12th March 2025
First meeting, this group focuses on Bob Dylan (and other similar artists) not Dylan the sleepy hippy rabbit featured in Magic Roundabout.
Originating as an LALG group, following the success of the film 'A Complete Unknown' which dramatises Bob Dylan's rise to fame and his controversial transition from folk to electric orientated rock and roll.
16th April 2025
Joni Mitchell ‘Shadows and Light’ a presentation by Pete Wyatt
‘Howlin-Pete’ provided as with a presentation titled 'Shadows and Light' An introduction to Canadian Singer Songwriter - Joni Mitchell. Hopefully we can get him back for Part 2.
14th May 2025
Lenoard Cohen a presentation by Michael Williams
Michael provided an account of LC's early life and how he became a singer, drawing attention to the role of Jews in rock music. Bob Dylan, LC, Lou Reed and Paul Simon were all Jews (as were Carole King and Carly Simon). Probably LC was the most Jewish of them all - a Jewish Buddhist.
11th June 2025
Are there any cover versions which stand out as being better than the original?
Following on from Pete and Michael’s presentations, we return to Dylan himself and the subject of cover versions. Two questions for your consideration:-
Has anyone managed to produce a cover version of a Dylan song better than the original? 'All Along The Watchtower’ has been the subject of at least 36 cover versions, even Dylan changed his approach in performing the song after hearing Hendrix. Paul Weller and Neil Young have done great renditions , but who in your view has recorded the best version?
9th July 2025
Dylan Love Songs
Our subject for discussion is Dylan 'Love Songs', there are two perspectives for consideration:-
1) What’s the song and who did Dylan have in mind when writing the song?
2) Love songs written either for, or about Dylan by someone else?
13th August 2025
Political Dylan
This month for discussion is 'Political Dylan’. We will consider some of Dylans songs taking into account both Social and Political events of the time, including the music scene in Greenwich Village, McCarthyism, and Anti-war protests.
10th September 2025
The Byrds a presentation by David Jones
When choosing a soundtrack for Easy Rider, Dennis Hopper thought it would be cool if the movie ended with Dylan’s ‘It’s Alright Ma.' Dylan was invited to a screening, didn’t like the film especially the ending and refused to allow the song to be used unless it was performed by someone else.
Dylan got out a pen and wrote ‘The river flows / It flows to the sea / Wherever that river flows / That’s where I want to be. Flow river, flow.’ handed it to Hopper, and said ‘give this to McGuinn; he’ll know what to do with it, but don’t credit it to me!’ So Roger McGuinn from the Byrds added his magic and there it was ’The Ballad of Easy Rider.’ which played over the film end credits.
8th October 2025
Fairport Convention a presentation by Michael and Barbara
Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of group participants we have had some excellent talks this year, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and The Byrds. For October we return to this side of the Atlantic where Barbara and Michael will talk about legendary British Electric Folk Rockers Fairport Convention. As a rather spooky coincidence the current Fairport Convention start there winter tour on Wednesday evening, if you’re quick you can catch them in concert after the talk.
12th November 2025
The Last Waltz
We will be watching selected scenes from the film ‘The Last Waltz’ a farewell concert on Thanksgiving by Dylans touring group ‘The Band,’ supported by many distinguished guests. Some great performances and a must see film.
10th December 2025
Dylans Album – Christmas in the Heart
When Noddy Holder shouted out those famous words ‘It’s Chrisssstmass!’ he didn’t realise 'Merry Xmas Everybody' would become his future pension, and it's a very healthy pension, close to £1m every year in royalties, not bad for a song written after an evening down the pub!
There are two main reasons artists record Christmas songs and religion isn’t usually one of them, commercially it generates a steady income for many years and it makes them essentially immortal. It could be argued that the exception is the perpetual Bob Dylan who had already produced 33 studio albums when 'Christmas in the Heart’ was released in 2009 with royalties from the album donated to global hunger initiatives.
Described by some critics as one of the worst albums Dylan released mainly due to his voice, on ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ he sounds like a sentimental drunk and 'I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ sounds like a threat. It’s certainly not an over produced album and demonstrates that Christmas songs can be fun, but will it replace Phil Spector or Chris Rea as your favourite?
