The phases of Bob Dylan

1962: Baby faced Bob. The young folk prodigy, drinking in the stories and tales and fables of the old weird America Photograph: John Cohen/Getty

1963: Protest Bob. With Joan Baez at his side, and Hattie Carroll and Hollis Brown on his mind Photograph: Columbia Records/Getty

1965: Electric Bob. The wired speed-freak hipster genius (seen the clip of him and John Lennon in a New York taxi?) Photograph: Jerry Schatzberg/Corbis

1968: Country Bob. First Woodstock, then Nashville; a slower life, and even his sons’ little league games Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

Bob Dylan's "apocalyptic opening lines" to All Along the Watchtower tell the story of today's "uncertain" commercial property market, according to the chief executive of developer Brixton who has accused the industry of underestimating the impact of the credit crunch Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

1980: Vegas Bob. By the late 1970s, the first artist ever to perform cover versions of his own songs Photograph: Richard Young/Rex Features

1983: Infidel Bob. Post-Saved, with one of his best albums in ages (Infidels), Israel politics aside Photograph: Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis

1997: Icon Bob. With the Clintons, Lauren Bacall and Charlton Heston in 1997. Yet another “end of the 60s” moment Photograph: Jamal Wilson/AFP

2006: Neverending road Bob. A voice like a rheumatic frog and unrecognisable arrangements - he still packs ‘em in Photograph: Peter Emlholt/AFP