The idea for “Bonus Tracks” grew from my desire to talk to as many people in the Dylanverse as possible because I am always inspired by the folks in the numerous Dylan Zoom chats I regularly participate in. However, at this point in this show’s development, it is, unfortunately, cost-prohibitive to travel to all the people I’d like to talk with for our regular three-camera shoots. To keep the conversation going, it seemed like a good idea to put out some good old fashioned audio chats. Of course, I would love to and look forward to being able to talk with everyone in person and on camera, but, for now, this format will allow for a broader reach to highlight the ideas of folks who are doing great work but are just out of reach.
I know Phil Hale from his Facebook page “Dylan Deep Dive Discussion 2022” and from various discussion groups and forums. I am always struck by his with and his incredible insight into Dylan’s work. His interview with Jim Salvucci on The Dylantantes highlighted both. He seemed like a good choice for “Bonus Tracks.” When I approached Phil, he was gracious and wanted to discuss the tension between Dylan’s seeming disgust of fame and his desire to share his creative mind with others. What transpired is the conversation you’ll hear in this first “Bonus Track.”
Every conversation has its own rhythm with segues, tangents, and loose threads that are hopefully brought together in the end. Though Phil and I covered a lot of ground, we did not discuss his point that he thinks that two verses of “Mother of Muses” have always struck him as indicative of this desire of Dylan's to both honor and even now not lose touch with his "immortality project." To ensure those ideas were given proper attention, I asked Phil to share them in writing.
Here's what he wrote:
“From his earliest days of name changes and mimicry Bob Dylan has been seeking to establish an identity while seeking distance from anyone's interrogations of it. The constant in all the many masks he has worn has been a life spent in the pursuit of creativity. This creative light has always illuminated his way forward. As an artist steeped in the idea of purpose on this earth it is a connection to what Otto Rank defined as an "immortality project" that has, arguably, sustained an output that is exhaustingly broad and deep.
As recently as Rough and Rowdy Ways Dylan has placed his fate and destiny in the hands of another while ferociously working to stay in contact with whatever message whatever force is sending his way.
As he writes in “Mother of Muses”:
I'm falling in love with Calliope
She don't belong to anyone, why not give her to me?
She's speaking to me, speaking with her eyes
I've grown so tired of chasing lies
Mother of Muses, wherever you are
I've already outlived my life by far
Mother of Muses, unleash your wrath
Things I can't see, they're blocking my path
Show me your wisdom, tell me my fate
Put me upright, make me walk straight
Forge my identity from the inside out
You know what I'm talking about
From the Mother of Muses to Jesus Christ, the prophets of the Old Testament, the wisdom of Woody Guthrie among many other influences Dylan the man has channeled it all into Dylan the artist and a body of work that will long outlive him.”
I hope you enjoy the first of many “Bonus Tracks” to come. As always, thanks for listening.
Bio:
Phil Hale lives in Brooklyn, first saw Dylan in 1981, and has maintained a long-term interest since first hearing “Baby Stop Crying” in 1978. He has written sporadically about Dylan and probably thought about his work way too much. He is planning on retiring soon to write a book about Dylan because a lifetime of observation has led to the realization that that is what the world needs.
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