Legendary songwriter and shadowy NFT-merchant Bob Dylan has announced The Philosophy of Modern Songs, his first book since releasing Chronicles: Volume One in 2004 and winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
The Philosophy of Modern Songs is a collection of 60 new essays written by Dylan that's described as "a master class on the art and craft of songwriting," focusing on songs by artists like Stephen Foster, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams and Nina Simone.
A press release for the book describes it like so:
Dylan, who began writing The Philosophy of Modern Song in 2010, offers a master class on the art and craft of songwriting. He writes over 60 essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal.
These essays are written in Dylan's unique prose. They are mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are nearly 150 carefully curated photos as well as a series of dream-like riffs that, taken together, resemble an epic poem and add to the work's transcendence.
Knowing Dylan's gift for both writing and making rabble-rousing statements, this book should be an interesting read! The Philosophy of Modern Song comes out November 8 on Simon & Schuster.
The Philosophy of Modern Songs is a collection of 60 new essays written by Dylan that's described as "a master class on the art and craft of songwriting," focusing on songs by artists like Stephen Foster, Elvis Costello, Hank Williams and Nina Simone.
A press release for the book describes it like so:
Dylan, who began writing The Philosophy of Modern Song in 2010, offers a master class on the art and craft of songwriting. He writes over 60 essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal.
These essays are written in Dylan's unique prose. They are mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are nearly 150 carefully curated photos as well as a series of dream-like riffs that, taken together, resemble an epic poem and add to the work's transcendence.
Knowing Dylan's gift for both writing and making rabble-rousing statements, this book should be an interesting read! The Philosophy of Modern Song comes out November 8 on Simon & Schuster.