Customer Reviews

Encounters with Bob Dylan

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3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

As the greatest - not to mention most important, in every sense of the word - songwriter of the 20th century, Bob Dylan has, unsurprisingly, inspired a legion of devoted fans. Although every major artist has their share of obsessives and fanatics, the ones who follow Dylan have far surpassed mere "groupie" or "hard-core" status: they reside in a legendary status - even mythological. Some of these, branded "Dylanologists", have achieved a level of notoriety compared in a small way with the artist himself. Many fans know of the famous (or infamous) "Garbologist", A. J. Weberman, who even went so far as searching through the dumpsters outside Bob's house for his baby's soiled diapers - allegedly looking for clues to obscure lyrics, and even conjuring up a paranoid fantasy conspiracy that the government was out to get Dylan for raising sentiment against the Vietnam War, and that Dylan knew it, and alluded to it, through subtle messages in his songs. Bob Dylan's history is filled with many other such characters and ancedotes. Perhaps it comes as no surprise, then, that Dylan is a very mysterious character, and known for his ambivalence towards fans. Securing a personal meeting with Dylan is a difficult thing to do, and those fans who do manage it are held in a kind of revered awe by the faithful. This book is a record of such encounters. There are many books available on Dylan (certainly more serious and scholarly works than on any other rock musician), but this is just about the only one where the air of pretentious intellectual refinement is removed, and you hear it straight from the mouth of the ones who really matter: the fans. These are the fans personal reminisces of meeting Dylan, or otherwise coming close in some way. These are the normal, everyday fans - people like you and me (although there are certainly a few obsessives - such as the man who keeps a "Dylan shrine" in his house), although there are a handful of semi-famous names in here as well. The accounts range from revelatory (people being personally invited backstage by Dylan, a record store employee purporting not to know who he is, a man who retrieves Dylan's stolen cap); to hilarous (a fan who meets Dylan in a cafe and asks him a strange question, a meeting between Dylan and a fan in an alley before a concert), to just plain boring and inane. You are hearing these recollections as told straight from the fans - granted, then, the prose is often crude, and some stories are better than others. This, then, is a book you'll want if you're looking for personal, often funny, sometimes touching stories from the fans themselves - rather than pseudo-intellectual exposition from so-called "rock scholars." I would not rate this as an essential Dylan book: rather I reccommend it if you are a fan and want a slightly more personal and unique book about Dylan than you normally find.

Each story in this book is such a treat and a treasure, I had to ration them and limit myself to reading a few a day, to make the pleasure last as long as possible. Some of the stories brought tears (because they were so touching), and some brought chuckles, and all were inspirational and uplifting because they let the rest of us less priveledged obsessed fans know that it IS actually possible to meet Bob. What I especially appreciated about the book was the fact that it wasn't heavily edited and rewritten, like Reader's Digest, for instance, and that we are able to experience the unique writing styles and 'tone-of-voice' of each writer. I have many books about Dylan, but this one will be my most treasured; it is a gem of a book. All of those ponderous volumes of analyses and suppositions can't compare to reading about people's actual encounters with The Man, in thier own words. Except maybe for Daniel Kramer's worshipful account of the time he spent with him... BUY this book, so the author will be encouraged to bless us with more stories like these!

"Encounters With Bob Dylan" runs the gamut of Dylan's personalities. This is not musical analysis or lyrical analysis, but a look at sometimes momentary encounters by musicians, technicians, and ordinary Dylan fans. Truly reveals charisma of Dylan the human.

Bob Dylan is a reclusive, enigmatic musician who, through his compositions and songs has had a wide spread influence on a generation of fans, composers, performers, and singers. Encounters With Bob Dylan: If You See Him, Say Hello is the first biography to examine his life and career from his fans' perspectives. Included are fifty first-person accounts of fans who have personal met this elusive entertainer. The stories are presented chronologically, beginning in 1956 with Margaret Stark's account of her high school date with bobby Zimmerman and their subsequent meeting at Bob's 10-year Hibbing High School reunion. Due to the constantly changing circumstances of these fifty encounters, each story is unique in character and impact. Compiled and edited by long-time Dylan devotee Tracy Johnson, Enhanced with 24 photographs (many of them previously unpublished), Encounters With Bob Dylan is "must" reading for all Dylan fans and serves as an example of "fan history" that would work admirably for other influential public figures.

Ms. Johnson has done a wonderful job in illustrating the fanatic nature of Dylan's fans combined with the reclusive nature of their hero. As the lights have burned ever brightly on Dylan in the latter stages of his career, Bob has increasingly receded into the shadows, content to let his son Jabob bask in the spotlight for the family. This book, though, shows the connection that Dylan's fans still feel towards him, whether they have met him or just been touched by him in some small way. I especially enjoyed the story of the young man who had Dylan autograph his tattoo of Bob's likeness.

Whether you are a Dylan fanatic or just a reader who enjoys touching anecdotes, this book is for you. It is refreshing to see that not every entertainment star has forgotten that it is the fans that make or break your career. Buy the book. You'll love it.

I pride myself in keeping up with new information about Bob Dylan. But this was brand new to me. I ordered it right away. I love it. It is a Dylan book I will always go back and read from time to time. Hopefully someday I'll have an encounter with Bob - without at least 5,000 other people around! Thanks.

This book helps the Bob Dylan fan to feel just a little bit closer to getting to know him. The personal stories from others who have known or met him brought him back alive in my heart. I played his albums in the background while embracing the stories and gazing at all the great photos. It couldn't have come at a better time, Bob's playing in Nampa, ID next month (and yes, I got tickets)! I'm drop shipping a copy to all the Dylan fans I know!

Let's face it: Bob can be a jerk to his fans. But then again, it's got to be hell being accosted by obsessive fans everywhere you go. If you've read some of the Dylan biographies out there you have an idea of Dylan's life and work. This book gives you a glimpse into what it's like to be a Dylan fan. Some of the accounts are more engaging than others and some don't even involve meeting Dylan at all. I wish they'd left those out... Anyway, this is interesting but very brief. You can read the whole thing in a day and I think there are just as many stories out there (for free) on the internet at the many Dylan sites.

Bob Dylan fans will enjoy this book. It holds several surprises with some of its well-known contributors. If you have ever met Bob Dylan you will recognize yourself in some of these reminiscences. Others are a little eccentric, and a few illustrate the obsession with which some fans will carry out their desire to meet, touch, encounter Bob Dylan. For the most part, the recollections are limited by the insights, or lack of them, presented by the writers. The editing is very hands off, with both benefits and disadvantages to the reader. This is a book that in the hands of a more resourceful and perceptive editor could have been a lot better than it is. Yet, it's worthwhile.

Tracy Johnson has done a very good job of finding a variety of diverse people in her compilation of Dylan fans and the stories they tell of meeting, seeing and being inspired by Bob Dylan. Certainly a must read for any Dylan fan.