As I intimated on the other thread on this topic talking about Rick Fielding's opinion of Dylan's playing, one of things that always surprises me is that no one ever analyses the technicalities of how people play, as if people would be frightened away by it or something, when it is really the heart of the whole thing. The same is true in this documentary, except for a few remarks on the later recording sessions and the weary story of stealing the House of the Rising Sun. Everything is about the words and the "going electric". No one talks about what Dylan learned to play and who from, just that he stole. But what? And how? I would have given a lot for someone to have spent two minutes demonstrating the styles of people Dylan took stuff from.   

From the visuals in the documentary you would get the notion that all he ever did was rudimentary strumming with a flatpick; and no one talks about the sources of his harmonica playing.   Everyone is talking about the music, but no one is TALKING ABOUT THE MUSIC!!


yours,

Peter T.