Syracuse University professor David Yaffe and SU alumnus Garland Jeffreys devoted much of their adult lives to the study of folk-rock legend Bob Dylan.

The duo contributed their knowledge of Dylan’s life to music critic Jon Bream’s book, titled, “Dylan Disc by Disc,” that came out in August. It analyzes Bob Dylan’s studio LPs and features words from many individuals in the music industry.

Yaffe, a current SU professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, shared his interpretations and opinions on two of his favorite Dylan albums: “Time Out of Mind” and “Blood on the Tracks.”

Yaffe first became interested in Dylan during his early teenage years when he purchased the “Blonde on Blonde” two-record set for $5. He couldn’t stop listening to it.

Dylan has continued to have a strong influence on Yaffe’s interests in music and poetry, two of the subjects he has been teaching at SU since 2005. He said he believes the two go hand-in-hand when contributing to Dylan’s success.

“If you want songs and you want them to be more like poems, then chances are Bob Dylan will have to be important to you,” Yaffe said. “Before Dylan, there was nobody.”

Yaffe has spent the majority of his profession educating people on Dylan’s music, poetry and life. In 2012, he released a book called “Bob Dylan: Like a Complete Unknown,” in which he covers four perspectives of Dylan’s career that have received minimal attention, including his involvement in the civil rights movement and when he was accused of plagiarism.

Alongside Yaffe, rock/blues performer and Syracuse alumnus Garland Jeffreys brought his passion for and criticism of Dylan’s “Time out of Mind.”

When he was a student at Syracuse, Jeffreys listened to Dylan frequently with his close friend, The Velvet Underground’s front man and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Lou Reed. The two of them worshipped Dylan’s craftsmanship, lyrics and brilliance.

“We loved his songs,” Jeffreys said. “The words are beyond words. I could talk about him all day long. I don’t care who’s out there, but there’s only one Bob Dylan.”

When Bream started to write the book, he said he reached out to a wide range of musicians and rock commentators who have a passion for Dylan.

He asked them to list 10 Dylan albums that they are passionate about and could discuss and five albums that they did not enjoy listening to. He wanted the book to be a conversation about Dylan’s career and growth.

It turned out that both Yaffe and Jeffreys had ranked “Time Out of Mind” high on their list. Noticing this, Bream matched the two together for the chapter because he was aware of their Syracuse connection. Yaffe would be more cerebral, whereas Jeffreys would be more visceral, Bream said.

In addition to Yaffe and Jeffreys, other commentators Bream selected include singer-songwriters Suzanne Vega, Jason Isbell and Ric Ocasek, the front man of The Cars.

In “Dylan Disc by Disc,” Jeffreys said he only thinks of “Time Out of Mind” as a tremendous album and not a comeback.

On the contrary, Yaffe had a hard time not thinking of it as a comeback album, but thought it was great to do since he had produced so much great blues and rock songwriting.

In this question and answer format, Yaffe and Jeffreys discuss themes such as death and breakups. The two music enthusiasts also share their views on specific songs off the album.

Yaffe views “Make You Feel My Love,” a Dylan original which was then covered by Adele in 2008, as a track that doesn’t fit on the album. It is a “speed bump in the road” going from all-sad love songs to a hopeful tune.

“I’m immediately prejudiced towards his work,” Jeffreys said. “I will be a Dylan fan forever.”

Published on October 13, 2015 at 10:51 pm

Contact: rcplaut@syr.edu