Many of the best pop songs ever written start with a snare hit. Take for example, this number by the ever-popular B. Wilson (you missed out by not spinning at the FADER house, in the event you are listening BTW). Much respect to being lovey dovey, but the award for the ultimate snare hit goes to Sir Robert Zimmerman for his six minute plus ode to, um, school? Napoleon? We're not exactly sure, but we're willing to check out the new book from the sometimes snoozy, sometimes brilliant pop critic Greil Marcus to try to find out.
Dude just wrote a whole book on "Like A Rolling Stone" called Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan At The Crossroads. If you know the work of critic Greil Marcus, you know that he digs Dylan, loves dead French dudes and that his writing might have your brain calling for a REWIND!
Here's a little snippet: "Like a preacher, Dylan sang doom throughout the song; while no one missed the threat, the freedom the song defined as specifically as the Declaration Of Independence, with nearly as strong an ear for cadence, overrode everything else." HUH? BRING IT BACK SELECTOR!!! Aside from the occasional bits like that one, the book also dives into some great geek out passages about the recording of the song - even if all the theory puts you on the train to snoozeville, the first person commentary Marcus gets from Bob's old teammates Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield are well worth the ride.
But on the reals, where's the love for Rick Danko?!
