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The Philosophy of Modern Song
- Narrated by: Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright, Renée Zellweger
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
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Publisher's Summary
The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. The audio is narrated by an all-star lineup including Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright, and Renée Zellweger!
Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal. These essays are written in Dylan’s unique prose. They are mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are a series of dream-like riffs that, taken together, resemble an epic poem and add to the work’s transcendence.
In 2020, with the release of his outstanding album Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan became the first artist to have an album hit the Billboard Top 40 in each decade since the 1960s. The Philosophy of Modern Song contains much of what he has learned about his craft in all those years, and like everything that Dylan does, it is a momentous artistic achievement.
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What listeners say about The Philosophy of Modern Song
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Lord Ba
- 2023-05-31
So funny, in a philosophical way.
This was a pleasure I'm sure to repeat. Dylan uses many widely different strategies for approaching these songs, so be aware you'll be changing gears. Also, you will want to intersperse enjoying the book with listening to the songs, which are not included with the recording.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-06-04
I loved it
Listening a second time because it is so dense and clever. A fresh perspective on some fave songs and an introduction to many more.
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Overall
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- Sean MacDonald
- 2023-01-02
The Philosophy of Modern Song
Well researched, thought provoking and engrossing. Expertly narrated! Thoroughly enjoyable for anyone with an appreciation for poetry, storytelling and music.
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- clueso
- 2022-11-03
I loved this unique presentation
not for everyone
but compelling for music lovers who bought records and hung on every lyric
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Overall
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- Rob Cacchioni
- 2023-05-09
Do Not Buy
A waste of time. Rambling pseudo intellectual useless, a incoherent mess of nothing. No philosophy no useful information to glean. Turn around and leave.
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