Product Details

• Actors: Bob Dylan
• Directors: Robert N. Zagone
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Eagle Rock Ent
• DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006
• Run Time: 53 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000ION7C6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,908 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

1965 was a pivotal year in Bob Dylan's career. In the early part of the year he released "Bringing It All Back Home", the first album that saw him move distinctly away from his folk music origins. In the summer he followed it with "Highway 61 Revisited", an out and out rock n' roll album, and the single "Like A Rolling Stone" hit No.2 on the US charts. His appearance at that year's Newport Folk Festival saw him use an electric guitar on stage, a hugely controversial move at the time that saw him booed by much of the audience. Against this background, Dylan went into the studios of TV station KQED in San Francisco for a broadcast press conference hosted by Ralph J. Gleason, his only one from this era ever to be filmed.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dylan toys with the press for 50 minutes - Fun!, November 8, 2006

By 

Steven I. Ramm "Steve Ramm "Anything Phon... (Phila, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dylan Speaks: The Legendary 1965 Press Conference in San Francisco (DVD)

In December 1965 - less than 6 months after Dylan went "electric" at the Newport Folk Festival, he was in San Francisco for 3 concerts. Jazz critic Ralph Gleason arranged for a televised hour-long press conference at WQED and recorded it on video. Thanks to the late Gleason's son Toby (who has made many of his father's Jazz Casual" jazz shows available on DVD), the full press conference is now available. This is a MUST for true Dylan fans and an entertaining curiosity for those who were fascinated by Martin Scorsese's documentary on Dylan earlier this year.

By technical standards, the print is top notch and sharp. The sound is the best that can be expected when the questioners did not use microphones to ask Dylan their questions. (You can hear his answers just fine!).

There were about 30 reporters in the room, including poet Allen Ginsburg (who Dylan lists - in answer to one question - as one of his favorite poets).

I won't give away all of the gems which come from Dylan during the 50-minute conference but He's really prophetic when asked: "If you were to sell out to `commercial interests', what would they be ?". He replies "Ladies garments" . 40 years later he was doing commercials for Victoria's Secret!

Dylan is VERY relaxed in his manner and quite open. He chain smokes through the whole session.

This DVD has no bonus features and is sort of budget priced, so it's definitely worth a watching and , if you are a Dylan completist, adding to your collection.

Steve Ramm "In The Groove"

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Dylan interview, December 10, 2006

By 

G. ONeil - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dylan Speaks: The Legendary 1965 Press Conference in San Francisco (DVD)

I first viewed this interview long ago from a VHS that was a copy of a copy of a copy...well, long-time Dylan fans know how poorly this material was presented. But long ago, we fans accepted sub-par production because we knew that Dylan's material would always be superior. Whatever the defects of the medium, Dylan would always be entertaining.
But no longer do we need to witness Dylan through faded and distorted images. This DVD offers the viewer crystal clear clarity, sharp black and white images - nothing at all to detract from the interview. Dylan ambles into this den of reporters, plops in his chair, fishes out the first of many cigarettes, and performs his own brand of magic. He listens, sometimes laughing at the absurdity of some questions, but usually answers plainly - follow-up questions usually are treated to his absurdist humor. More thoughtful questions are treated to more expansive answers by Dylan, and he seems to take pains to explain himself.
However, the real show is when some reporters try to frustrate or anger him. He is soft-spoken but never backs away from a challenge. He is at once witty, reflective, absurd, and always hilarious when he responds.
This interview was a long time arriving in DVD format, but well worth the wait. We see a young man who is confident of his abilities, yet always insisting that his role is a musician and songwriter, not a spokesperson for any group or cause. As he continues to tour at the age when other musicians are performing greatest hits, Dylan continues to create music that inspires. This DVD captures a moment from Dylan's back pages where we can see him answer questions unscripted and on the fly - this performance certainly captures his wit, insight, and thoughtfulness. It may very well rank as a fine performance from this "song and dance man."

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must see for dylan fans, April 25, 2007

By 

Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dylan Speaks: The Legendary 1965 Press Conference in San Francisco (DVD)

a hilarious tour-de-force by bobby of one of his legendary press conferences from the 60s: the only one caught in its entirety on film. the mind boggles at some of the simplistic queries posed, not to mention the contempt in which reporters frequently held dylan. of course, he matches them in the contempt level and verbally outspars all comers, while attempting to frequently turn the conversation to a serious discussion of his music -- before another stupid question sets off another riff on the absurd. this is for bob dylan fans only, but for them it is a huge treat.