Dylan Goes Electric!
Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties is a 2015 book by Elijah Wald and published by Dey Street Books.
The book describes the Electric Dylan controversy, a conflict between Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger during the Newport Folk Festival.[1]
John Harris of The Guardian wrote that the "contrast between Dylan and Seeger" is the "spine" of the book, and that it "both explains the huge array of subplots that fed into the Newport moment and undermines any idea that the story is clear-cut."[2] Timothy Farrington of The Wall Street Journal wrote that the book is about "the clash between cultural authenticity and commercial success."[3]
The book was part of the inspiration of the film A Complete Unknown.[4]
Reception
Janet Maslin described it as a "splendid, colorful work".[5]
Farrington wrote that the book is "excellent".[3]
Harris wrote that the book is "among the best music books I have ever read."[2]
David Kirby wrote that the book is "splendid".[6]
Mark Levine of Booklist gave it a starred review, and wrote that "the book makes a major contribution to modern musical history."[1]
Anita Sethi, of The Observer, wrote that the book does its narrative "colourfully".[7]
Kirkus Reviews wrote that the book is "An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism".[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b Levine, Mark (2015-06-01). "Dylan Goes Electric!". Booklist. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ a b Harris, John (2015-07-10). "Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald review – when Bob took a Stratocaster to the Newport folk festival". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ a b Farrington, Timothy (2015-07-24). "Taking an Ax to Tradition". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Willman, Chris (December 26, 2024). "'A Complete Unknown' Fact vs. Fiction: Bob Dylan Experts Go Deep on What's True or Fanciful in the Celebrated Biopic". Variety.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (2015-07-23). "Review: 'Dylan Goes Electric!' Considers Folk, Rock and a '60s Divide". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Kirby, David (2015-07-24). "What really happened the night Dylan plugged in his guitar?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
- ^ Sethi, Anita (2015-08-30). "Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald review – a meticulous exploration of a musical landmark". The Observer. Retrieved 2025-04-30 – via The Guardian.
- ^ "DYLAN GOES ELECTRIC!". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
External links
- Dylan Goes Electric! - Elijah Wald official website
- Dylan Goes Electric! - HarperCollins
