Here's the full quote, with attribution, of my current signature:
"The fusion of Dylan's poetic vitriol and the Hawks' [later known as The Band] aggressive blues
created a new rock and roll experience. Never had so something so scathing and complex been
presented to an audience weaned on the sincerity of folk and the simplicity of pop. In 1974 Bob
Dylan and The Band would tour to standing ovations, but in 1966, many of Dylan's folk fans were
outraged." -- Rock & Roll, ep.3: "Shakespeares in the Alley"
Rock & Roll was a ten-hour program that aired on PBS in the mid-90s. The companion book is
Robert Palmer's "Rock and Roll: An Unruly History." As near as I can determine, the series has
not been released on DVD, probably because of the prohibitive cost of music rights. Although
it's a little weak on the 1950s origins and peters out in the 1980s (there is a segment on hip-hop
and rap but New Wave isn't mentioned), the coverage of the 1960s and 1970s is excellent. In
particular, it makes very clear how the influence of British and American musicians ping-ponged
back and forth, like photons bouncing between the two mirrors in a laser. Brits were mining our
blues and R&B, then the "British invasion" fueled American bands; the Beach Boys were inspired
by the Beatles and in turn, the Beatles borrowed from the Beach Boys, etc.
