I am reticent to kvetch too much about such stuff, but this so irks me. In Greil Marcus recent piece in Rolling Stone on Dylans new Basement Tapes collection, he quotes from my 1992 interview with Bob - but doesnt source the quote. Dylan told me - as only he could - of the fine line between conscious and unconscious creation in the act of songwriting, and even how rhyming can trigger the process. Greil takes the quote way out of context, and attributes it only with: Dylan said in 1992. He did? Just out loud? Who was he talking to? If Dylan lovers out there want to read the full interview, which is the only one the man ever gave on the art of songwriting and nothing else, it is featured in my book Songwriters on Songwriting. Rolling Stone has used it several times, and even included it - the full interview - in their Bob Dylan - The Essential Interviews book they did a few years back. So this is shoddy, to me.The L.A. Times magazine did the same exact thing years ago, using ample quotes from my interview without sourcing the quote. Something that isnt fair. We writers of this stuff dont make a fortune, you know, and our work is forever used for free online. We arent asking for royalties for all this usage, though if that existed, I would be a very wealthy man. But at least give us credit. That is all we ask. Credit is so easy to give, it is free, and it means SO much to the writer. I have loved Greils writing over the years and read his book on Like A Rolling Stone and even gifted it - several times. So this makes me sad. he even brought up what Dylan said to me about Slow Train Coming - an odd choice, as this is about The Basement Tapes. And so out of context I dont think it makes any sense at all. Given that, Greil is a devoted and informed lover of all things Dylan, and his passion for the man and his music has always made me happy. And if you want to know Dylan - really know him - read, and then re-read many times, his beautiful book Chronicles. It is pure brilliance, a long and extended poem on what its like to be inside Bob Dylans head. Bob said to me, Thank god for songwriters. I say: Thank God for Bob Dylan.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:32:22 +0000
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