. .

THE MAGAZINE FOR TO

i EASY
r
J.
FEELING
~ PRETTY
LOOKING
PARTY
FASHIONS
How Do
... Your Friends
~ Fit Into
~ Your Life?
"'
SENSIBLE SEX:
WHEN TO GIVE IT
THE GREEN LIGHT
Quick Beauty Change:
~
Funky To Exotic
-1 Dreamy To Daring
Special Interviews:
BOBBY SHERMAN
MELANIE .·
KURT VONNEGUT
Meet a rock revolutionary-
the world's only Dylanologist
It's practically deserted on the
corner of Bleeker and Bowery in the
East Village in New York City.
Abandoned cars, stripped of their
chrome and wheels, line the street.
Alcoholics wander on to the block to
grub cigarettes and nickels from
occasional passersby. It's not
the kind of neighborhood for an
afternoon stroll in the sunshine.
But A. J. Weberman, free spirit,
rock revolutionary and historian,
sits in his second-story loft,
blissfully unaware of the squalor in
the street below. He's preoccupied
with the notion that it's his duty to
bring rock singers to social con-
sciousness. Revolution through rock
and roll. And the principal object of
his attack is Dylan- Bob Dylan,
singer of protest songs, champion
of lost causes, hero of a generation
of activists. Yet, A .J. sees Dylan
as a slacker and a sell-out.
W o is A. J. Weberman, any-
way? He's the world's only Dylanol-
ogist- and he has been carrying on
a love-hate thing with Dylan for years.
For a long time, he made nightly
pilgrimages to the street where
Dylan lived in Greenwich Village.
A.J.'s objective was Dylan's garbage
cans, set out on the sidewalk, to
await a Department of Sanitation
pick-up. Dylan was in his apartment
inside, and since he wouldn 't come
out, A.J.-working on the premise
that you are what you throw away-
became garbage trasher to a star.
Leaving the orange peels strictly
alone, Weberman dug out a gold
mine of Dylan miscellany. He found
discarded Polaroid shots
of Dylan's five kids, first
30
drafts of letters to Johnny
Cash and cancelled checks
and other items that he considered
evidence Dylan was going commer-
cial, that, worse, he was swapping
his halo of hair for a hard hat.
le Weberman-Dylan story
!n
really began back 1962 when A.J.
became a Dylan fanatic. Somebody
told him there was a singer around
who looked a little bit like him
(Dylan does-a little), and
Weberman was hooked.
"I turned on to him immediately
when I realized that his politics and
mine were similar. I became the
biggest Dylan •groupie' around. I
admit it. I loved the cat," A.J. grins,
indicating that the affair isn't over
yet. "I have the largest collection
of Dylan tapes in the world ••• next
to his own, and In 1966, when
Highway 61 was released, I began
the Dylan archives. I saw that Dylan
was no longer singing literal songs,
but was singing In some kind of
abstract poetry.
"At first I was afraid that he'd
given up politics. But then, I decided
that he was hiding his message
in heavy symbols. So I developed a
new thing. Rather than look for a
universal meaning for a particular
word in his poetry, I tried to dig
out what Dylan himself associated
the word with, every time that he
used it. Take the word 'gifts,' for
example. If you want to know what
that word means to Dylan,
listen to the ways he uses it."
I n an A-1 imitation of Dylan, A.J.
croons lines containing the word
--
"gifts" from Subterranean Homesick
Blues, Love Minus Zero and Like a
Rolling Stone . .. . Then he intones:
" 'And fools and jewels and
diamonds and lollypops and gifts
of glad tiding just don't do nothing
for the soul'-no, that's not a song,
it's from a letter Dylan wrote to
Broadside Magazine.
" I decided that Dylan was a poet
on a level with Blake and
Shakespeare. To figure out those
cats, people use concordances-
alphabetical indexes of the
principle words of their works. So I
started a concordance for Dylan.
Eventually I fed all of his poetry
and his letters plus his novel,
Tarantula (then unpublished)
into a computer. I was the first
one to do that."
The print-out from the computer
takes up two volumes, each the
size of a telephone book, containing
almost every word that Dylan has
ever written, in alphabetical order
along with a line of context.
A.J.'s research fo r the Dylan
concordance amounted to six boxes
of computer cards with 5,000 cards
in each box. All that work ... all
that effort, and then Dylan chose
•.
Blue Moon, " ii love song strictly
from the forties," to include in one
of his albums. Weberman was
horrified . In a frantic and rather
obscure try at retribution, he gave a
copy of Tarantula to the Bobby
Seale Defense Fund. Mostly he
carried on the attack in classes In
Dylanology he was teaching at the
Alternate University, now defunct.
("You know, it was a university for
people in the alternate culture.")
Weberman discovered that Dylan
had investments in the stock market
-- WHO
by Ellen . . . .

