Bob Dylan meets the drum machine circa 1985 (via Mike Campbell’s recent memoir)

I'm sorry to have discovered Raul Malo only now that he's died. But what a voice! www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDiW...

My first gig of 2026: Tickets now on sale from 01305 266926 or share.google/PYuHzhpZsJYS...

youtu.be/XrrYKs8aVVQ?... Lovely if you were there for the atmosphere (and more so if you were aware that Shane's widow was there too, and on their wedding anniversary) but listening to this recording, it would be hard to decipher more than a very few words if you didn't already know the song well:

Leaders of the Maasai ethnic group in Kenya seek a court order to demolish a Ritz-Carlton luxury safari camp, saying it blocks a route on the famous Serengeti wildlife migration.

A reminder, a miniature sample, of what's on offer from "Song & Dance Man" 50th Anniversary Series, Vol. 2, published by the FM Press, NYC and still available in paperback (sorry about this) from you-know-who:

A 1965 interviewer tells Bob Dylan he prefers caruso as a singer. Dylan replies: "I happen to be as good as him... and can hold my breath three times as long if I have to." He'd proved that last claim five years earlier, at age 19, as the "Window" release shows on his 1960 'East Virginia Blues'.

Trump went to the Gatsby party as Tom Buchanan.

Yes. Grieve is one of the few decent ex-Tories - ex because of course Boris Johnson got rid of every decent one when he took power:

A new short article about obsidian eyes: www.facebook.com/WriterMichae...

I finally got around to writing about "A Complete Unknown". It's here: www.facebook.com/groups/thebo...

Remarkable: what a find!

Thanks to johnnogowski.substack.com : in Larry Charles’ book “Comedy Samurai” he & Bob are making “Masked & Anonymous”; he tries to talk Bob out of something, saying it would be misunderstood. Whereupon Bob comes up with, off the cuff, a classic Dylanism: “What’s so bad about being misunderstood?”

The Holy, Beat, and Crazy Next Thing. A signed Jack Kerouac episode from On The Road, written in London, was found in the estate sale of a 40-year dead, murdered mafia boss. You couldn't make it up (and Kerouac didn't, he only changed the names). Here's page one. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

Clearly a tad less marvellous than the originally released version, except for a beautiful, distinctively light-hearted (perhaps, in context, philosophically light-hearted) harp solo in the middle:

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

Meet seven month old puppy Dandelion. She's been suffering at NYC ACC for days. They could have sent this little dog to one of many New York City area vets who offer care to shelter animals for free or at a huge discount. Please get her out of there today. Adopt, foster, rescue her. Please repost 🙏

TOMORROW NIGHT! Friday Sept 26, 8pm The Séamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Dublin: tseac.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...

This Friday - September 26, 8pm at Naul, Dublin: tseac.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...

Two weeks today, just outside Dublin, Ireland. Why not come over? IS BOB DYLAN NOW HISTORY? IS BOB DYLAN NOW HISTORY? IS BOB DYLAN NOW HISTORY? I'm returning to The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre stage, to give this new talk with audio & footage: tseac.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...

There are parallels between Robert Browning & Dylan in my books, but today I found a parallel in their attitude to questions about their work. OED editor James Murray: "I believe Browning once answered a request for explanation of a passage with "I really do not know: ask the Browning Society."

Final weekend of our summer sale. Use the voucher code SUMMER25 at checkout to get 25% off Bob Dylan titles:

Final weekend of our summer sale. Use the voucher code SUMMER25 at checkout to get 25% off. www.route-online.com/all-books/ca...

Published in Japan 52 years ago yesterday:

A very happy birthday to the original Bob Dylan scholar, Michael Gray @michaelgray1.bsky.social

IS BOB DYLAN NOW HISTORY? Seamus Heaney Arts Centre, Sept 26, 8pm: talk with audio & footage: for anyone young, is 84-year-old Bob Dylan now just a historical figure? What history might he embody? Why he might matters In two halves with an interval. Tickets: tseac.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...

IS BOB DYLAN NOW HISTORY? Seamus Heaney Arts Centre, Sept 26, 8pm: talk with audio & footage: for anyone young, is 84-year-old Bob Dylan now just a historical figure? What history might he embody? Why he might matters In two halves with an interval. Tickets: tseac.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...

Collect ‘Em All. Nothing better for Dylan fanatics.

It's already 2 years since the 50th Anniversary edition! Actually this 3-volume 2023 edition doesn't reprint the first but the 3rd, final version of the book: the 630,000-word "Song & Dance Man III" published UK at the end of C20, 2000 in the USA. And the text below is taken from its preface:

This is invaluable:

Wish I could attend this. Steve, you must be thrilled: I know that Elvis is your favourite:

Out now: the summer 2025 edition, including a short new piece of mine linking early C19 poetry, Thomas Hardy, Rabbit Brown and Bob: thedylanreview.org

The wonderful Maurice Williams died 1 year ago today. Here is his inspired hit single 'Stay' and its fine and very earworm-inducing b-side, 'Do You Believe?': www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Z_... and www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECH1...

"IS BOB DYLAN NOW HISTORY?" The one talk I'm giving later this year (embedded with audio & footage) is at a great small venue outside Dublin in late September. Tickets are on sale now: tseac.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...

White hat AND center stage

Our splendid dog Iris, this afternoon:

Great review of a fantastic new bio!

Maybe that Meta AI isn't so bad after all:

This is pretty good (despite the windbaggery of the intro by Gay Byrne): www.youtube.com/watch?v=PweU...

Thank you so much for this: a great compliment and gracefully expressed:

Hopelessly poor recording of a performance in front of an indifferent, disrespectful crowd - which is a pity, because the vocal performance has some beautiful touches:

Honestly, they nailed the vibe.

Jolly enough. Not the Tuesday Weld I'd hoped for.

Help us have a great weekend! We are struggling for funds at the moment, every purchase helps! (UK only, sadly.) #BookSky

#BobDylanOnThisDay youtu.be/JXa1-o1muZs?... Changing Of The Guards Live debut Paris 05 07 1978

#BobDylanOnathisDay youtu.be/1InCcT909h8?... Abandoned Love 03 07 1975 expectingrain.com/dok/books/en...

Meet Betty. She was a tiny puppy adopted from BARC Houston in 2022. Now she's A1839877 back at BARC as a stray. We have a pledge for her full transport to a good foster anywhere, as well as initial vetting and heartworm treatment. Can you foster her? Rescues, please help! The perfect dog. RT

I'm hoping (perhaps even assuming) that someone (perhaps even @raypadgett.bsky.social) will soon post a complete recording of Bob's Times They Are A-Changin' from the other night.