Sunday, March 9, 2008

Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan still sounds pretty good

You can tell a lot about a person by snooping through their personal library, music collection and refrigerator.

“Stuck in the ‘60s, eh?” you'd likely ask me while sipping my last can of Guinness and blowing dust off the shelf in front of my computer desk.

“Not entirely, but yeah,” I’d answer, wishing you’d been satisfied by one of the buck-a-beers on the top shelf of the fridge and thinking, at least show some remorse.

“Is this book about Dylan any good?” you might ask after placing ‘Entries - Poems’ by Wendell Berry back down on my desk.

“Not bad,” I’d say, “but not great. The author wouldn’t know a simple sentence if he fell over it.”


I’d explain that I counted 19 words on the front cover, trying to capture a possible buyer’s interest, when only four were needed: Like a Rolling Stone.

Add a B & W shot of Dylan in a state of contemplation and you’d have enough to sell me.

“What did you pay?”

“I got it at Chapters for $7.99, would have felt better if it had been five bucks. At least the author likes the Time out of Mind album, so that’s something.”

“Is that one of your favourites too?”

“It’s a good album. But I’m back to Blood on the Tracks for awhile. You?”

“Blonde on Blonde.”

“Good one. Cheers.”

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