Video of Bob Dylan's 1967 Time magazine interview

I've always loved the intensity of this scene from Don't Look Back where Bob Dylan tears into journalist Horace Judson who was interviewing the singer for Time magazine.
Link to YouTube

Previously on BB:
• Bob Dylan warns of Cylon invasion Link
• Dr Seuss/Bob Dylan mashup: Dylan Hears a Who Link
• Talk Like Bob Dylan day is May 24 Link
• Cate Blanchett stars as Bob Dylan in upcoming movie Link

[#1 posted by RingMod76 , September 18, 2007 6:07 AM]

I've always thought that this scene was Dylan at his worst - a petulant, self-important bully who tears down a reporter (admittedly, a stiff prude of a reporter) and behaves like a complete jerk just because he can. It strikes me as the low point of the movie, in terms of how it makes me feel about sounds-all-over-em Bob. But that's just me. :-)

[#2 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden/Moderator , September 18, 2007 9:04 AM]

I wouldn't call him a bully. It's more like he's stressed out, and has been through one stupid interview after another, so that he's anticipating questions the reporter hasn't asked yet. During that period he had to field some amazingly clueless questions.

[#3 posted by RingMod76 , September 18, 2007 9:51 AM]

"It's more like he's stressed out, and has been through one stupid interview after another..."

That's a good point, actually. And I guess it's worth remembering that the subtext of the movie is that he's already (at the point which the film is documenting) made his decision to "go electric" and make an artistic progression/transformation. Thus, the hastily-organized English tour probably forced him to play a part which he wasn't very interested in anymore...

That said, I still think he's being a jerk. From my (minute) experience as a musician, I can say with certainty that when you play music in public, idiots who know nothing about your music or music in general will want to engage you in stupid conversations. You just have to deal with it; I think his choice of response (tearing down a semi-clueless reporter) was immature.

[#4 posted by Anonymous , September 18, 2007 12:29 PM]

It's a small point, really, but this interview is technically from 1965. The interview was conducted and filmed during his British tour late in the spring of that year. It was released as a part of the movie "Don't Look Back" in 1967.

[#5 posted by slawkenbergius , September 18, 2007 1:10 PM]

I respect the interviewer for asking: "Do you care about what you're saying?"