An astonishing amount of research has gone into a work that seems to offer an account of every (or nearly every) performance, recording session, love affair, marriage, LSD trip and — most notably — each time that John Lennon composed a song in response to one that Dylan had written ... At times, Windolf’s efforts to link the musicians can seem like a bit of a reach ... But by and large, I was fully persuaded and consistently engaged by the connections that Windolf makes ... There’s something very moving about it that makes us feel a sense of gratitude for the work of these extraordinary talents — and to Jim Windolf for putting it all together.
A riveting narrative ... Lively, incisive, and deeply researched, Windolf’s account captures the specific, consequential moments in a creative dialogue; one that didn’t just shape two towering acts but irrevocably expanded what popular music could say, sound like, and mean.
A thorough examination of Bob Dylan’s influence on the Beatles ... He also illuminates the bond between Dylan and Paul McCartney ... An entertaining introduction to these musicians and how they influenced each other.
The author draws on archival research and detailed music analysis ... The result is a fresh portrait of two of the most influential music acts of the 1960s and ’70s.
It’s no news that Bob Dylan and the Fab Four influenced each other, both competitively and cooperatively ... There’s enough Beatlemaniacal and Dylanocentric trivia to please fans of either or both ... Not exactly groundbreaking, but a pleasing enough exercise for the classic rock set.
