Book: The Philosophy of Modern Song - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan might be the last standing legend of songwriting/singer Folk/Rock godly status, a living lineage through which classic Folk up to Country 'Rock' can be traced. As such, you'd expect him to rail against modern listening via streaming over spinning vinyl, even though all his music is on Spotify. Yet despite all the valid protestations against the restless track-jumping such a service encourages, streaming enables us to enjoy and appreciate The Philosophy of Modern Song so much more than if we could only know the music through owning the records. This book works so well, in large part, because we can summon up each track at the click of a button.

It's not only a literary but also a visual treat, which surprised me since the review I read didn't mention the plethora of great images. It's Dylan's prose, though, that we're really here for and it doesn't disappoint. Now I must confess to be progressing song-by-song, gradually, savouring each chapter, so I can't review the whole book. It only arrived yesterday and I'm up to song number 5 (There Stands The Glass by Webb Pierce, a Country classic from 1953). Yes, I'm prolonging the pleasure, which includes ignoring the index of songs and instead letting each be a surprise.

You might not expect Perry Como to be included but here in Chapter 3 is his rendition of Without A Song (1951). I could vaguely remember the tune but it wasn't until I played it this morning that the greatness of Como's voice struck me right through and between the ears. I listened, then read Dylan's words. He describes Como as 'the anti-Rat Pack...the anti-American Idol...anti-flavor of the week, anti-hot list and anti-bling. He was a Cadillac before the tail fins; a Colt .45, not a Glock; steak and potatoes, not California cuisine.' At that, I laughed and marvelled. 'Without a song,' the lyrics state, 'the day would never end / Without a song, the road would never have been / When things go wrong, a man ain't got a friend / Without a song'. Now you can ponder the meaning of these lyrics; it's cornball romanticism couched in ultra-Easy surroundings or it's profound acknowledge of the power of music. Either way, I know that without a song (and other music), my life would be poorer. That's what The Philosophy of Modern Song reminds us all to cherish.