A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME. (No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (DVD))

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (DVD)
Date:	09/03/06 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Makes you aware of the evolution of Bob Dylans early career and inflluences.

Disadvantages: Shame in a way that it only covers the formative years.

When I bought this DVD from Amazon at the modest price of 14.99, I thought that it would simply be a compilation of historical songs of Dylan.

However, having watched it, I found that what it presented was a journey of discovery that goes back to the late 50's, and shows the music that was part and parcel of this great artists' background, and the influences that made the artist what he is today.

Interestingly enough, the DVD was comparable to a series that I have been watching on the BBC about the roots of folk music in the UK, and was an interesting contrast, in that it covered the same timescale though from an American perspective.

Dylan comes over in the DVD as articulate and reasonably well educated although it appears that most of his education was from his experiences in the sixties, mingling with artists and poets alike in a kind of rebellion against society, and against what was happening in the world outside of that small group of artists and poets, fighting for individuality, whilst retaining something of the original enigma of what was Folk Music, and deep rooted rhythme and lyricism probably at the best and most formative time in the history of America.

Dylan recounts his experiences with Woodie Guthrie, and his original style was in the same gendre, and was recognised as such by all who saw him perform. In England, however, the reception that he got was mixed. The public liked his original works, although when he strayed from what the British public saw as his "norm", they were slow to catch onto the fact that the new music that Bob Dylan was creating was in fact the birth of the evolution of his own individuality and the finding of a style that was "Bob Dylan". Here, I find that the interviews and commentary are articulate and interesting and keep the viewer entertained as well as educating them from the American viewpoint.

Born in a small backwater town in Minnesota, his journey into the cafe society of Greenwich Village saw the turning point in his career, and the formation of an artist that established his way of presenting words and music in a powerful and individual way that opened up the doors to his successful career.

The footage on the two DVD's was interesting because director Martin Scorsese has taken the story from the very roots of the childhood of Dylan through the years that developed the style we now know now, and the clips that are shown of the music that influenced Dylan as a musician are extraordinary, and show music that many of the british public will never have seen before, being music that was rooted in the States.

Interestingly enough footage is taken from live television performances and interviews, and live concerts from Liverpool, London and the Newport Folk Festival. I was a little disappointed that the Isle of Wight was not featured, but this journey was more about the development of the artist, rather than a whole load of clips from concerts.

The DVD is produced by Apple in association with other companies and I believe that the complexity was dealt with neatly, making the viewer understand a little better how the style of Dylan developed. It's exempt from classification because its content does not conflict with any age group watching it, although here, I would think that the best age group or the more suitable audience would be those who were brought up with Dylan, or those going on a new discovery into the past in order to enhance their musical awareness.

For those who prefer listening to viewing, there is actually a CD released now of the Bootlegs, although to me, listening would not have given me half of the enjoyment that the DVD did, opening my eyes to a musical history that I was unaware of, during the years 1959-1966.

Being on two separate DVD's this is an ideal purchase for anyone who is interested in musical history, and in particular, from an American point of view.

The extras that come with the DVD are limited to an unused promotional spot "Positively 4th street", and "I can't leave her behind" which was a work in progress filmed in Glasgow in 1966 and although these are an addition, I thought that in comparison with the documentary itself were limited both in their presentation and substance.

Technical details for those who require them :

Release Information:
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)
DVD Release Date: October 3, 2005
Run Time: 240 minutes


Edition Details:
• Region 2 encoding (Europe, Japan, South Africa and the Middle East including Egypt).
• Box set, PAL
• Number of discs: 2
• ASIN: B000AAF9UQ
• Catalogue Number: PHE8823

(from Amazon.co.uk)


It will be interesting to see if there is a follow up to this DVD, as I would like to see more recent history as well as that shown on this DVD and think it would make the collection complete.

As for whether I would recommend it. Well I certainly would. It is a suberb insight into the history of a man who has become a lengend in his own time.

Full Frame Aspect viewing in colour pleases me, and with a runtime of 240 minutes can be split into two viewings.

Enjoy it. I did.

Rachel

Summary: A look into musical history in the making.