Artists Bob Dylan admired, from The Who to Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, revealed in his book The Philosophy of Modern Song
- The Philosophy of Modern Song comprises essays by Dylan describing his favourite songs, writers and performers. In a way, it is his autobiography
- From creators such as Rodgers and Hart to Elvis Costello and the Grateful Dead, the book offers a glimpse at where Dylan’s songs come from
In 2004, Bob Dylan released an autobiography of sorts. Chronicles: Volume One methodically charted the singer’s life, but then took enough factual detours to make the whole thing suspect.
Now we have a new Dylan book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. An argument can be made that this is actually his autobiography.
Twelve years in the making, the new book is largely an impassioned valentine to dozens of the great songwriters and singers he most admired.
They range from Hank Williams, Little Richard and Allen Toussaint to Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Orbison and The Clash’s Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, but almost no women. And they include such timeless songwriting teams as Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.
Through this enigmatic, flattering and insightful collection of essays dissecting what Dylan considers the recorded era’s greatest songs, we inch closer to understanding a towering, vexing, soulful and revered artist – born Robert Zimmerman and raised in Hibbing, Minnesota.
We sprinkle a few gems from Modern Song below, revealing just who garners the king’s nod (the list ranges from The Who to Marty Robbins, from Johnny Cash to The Clash). Little of it is linear. Some of it is confusing. All of it is riveting. But let’s start with why it’s important.