Like a Rolling Stone：Bob Dylan at the Crossroads

GreilMarcus'spopularappreciationofhis,andBobDylan's,favoritesong--abookthatRollingStonecalled"essentialinsightintothelivinghistoryofrock&roll."GreilMarcushaswrittenthedefinitivebiographyofthegreatestpopsingleevermade.RecordedinColumbia'sStudioAinNewYorkon16June1965,"LikeARollingStone"wasinstantlyofitstime-andsostrongithasescapedtimealtogether.Themusiciansgatheredinthestudionevermanagedasecondsuccessfulrecording:theycaughtitonceandonlyonce.Thenitwasgone,arguablynevertobebetteredinBobDylan'scountlessliveperformancesofthesong.Dylan'scareerasafolksinger--andthecareerimposeduponhim,hisunwantedroleas"voiceofageneration"--hadhitawall.Marcusrecreatesthebrilliantlycompetitivepopworldof1965,andtheenergy,theanger,thethrillandthehorrorthatBobDylanturnedintoarevolutionarysix-minutesingle.Fortyyearslateritremainsthesignalaccomplishmentofmodernmusic.ItdrewtoitselfdisparatetraditionsofAmericanmusicandspeech;itredrewthemapofthecountryitself;itleftbehindaworldthatwasnotthesame.Thewholeadventureishere.