(np) Dylan's _Chronicles vol 1_ AuH20

[Matthew Cissell]

Interesting pair to look at, Dylan & TP. Although they come from different parts 
of the field of cultural production, they have more than a little in common. 
Both cherish their privacy and engage with the media ironically; they new some 
of the same people; both of them had seen New York & California in the '60's. 

    I imagine that if we ever get anything like a bio from TP it will also be 
played quite close to the chest. Still, I thought Dylan's book offered some 
great insights.
    Oh, & about Bob on Goldwater, brings to mind a lyric: "Don't lend your hand 
to raise no flag upon no ship of fools"; I can see that as a motto running 
through TP's work: be careful of what you lend your energy to and with whom you 
break your bread.     




----- Original Message ----
From: Joe Allonby <joeallonby at gmail.com>
To: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
Cc: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sun, April 3, 2011 7:43:18 PM
Subject: Re: (np) Dylan's _Chronicles vol 1_ AuH20

It's interesting how little of himself Dylan reveals. Right down to
referring to "my wife" without mentioning her by name in several
instances. He often maintains his personal privacy while giving
insight and perspective into much of what goes on around him. It's not
the book I wanted from Dylan, but I guess it's the one I expected.

Keith's book is better.


On Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 1:36 PM, Michael Bailey
<michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com> wrote:
> interesting book, lots of good anecdotes and musical references
>
> that said, and despite a reasonably strong liking for the man's voice
> and many of his lyrics,
> I was flummoxed when I got to page 283 and read, "I had a primitive
> way of looking at things and I liked country fair politics.  My
> favorite politician was Arizona senator Barry Goldwater, who reminded
> me of Tom Mix, and there wasn't any way to explain that to anybody."
>
> wow.  The context of this thought was in a conversation with Dave van
> Ronk after listening to Robert Johnson recordings.
>
> Like the music of Woody Guthrie, the music of Robert Johnson impressed
> him deeply.  Van Ronk wasn't so taken, and was more interested in
> tracing influences.  -- Great passage earlier on where in Minneapolis
> a more knowledgeable folkie interested in bursting his "Guthrie"
> afflatus showed him how the Guthrie torch had already been taken up by
> Ramblin' Jack Elliott... -- anyway, Dylan distanced himself from van
> Ronk's less passionate take on RJ and added the little blurb about
> Goldwater as a way of saying he had other differences as well...
>
> So that would've been in 61-62.
>
> If it'd been in 64 or later, I would probably have to sell my Dylan 
recordings.
> Nuking Vietnam?  Unacceptable.  The "states rights" campaign plank,
> precursor of Nixon's Southern strategy?  Emetic.
>
> But what was Goldwater known for, by 61-62?
> _The Conscience of a Conservative_
>
> Like William Buckley, he ignored the lessons of Randolph Bourne...
>
> so that the efforts and expenditures required to ensure civil rights,
> create a social welfare net, and enforce a climate of accountability
> for business loom disproportionately large in his worldview, as tasks
> not worth undertaking,
>
> while the crushing burden of supporting a military machine that scouts
> the world creating and exacerbating trouble is not only ignored but
> seen as a manifestation of freedom!
>
> (yeah yeah he came out for gay rights in later life and opposed mining
> the Nicaraguan harbors,
> big whoop, he was still a McCarthy supporter (though not the most
> ardent), still a pro-Vietnam war partisan, still a big-military
> booster, still a Reagan nurturer, still a voter against the Civil
> Rights Act of 1964)
>
>
> ah well, speaking as someone who's occasionally supported people and
> causes I'd rather forget about,
> I can only say, thank goodness Bob didn't write songs about this -
> but there's no sign in the narrative that his views are any different now...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> "...seems the simplest things are hardest to explain" - Dave Mason
>