In I’m Not There, Todd Haynes imagines seven different versions of Bob Dylan. Some people say that’s six too many. We say Haynes is lazy. As any Google search will easily prove, seven barely scratches the surface. Herewith, Dylan No. 9: Pop Genius Dylan.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that Bob Dylan actually wrote every popular song in the last 35 years,†says one of the talking heads in the Scorsese-spoofing doc No Direction, Period. “Every single one.†Pop Genius Dylan’s cast-offs and b-sides are so terrific (Basement Tapes, anyone?) that, unbeknownst to many, he actually shares writing credits on tracks like “Gold Digger†and crafted fine lyrics like “To the windows, to the wall, to the sweat drips down my balls.†“When a song comes on the radio, I’m not sure if it’s mine or not,†says Pop Genius Dylan, “but it usually is. It usually is.†Surprisingly, the doc reveals, Dylan based “My Humps†on Joan Baez’s little-known hunchback deformity. —Logan Hill
