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I don't think Marqusee, or any other writer grappling with Dylan's oeuvre, has argued that Dylan remained part of the movement. That much is patently obvious. Dylan himself has stated he never felt comfortable as a topical folk song artist. I think we should take him at his word. After all, he was VERY straightforward about that with his Tom Paine award fuck you speech. I don't think he was really interested in sticking around as Pete Seeger's junior partner in the CPUSA. Would you? He was obviously more interested at the time in developing a new mode of artistic self-expression, combining elements of symbolist poetry with rock music. Whether he was successful or not is in the ear of the beholder. A lot of people like Dylan's music, a lot of people don't. I think much of his topical work sounds dated, while some of his later work, especially since "Oh Mercy", I can still listen to and it doesn't bore the shit out of me. I still enjoy the records he cut with The Band, as well as the original Highway 61, which is very punk IMO, especially with Mike Bloomfield ripping it up. "Blonde on Blonde" is quite special, "Blood on the Tracks" is great if you're going through a divorce. "John Wesley Harding" and "Nashville Skyline" are very enjoyable with a cup of coffee in the morning, but I've always been a big Johnny Cash fan. After Dylan broke his neck in a motorcycle accident and retreated from public view for three years, he seemed to relish being out of the spotlight. He avoided Woodstock, choosing the Isle of Wight instead. Much to the consternation of people who kept looking to him for answers and guidance, he refused to come out publicly against the Vietnam war. i think he was just fed up with the whole circus. Anyway, that's my own assessment. Much of his music from 1989 on seems to be an attempt to further refine his take on the great american songbook. In that sense it was prescient. Americana is now part of the musical lexicon. Marqusee's book was originally titled "Chimes of Freedom". It looks at the topical stuff and offers a political interpretation. "Wicked Messenger" is an updated edition taking into consideration some of Dylan's later work. Greg _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
