Bob Dylan is releasing a new book ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’ this fall. The book will include over 60 essays about songs and songwriters, ranging from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello. His new book is his first new work since the critically praised memoir “Chronicles, Volume One”. On November 8, “The Philosophy of Modern Song” will be out. The 80-year-old singer-songwriter won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016.
The Philosophy of Modern Song delves into “trap of simple rhymes,”
The novel delves into what he refers to as the “trap of simple rhymes”. It shows how a single syllable can detract from a song. Then, it even explains how bluegrass and heavy metal are related. Dylan became the first artist to have an album chart in the Billboard Top 40 in each decade since the 1960s. Moreover, ‘Philosophy of Modern Song,’ like everything Dylan accomplishes, is a monumental aesthetic effort. It encompasses much of what he has learned about his craft over those years.
“He analyzes what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal,” according to an announcement issued Tuesday by Simon & Schuster. “And while they (the essays) are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are nearly 150 carefully curated photos as well as a series of dream-like riffs that taken together, resemble an epic poem.”