Bob Dylan’s Chronicles Volume One
|You know that man on the stairs of the local town hall? The one bellowing Mr Tambourine Man at the top of his lungs with rag doll in hand and wearing a lilac jumper, pungent with the aroma of week-old sandwich? Most of us would call him a beggar, a tramp, a hobo; Bob Dylan would say that he had just stepped out of a folk ballad. He would tell us that he knew that this man had a story, a history and possessed bravery. And we all know that bravery is what makes a folk hero. In Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan guides us through the rumble tumble world that is his New York. It is a place that is teetering on the brink of reinvention, only to be held back by the dark confusing days of the 1950s.
It’s not a really nice place, but I found myself wandering in and revelling in it. The way that Dylan leads us, prods us, lures us into this mean crazy world is through the pentamater of his tone and the timbre of his voice. He writes his books like he writes his songs; he is only concerned by the beat of the story and how he is going to tell it to the world.
Factually, this story is not complete, but it becomes irrelevant when you consider why we are there; like how Woodie Guthrie drew Robert Allen Zimmerman from the backwaters of Minnesota to the bright lights of New York, we are drawn to Chronicles by Bob Dylan. We are there to find out who he is, what makes him tick and the journey he took to discover it.
He gives us that.
It doesn’t always make sense, but who cares – it’s his life, it’s his story and it’s a whacking good read.
Tagged: books
RELATED
Star Trek and Star Wars bedtime books
The title of Best Mom Ever has officially been won. Julie made her babies these Star Trek and Star Wars felt activity books. With a couple of tribbles, er, quibbles, I have to say these are possibly the only books a toddler could ever need. Now I understand the hipster fetish for Mormon Mommy Blogs. Sign me up for adoption. Read more
Alpha’s ReMade is an Upcycling project whereby only found materials (in this case printed paper, magazines, envelopes) are used to make pocket-sized notebooks. Reusing waste material before finally recycling it.
This made-to-order ‘X’ bookshelf by Ais Design Studio can be wall mounted or rested on the floor. Designer Andreas Achniotis Perales often uses his trademark X in interior projects, either as a product or as an applied print.
Also by JESSIE CHEUNG
When we feel bad about buying Made in China, we buy it anyway. When the kids at Peppermint Mag feel the guilt, they buy American Apparel. These cats have shown that it’s easy to be cute and stylish while being environmentally conscious. Enviro-friendly is no longer the domain of long-haired hippies and tie-dyed shirts. Welcome to the era of reuse, recycle and the revision of our tomorrow, one little pom pom hat at a time.
Oscar Diaz’s Ink Calendar has taken the month by storm — one ink blot at a time. After its initial display at the Diseño con alma de agua (Design of Water with a Soul) exhibition at Madrid’s Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Ink Calendar’s unusual technique of using capillary action to ‘stain’ each day of the month has reignited the design world’s senses. That humidity may render the ‘calendar’ inaccurate, but this should be ignored since it’s brilliant and utterly beautiful.
The allusions are endless. Sydney’s Pocket Bar is tiny, bursting at the seams with people wanting to get at the never-ending supply of stuff (namely the tasty nibbles and a raft of fine vino) and we’re pretty sure that they would have an offering of rubber bands and string if you asked politely. While these are indeed defining attributes in any establishment, we feel that what really makes this inner city Sydney café bar more than just another inner city Sydney café bar is the fact that it offers savoury crepes after 6, wine by the half bottle and National Geographic magazines. Now that’s my idea of heaven. [photo via Anik In The Pacific]
YOU'RE SAYING (0)
No comments yet.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Just over a year ago, I decided to draw one illustration a day and post it online for a year. I did it initially to practice and to develop. I completed the project last month and I’m really proud of myself for achieving what I had hoped. I feel like an illustrator now. It goes to show what can be done with a bit of focus and an Internet connection. Read more
This soap, which comes packed with ‘notes of Oriental Rose and Night Blooming Jasmine’ is also infused with Brooklyn Red Lager, so you can sud up and get hammered at the same time. But it begs the question: do hipsters use soap?
Oh, ok, so now I’ve seen it all. Or perhaps, in this case, I’m not seeing enough. Japanese game shows are so much fun. Seriously.
While I’m sure we’ve all considered jumping into a frothy pool of beer, apparently a Beer Spa is actually good for you, with a healthy boost of B-vitamins and minerals in the hops and the giant stein soak could just help your skin. Yup, we agree, trust the Czechs to invent this boozy relaxation! Read more
Bunnylicious transcends cuteness and takes bunny worship to a another level. Squirrels are so passe. Read more
The coolest band in Indonesia? I think so. White Shoes & The Couples Company describe themselves as a small band that is ‘influenced by Indonesian movie soundtracks from the 70s and inspired by the acoustic spirit of 1930′s classic jazz musicians’. But I like to think of them as carrying the torch for artists like Benny Goodman, Tahiti 80, and The Cardigans, all at the same time.
Listen to their track, Super Reuni.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Give your feet a treat and your neighbors a fright with this awesome pair of (super) creepy Zombie sandals. Oooohhh, spooky. Now, when’s Halloween again?
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Benjamin Edminston’s psychedelic heads seem to have some fearful wisdom behind their blissed-out eyes. Read more
How ’bout this Jose Manuel Hortelano-Pi guy, huh? Quite the illustrator, yessiree Bob. From Spain, too. Spain is great! Read more
Christoph Niemann illustrates a nightmare flight
New York Times illustrator Christoph Niemann has created a brilliant visual diary outlining the peril and pitfalls that beset the everyday passenger based on his recent experience flying from New York to his home town of Berlin. Read more
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Pencils made from recycled newspaper
The problem with awesome things like these pencils made out of recycled newspaper is that you almost don’t want to use them.
Created by graphic t shirt label, the-affair, and printed on beautifully soft American Apparel. Limited edition of 200.
If you have a Twitter feed that focuses on cool pop cultural things and you’d like to swap Tweets with Lost At E Minor and other like-minded Twitterers, drop us a note (with Tweet Swap in the title). We have a system in place and we’d like to have you in on it! [illustration by Brad Fitzpatrick]
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it's not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
