Nothing Is Revealed

Bob Dylan currently has 40 studio albums. Jens's favorite album is Blonde On Blonde. Adam's favorite is Blood On The Tracks. While these aren't shocking albums to find at the top of a list, there are deeply personal reasons that a person resonates with a particular album. So, why are Blonde On Blonde and Blood On The Tracks at the top of our lists? Tune in to find out.

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Bluesky: nir-podcast

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

Bob Dylan once said, "Well, I've been in jail, where all the mail showed that a man can't give his address out to bad company." Well, in this case, the (digital) mail showed that we can give our Instagram out to all sorts of company. This week we are answering some Bob Dylan questions submitted by listeners on Instagram. Some are funny. Some are serious. Some are just weird.

Everyone has an opinion on every aspect of Dylan. No answer is fit, but here are our takes...

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

An "Under The Red Sky" Retrospective.

Slick production, nursery rhymes, and a whole lot of wiggling make for a strange Bob Dylan album. As such, Under The Red Sky is often the butt of internet jokes. Is the album as bad as many say it is? How can such a star-studded cast make such a lackluster album? Why is “Wiggle Wiggle” credited to Bob Dylan & The Band on Apple Music?

These questions, and more, are explored on this month's album retrospective. Come for the "Wiggle Wiggle" discussion. Stay for Jens's apparent hot takes.

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

Bob Dylan is a significant figure, not only in the history of music, but in popular culture more broadly. He is even the subject of rigorous study in higher education. 

Meet Jon: a psychology professor turned Dylan professor who is currently teaching a class on Bob Dylan at Texas State University. With him we discuss why Dylan is worth studying in an academic context alongside the likes of other significant figures from world history.

Jon Lasser: @teachingbobdylan

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

Is ‘he had a face like a mask’, from Man In The Long Black Coat, Bob Dylan’s most autobiographical lyric?

Bob Dylan is the chameleon poet. He is constantly evolving his voice, appearance, and writing style. Who is the real Bob Dylan?

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

This week the guys discuss Dylan's use of the bible, religious imagery, and spirituality in his work prior to his conversion to Christianity in the late 1970's. 

-Why does Dylan make use of the Bible and religious imagery so frequently in the 1960's?

Book recommendations:

"All The Songs: The Story Behind Every Track" by Margotin and Guesdon

"Dylan's Visions of Sin" by Christopher Ricks

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

A "Down In The Groove" Retrospective

The music critic Michael Gallucci once stated: “Dylan has made some perplexing and even lazy records over the years; none, though, sounds as pointless as Down in the Groove." 

Is this true? Does the album really deserve the hate that is often receives? Is it objectively bad? 

These questions, and more, are explored as we reevaluate the "tragically misunderstood" album.

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork

This is part two of our conversation about Dylan's track placement. This week we are discussing album-closing tracks. If you missed our conversation about album-opening tracks, be sure to check out last week's episode.

-What can we learn from the songs Bob chooses to close his albums with?

-What categories do these songs fall into?

-What themes have become apparent as his career has progressed?

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

This is part one of our conversation about Dylan's track placement. This week we are discussing album-opening tracks. Next week we will discuss album-closing tracks.

-What can we learn from the songs Bob chooses to open his albums with?

-What categories do these songs fall into?

-What themes have become apparent as his career has progressed?

Where to find us:

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.

What is Bob’s approach to recording?

These questions, and more, are explored on this week's episode of Nothing is Revealed: A Bob Dylan Podcast.

[In honor of Bob, we left in a few mistakes and threw in an overdub for good measure.]

Books Mentioned:

"That Thin, Wild Mercury Sound" by Daryl Sanders

"Simple Twist of Fate" by Andy Gill & Kevin Odegard

The Podcast: @nothingisrevealed

Adam: @never.ending.dylan

Jens: @dylan_ologist

Email us: [email protected]

Thank you, Andrea (@andreahm.1), for our podcast artwork.