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TITLE: MILLION DOLLAR BASH: BOB DYLAN, THE BAND, AND THE BASEMENT
TAPES
AUTHOR: SID GRIFFIN
PUBLISHER: JAWBONE PRESS
RELEASE DATE: 2007
By Dennis Roger Reed
There are Bob
Dylan fans, and there are Bob Dylan fans. Most fans know that Bob had some sort
of motorcycle accident in 1967 in Woodstock,
New York, and "dropped" out of
the touring and recording scene for a time. Most fans know about the Basement
Tapes that Bob recorded with what became The
Band at a house called "Big Pink." Want to know more? Want to know lots
more? This is the book for you.
Author Griffin is known primarily as a musician, with the LA
based Long Ryders, and more recently
the Coal Porters, a London based group. Griffin has written about
Gram Parsons in an earlier tome and this time out he homes in on Bob and Bob's
world, with a good sized portion of info on The Band.
This won't entice
everyone. Several pages are devoted to a discussion of just what street Bob may
have tumbled on his bike. Theories about whether the wreck was caused by
the sun in his eyes... info about the
private physician's home where Bob recuperated... and bits about his weekday
routine of walking his daughter to the bus station may be more paparazzi like
that some will enjoy.
But things pick up
in the scrupulous attention paid to the recordings themselves. If there was
drop out at 2:10 with what sounded like Bob switching his harmonica, it is
chronicled. There's some mystery regarding who is on drums on several cuts, and
a good deal of supposition about what may be lost in a vault somewhere. But
mostly Griffin
celebrates a magical time in the Bob annals.
Griffin makes the case
that this was Dylan's most fruitful, creative period, and there certainly is
ample evidence in the book. Certainly not for the Dylan dilettante, this is a
336 page excursion into an interesting time, with a focus on detail.
Dennis Roger
Reed is a singer-songwriter, musician and writer based in San Clemente, CA.
He's released two solo CDs, and appeared on two CDs with the newgrassy Andy Rau
Band and two CDs with the roots rockers Blue Mama. His prose has appeared in a
variety of publications such as the OC Weekly and MOJO magazine. Writing about
his music has appeared in an eclectic group of publications such as Bass
Player, Acoustic Musician, Dirty Linen, Blue Suede News and Sing Out!
His oddest folk resume entry would be the period of several months in 2002 when
he danced onstage as part of both Little Richard's and Paul Simon's revues. He
was actually asked to do the former and condoned by the latter. He apparently
knows no shame.
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