Course Details
The Lyrics and Music of Bob Dylan: Putting the Songs in Their Literary, Political, Social and Cultural Contexts
Fall 2008 - English 98/198 - Units: 2
Shortcuts: decal.org/726 decal.org/bobdylan
Bob Dylan’s impact on twentieth century music is incalculable. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll writes, “For over 40 years, Bob Dylan has remained the most influential American musician rock has ever produced and unquestionably the most important of the 1960s.” This course will examine the ways in which Dylan reinvented popular music, from his early “finger-pointing” days to the success of his most recent album Modern Times. By examining the responses to and the various interpretations of Dylan’s music, this class will study Dylan’s large body of literary work through its impact on both music and culture, as well as its influence in politics and social movements. We will follow four decades of songwriting, encompassing over 40 albums and more than 500 songs, while focusing on Dylan’s inscrutable personas, varying relationships with the press, and, most importantly, the contexts of his complex and obscure lyrics. This will be done primarily through reading interviews and commentaries, watching several documentaries, and listening to the music itself.
The class will also feature a guest speaker, Country Joe McDonald, whose accomplishments include a widely remembered performance at the famous 1969 Woodstock Festival and the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in 1971.
Enrollment Info:
Please show up to the first day of class to receive the course control number! Thanks!Faculty Sponsor: Lee Ann Norman and Natasha Phillips
| Section | Facilitators | Size | Location | Time | Starts | Status | CCNs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Ann Norman Natasha Phillips | — | 120 Latimer | W 6-8 | 9/03 | started | — |
| Name | Date | Size | Type | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syllabus: bobdylandecal.doc | Sep 5 | 36kb | Word Doc (Viewer) | View Download |
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Course info last modified July 15, 2008. This page has been viewed 2873 times.