a young Bob Dylan, listening thoughtfully with headphones, a cigarette in his hand

What Did You Hear? The Music of Bob Dylan by Steven Rings

What Did You Hear? book cover image
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Few American artists have made as much noise as Bob Dylan. One can hardly conceive of a world without his ragged and mercurial singing, his splattered harmonica, and his rough-hewn guitar, all of which send his celebrated lyrics aloft, to vibrate in the air.

This site is dedicated to Dylan’s sounds. It includes audio and video examples for my book What Did You Hear?: The Music of Bob Dylan, as well as original content—blog posts, explainer videos, analytical vignettes. Think of all of these as soundings, in a dual sense: moments to listen closely to Dylan’s unruly sounds, as well as nautical depth measures—deep dives into his sonic world.