1966-1978-AFTER THE CRASH

Bob Dylan's 1966-1978: After the Crash is a wonderful and important follow-up to Isis Magazine's and Chrome Dreams' earlier DVD anthology, Tales from a Golden Age: Bob Dylan 1941-1966. As these things go, this two hour documentary and critical review is superb. The late Al Aronowitz, author of Bob Dylan and the Beatles -- a brilliant journalist who was friends with Dylan, gives his insight and personal recollections. There are lots of extraneous shots of water and the ocean to connect the interviews and the clips, most notably footage from ABC Television with Johnny Cash, clips from Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, the John Hammond TV special, The Concert for Bangladesh and more. The conspiracy theories from "garbologist" A.J. Weberman fascinate, along with the insight from musicians including Rob Stoner and Scarlet Rivera. Jacques Levy's final interview, like the appearance by Aronowitz, is a stark reminder that the high mortality rate in this life makes these "fanzine" type collections all the more valuable. And speaking of "fanzine" material, there's a bizarre tape of Dylan phoning Weberman, angry about the investigative "process" employed by the fanatic. As with another DVD compilation, Mickey Jones' 1966 World Tour: The Home Movies, Dylan's contributions -- and his vast following -- make these fun "video journals" viable as both entertainment and as an educational tool. Seemingly hokey on the surface, if viewed as an ultimate fan guide, a modern day East Village Other: Electric Newspaper, it works. Heck, if Clinton Heylin can edit together previous articles on the Velvet Underground in his All Yesterday's Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print 1966-1971, why shouldn't he participate on camera and discuss Robert Zimmerman? ~ Joe Viglione, AMG

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