You can now buy a $5,000 copy of Bob Dylan’s lyrics
By Stephen Pate – “Can I put these Dylan song books away now?” I asked my wife as I picked up Dylan: 100 Songs & Pictures
The books lay on the kitchen table for a week. I was trying to figure out if I could lift The Lyrics: Since 1962
Update – I gave it at the last minute and order the book from Amazon.ca. Actually I got my wife to order The Lyrics: Since 1962 for me at Amazon.ca.
Bob Dylan The Definitive Songbook is so heavy I got it split in two and bound with a spiral binding so it will lay flat on a music stand. As for Dylan: 100 Songs & Pictures
“No leave them there,” she said. “I’m not finished looking at the songs and then the pictures while considering where Dylan was in his personal life and his musical career, while then thinking about where I was at the same time and where I am today.”
“When I’m done I want you to write a story about me and Bob Dylan and get it listed in Expecting Rain.”
I understand sarcasm when she dishes it out. I left the room quietly and wrote this story.
Bob Dylan the Lyrics Since 1962
The 960 page 12″ by 12″ book The Lyrics: Since 1962 looks gorgeous with a gold ribbon and extra heavy cloth cover and binding, the real classy treatment for a book is important.
Bob Dylan: The Lyrics weighs about 13 lbs. While he book retails for $200, Amazon.com is selling it for $129 and the Kindle
Bob Dylan The Lyrics Since 1962
The Lyrics: Since 1962 was announced last year by Simon and Schuster at around 700 pages. Then the publisher got the Dylan scholar Christopher Ricks to write some important text and involved two art book publishers the sister team of Lisa Nemrow and Julie Nemrow.
At 960 pages we are talking about either an art book, coffee table book, or a major work of musical scholarship that Dylanologists must own, much like those fancy bibles that Catholics own with the plates of art work. There is a risk the book will be like that Catholic Bible, beautiful but never read.
I’m a lifetime Dylan follower and should own the book. However, I am getting older and my arms don’t like heavy books. We have a shelf dedicated to big heavy books that looked interesting on the bookstore display.
I have two other choices: 1) get the book as a Kindle
Hedging my bets I broached The Lyrics: Since 1962 as a Christmas gift this year.
“If you think I’m getting you the Dylan Bible with the gold ribbon forget it!” she said. “Just listen to the music and stop analyzing him.”
The Lyrics: Since 1962 will be published in a limited edition on October 28, 2014. You can pre-order it from Amazon.com
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Rob Geurtsen
Stephen I hope the sarcasm of your wife is bearable, if it is temporarely impossible for you there must be a few songs in the Dylan canon to enjoy and compensate. Now to your posting.
You write: ” announced last year by Simon and Schuster at around 700 pages. Then the publisher got the Dylan scholar Christopher Ricks to write some important text and involved two art book publishers the sister team of Lisa Nemrow and Julie Nemrow”
What facts from the foundation of this reported sequence of events. The creation of a wonderful book like this is probably a fascinating story of an exciting process of research, editing, creative book design, cooperation and commercial thinking — book publishing at its best. I hope you have a beginning of a story.
Oh and b.t.w. is the episode with your wife a literary invention or a reality re-shaped?
Stephen Pate
I never misquote my wife even though her sarcasm has gotten me in trouble when I repeat it. “You’re so witty.” I often tell her.
“No,” she invariably replies. “The Whitty’s live next door.”
I wish I had her wit and lack of concern for my publishing it.