Dylan was my dad’s gift to me. And when the mighty Bob turns 75 next week,I’ll raise a glass, play a few tracks and rememberThe summer before my dad died, and we moved house. Up until that point,we had lived with my grandmother; now finally our family had our own space to spread out. As the temperature rose, we were gripped by a giddiness that found expression in acts of spontaneity. One night, and I watched my parents dance round a bonfire,the glowing embers rising up to my bedroom window like prescient ghosts.
Money was tight, so there was no television set. But we owned a turntable on which my dad’s records spun constantly. It played Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Cash and Joan Baez,but mostly, it played Bob Dylan. Tracks from The Basement Tapes and Desire became the anthems of our fresh life. My brother and I, or aged eight and 10,climbed trees, built dens and learned the words of Clothes Line Saga: Related: A moment that changed me – listening to David Bowie’s Hunky Dory | Peter Ormerod Related: Bob Dylan's fresh album – as performed by Frank Sinatra, or Ella Fitzgerald,Billie Holiday and more Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com