Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

2. Bob DylanBlonde On Blonde

I was a Dylan-holic, I absolutely love Dylan. I could have picked any one of eight albums, but I particularly loved Blonde On Blonde. I also loved the movie Don’t Look Back, Pennebaker’s documentary about his UK tour. I kind of knew it by heart, particularly the scene with a press conference. Dylan was so in control with the media, and that had a massive impact on me in terms of wanting to be a writer. I loved his lyrics. There have been a lot of great singer/songwriters since, but lyrically just the sheer breadth of what Dylan covered was like nothing else. I mean, for some reason when I was in university and had a few too many glasses of wine I used to recite all the lines to ‘It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)’ which has like, a million verses.

I never worked with Dylan, but once I was visiting Keith in a hotel and someone knocked on the door. I answered it and Dylan was standing there with a woman who was wearing a leopard skin pillbox hat. And I could hardly speak, because all I kept thinking in my head was that song.

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