Tag Archives: Mojo

How Jack Kerouac Influenced Bob Dylan & More

Bob Dylan, books, Bruce Springsteen, essay, Grateful Dead, Jack Kerouac, jazz, lyrics, Michael Goldberg, Music, non-fiction, Patti Smith, poetry, Review, Tim Buckley, Tom Waits, Writing, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cover of the upcoming “Kerouac On Record.”

In a 12,000 word essay, “Bob Dylan’s Beat Visions (Sonic Poetry),” that appears in the upcoming book, “Kerouac On Record: A Literary Soundtrack,” I explore how Bob Dylan was profoundly influenced by the Beat writers, and especially Jack Kerouac.

The book is being published by Bloomsbury and will reach book stores online and off on March 8, 2018. Rock’s Back Pages will be publishing an excerpt from my essay, and the April issue of Mojo magazine (see full review below) includes a rave review that says in part: “Among the strongest in a strong lot are Michael Goldberg’s examination of Dylan’s lit roots and Kerouac’s own musicological piece — ‘The Beginning Of Bop’ – that attempts to capture jazz in words – and succeeds.”

Nice to be mentioned in the same sentence as Kerouac!

In addition my Dylan piece, I also have an interview with writer (and one time rock critic) Richard Meltzer in which he talks at length about Kerouac.

The book also contains essays on the influence of Kerouac on a number of musicians including Tom Waits, the Grateful Dead, Jim Morrison, Van Morrison, Patti Smith and others. And there are excellent pieces about the influence of jazz on Kerouac’s writing style.

As we get closer to the publication date I’ll share more about this fascinating book.

Here’s the Mojo review in full:

Review in the April issue of Mojo.
  • A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post –

Best of 2013 Dept.: Daft Punk, Bill Callahan Top Mojo’s Top 50

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Mojo Magazine has unveiled it’s list of the Top 50 albums of 2013. Highlights include My Bloody Valentine’s m b v, Deerhunter’s Monomania and Arcade Fire’s Reflektor.

Below is the first 20 picks. For the rest plus streaming songs off the albums, head to Mojo.


1) Dream River, Bill Callahan
2) Random access Memories, Daft Punk
3) The Next Day, David Bowie
4) AM, Arctic Monkeys
5) Pale Green Ghosts, John Grant
6) Monomania, Deerhunter
7) Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend
8) Perils From the Seas, Mark Kozelek and Jimmy Lavalle
9) Push the Sky Away, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
10) The Graceless Age, John Murry
11) Phosphorescent, Muchacho
12) Crimson/ Red, Prefab Sprout
13) m b v, My Bloody Valentine
14) The Inheritors, Holden
15) …Like Clockwork, Queens of the Stone Age
16) Factory Floor, Factory Floor
17) Victim of Love, Charles Bradley
18) Reflektor, Arcade Fire
19) Sing to the Moon, Laura Mvula
20) Electric, Pet Shop Boys

— A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post —

Mojo Readers Pick 20 Best Albums Of Magazine’s Lifetime

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This is a weird one. Mojo magazine asked its readers to vote for the 20 best albums released during the magazine’s existence. Crazy, right. I’d call that narcissistic, egomaniacal, or just plain ridiculous. I like Mojo. I read the magazine most months. But come on. Why would anyone use the lifetime of a magazine as the context for a best-of list?

Anyway, if you care, here are the winners:

1) The White Stripes, Elephant
2) Arcade Fire, Funeral
3) Bob Dylan, Time Out Of Mind
4) Radiohead, OK Computer
5) The Strokes, Is This It
6) The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin
7) Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
8) Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
9) DJ Shadow, Endtroducing…..
10) Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
11) Beck, Odelay
12) Jeff Buckley, Grace
13) Mercury Rev, Deserter’s Songs
14) Radiohead, In Rainbows
15) PJ harvey, Let England Shake
16) Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
17) Portishead, Dummy
18) Pulp, Different Class
19) Nirvana, In Utero
20) The Libertines, Up The Bracket

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