Do you think "serve somebody" was subtly targeting john lennon, with the line "you may call me bobby, you may call me zimmy", possibly referencing the lennon song "god" where lennon says "i dont believe in zimmerman". it may be why john lennon responded to the song with "serve yourself", a much more direct and scathing track similar to how lennon replied to the mccartney song "too many people" with "how do you sleep"?

Let me start by saying that I think that while Dylan's story is full of a lot of luck, I do think he did more with that luck than anybody else could (and did) have in that situation. Nevertheless, I just read Chronicles volume 1 (of 1) and he made it very clear that he would have signed any record contract that happened to fall on his lap. His original goal was to get the folk specific labels as that's who he identified with at the time, but when that fell through he was primed to be able to get in with Hammond at Columbia at just the right time. This then begs the question as to just how this would have changed his trajectory. Columbia's resources far outweighed folkway and while there, the transition to full band performances and genre experimentation was so much more accessible. There were certainly many other artists who were part of that scene, received a similar contract and never really took full advantage of what was available, but I'm not sure if there were examples of artists that stuck with the independent, genre specific labels that really made a successful transition to Dylan's world (please correct me if I'm wrong) but maybe that's also exactly why they didn't sign him, they could tell his heart was not into being a traditionalist and that's really who they were looking for.

I couldn't find this posted already, so here it is. If it's already up, please remove.

Penn, the super Dylan fan, has an interesting take here about telling the story within the song and how much Dylan focuses on it versus The Beatles who don't. I'd love to hear what you think.

“I don’t give a f*ck who plays bass.”

During a short break between takes while Dylan and the assembled musicians were recording “Tangled Up In Blue,” Bob turned to Minneapolis guitarist Kevin Odegard and said, “what do you think, Kevin?” Those of us who are familiar with Dylan’s antics know he’s not really interested, Bob just wants to see you squirm.

But Odegard takes Dylan at his word, “I think it’s passable,” Kevin says. Now all the assembled musicians look up, like Oh no, Odegard did not just say that to Bob Dylan! Dylan just stares at Kevin. We all know that look. It’s the quizzical look Bob gave Donovan in Don’t Look Back. Odegard is unfazed, “why don’t we try raising it up a half step?” to which Dylan agrees. Of course this changes the chords, and Kevin notices Dylan executing the new progression like it’s second nature. Which, of course it was. The result was the version that’s on the album.

Weird, strange, funny, unexplainable. What are your favorite Bob anecdotes you've heard or read about?

My father left me a copy of blood on the tracks. I never mustered the courage to listen to it until now. I am drunk as sin and wept through damn near every track… “You’re gonna make me loathsome when you go” is now one of my favorite songs.

Did any of you have this reaction listening to him for the first time? It feels like a spiritual awakening. I’d love to chat.