

By 

J. Kelleher "J." - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights from Friends and Fellow Musicians (Hardcover)

Where do I start about how bad this book is - maybe on p. vii in the Foreword where the author states "As fascinating an autobiography as Chronicles is, however, it does not provide great illumination of Dylan's character, his likes and dislikes, his personality..." My Lord, was the author reading the same Chronicles as I was? And on p. 4, the author travels along Rt. 2 in Western Massachusetts, saying, about the town of Erving, Mass., "Erving's small commercial area features the predictable Wendy's, McDonald's, and the occasional gas station." Well, as someone who travels Rt. 2 everyday, I can tell you there is NO Wendy's or McDonald's in the little blip of a town that is Erving. So, dear reader, you may go on at your own peril. This book is NOT for anyone who may know anything about Bob Dylan. It may be geared towards elementary school children. But then, that would be a travesty, because why should they be reading inaccuracies? The writing is third rate, the "research" is 95% from other sources, and it sadly becomes another Bob Dylan book that he would shake his head at and cringe.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money, May 21, 2007

By 

Alias (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights from Friends and Fellow Musicians (Hardcover)

Sure, there's some "intimate insights" about Bob Dylan in this book, but not much that we haven't read before in other books. However, my primary issue with this book is that there is WAY WAY WAY too much written about the people who are the ones giving the information about Dylan. I mean if you're really interested in the history of "Peter, Paul, and Mary" and if you really want to know how the "Band" got it's start and if knowing trivia about Liam Clancy, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson and others, then this is the book for you. If you want insights about Dylan there are a lot of books out there with MUCH more information. Again, if you're wanting to know more about Bono, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, then I'd suggest buying this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Exploitation with little substance, July 17, 2007

By 

Still Rockin (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bob Dylan: Intimate Insights from Friends and Fellow Musicians (Hardcover)

Whip out a book about Dylan with a cool photo on the cover and a couple of enticing quotes, and you have a good shot at reeling in enough Dylan fans to make a buck. This is a shallow effort that made me feel foolish about falling for another exploitation project. There aren't many intimate details here. In fact, this is largely a clip job woven with a collection of puff-piece essays on not particularly forthcoming sources from journalist who should have known just how low down in the profession she was going to release this. More marketing than meat. Don't fall for it.