Hard Rain & Slow Trains: Bob Dylan & Fellow Travelers

25 years ago Bob Dylan released an album whose artistic and commercial success proved an important contributor to his continued reinvigoration and late career success, a success that has continued to this day. This episode celebrates that album with a consideration of its making, its distinctiveness, and, of course, through its music. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we update you on Dylan’s...

Visit the pivotal developments of Bob Dylan's professional life in August and September of 1962 as we travel "A Highway of Diamonds" back 60 years ago. Dylan takes a trip back to Minnesota and, missing his girlfriend who was in Italy, calls up Dave Van Ronk in New York and tells John Cohen that he may never  return there without her. He legally changes his name to Bob Dylan, signs w...

This episode continues a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST, featuring the sixth track on the album, "Scarlet Town." In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan, which includes a countdown (from 10) until  Dylan's first tour of Europe in 3 years begins in 10 days. In "Who Did It Better?" we ask you...

This episode continues a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST, featuring the fifth track on the album, "Pay in Blood." Given that this episode airs on September 8, 2022 and TEMPEST was released on September 10, 2012, this episode also includes some general remarks about the album on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its release. In "20 Pounds...

This episode continues a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST, featuring the fourth track on the album, "Long and Wasted Years." In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan, which includes new shows added to Dylan's 2022 autumn tour of Europe; the appearance of the table of contents of Dylan's new book, TH...

Join Dr. Sara Martinez for a summary of her scholarly work on Dylan, which includes her dissertation on how Dylan's work from 1962-1970 upends traditional masculine roles of breadwinner and soldier and also her current work on the Rolling Thunder Revue. We also play some music from some of her favorite performers. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob D...

This episode continues a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST, featuring the third track on the album, "Narrow Way." A seven-and-half minute, fifteen-bar blues that gives voice to the struggle of keeping one's faith in a hostile world, "Narrow Way" is explored through a close examination of its lyrical allusions and the meaning of the song....

Tour the pivotal developments of Bob Dylan's professional life in July of 1962 as we travel "A Highway of Diamonds" back 60 years ago to the month and visit Dylan as he performs in Montreal, records "Blowin' in the Wind" and other songs for THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN, makes new friends, writes his beloved who is across the sea in Italy, and signs with a new music...

In late May, Bob Dylan resumed touring with a leg that went up and down the American West Coast, the Pacific Northwest, and into the Rocky Mountains. He performed 25 concerts in 19 cities, his last one wrapping up a week-and-a-half ago in Denver. Join HARD RAIN & SLOW TRAINS: BOB DYLAN & FELLOW TRAVELERS for a postgame review of the late spring/early summer 2022 leg of the "ROUGH AND...

This episode continues our intermittent series featuring a single Dylan song and today's episode explores one of Dylan’s great narrative songs: "Simple Twist of Fate." You'll hear studio and live performances of “Simple Twist of Fate” by both Dylan -- some with interesting lyric variations -- and fellow travelers and a special medley of 30 different cover versions of the song....

50 years ago Bob Dylan helped out his friends both on the stage and in the studio, moved his family to Durango to film PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID with director Sam Peckinpah, and otherwise enjoyed one of the few quiet years of his career. Travel back 50 years ago to hear the music that Dylan was making and, in "20 Pounds of Headlines," to hear the news from the world of Bob Dylan as...

This episode continues a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST, featuring the second track on the album, "Soon After Midnight," through songs that influenced its composition, live versions, cover versions, and also through a consideration of the song's meaning and allusions. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob...

Join us for a tour of Bob Dylan's professional life in May and June of 1962 as we travel "A Highway of Diamonds" back 60 years ago to the month and visit Dylan as he records a Broadside show on topical songwriting on WBAI in New York along with Cynthia Gooding, Pete Seeger, Izzy Young, Gil Turner, and Sis Cunningham and as he bids adieu to his love from a New York ship dock. A 60th...

On May 10, 2022, the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma opened its doors. This episode delivers a comprehensive overview and review of the Center and the events surrounding its opening. The weekly news segment "20 Pounds of Headlines" covers the May 5 Grand Opening Reception and Dinner at the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture, delivers the sad news of the passing of a fellow traveler,...

This episode continues our monthly series featuring a single Dylan song and marks the 60th anniversary of the composition of "Blowin' in the Wind" in April of 1962. You'll hear studio and live performances of "Blowin' in the Wind" by Dylan and fellow travelers and a special medley of 28 different versions of the song. The weekly news segment "20 Pounds of He...

Join us for a tour of Bob Dylan's professional life in April of 1962 as we travel "A Highway of Diamonds" back 60 years ago to the month and visit Dylan as he writes "Blowin' in the Wind," begins the recording sessions for his second album, and performs at Gerde's and other locations both alone and with fellow travelers. A 60th anniversary is a diamond anniversar...

This episode continues a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST. Broadcasting on April 14th, the 110th anniversary of the Titanic's fateful convergence with the iceberg, how could we not dedicate this episode to the song that gave the album its name, "Tempest"? In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan, which i...

This episode continues the expedition we began last week, following the musical map Dylan has drawn for us as the spring tour winds to a close. The weekly news segment "20 Pounds of Headlines" keeps you updated on the itinerary for the final week of Dylan's spring tour, updates you on the appeal result for Claudia Levy's suit against Dylan, and updates you on ticket availabilit...

Dylan has told us that he is a musical expeditionary. In the midst of his band introductions throughout the fall and spring tours he mentioned performers local to the city he is playing. Join us for this two-part series where we draw a musical map of the musical expedition Dylan has led us on even as the spring tour winds to a close. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the...

This episode continues our monthly series featuring a single Dylan song and today's episode occurs the day after the 33rd anniversary of the recording of "Series of Dreams" in New Orleans, where Dylan just performed last Saturday. You'll hear studio and live performances of "Series of Dreams" by Dylan and fellow travelers. The weekly news segment "20 Pounds of He...

The recording session with Victoria Spivey & Big Joe Williams, playing some tunes at a NYC apartment gathering, finishing "Let Me Die in My Footsteps, writing "Talking Folklore Center," and, of course, the debut of his first album: join us for a tour of Bob Dylan's professional life in March of 1962 as we travel "A Highway of Diamonds" back 60 years ago to the mon...

This episode covers highlights of the first week of Bob Dylan's Spring 2022 tour, focusing on performances from Tucson and Albuquerque. In addition to performances from Tucson and Albuquerque, you will hear music from Buddy Holly, who was born in Lubbock, Texas where Dylan played this past Tuesday, March 8th. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we round up news from the world of Bob Dylan,...

Tonight, March 3rd, Bob Dylan returns to the stage for the first day of Dylan's 28-date concert tour through the Southwest and South of the United States. This "pregame" episode features music from the individual members of Dylan's touring band as well as highlights from Dylan's Fall 2021 tour. In "20 Pounds of Headlines," we cover the first week-and-a-half of Dy...

This episode launches a monthly, ten-part series celebrating the tenth anniversary of TEMPEST by taking a deep dive into each of the album's songs. This first episode features the first track on the album: "Duquesne Whistle" by playing cover versions, songs that influenced Dylan & Robert Hunter when they wrote the song, and also by considering the song's meaning. In "2...

This episode continues our monthly series featuring a single Dylan song and today's episode occurs on the 56th anniversary of the recording of "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" in Nashville: February 17, 1966. You'll hear how Dylan's performance of it changes over the decades and also how the song changes in the hands and voices of fellow travelers. &qu...