Definitely Dylan

Laura revisits a radio episode from the archives about April anniversaries, some good, many disastrous. And there’s a little side quest about Bob Dylan and Modernist poetry.

One note – I forgot to mention that the performance of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” is by Betty Carter.

Get your Definitely Dylan baseball cap here.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Laura is joined by Britt and Rebecca to talk about A Complete Unknown, the new Bob Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold, starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Monica Barbaro. 

We talk about letting go of the pressure to be chill about the film, biopics as acts of translation, and the sexual tension between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

Rebecca would like to add that she realised that it was Al Kooper and not Bobby Neuwirth who put on Bob’s “clown shirt” at Newport.

You can watch our conversation here.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter and Britt on Instagram or Twitter.

Get your Definitely Dylan baseball cap here.

You can buy Rebecca’s “Twink” shirt here.

Theme music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

It’s taken over five years, but the new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (directed by James Mangold and starring Timothée Chalamet) is finally hitting cinemas. So… is it good?

I called up Chicago-based filmmaker Michael Glover Smith to talk about the film, what it gets right, what it gets wrong, and how it compares to other films like I’m Not There.

You can watch Michael’s short film Handle With Care here. He’s also on Twitter.

If you are considering gifting a Patreon subscription to a friend, you can do that over here.

Theme music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Bob Dylan has been tweeting and it’s high time we talk about it. In this conversation with Rebecca and Britt we cover what’s been going on the World of Bob, including his social media presence and the TWO biopics he’s involved in this year!

Follow Rebecca on Twitter and Britt on Instagram or Twitter.

Theme music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Ray and I sit down in the garden of the Troubadour to talk about the final shows of Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour (2021-24) at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Subscribe to Ray’s Substack, Flagging Down the Double E (but get the paid membership if you can), and buy his book Pledging My Time: Conversations with Bob Dylan Band Members.

Music that appears in this episode:

All Along the Watchtower (London 12/11/24)
Desolation Row (London, 12/11/24)
Watching the River Flow (London, 14/11/24)
Every Grain of Sand (London, 12/11/24)
It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (London, 12/11/24)
I Contain Multitudes (Paris, 24/10/24)
My Own Version of You (London, 12/11/24)
My Own Version of You (London, 14/11/24)
Key West (Philosopher Pirate) (London, 14/11/24)
All Along the Watchtower (London, 14/11/24)
I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You (London, 14/11/24)

Theme music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

A conversation with Ren Harvieu after seeing night two of Bob Dylan’s three night stay at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Ren Harvieu is on Patreon, Instagram, and her music is available on all streaming platforms.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

In this episode, Laura revisits a radio episode from September of 2018, all about Bob Dylan's relationship to the truth, and his different attempts to define, grasp, or circumscribe it.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

A conversation with Britt Eisnor about the recent Outlaw Festival shows and more.

Follow Britt on Instagram.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Songs that appear in the episode:

“Desolation Row” (Buffalo, NY, 17 September, 2024)

“Love Sick” (Mountain View, CA, 3 August, 2024)

“Cold, Cold Heart” (Hank Williams cover, Alpharetta, GA, 21 June, 2024)

“Shooting Star” (George, WA, 10 August, 2024)

“Ballad of a Thin Man” (Mickey Raphael on harp, St Louis, 8 September, 2024)

“Stella Blue” (Grateful Dead cover, Mountain View, CA, 3 August, 2024)

“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” (Inglewood, CA, 14 February, 1974)

“Dirt Road Blues” (Time Out of Mind, 1997)

“Fire and Brimstone” - Link Wray (Link Wray, 1971)

“Simple Twist of Fate” (with Mickey Raphael on harp, Bethel, NY, 6 July, 2024)

“Little Queenie” (Chuck Berry cover, Buffalo, NY, 17 September, 2024)

“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (Somerset, WI, 6 September, 2024)

“Silvio” (Somerset, WI, 6 September, 2024)

“All Along the Watchtower” (Buffalo, NY, 17 September, 2024)

Theme music by Robert Chaney

A new podcast reconsiders the legacy of female singer songwriters that have all at one point been dubbed “the Female Bob Dylan”. Laura talks to its creators, Sophie Abramowitz, Sarah Bachman, and Emily Hilliard.

Find The Female Bob Dylan on the podcast app of your choice, and follow them on Instagram and Twitter/X.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

This is a slightly updated version of the first ever Definitely Dylan episode, which aired on Resonance.FM in January of 2018.

You can find a version with the full length songs over on Patreon, where I will also be revisiting other radio episodes in the future, so follow along if you're interested in hearing more!

In this episode:

1. Forever Young
2. Subterranean Homesick Blues
3. It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
4. Simple Twist Of Fate
5. Shelter From The Storm
6. Born In Time (Oh Mercy Outtake)
7. What Can I Do For You? (Live, 19 April, 1980, Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada)
8. Rise Again (Rehearsal, with Clydie King)
9. Saved (live, 12 January, Portland, OR)
10. Forever Young (demo)

Additional music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Today’s episode is a story.

Songs that appear in the episode:

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” (More Greatest Hits)

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” (demo, Another Self Portrait)“When I Paint My Masterpiece” - The Band (Cahoots)

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” (demo, Another Self Portrait) “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Live at Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, MA, 20 November, 1975)

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Live at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea, 27 July, 2018)

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Live at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale. 1 March 2024)

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Shadow Kingdom, 2021)

”Dungaree Doll” - Eddie Fisher (1956)

”Get Up, Get Out” - The Weavers (1963)

The Jonathan Cott interview took place on 17 September, 1978 on bus and plane, on the way to the concert that night in New Haven, CT. The discussions continued in the dressing room before the show. The interview was published in Rolling Stone Magazine on November 16th 1978.

