Today’s episode is a story. Songs that appear in the episode: “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (More Greatest Hits) “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (demo, Another Self Portrait)“When I Paint My Masterpiece” - The Band (Cahoots) “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (demo, Another Self Portrait) “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Live at Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, MA, 20 November, 1975) “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (Live at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea, 27 July, 2018) “When I Paint...

“Life is short even on its longest days”, Bob Dylan sang in Indianapolis, covering John Cougar Mellencamp. But a year is pretty long, so I invited Rebecca Slaman to do a recap with me. We talk about the releases, live shows, and our general highlights of 2023. Check out Rebecca’s PhilosopHER of Modern Song series on her Substack. Find the extended version of our conversation on Patreon! You can support Definitely Dylan on Patreon or with a one-off donation at...

In this episode, Laura talks to the one and only Chan Marshall (Cat Power) about her project of recreating Bob Dylan’s iconic 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert. In our conversation about art, love, and resilience, she shares stories about meeting Bob Dylan, how she first got into his music, and which song makes her feel empowered. Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert is out now on Domino Records. Head over to my Instagram to win a limited edition copy of the album on clear...

In this episode, Laura talks to Mark Davidson and Parker Fishel, the authors of Mixing Up the Medicine, the 600 page “inside-out biography” that tells the story of Bob Dylan’s career through pieces from the Bob Dylan Archive. Buy the book at your local bookshop (or check it out at your local library – it’s unfortunately pretty pricey). Music by Robert Chaney.

In this episode Laura talks to writer and friend of the pod Rebecca Slaman about Bob Dylan’s surprise appearance at this year’s Farm Aid, where we played a short set with the Heartbreakers. Here’s a fun fact I only figured out after the episode was finished: the song that preceded Dylan’s remarks about American farmers during Live Aid was in fact The Ballad of Hollis Brown! I erroneously said that Stan Lynch was on the drums, but it was actually Steve Ferrone.

In this episode, Laura welcomes back Harry Hew for a conversation about Sinéad O’Connor’s open letters to Bob Dylan.

In this episode, Laura and Rebecca talk about the ladies, babies, mamas, girls, and many many queens that inhabit Bob Dylan’s songs.

TW: murder, suicide, racial violence When Bob Dylan began his career, murder ballads were having a bit of a moment. In this episode, we’ll look into the influence these songs had on the young artist, and how they inspired a particular subset of his own early songs

No other Bob Dylan song has provoked such a diverse range of responses as "Make You Feel My Love". Initially dismissed by reviewers as a failure, it has since grown into a wildly successful pop hit. It's the song that's loved by the masses, but hated by Dylan purists. Perhaps what's at the heart of this fundamental disagreement is a different question altogether: is this a banal love song, or does it have a deeper, perhaps even darker meaning?

Laura and James A. Smith from The Popular Show have a late night conversation about the Bootleg Series and Time Out of Mind

Laura and Robert talk about Bob Dylan's new Bootleg Series, what it tells us about Time Out of Mind, and whether or not accordions can be sexy

Stories, myths, and narratives – as the Bob Dylan Center opened this May, another Bob Dylan exhibition was coming to a close. What stories are these two Dylan museums telling & what do they reveal about how Bob Dylan wants to be seen?

I talk to Rebecca Slaman about Dylan films, the future of Dylan fandom, and his underrated sense of humour!

Bob Dylan has made his grand return to the stage after two years off the road!

Laura considers Shadow Kingdom in the context of Bob Dylan’s career and what it tells us about the artist at 80 years old.

I want to take you on a journey towards the heart of one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs of all time: “Most Of The Time” from Dylan’s 1989 album Oh Mercy. Deceptively simple, this song about pain and denial is wonderfully subtle in its development of the singer’s feelings, while also playing with the listener’s expectations. In other words: it’s a masterclass in songwriting. So let’s find out why and how it works! I hope you enjoy this closer look at one particular Dylan song. Let me know if...

On the 19th of June, 2020, Bob Dylan released his 39th studio album, Rough And Rowdy Ways, his first collection of original songs in eight years. In the first chapter of this Definitely Dylan mini-series, Laura begins her exploration of the new album by going back to Dylan’s 2016 Nobel win. What’s the difference between songs and literature? Who’s the secret hero of Rough And Rowdy Ways? And what does Homer have to do with all this? Listen to find out!

This month, the Australian, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Emma Swift releases her album of Bob Dylan cover songs, Blonde On The Tracks. In our conversation, Emma tells me about the story behind the album, how she came up with the song selection, the advantages of singing Dylan as a woman, and the autobiographical dimension of cover songs.

On Friday 19 June, Bob Dylan releases Rough and Rowdy Ways, his first album of original songs in eight years. Here's all the info you need to know to bring you up to speed on the whats, the whys, and the whos.

On the 17 April, Bob Dylan released his second surprise song in one month, "I Contain Multitudes". Borrowing more than just the title from Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself", Bob Dylan paints a vivid modern portrait of a country divided.

In the midst of a terrifying pandemic, Bob Dylan has released his first original song in eight years. “Murder Most Foul” is a 17 minute long epic about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But as with much of Dylan’s work, a closer look reveals much more. For more info on this episode and to listen to all episodes of the radio show, visit DefinitelyDylan.com.

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