Verified Document

Changing Musical Style Of Bob Term Paper

He, therefore, continued experimenting with new musical style, and his 1964 album, Another Side of Bob Dylan hinted at the things to come. The album was categorized a "folk album" only because Dylan had not yet decided to go electric and continued to use an acoustic arrangement for his songs. As for the content of his songs on Another Side, they had already veered away from the political protest of folk. The album started with the light-hearted and personal "All I Really Want to do" and ended rather significantly with "It Ain't Me" -- Dylan pointedly saying adieu to his folk audience. The album's departure from folk traditions was a prelude to a more dramatic change in Dylan's musical style that was to be unveiled in the following year. Dylan goes Electric

The year 1965 was the start of perhaps the most concentrated, magical, and impressive two-year period of creative musical innovation in the history of rock music. Dylan, of course, was at the center of this musical revolution. It all started in March 1965 when Dylan released his first half-electric album (Bring it All back Home) that featured him accompanied by a full-fledged back-up band on side 1 of the LP. There was immediate reaction from the folkies who dubbed their former hero as a political sell-out and warned him not to turn into "a different Bob Dylan than the one we knew," (quote from Sing Out! By Wilentz). Dylan's reaction was typically defiant. At the Newport Folk Festival in July, 1965 he decided to go electric before a live audience. It was sheer audacity on his part, considering the fact that the audience had come to hear pure folk music. That Sunday night of July 25, 1965 when Dylan walked onstage in an orange shirt and black leather, carrying an electric guitar accompanied by his hastily gathered band and swung into a rocking electric version of "Maggie's Farm" has entered into the folklore of rock music. The folk purist audience was stunned and then started to heckle and shouted: "Play folk music!... Sell out!... This is a folk festival!" (Shelton, 302); backstage, Pete Seeger was so incensed that he threatened to cut off the electric wires; some of the audience, however, was exhilarated by the high-voltage rock.

It reached a climax at a concert at Manchester in 1966 when a hostile audience confronted Dylan and his band with slow handclap and a hostile member of the audience shouted, "Judas!" To which Dylan responded with "I don't believe you" and proceeded to give a sneering, high powered rendition of "Like a Rolling Stone." The next one-year saw Dylan reach the pinnacle of his art with the release of "Highway 61 Revisited" and "Blonde on Blonde" -- two of the greatest rock albums ever recorded.
Conclusion

Bob Dylan's transformation from a folk singer known and worshipped for his finger-pointing protest songs into a rock artist who created his own genre of music has been an epochal event in contemporary music history. It is hard to think of any single event in the history of popular music that exceeds the importance of the event.

Works Cited

Hentoff, Nat. "Liner Notes for 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" Bob Dylan.com. 1964. May 12, 2005. http://bobdylan.com/linernotes/freewheelin.html

Shelton, Robert. "No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan." Ballantine Books: New York, 1986

Wilentz, Sean. "Liner Notes -- Live 1964 at Philharmonic Hall." December 2003. May 12, 2005. http://bobdylan.com/linernotes/live1964.html

From the song it's All right Ma (I'm only Bleeding) from the album "Bringing it All Back home" (1965)

His last move Masked and Anonymous (2004) was pilloried by the critics and ran briefly in the theaters

Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles Vol. 1, purportedly the first part of a three-part series, was published in October 2004

It contained just two of Dylan's original songs including "Song to Woody."

The outburst at Newport was reminiscent of a similar event in music history: At the premiere of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring," on May 29, 1913, at the Theatre des Champs-Elysses, the Paris audience booed and applauded Stravinsky's pioneering score at the same time drowning out the sound of the orchestra. (Shelton 303)

Bob Dylan

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Hentoff, Nat. "Liner Notes for 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" Bob Dylan.com. 1964. May 12, 2005. http://bobdylan.com/linernotes/freewheelin.html

Shelton, Robert. "No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan." Ballantine Books: New York, 1986

Wilentz, Sean. "Liner Notes -- Live 1964 at Philharmonic Hall." December 2003. May 12, 2005. http://bobdylan.com/linernotes/live1964.html

From the song it's All right Ma (I'm only Bleeding) from the album "Bringing it All Back home" (1965)
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Choreographers Bob Fosse, Susan Stroman,
Words: 927 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

For Stroman, the musical numbers must be integrated within a narrative rather than standing as more autonomous (or hegemonic) components of the Broadway Musical. Michael Bennett brought a less-defined style than Stroman or Fosse, although he made a great impact on the Broadway musical. His costuming was more colorful than the previously accepted norm, as he incorporated garish neon pink, green, and yellow tones into his costume design for the

Bob Marley Protest Song
Words: 2500 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

expressions of protest have come from a variety of sources and through a vast plethora of mediums. From paintings to poetry, protest works have helped to shape many causes, and have in many cases even influenced the outcome of the cause for the protest. This type of influence and the ability to affect masses of people simultaneously is perhaps best shown in the world of music. For centuries, musicians have

American Idiot Popular Music and Social Change
Words: 645 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

American Idiot Popular Music and Social Change in the Present: Green Day's 'American Idiot' (2004) Following the catalyzing events of September 11th, 2001, the United States would find itself deeply divided over the issues of terrorism, war and presidential politics. At the heart of this frequently impassioned and vitriolic debate would be the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as a far-reaching culture clash between two distinction American populations. The

Michael Bennett
Words: 2712 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Michael Bennet-What makes him unique Michael Bennett was born in 1943 under the full name of Michael Bennett DiFiglia. He was devoted to the theater and over the course of his life was a dancer, choreographer and director; before succumbing to AIDS complications at 44 years old. His unique style was his legacy to Broadway -- particularly regarding Musical Theater. Musical theater has a rich and storied history; dating back centuries. First

Concert Review: "Jazz Legends: Arturo Sandoval" the
Words: 1366 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Concert review: "Jazz legends: Arturo Sandoval" The legendary Cuban expatriate trumpeter Arturo Sandoval begins his concert with one of his signature tunes, "Tunisia Blues." "Tunisia Blues" starts off with a swinging, lazy casual sound of a trumpet. Sandoval does not interact with the audience, introduce the piece, or tell the audience a bit about his biography and band members. He simply 'digs right in' to the music. The tone is casual

Masters of Rock & Roll the Kingsmen:
Words: 1313 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

MASTERS OF ROCK & ROLL THE KINGSMEN: Composed of Jack Ely on guitar and vocals, Mike Mitchell on guitar, Dan Gallucci on piano, Bob Norby on bass and Lynn Earton on drums, the Kingsmen are best known for their hit "Louie, Louie" and essentially began the form now known as the "garage band" sound in 1963. Also, the Kingsmen were one of the earliest bands from the Northwest, being Portland,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now