The Whole Wide World is watching

The best of the web
(with thanks to Expecting Rain)

by Martin Stein
 

1.  Girl on Film – A film starring Jude Law's new love as a drug-crazed party girl is in doubt as Bob Dylan threatened to sue its producers.  Sienna Miller, 22, was to play a tragic heiress caught in a power play between two men, one an evil pornographer, the other the idealistic prince of folk music.  The film, Factory Girl, is purportedly the 'true story' of a love triangle that allegedly developed between Edie Sedgwick, Dylan and artist Andy Warhol in 1965.  Dylan is portrayed as intent on rescuing Edie from the decadence of Warhol's New York studio, the Factory, after she had been encouraged to strip naked and commit a sacrilegious sex act by a member of the late artist's entourage. Good Grief!!
 

2.  I Was In Your Presence For An Hour Or So - Breaking a 19-year tradition of ignoring TV journalists, Bob Dylan, will avail himself of the crew and staff of CBS's 60 Minutes to get his message out. The nework's news release calls the sit-down with Ed Bradley an "intense interview," during which Dylan - most recently shown on the boob tube cavorting with Victoria's Secret models - will discuss the burdens of fame (heavy), his relationship with the press (difficult), and his father (enigmatic topic). The interview will be broadcast on 5^th December on CBS at 7 p.m. or so.
 

3.  Smile - A photographic exhibition Keep Your Eyes Wide - Bob Dylan on camera 1961 to 1975, featured work by Daniel Kramer, Fred W McDarrah, Amalie R Rothschild, Art Kane, Jerry Schatzberg, Elliott Landy, Don Hunstein, Ken Regan & Jean Marie Perier.  The exhibition ran from 9 October to 20 November at Snap Galleries, 16 Gibb Square, The Custard Factory, Birmingham B9 4AA.
 

4.  Cheese - New, unpublished and uncopyrighted photos of early Dylan in performance can be found at
http://www.joegratz.net/archives/2004/10/16/rare-bob-dylan-performance-pictures/#more-509 
 

5.  Un Cut Kid - One of the most truthful dissections of love gone wrong in rock history - Exactly 30 years after its release in January 1975, Uncut magazine will present the full story of Dylan's 'Blood On The Tracks'.  Plus the choice of two CDs - showcasing the artists who influenced Bob Dylan (Volume 1) and the artists who were influenced by Bob Dylan (Volume 2).  On sale 2^nd December 2004.
 

6.  To Be On Your Own - Like a Rolling Stone, written and recorded by the 24-year-old folk-rock visionary in 1965, tops Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time," said David Fricke, senior editor of Rolling Stone.  Like a Rolling Stone was almost as celebrated for its inventively waspish lyrics as for its tune with a haunting Hammond organ driving the music.
 

7.  Hang Around the Theatres - Casting is to begin on Equity, an AGMA Eye Workshop Production. The upcoming collaboration between Twyla Tharp and Bob Dylan, which would integrate the gifted choreographer's dance designs with the legendary singer-songwriter's creations, has been scheduled for a workshop production from 3^rd January to 13^th February.
 

8.  No More Auction Block For Me – Many Dylan items are up for sale at Christie's on 16^th  December: http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/search/searchresults.asp?T=Lot&entry=dylan
 

9.  Four people selected Chronicles as their Book of the Year in the Observer’s list.  Here’s what they said:

Griff Rhys Jones Presenter and actor - It's folksy story-weaving, as finely wrought as any of the faux 1860s ballads of genius, but it's still the book of the year for me.

Bonnie Greer Playwright - His New York in the Sixties has the black-and-white luminosity of a Cassavetes film. Dylan writes like he sings like he lives.

Kazuo Ishiguro Novelist - Bob Dylan's writing voice in Chronicles is almost as magnificent as his singing voice.

Andrew Motion Poet Laureate - smart, energetic, artfully discursive... exceptionally good.