Hospital Radio: Bob Dylan's legacy reimagined

I see that there is a new movie out about Bob Dylan. It is set in New York in 1961. Timothée Chalamet (yes, that’s the chap from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) stars and sings as Bob Dylan in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, which depicts the story behind the rise of one of the most influential singer-songwriters in music history. Dylan often features on playlists here at Torbay Hospital Radio, either as the singer or the songwriter.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982 and was the winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, so I think it is fair to say his prowess has been recognised at the highest level. Something like six hundred musicians have released versions of songs written by Dylan, creating more than 1,500 covers of a catalogue of about 350 original compositions. I think that makes him prolific in songwriting terms. There are undoubtedly some standout tracks.

Dylan was born in 1941, and he has been a popular figure in mainstream music and culture since the 1960s. As I mentioned, many major recording artists have covered Dylan's material, some even increasing a song's popularity. Such as the Byrds' version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Jimi Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watchtower". He has been hailed as the Shakespeare of his generation and has sold tens of millions of albums in his right, performed all over the world, and set a high bar when it comes to lyric writing.

A young Robert Zimmerman, arrived in the Big Apple late January 1961, and he began to carve a name out for himself. His first album, simply titled Bob Dylan, was released in March 1962 to mixed reviews. His singing voice confounded many critics. It was a sound that took some getting used to, and if I am honest, I am not a huge fan of his voice.

His second album, Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (released in May 1963), included his first major composition, “Blowin’ in the Wind, and after that his songwriting took off. Especially when folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary reached number two on the Billboard pop singles chart with their version of the song. Other big songs followed, including The Times They Are A-Changin’ and when The Byrds covered “Mr. Tambourine Man”, adding electric guitar and three-part harmony, they took it to number one and the floodgates opened. Not long after, other rock artists were rifling through the Dylan songbook and adding them to the set list.

In 2020, Bob Dylan sold his entire catalogue of songs in a “landmark agreement” with Universal Music Publishing Group. Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but the New York Times estimated the purchase at more than $300 million. Not bad for a chap from Duluth, Minnesota. The latest of his forty studio albums, Shadow Kingdom was released in 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. It featured fourteen new tracks and had T-Bone Burnett (the chap who wrote for Ringo Starr’s latest album) helping out on guitar.

The standout track on the album is "Watching the River Flow" which was produced by Leon Russell and took the artist into a more country rock direction. Just to show that he is still trying to innovate. It’s a way off yet but we will be featuring a collection of Dylan covers on Tuesday Night Tunes 7-9pm on the 11th March. You can listen to all our shows by asking your smart speaker to play Torbay Hospital Radio.

As for the film, I’m yet to see it, but I am sure if you are a big fan, it will be a must-see, and it is currently showing in Torquay and Paignton. The soundtrack is available to stream or download. It consists primarily of songs performed by Timothée Chalamet, whilst other members of the perform additional songs as Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Johnny Cash, respectively.