New Bob Dylan DVD will explore the history and music influences of him

June 7, 2008

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FASCINATING NEW EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT DVD, DOWN THE TRACKS, SHINES A LIGHT ON THE MUSIC THAT INFLUENCED BOB DYLAN

July 15 DVD Release Features Rare Clips Of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Pete Seeger & More!

New York, NY (June 6, 2008)—Get ready for another incredible behind-the scenes look at a genius from Eagle Rock Entertainment, the same folks who bring you the Classic Albums and Live At Montreux DVD series. On July 15, 2008, Eagle is proud to announce the DVD release of Down The Tracks: The Music That Influenced Bob Dylan [pre-book date June 25, Retail Sales Price $12.98, Running Time 95 minutes].

Blues…folk…country…these are the genres of the artists featured—Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Pete Seeger, Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and more on Down The Tracks. Legends all, and they all had a major impact on the young mind and heart of Bob Dylan. Through archival performance tapes and interview footage amidst new interviews, an understanding is achieved on what went into the making of perhaps the most enigmatic poet of music the world has ever known.

Armed with an acoustic guitar, a few bucks, and a tattered copy of Woody Guthrie’s Bound For Glory, Dylan’s nerve, smarts, ambition and charisma netted him a small following amongst the intellectual folksters hanging out at Greenwich Village clubs. It didn’t hurt that he had an encyclopedic knowledge of artists and their songs from Seeger to Woody, from Jimmie Rodgers to Blind Lemon.

Even after he garnered his Columbia Records deal, his 1962 eponymous debut album, released when he was a mere 20, featured only two self-penned songs out of 13 (one of which was a poem for his hero, “Song For Woody,” with whom he visited during a pilgrimage to Greystone Psychiatric Hospital). On that legendary debut, Dylan covered Bukka White (“Fixin’ To Die”) Rev. Gary Davis (“Baby Let Me Follow You Down”) 18^th Century New Orleans whorehouse folksong “House Of The Rising Sun,” “Man Of Constant Sorrow” (a Kentucky folksong from 1913) and seven other highly idiosyncratic interpretive restorations of ancient songs of the public domain. So it’s fitting that Down The Tracks pays homage to these legendary folk, blues and country heroes that so informed the early music of one Bob Dylan.

Eagle Rock Entertainment develops, acquires and produces music programming for a wide range of notable and high profile artists, which the company distributes on a worldwide basis. Eagle Rock Entertainment, Eagle Vision and Eagle Eye Media are wholly owned divisions of Eagle Rock Group, LTD.