gibsona07 wrote:
Does anyone have any particular pieces of writing about Bob going electric that they'd recommend? I'm writing an essay to answer the question ''The Significance of Bob Dylan's 1965 Newport performance has been overstated' Do you agree with this assessment?
I do think it is overrated - not in terms of some of the art / music that followed, but rather when thinking about the alternative. What good would it have done anyone if Dylan had been a good boy and continued writing and strumming protest songs? It's not like he was a regular at marches or otherwise actively involved in trying to bring on any changes in society, other that, say, Joan Baez. It was mostly all finger-pointing and no action.
Also of course, you know all about Dylan playing electric in high school, recording with a band early in his career (Mixed Up Confusion), his fascination with The Beatles, and the criticism of his '64 acoustic set at Newport (no protest but all "inner directed" songs).
I don't recall what exactly Paul Williams (Performing Artist Vol.1) or CP Lee (Like The Night) say about Newport '65, but both should be worth checking out.