"“Judas!” Bob Dylan’s Misunderstood Musical Evolution"

This paper examines Bob Dylan's transition from folk to rock music amid the 1960’s “British Invasion”. Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1941. He plays the guitar, harmonica and keyboards in accompaniment with his  own vocals. Although he started from folk roots, the east (Britain) introduced rock, which had great influence on western music in the 1960’s. Although these changes first led to widespread controversy , the changes in music culture only made Dylan's music more impactful and  worth appreciating.

Through generations, music is an art that continues to expand and develop with the implementation of classical features and novice directions regarding sound and composition. What started as simply exploring sounds of objects has turned into an intricate exercise of timing and tones with tools that are called instruments and voices. Bob Dylan is an artist who challenged himself to create music in different genres to demonstrate the ever- inconsistent flow of life. However, how his music is appreciated varies among the audience members, in differentiations as to what they justified as art. Brady Baylis navigates the conflicts and beauties of Dylan's music in his research paper, “‘Judas!’Bob Dylan’s Misunderstood Musical Evolution”, specifically regarding his song Like a Rolling Stone and how its complex nature from sound to lyric is a masterful depiction of human struggle, love and everything in between. 

Brady Baylis is a senior history major with  minors in anthropology and education. Baylis has always been a lover of stories and misfits, wanting to understand those who are misunderstood. With his already established passion for classic rock and alternative music, Bob Dylan serves as an inspiration who checks all the boxes. Baylis said, “I like trying to get into the head of people who don’t really receive the respect they deserve and not having their story told,” Baylis said. This perspective  spurred his interest in the controversy of Bob Dylan and his transition from folk to rock, which led to his infamous title of “Judas”. 

Integrating his passion for history and music, Baylis aimed to evaluate the political conflict of the mid-1960s as folk music transitioned to a rock-heavy sound. Dylan, being an influential and innovative musician of this time, also became a sort of political figure as the frontman of this movement.“I think there’s a lot of that expectation…what people expected Bob Dylan to do, Baylis said. Fans were outraged by this change and did not react warmly to the electric guitar that became a staple to Dylan. “Calling him Judas was a pretty strong term,” Baylis recalled. “I think this paper gives him this chance to tell his story through his words.”

With so many influential artists and songs, it was no easy feat for Baylis to research, analyze and extrapolate meaning from one song. “I wrote and read a lot, and really wrestled with a couple songs…so it was a beast, a labor of love, but the labor turned out well.” Baylis said. Like a Rolling Strong was a beacon for change and a voice for Dylan amid the transitions in the music world. “It just speaks to me,” Baylis recollected “ I feel the same sense of wonder everytime I listen to it…and I think that is really inspiring musically and in this controversy.”

At the end of the day, music is a form of expression and Dylan makes very compelling choices in regards to his lyrics, instruments and composition of his songs. Diving deeper into Dylan's music, Baylis discovered the level of intricacy and the scale to his music, which revealed more about the evolution of Dylan's music from album to album. This further incentivizes Baylis’ adoration for research and provokes more questions regarding Dylan’s other music. Baylis claims “I want to explore other songs and controversies…and more of those connections between electric and folk.”

Music is and will always be an important part of culture. It has a strong emotional influence, whether it be personal or universal; it has the power to bring people together as well as divide them, which makes it worth researching and exploring. “‘Judas!’ Bob Dylan’s Misunderstood Musical Evolution” aimed to review Dylan in light of political controversy and stylistic music choice. However, when asked what impact he hopes his research has on readers, Baylis followed by saying, “ For people to think about music and explore the lyrics…just looking at the lyrics really changes how you understand...I think that every artist is worthy of that across any genre; there’s a lot of complexity.”  

Read Brady Baylis’s piece, “‘Judas!’ Bob Dylan’s Misunderstood Musical Evolution”, in the upcoming issue of Inventio Volume 8!