The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes

As a child of the sixties, I happily sang and played folk music without suspecting the deeper political/philosophical movement they represented. Greil Marcus has not only enlightened me, he's taken me on an fascinating journey of discovery, starting with deceptively simple song lyrics and ending by revealing the society in which they are rooted. More than once I exclaimed aloud while reading. I now understand why the shift in Dylans' music from the political to the personal was so hugely controversial in the early 60's: It wasn't just a matter of electric strings vs. nylon, it was the heresy he committed by giving voice to personal experience without speaking for, or with, the "Folk" -- and his implied criticism of the musical heritage that had once so warmly embraced him. ("I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more" -- indeed.)This is an essential book for anyone who wants to understand the cultural and political underpinnings of an important strand of America's popular music. It is also a coming of age story about a major artist who, through his break with the tradition, became a pathfinder who helped a generation find their own distinctive voices.

Please note that when your Kindle informs you that you've completed reading, you're only 59% of the way into the book. The back matter of the book is much more than dry reference material; the long Discography section is much more than a listing and there are very interesting song-by-song insights into almost all the individual recordings on The Basement Tapes with anecdotes from members of The Band and others. I'm currently listening to the complete Basement Tapes and using these references to enhance the experience (Greil Marcus and his publisher may want to revise 'The Invisible Republic' / 'The Old, Weird America' once again to take advantage of all the songs, titles, and versions on this latest complete official Bootleg Series Vol 11 edition of the Tapes that appeared in 2014).

I read a great deal about music, especially concerning The Band and Mr. Dylan. I loved this book. However - proceed with caution! This wonderful book is not light reading for the casual fan; it digs very deep into Dylan and back to the expansive "must own" Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music from the Smithsonian, essential listening for any folk fan. Get the Harry Smith Collection and listen to it intensively; get The Basement Tapes and listen carefully; then get this book and you will love it! For some lighter, but still enlightening, Dylan reading, I recommend "Small Town Talk" by Barney Hoskyns. I blew through that in no time; "The Old, Weird America" digs much deeper into the folk and American psyche and is for the serious music student.

Greil Marcus has gone a long way with the phrase used in the title, and he's appropriately proud of it. This book was originally published under a different title. It's interesting, though I prefer the way my mind works to the way his mind works. Still, his mind does work, which is more than we can say for most minds in the year of our Lord 2014, so buy the new, complete basement tapes from your local record store and read this between bouts of listening frenzy, because the sun isn't yellow. It's chicken.

The author is a scholar. This is a SERIOUS read. I have a graduate degree and have done more than my share of research and writing, but must admit I stopped reading at times just to untangle sentences that go off into three different directions at once. He writes ART. His sentences stand on their own as aesthetic experiences regardless of the subject matter. I read this book twice. The essence is that Dylan's direct inspiration was the The Anthology of American Folk Music produced in 1952 on Folkways Records. Dylan's genius is that he absorbed this ancient music and is still producing a synthesis for contemporary generations. Got it?

I ordered this item on December 26 for a class I'm taking next semester and it arrived promptly and in excellent condition. I actually did't expect it until later this week, but was pleasantly surprised to find it in my mailbox today (the 30). I will be ordering from this seller again in the future! While I haven't read the book yet, it looks promising and I would recommend it.

Creative and interesting comparison between the Basement Tapes and Smith's Anthology of Folk Music and how both fit within the American narrative. With a topic like that, the book is bound to meander and it certainly does, but overall it's a fun read that captures the critical imagination.

Taking Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes as a starting point this book wanders through the foundations of American music investigating some shadowy folk byways.While the metaphor (actual towns populated by the characters in the songs) is a little overwrought the overall effect of the book is powerful.I found it particularly exciting to see links to other musicians I like such as Nick Cave and Kirstin Hersh.

i struggled to make any headway with this book. the subject is something i'm really interested in, but the lack of structure proved a problem.i will have to give it another go and persevere.