The newly released Bob Dylan DVD is "totally unauthorized" and only for hard-core fans.
"Rolling Thunder and The Gospel Years" came out Tuesday and chronicles the folk/pop/country/rock 'n' roll legendary lyricist's career between 1975 and '81. Mainly it focuses on the wildly celebrated Rolling Thunder Revue tour in the mid-'70s and Dylan's Christian phase in the late '70s to early '80s.
Fanatic zealots will be glued to the television, but novice admirers won't be taken in.
There aren't any Dylan songs performed by him on the DVD. But the documentary isn't without music. Director and producer Joel Gilbert provides some background grooves with his Dylan cover band, Highway 61 Revisited.
The most exciting aspect is the interviews with musicians, journalists and other public figures close to Dylan during this time period.
Scarlet Rivera — the violin player from "Desire" and the Rolling Thunder Revue tour — recounts the story of first meeting Dylan. She was walking with her violin on 13th Street to a rehearsal in a New York City basement apartment. Dylan cut her off with his car and asked if she could play that thing.
From there, Dylan invited her to make music at his East Side loft and then to see the bluesman Muddy Waters at The Bottom Line nightclub.
Some of the other interview highlights include one with boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the inspiration behind Dylan's song "Hurricane."
The legendary producer Jerry Wexler talks about working with Dylan on the "Slow Train Coming" album. It's interesting because Wexler refers to himself as a self-proclaimed atheist Jew, and the lyrical content of the album is about becoming a born-again Christian.
Dylan's Bible teacher talks about the songwriter wearing dark sunglasses while reciting Bible verses.
Yeah, the DVD spreads some dirt on Dylan, and the graphics between the interviews are really corny. But overall, it's an interesting look at a transitional period in the songwriter's career with intriguing insight by the folks who were there and somewhat close to Dylan.