14th January 2026
Greenwich Village Spin Off’s
Our subject for our next meeting is 'Greenwich Village Spin Offs’. When people think of Greenwich Village music, one name springs to mind: Bob Dylan. But The Village was much bigger than just one artist. A wide network of both friends and rivals who shaped the sound, themes, and social impact of a generation,
In 2009 I was privileged to watch a man with a long grey beard wearing a robe-like outfit, tune his guitar while talking about his days living in Greenwich Village. He recalled how his next song a friend had given him a demo of, and how he then played that song to another friend. That man was Richie Havens, the song 'All Along the Watchtower’ written by Dylan and of course elevated to another level by Jimi Hendrix.
Greenwich Village attracted writers, poets, painters, and performers, they were looking for cheap accommodation and a place where unconventional ideas were welcome. Tree-lined walkable streets, coffeehouses, and basement clubs encouraged connection between artists. Many musicians describe their early years in the Village as living within a giant open workshop. 'It didn’t matter if you were new, broke, or unknown - you could walk into a cafe, listen to someone performing, and find yourself sharing songs with them hours later'. Collaboration happened naturally because everyone lived so close to each other.
11th February 2026
30th Anniversary Concert
There are various schools of thought as to why Bob Dylans record company celebrated the 30th Anniversary of his debut 1962 album (Bob Dylan) by hosting a star-studded concert. The consensus is that his popularity was on the decline and this was Columbia’s attempt to put a little energy back into a career that by 1992 had effectively stalled.
Dylan himself had assisted in his own decline by rendering his repertory almost unrecognisable in live performances. Therefore the presence of an all-star cast performing his back catalogue using their own individual interpretations was both clever and ultimately successful.
In October 1992, an impressive and eclectic group of artists gathered at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the purpose of celebrating the music of Bob Dylan on his 30th recording anniversary. Bringing together musical greats as far-flung as Johnny Cash and Eddie Vedder, The Clancy Brothers and Lou Reed, with surviving members of Booker T & the MG’s as house band, the four-hour show celebrated a truly remarkable lifetime of songs in front of a sold-out audience.
Dubbed the Bob-fest by Neil Young, the show was broadcast live around the world and featured a cast of musical notables performing carefully chosen and often surprising selections from Dylan's songbook. At evening's end, the man himself appeared on stage and gracefully brought it all back home again. In a world where all-star celebrity gatherings have become commonplace, the Bob Dylan celebration stood out as a legitimately memorable musical event.
Join us on Wednesday where we are privileged to have Howlin-Pete and David Jones take us through their selected highlights of a fantastic concert, one where you really do wish you had been there.
While watching the concert, look out for a guy with an out of place New Romantic Haircut wearing a blue suit, playing mandolin or guitar. His name - G E Smith, he acted as musical director for the concert, giving both direction and timing cues to all of the famous artists, he really has his work cut out during an outstanding performance of ‘My Back Pages’.
11th March 2026
'Rolling Thunder Review' a presentation by David Jones
In 1974 Bob Dylan decided, he wanted to do something different, his vision was something like a circus. The resulting Rolling Thunder Revue was a great idea, bring a travelling folk-rock gypsy caravan to small less populated venues and entertain the crowd with a spontaneous show, that large stadium tours were making obsolete in the mid -70’s.
It started well, early performances were exiting and theatrical, blending rock music with bohemian poetry and theatre, artists wore decorated hats, often performing in masks or white-face paint. Venues were intimate… colleges, and civic centres with shows lasting for hours before finishing with a mass sing-along of "This Land Is Our Land”. Performers who joined the tour included Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Mick Ronson, poet Allen Ginsberg and undiscovered violinist Scarlet Rivera.
A second leg took place in spring 1976 but lacked the spirit that had made Rolling Thunder so enjoyable for both performers and audiences alike. Performances were still good but strained relationships, together with an abundance of drugs had taken its toll.
David will take us through the Rolling Thunder Revue, along with the recording of Desire and Dylans Renaldo and Clare film both of which happened at the same time as the Revue.
