 Cover of the paperback edition | |
| Author | Paul Williams |
|---|---|
| Subject | Music OfBob Dylan |
| Genre | non-fiction, Criticism |
| Publisher | Omnibus Press |
Publication date | May 1, 2004 (2nd edition) |
| Publication place | UK |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 310 pp |
| ISBN | 978-1-84449-095-0 (2nd edition, paperback) |
 Cover of the paperback edition | |
| Author | Paul Williams |
|---|---|
| Subject | Music OfBob Dylan |
| Genre | non-fiction, Criticism |
| Publisher | Omnibus Press |
Publication date | June 1, 2004 (2nd edition) |
| Publication place | UK |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 334 pp |
| ISBN | 1-84449-096-3 (2nd edition, paperback) |
 Cover of the paperback edition | |
| Author | Paul Williams |
|---|---|
| Subject | Music OfBob Dylan |
| Genre | non-fiction, Criticism |
| Publisher | Omnibus Press |
Publication date | August 8, 2005(2nd edition) |
| Publication place | UK |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 416 pp |
| ISBN | 1-84449-831-X |
Bob Dylan, Performing Artist is aseries of three books written by music criticPaul Williams concerning the music of American singer-songwriterBob Dylan. Unlike many other books about Dylan, these are not biographical but focus primarily on the performances delivered at various concerts over a period of almost forty years. The performances Williams analyzes were either personally attended or reviewed from audio-tapes (and sometimes from videotapes). In an interview published inIsis magazine's August 1990 issue, Williams told interviewer Derek Barker, "I didn't want to write about the person, I wanted to write about what this person has created, his art, his music."[1]Bob Dylan, Performing Artist is considered one of the leading critical analyses of Dylan's songs and performances.
The first volume of thePerforming Artist series, which covers the years 1960 through 1973, also recounts Dylan's childhood from his birth in May 1941 to August 1959.Early Years ends in December 1973 with Williams' review of the albumPlanet Waves.
Middle Years is the second book of the series, covering from January 1974 to September 1986 and ending with a review of the albumKnocked Out Loaded.
The last of the three volumes spans from September 1986 through September 1990. As the word "beyond" in the title implies,Mind Out Of Time includes two reviews by Williams of albums recorded after 1990,Time Out of Mind (1997) andLove and Theft (2001). The reviews were previously published in the magazineCrawdaddy!. Williams does not provide an explanation for omitting reviews of other post-1990 albums such asGood as I Been to You andWorld Gone Wrong.
All three volumes ofPerforming Artist were widely acclaimed by critics.Rolling Stone magazine described the series as "Substantial, compelling...a voyage of rediscovery." American poetAllen Ginsberg commented, "Paul Williams historicizes Dylan's genius of American tongue."[2]
