In honor of the 70th anniversary of the birth of Robert Allen Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan, there are a lot of birthday articles on the Internet today. Chimesfreedom has some more Dylan-related posts coming up soon in the pipeline, but for this day where there are already so many Dylan stories, we are providing links to some of the more interesting articles about the man on his 70th birthday:
– Slate has a story by John Dickerson about why it is so hard to figure out Dylan.
– Cleveland.com looks at some new DVD and Blu-ray releases from Dylan.
– Entertainment Weekly celebrates Bob’s birthday with an article about an interview tape revealing Dylan was addicted to heroin in the 1960s.
– Rolling Stone celebrates with several articles this month, including an article about several artists explaining their favorite Dylan song, a ranking of the 10 Best Dylan songs, a list of 20 Overlooked Classic Dylan songs, and a Dylan quiz.
– The Onion’s A.V. Club (Philadelphia) recalls “some of the weird shit he’s done.”
– From Dylan’s home state, Minnesota Public Radio recounts his roots. Also from his home state, a short letter to the Duluth News Tribune questions why a manhole cover is being dedicated to Dylan.
– Catch the Film has some video of Dylan’s first days in New York. Along the same lines, Morrison Hotel Gallery has an awesome photo of Dylan in a convenience store in 2000.
– Bob Dylan’s birthday is noted around the world. The Japan Times writes about why Dylan is one of a kind. The Irish Times also has an article on the birthday.
– A New York Times op-ed reflects on Dylan’s age and a number of other artists who were born around the same time.
– The Kankakee Daily Journal offers a retrospective on Dylan’s career.
– WNYC compares the birthday boy to Lady Gaga, apparently because they were trying to think of something new to say.
Finally, because we love him for the music, here is one of his great recent songs about getting old, “Not Dark Yet,” from the 1997 album Time Out of Mind
I was born here and I’ll die here against my will;
I know it looks like I’m movin’ but I’m standin’ still;
Every nerve in my body is so naked and numb,
I can’t even remember what it was I came here to get away from;
Don’t even hear the murmur of a prayer;
It’s not dark yet but it’s gettin’ there.
Here’s to many more birthdays avoiding the darkness. Thanks for the light you have given us, and happy birthday Bob.
(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)