A review by daisyvb
Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

 Bob Dylan writes about fellow male musicians like gay people tweet about middle aged actresses. He also seems to like having things “in common” with the people he likes and associates with to the point where it is like; do you want to be them or be with them. The prerequisites to be liked by him is that you need to be a little weird and off-putting in some sort of way, have your own moral code doesn’t matter where it lands, write decent music, and be sexy as hell. Either that or you have to be Joan Baez. He also wants it known what whilst he is aware he is a waif blessed with the allure of Jesus and lyrical tendencies of a prized court poet, he is also just a severely normal person, a dilf with some songs if you will. Half the time he doesn’t even seem sure he has those songs, in any sense of the word. It seems very important to him that we know he is so incredibly average and doesn’t really like much except for when he has an epiphany every third page while listening to a man play guitar and howl on a record as the sun sets. Weird guy. Great story teller though, and this, plus his easy ability to reference influences without shying away from the fact he has been inspired by many who came before, during and after, means he never comes across as narcissistic, just himself, whoever that might be.