{"product_id":"the-philosophy-of-modern-song-9781797129518","title":"The Philosophy of Modern Song","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Philosophy of Modern Song\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is Bob Dylan's first book of new writing since 2004's \u003ci\u003eChronicles: Volume One\u003c\/i\u003e--and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. The audio is narrated by an all-star lineup including Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright, and Renée Zellweger!\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello, and in between ranging from Hank Williams to Nina Simone. 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. These essays are written in Dylan's unique prose. They are mysterious and mercurial, poignant and profound, and often laugh-out-loud funny. And while they are ostensibly about music, they are really meditations and reflections on the human condition. Running throughout the book are a series of dream-like riffs that, taken together, resemble an epic poem and add to the work's transcendence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 2020, with the release of his outstanding album \u003ci\u003eRough and Rowdy Ways\u003c\/i\u003e, Dylan became the first artist to have an album hit the Billboard Top 40 in each decade since the 1960s. \u003ci\u003eThe Philosophy of Modern Song\u003c\/i\u003e contains much of what he has learned about his craft in all those years, and like everything that Dylan does, it is a momentous artistic achievement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBob Dylan has released thirty-nine studio albums, which collectively have sold over 125 million copies around the world. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature and has been awarded the French Legion of Honor, a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor. His memoir, \u003ci\u003eChronicles: Volume One\u003c\/i\u003e, spent a year on the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller list. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eHelen Mirren\u003c\/b\u003e, born Helen Mironov of Russian-English parentage, is one of \u003cbr\u003ethe best-known and most-respected actresses in Britain and America. In a career \u003cbr\u003ethat spans stage, screen and television, she has become renowned for tackling \u003cbr\u003echallenging roles and has won many awards for her powerful and versatile \u003cbr\u003eperformances. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eShe began her career with the National Youth Theatre in 1965 in a performance \u003cbr\u003ethat resulted in her discovery. Two years later she was invited to join the \u003cbr\u003eRoyal Shakespeare Company and starred in a number of highly regarded \u003cbr\u003eproductions. In 1972 she joined renowned director Peter Brook's Theatre Company \u003cbr\u003eand toured the world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer film career began in the late 1960s with Michael Powell's \u003ci\u003eAge of \u003cbr\u003eConsent\u003c\/i\u003e, but her breakthrough role was in John Mackenzie's \u003ci\u003eThe Long Good \u003cbr\u003eFriday\u003c\/i\u003e. Her performance saw critics hailing a major new screen star. She \u003cbr\u003eearned her first Academy Award nomination for her performance in \u003ci\u003eThe Madness \u003cbr\u003eof King George\u003c\/i\u003e and her second for her role in \u003ci\u003eGosford Park\u003c\/i\u003e. She was \u003cbr\u003enominated for a Golden Globe for \u003ci\u003eCalendar Girls\u003c\/i\u003e. Her most recent and \u003cbr\u003ecelebrated role was as Elizabeth II in \u003ci\u003eThe Queen\u003c\/i\u003e, for which she won a \u003cbr\u003eGolden Globe, a BAFTA and an Academy Award as Best Actress. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the early 1990s, Helen starred in the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning television \u003cbr\u003eseries \u003ci\u003ePrime Suspect\u003c\/i\u003e, in which she starred as Detective Chief Inspector \u003cbr\u003eJane Tennison. The final \u003ci\u003ePrime Suspect\u003c\/i\u003e was released in 2006, bringing \u003cbr\u003ethis iconic role to its conclusion, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for \u003cbr\u003eBest Actress. Her television roles have won her a string of awards, most \u003cbr\u003erecently in 2006, for her performance as Elizabeth I, for which she won a Golden \u003cbr\u003eGlobe and an Emmy for Best Actress. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHelen Mirren is married to the American film director Taylor Hackford. She \u003cbr\u003ebecame a Dame of the British Empire in 2003.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Audio","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50697790193938,"sku":"9781797129518","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_aec607a8-652b-4a59-b57a-214be0b28215.jpg?v=1734309111","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-philosophy-of-modern-song-9781797129518","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}