Additional music by Robert Chaney

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

“Life is short even on its longest days”, Bob Dylan sang in Indianapolis, covering John Cougar Mellencamp. But a year is pretty long, so I invited Rebecca Slaman to do a recap with me. We talk about the releases, live shows, and our general highlights of 2023.

Check out Rebecca’s PhilosopHER of Modern Song series on her Substack.

Find the extended version of our conversation on Patreon!

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

2023 live snippets that appear in this episode:

“Truckin” - Nagoya, Japan (20/04/23)
“Brokedown Palace - Nagoya, Japan (18/04/23)
“West LA Fadeaway” - Lyon, France (29/06/23)
“Stella Blue” - Barcelona, Spain (23/06/23)
“Only a River” - Rome, Italy (09/07/23)
“Into the Mystic” - Alicante, Spain (15/06/23)
“Dance Me to the End of Love” - Montreal, Canada (29/10/23)
“New York State of Mind” - New York City, NY (16/11/23)
“South of Cincinnati” - Cincinnati, OH (20/10/23)
“Footlights” - Boston, MA (05/11/23)
“Longest Days” - Indianapolis, IN (17/11/23)
“Ballad of a Thin Man” - Farm Aid, Noblesville, IN (23/09/23)
“My Own Version of You” - Brooklyn, NY (15/11/23)
“When I Paint My Masterpiece” - Brooklyn,  NY (15/11/23)
“Every Grain of Sand” - Rome, Italy (09/07/23)

Theme music by Robert Chaney

In this episode, Laura talks to the one and only Chan Marshall (Cat Power) about her project of recreating Bob Dylan’s iconic 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert. In our conversation about art, love, and resilience, she shares stories about meeting Bob Dylan, how she first got into his music, and which song makes her feel empowered.

Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert is out now on Domino Records. Head over to my Instagram to win a limited edition copy of the album on clear vinyl!

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

All music from Cat Power sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert

Except:
“I Believe in You” - Cat Power (Jukebox)
“I Believe in You” - Bob Dylan (live in Santa Barbara, 7 September, 2008)
“Song to Bobby” - Cat Power (Jukebox)
“Sara” - Bob Dylan (live in Waterbury, CT, 11 November, 1975)
Theme music by Robert Chaney

In case you missed the episode about Sinéad O’Connor’s letters to Bob Dylan, you can find out more here.

In this episode, Laura talks to Mark Davidson and Parker Fishel, the authors of Mixing Up the Medicine, the 600 page “inside-out biography” that tells the story of Bob Dylan’s career through pieces from the Bob Dylan Archive.

Buy the book at your local bookshop (or check it out at your local library – it’s unfortunately pretty pricey).

Music by Robert Chaney.

You can listen to the full Beatles bootleg of “Thingymubob”/”Maureen” here.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

In this episode Laura talks to writer and friend of the pod Rebecca Slaman about Bob Dylan’s surprise appearance at this year’s Farm Aid, where we played a short set with the Heartbreakers.

Here’s a fun fact I only figured out after the episode was finished: the song that preceded Dylan’s remarks about American farmers during Live Aid was in fact The Ballad of Hollis Brown!

I erroneously said that Stan Lynch was on the drums, but it was actually Steve Ferrone.

Make sure you subscribe to Rebecca’s Substack!

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

In this episode, Laura welcomes back Harry Hew for a conversation about Sinéad O’Connor’s open letters to Bob Dylan.

A quick note – after converting to Islam in 2018, she adopted the name Shuhada’ Sadaquat, but since she continued to work under her birth name, we refer to her as Sinéad O’Connor in this episode.

Head over here to read all the letters Sinéad O’Connor wrote to Bob Dylan.

Thank you to Thérèse Mullan for her voice acting as Sinéad.

Theme music and sound design by Robert Chaney.

Check out the Creative Arts Psychotherapy YouTube channel Harry mentioned.

Also do yourself a favour and watch Harry’s excellent presentation on Bob Dylan’s sense of humour here.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

In the light of Robbie Robertson's recent passing, I really wanted to have a conversation about this artist whose life not just ran alongside Dylan's a decade, but converged for crucial periods of both their careers. So I asked the biggest The Band fan I know, my Canadian friend Harry Hew, to jump on a call and talk to me.

One note: I make a reference to "Dominique", and thought I should clarify that I'm talking about Dominique Robertson, Robbie's first wife. I'm referring to an incident that occurred after an inebriated Richard Manuel asked to drive the Robertson's new Mustang, and then lost control over the car, which ended up sideways in a ditch. 

Follow Harry Hew on Twitter!

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

In this episode, Laura and Rebecca talk about the ladies, babies, mamas, girls, and many many queens that inhabit Bob Dylan’s songs.

Subscribe to Rebecca’s Substack, and watch her Tulsa paper here.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

TW: murder, suicide, racial violence

When Bob Dylan began his career, murder ballads were having a bit of a moment. In this episode, we’ll look into the influence these songs had on the young artist, and how they inspired a particular subset of his own early songs.

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

No other Bob Dylan song has provoked such a diverse range of responses as "Make You Feel My Love". Initially dismissed by reviewers as a failure, it has since grown into a wildly successful pop hit. It's the song that's loved by the masses, but hated by Dylan purists. Perhaps what's at the heart of this fundamental disagreement is a different question altogether: is this a banal love song, or does it have a deeper, perhaps even darker meaning? 

You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at buymeacoffee.com/definitelydylan.

Thanks to Craig Danuloff from the Dylan.FM podcast for initially inviting me to speak about this topic, this episode partly draws on the talk I gave at his online event last year.

Graley Herren’s book Dreams and Dialogues in Dylan's "Time Out of Mind" is available here.