It was the electric guitar that launched thousands of boos and cheers, and proved instrumental in sparking musical change. This atmospheric book meticulously evokes “the night that split the 60s”, when 24-year-old Bob Dylan was backed by an electric band at the 1965 Newport folk festival, signifying the rise of rock. Wald entertainingly explores many myths, from folk musician Pete Seeger – a member of the festival’s organising board – threatening to cut the power cables with an axe, to whether Dylan was really crying on stage.
“I try my best/ To be just like I am/ But everybody wants you/ To be just like them”, sang Dylan on Maggie’s Farm to divergent audience reactions. The book colourfully traces the trials and tribulations of his evolution, giving us an insight into the political and cultural forces that influenced his music, and the courage it takes to develop a voice of one’s own.
Dylan Goes Electric! is published by HC360, £16.99. Click here to order a copy for £12.99
