Dylan Returns Underground

New video updates his first electric classic.

I can still remember as a lad in high school, spring of 1965, when a hip older kid brought to the lunch room a sheet of paper with some very odd lyrics he had handwritten on it—the words to a new song by a folk singer, little known or admired by teens, named Bob Dylan. None of us had actually heard the just-released song, of course, which was not a big hit, but the words seemed totally, well, “unique,” unlike any tune we’d ever heard on the radio or elsewhere. Even the title was baffling: “Subterrannean Homesick Blues.” Two months later a another song, “Like a Rolling Stone,” would explode like a bomb and forever change rock ‘n roll.

Now, just released this morning (to mark Bob’s 60 years on Columbia): a remake of the iconic opening to Don’t Look Back—itself a revolutionary piece of art—with contributions by everyone from Wim Wenders to Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen. And there’s a site with each image or word blast IDed.

Also today they offer this tricky little glasses thing if you dare via Facebook.

By the way, if you’ve never seen the alternate version filmed for Bob (also featuring Allen G).

My bonus: the Bob Roberts takeoff starring Tim Robbins.

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