One of the top music activist today, Tom Morello talks candidly about Bob Dylan, and protest songs in an interview on Spinner.com. Excerpts are below.
Spinner.com: Tom Morello Reflects on Bob Dylan's 'Sophistication and Power'
May 24, 2011 – Cameron Matthews
Tom Morello is as outspoken as he is prolific, bridging the gap between activism and art across the span of his career. From the ax-wielding guitar heroics and guerrilla antics of Rage Against the Machine to the pro-union sentiments of the Nightwatchman, Morello has always advocated for the downtrodden.
Spinner recently caught up with the guitarist about his work in Madison, Wis., standing up for the union workers caught in the middle of the embattled state's financial woes. Morello's passion, though noticeably more vocal, can be compared to Bob Dylan's personal struggle at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. We spoke with Morello about the role Dylan has played in his life as a songwriter.
When was the first time you had heard Bob Dylan and what was your overall impression?
I came late to the game of Bob Dylan by not discovering him until the '90s. My introduction to Bob Dylan was Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska' record. Then I started figuring out Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and then Bob Dylan through that. I'd always known the name but I had no idea how radical an artist he was in his early days. The record 'The Times They Are a-Changin' was the first cassette that I got and I was mesmerized and blown away and soon owned the entire catalog.
Read more here:
http://www.spinner.com/2011/05/24/tom-morello-bob-dylan/
