Uneven, but worth reading for Dylan fans
Readers who aren't diehard Bob Dylan fans may not enjoy this book as much as we true believers. At times, the book bogs down in too much scholarship about the obscure histories of songs alluded to in Dylan's body of work but, for the most part, Wilentz' analyses of the work of Aaron Copland and Blind Willie McTell, among other artists, is entertaining and well researched. Some of the Dylan works studied are true masterpieces--"Blonde on Blonde," for example--but many, many other works are glossed over in favor of others that aren't as powerful. Dylan's Christian albums, some of which are excellent, are among those skipped over. I can't imagine that anyone who's not a Dylan fanatic would enjoy this, but fans will find some gems.
