Don’t Look Back - Bob Dylan - 1965

My Take Of It…….

Don’t Look Back was filmed and recorded during Dylan’s 1965 tour in England. It was shot in black-and-white with a handheld 16mm-film camera that utilized direct sound. D.A. Pennebaker is the film’s writer and director. 

I didn’t discover this film until (sometime) year 2000 ?  I’ve seen it dozens of times. I’ll watch it again as I write this review. 

Albert Grossman is Bob Dylan’s manager. Bob Neuwirth is Bob’s friend and road manager. The film includes Joan Baez, Bob’s girlfriend at the time. Tito Burns, Alan Price of The Animals and Donovan. Brief visual only appearances include Marianne Faithfull, Allen Ginsberg, John Mayall and Tom Wilson, Bob’s record producer.  There are several un-credited.

The remastered DVD includes additional music tracks, commentary by D.A.Pennebaker and Bob Neuwirth.    

This documentary turned me into a big fan of Bob Dylan. The 1965 version of Bob Dylan. The guitar picking harmonica playing singing Bob Dylan. Not the Rock Band Bob Dylan. 

In my opinion, as always, Bob doesn’t need no stinking electric “Band”

In the beginning of the film, you can see how lame the journalist are about Bob and his music. He’s cordial with the press when he arrives, but it gets dark and his patience turns into ridicule of later interviewers. It’s absolutely poetic and entertaining. (One of my highlights from the film)

“Bob chain smokes 80 cigarettes a day”

The camera work and sound is fantastic. When Bob reads a headline about Donovan, the story becomes entertaining. 

The conversation between Bob and Alan Price, who was recently fired from The Animals, is intimate and genuine. There’s one point where Bob ask Alan about The Animals. The expression on Alan’s price is very sad. Bob didn’t know Price wasn’t with the band, Bob realizes he hit a nerve and looks away. 

In Bob’s hotel room, usually full of people, you can hear his electric record “Bring It All Back Home” version of Maggie’s Farm. 

There’s a scene…I realized after seeing 12 times, it’s a CBS party in a London Hotel. Dylan and Neuwirth enter the room …there’s a jazz group with a singer in the background. It’s Tony Bennett, who was a CBS artist, like Bob. 

The funny thing is..Dylan and Neuwirth finger snapping on one and three like a couple square hipsters to the “Jazz” music. 50 years later Bob has become a bit of a crooner himself. 

“Donovan, our target for tomorrow”

The first tune is a younger Bob, filmed in 1963 at a voter registration rally in Greenwood, Mississippi. “Only A Pawn In Their Game” (A great transitional clip to the film)

The first 1965 concert clip is Basic Bob, guitar, capo, leather jacket, harmonica rack and a chair for a table of harps within reach. The amplification is simple. (A couple microphones and house speakers) He’s almost unplugged and acoustic. How intimate it was. 

Previous to Dylan, Albert Grossman was the manager for Peter, Paul and Mary. He’s very animated in several clips with a Hotel Manager and Tito Burns. Dylan stays in the shadows laughing. 

The camera work traveling in cars and on the street is brilliant. The 1965 Bob in this film, is very likeable, when he turns on the charm.

The “LIVE” performance of Bob Dylan in 1965 is basic and simple. But, it was “The Beatles” and those electric guitars and drums that everyone was screaming for. Grossman cynically refers to the top 40 chart as, The Fab Chart. Referring to The Beatles dominance of music. 

Watching fan / audience crowd control from doormen is another highlight. The ticket buyers are well behaved without any pushing or shoving as they enter each concert venue. It was 1965. 

Hearing Dylan’s voice, phrasing, guitar playing in 1965 is historical. I remember in 1965, still today, the jokes and mockery about not being able to understand his words. I can easily understand every word of each song. I’ve also become a better lip reader in my old deaf age. 

In 1965, Bob had fans. It wasn’t like Beatlemania, but he was becoming more popular. Joan Baez has a couple nice singing, guitar playing moments.

Bob types on his typewriter…Marianne Faithfull is curled up in a corner. These are the insider tidbits that make this film so eclectic and enjoyable. 

Bob’s hotel room version of Hank Williams, Lost Highway is classic. He knew that material well, before he started writing his own. Same with, Lonesome I Could Cry. 

(Joan and Bob Neuwirth in the room, are his only audience) 

It’s 1965, Bob Dylan is working for 1200 to 2000 pounds. This is the topic of the scene between Albert Grossman and Tito Burns. Tito Burns is an established booking agent in the UK at the time. The back and forth is a money game between The BBC and Granada. Granada was the TV organization that contacted the Maysels Brothers to film The Beatles first US visit, in 1964.

Bob is playing piano as his record producer Tom Johnson is head bowed listening. Bob’s feel, time, playing over the bar-line is genius. I’ve never heard Him…anything like this on his records. 

Bob has publicly joked and made reference to his short stint as the piano player in Bobby V’s band. Bobby Vinton was a 50s teen idol with a hit record, Blue Velvet. I like his piano playing. He’s been playing more piano on his 2022 concerts. 

Bob‘s jousting with the science student music writer is brutal. He makes a mistake not accepting Bob’s harmonica as a gift. The harmonica would sell for a fortune on Ebay. 

Alan Price mocking Herman’s Hermits and Bob’s question about The Animals. 

Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright…Bob’s harmonica solo is great. 

(1:02:00) Enter Donovan…cast of plenty. (Cigarettes and Alcohol)

 

(1:07:34) Donovan followed by Bob performs “It’s All Over Baby Blue” in the hotel room. 

(1:11:57) Royal Albert Hall : Queen Victoria built it for her dude. That stage is unique. Cream (1968 Farewell Concert) and their 2005 reunion was filmed there.

(1:14:21) Oh Oh, The Interview during dinner before the gig. I feel a little sorry for the interviewer/writer. But, it’s his gig. Bob really lets it go. This may be where his 55+ Years career of (putting journalist on) each opportunity gets started. 

(1:15:45+) It’s a class of readers – the plain picture – a tramp vomiting into the sewer – Mr. CW Jones on a subway going to work -  

(1:22:20) “Hey The Beatles Are Here”

(1:23:00+) Bob Dylan 1965 at Royal Albert Hall – The Times They Are A Changing – World War 3 – I Looked In The Closet, There Was Donovan – I Said That – It’s Alright Ma I’m Only Bleeding, Ho Ho Ho

(1:31:00+) They were all there man…the vanishing American…some kind of thing…gigs over…

That’s it. Bob Dylan (1965) Somewhere, he may be out and about walking around. He may be on the tour bus. The survivor.  

Missing from several bootleg versions is the video of Subterranean Homesick Blues. You’ll see it on the DVD and collectors edition. I just discovered a new edition. 

At the end of 2020, Bob Dylan sold the rights to his entire song catalog to Universal Music Group for $300 million dollars.  

You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows….