A Complete Unknown: 4 things you should know about Bob Dylan

Following the release of James Mangold's A complete Unknown starring Timothee Chalamet as the tambourine man himself, Bob Dylan's discography has seen a 100% hike in listeners of his catalogue. But where do I start with his music? What was he like beyond the shaded glasses? All of these questions, and more, shall be answered below. 

1: Dylan did not attend his award of a Nobel Prize

You may remember at the end titles of A Complete Unknown, it was said that Bob Dylan did not show up for his Nobel Prize award in 2016. This is true. Although, its unclear whether it was in protest or if he simply didn't feel like it. The academy had called him for weeks prior to the occasion to inform him of his award, but the man simply did not pick up. Eventually, it was told to the public that he couldn't show up, and instead he left a message in his absence. What he was up to, we have no clue, but he did later attend a private ceremony at least.

2: He was close friends with George Harrison

Bob Dylan, following the events of the film, enjoyed a close relationship with the quiet Beatle. So much so, that Harrison's 1971 debut album following the Beatles' breakup, All Things Must Pass, featured a song co-written by the pair - I'll Have You Anytime. Oftentimes, they'd take to the stage with each other, and eventually form the supergroup The Travelling Wilbury's in 1988. Following Harrison's death, Dylan had this to say in 2002; "he was like the sun, the flowers and the moon, and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him". 

3: He was not above making fun of his peers

As expected, Dylan has always had a playfully dry attitude when it comes to making fun of his peers. On one particular occasion after one of Dylan's gigs in 1974, Peter Grant - the manager of Led Zeppelin - introduced himself to the folk singer. After Grant had shook his hand and told him that he was the classic rock band's manager, Dylan replied with typical sarcasm; "do I come to you with your problems?".

4: What is objectively his best album and no one can disagree with?

Wow! That's an amazing question, kudos to whoever asked that. His 1975 album, Blood On the Tracks is a clear winner; from front to back, it evokes the best of Bob's song writing. His fusion of acoustic folk with contemporary rock, his evocative lyricism that constricts your soul, and his signature country drawl voice makes this album the epitome of his music. To anyone curious to start his music after A Complete Unknown, this is the perfect beginning, and the constant end that you'll return to time and time again.