Customer Reviews:
 Just get "Lyrics" January 31, 2002
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Though invaluable and unsurpassalbe as far as it goes, this edition of Bob Dylan's lyrics and assorted other poetry has been replaced by (the now equally out of print) Lyrics, 1962-1985. A book like this is invaluable to the Bob Dylan fan: it can resolve arguments, end bets, and settle a worried mind kept up at night worrying over whether a certain lyric went this way or that. However, this collection has been rendered obselete by the publication of Lyrics; the two books are identical, down to the layout, font and text styles, except for the differing front and back covers. That, and this book covers Dylan's lyrics through New Morning, while Lyrics covers them through Empire Burlesque. So, if you're looking for a Dylan lyrics Bible, get that book instead of this one. Of course, if you're an obsessive Dylan collector *looks around innocently*, you'll want to get both, anyway. Note: Being as even Lyrics is now well out of print, and itself misses 15 years of Dylan artistry (including such major albums as Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind, and Love and Theft), it is time for a new edition of this book. This would also give them the opportunity to include some of the songs that were left out, for whatever reason, from both this and Lyrics (along with such items as the Planet Waves linear notes.) There are various seeming typos and changes (sometimes inexplicable) from the lyrics here (apparently the original ones that were copyrighted), and the ones that were actually recorded. This would be a chance to rectify these as well. And now is the perfect time to release it: Love and Theft was a success, huge with the critics, Dylan's touring his butt off to great raves, thousands are turning to his music for healing in the wake of September 11th, he's nominated for three Grammy awards (including Album of The Year), and there is much talk about him still because of his 60th birthday, previous Album of The Year, Things Have Changed, Nobel Prize nomination, etc. If ever there was a perfect time to release the book, it is now. Come on, publishers! ;-)
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