I’d recommend that this book is read in tandem with Heylin’s follow up ‘Trouble in Mind’ which covers Dylan’s gospel years. Both books link with significant Columbia releases from the archives. With Judas the soundtrack is the 1966 concert tour – all known recordings of which are now available on official release. Each book charts Dylan’s progress in challenging his audience with songs and attitudes that some of them at least didn’t want to hear. With Judas it was Dylan’s adoption of electricity coupled with ear splitting volume that made disgruntled folkies walk out – albeit in probably smaller numbers than you’d think. I left the book reflecting that it may have been the sheer volume of Dylan’s delivery which was what people were reacting against because people simply couldn’t hear the words rather than any sense of his so called betrayal of folk sensibilities. What I found most interesting was that in the first period that Heylin covers Dylan was castigated as Judas – the betrayer of Christ – and in the second it’s Dylan’s conversion to Christianity that folk had a problem with. Ahh Bob – our minds are your playthings. Both books have contemporaneous reporting from eye witnesses and press reviews. If you like Dylan you’ll love this book and ‘Trouble in Mind’.
