Comments on: “What Happened?:” Paul Williams’s take on Bob Dylan’s ‘Born Again’ Period

By: Brent Wittmeier

Brent Wittmeier — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:05:15 +0000

I’ll have to check it out, especially for the late great Wexler. I have no doubt Dylan was genuine… but what happened afterwards?

By: Douglas Fox

Douglas Fox — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:12:06 +0000

I remember reading “What Happened” soon after it came out and really being drawn in. There was so little information at that time before the dawn of the internet. It provided all kinds of insight into what we had in the albums like Slow Train. Another good source of information on this period to consider is Joel Gilberts: “Bob Dylan World Tours 1975-1981 Rolling Thunder and the Gospel Years — DVD Documentary (2006) which is available at:

http://www.highway61revisited.com/

It is a bit rambling (it should have been two separate stories/DVDs) but the interviews with the Pastors of the Vineyard (Pastor Bill Dwyer) describes Dylans born-again transformation and the interview with the founder of Jews for Jesus Moishe Rosen is very good. The interviews with Jerry Wexler, background singer Regina McCrary, keyboardist Spooner Oldham, songwriter Al Kasha, San Francisco Chronicle rock reporter Joel Selvin are also very good.

After seeing these interviews it is difficult to question the reality of Dylans conversion.

By: wittmeier

wittmeier — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:39:12 +0000

Thanks for that… I’ll have to check it out. Thanks also for the link to the blog – a definite resource I’ll have to spend some time perusing!

By: Steads

Steads — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:02:08 +0000

You may be interested to know that “What Happened?” is in print. It is included in Paul Williams anthology Bob Dylan: Watching the River Flow : Observations on His Art-In-Progress, 1966-1995. http://astore.amazon.com/gottaservesom-20/detail/0711955700/105-8647623-8730832

http://dylangospel.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=baddaboom