IS
A. J. WEBERMAN
and that he owned several high-rise
AND
buildings. "What are you doing for
the people?" Weberman asked the
next time he was caught rifling
WHY
Dylan's garbage on MacDougal
street. "You've got ten million
dollars, and you 're sitting on it."
IS
" I'm g ivin' it to kibbutzes in Israel
and Far Rockaway," Dylan told him.
A.J. threw a block party for Dylan
HE
on his thirtieth birthday. It made
Dylan's address public and forced
him to move. The object of the
·SAYING
party, A.J. claims, was to bring
Dylan back int o the activist fold.
What it chiefly accomplished was to
ALiJ.
make A. J . Weberman a celebrity.
Suddenly the media-square as
well as underground-was after
THQSE
him for interviews and opinions.
A .J . is moving to greener pastures
-or cleaner garbage cans. His
TER t-~
current target is Paul McCartney.
"He's not doin' anything either,"
A .J. complains menacingly.
THIN
" Sitting back getting fat. "
As an opening gambit, A.J.
staged a demonstration in front of
ABC!)
the New York residence of the
family of Linda Eastman, Paul's wife,
apparently ~>n the t heory that if you
DYLAN1
can't get to the subject, launch an
attack on the mother-in-law.
Although A.J.'s forays are often
humorous (he gave Dylan a garbage
can with a padlock on it for his
birthday), they also are purposeful.
He says, " I saw Dylan eventually
as a way to get my ideas across to
the mass media-a kind of rip-off."
Crusader and charlatan, idealist
and man with his eye on the main
chance, A . J. Weberman is as
contradictory, as puzzling and often
as stimulating as the rock culture
that so fascinates him.

31
1 drunken fiuher .2: emptygin /Jottle 5 .ra.bid rar +.b<!aten moTher 5.unpiJ.JVniW!e object 6.remains ofher wedding
dress 7.fror.en robin 8.morto wor1'ed in human hair 9. dying child 10. caseless pillow II . World 11-iihout End qw1t
12. Christmas tree 13. string, bones, and ticket stubs from the 5utter 14. Sfr Giles Crockby, the P/lc hard Ifin!J

lJ. R.u.ssian saiJle pelisse 16. bespoke spars q. his Thi"betan. chauffeur i8 . ba.,sket or!fld.Zed tropic.a.I frui ts i9. the
Works of Goethe boundin lJ/ue Lera.ntmorocco 20. terrine ofpate de foie gra.s with truffles :u.a.n&ique automa.tcn
that sings 'JJal dolor cota:nto oppresso'from La Clemenza di Scipione 22 . box of a.bPinthe.f1lledchocola.res
r
I

c
~
~'
~-------------------------------~~
Dear Sha-Na-Na: hlm what made him think he knew so
My name is Cynthia Goodbead. I much and all, and he told me that he'd
am fourteen years old and I have never figured out all the Hidden Meanings of
had an orgasm. I have had crabs, how- Dylan's lyrics!!! Well I asked him to
ever, and believe me they are no sub- give me an example and he said, HI'll
stitute!!! My best friend, Suzy Star- bet you didn't know that Dylan has
fucker, who has met you (she v.ras trip- joined the Playboy Club."
11
ping backstage at the Fillmore and mis- Are you sure about that?" asked I.
took you· all for a box of Tampax)- "WoUld i lie to you?" replied he.
Suzy, anyway, tells me that you know "Now why would he go and do a
all kinds of secret sectual things, like thing like that?" wondered I.
What Ramalamdingdong Really Means "It's all right there in the lyrics,"
-and how to do it! If this is the case, said he.
~P..o~~
PATCHES. GLASS PIPES. CLIPS
"Well why, then?" demanded I. HANDMADE STERLING SILVER. MORE.
won't you please get in touch with me? "Do you mind paying a little less?"
I've tried just about everything else, "To Be Alone with Hugh, of course." Wholesale only-Free catalogue.
and a little extra grease might be just Well, it sounded logical. And Web- Retail Catalogue-$1.00
the ingredient I need. bermann went on to explain how joining UTiivcrsal Poster Cor)J., Dept. L
5424 Vilieland Avenue
I i:ecently returned from Paris, where the Playboy Club had been Dylan's life- J:\Torth Hollywood, Calif., 91G01
orgasms are out of season and the long closet .ambition, or-in Dylan's
people speak French. The first thing I very O\vn words-" All I really wanna
did when I got back to N.Y. was I went do is baby be friends with Hugh.'' Well,
to see Bob Dylan, because Suzy says it really blew my mind. And then Web-
he is Deeply Concerned about V\7omen's bennann got do\Vll to some real nitty- RUSH JAY WARD $i4.95 AND
Problems, like for exarnple in such gritty-he told me that Dylan had be- JAY WARD WILL RUSH YOU
songs as "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only come a Junkie!!! "At this point he is
Bleeding" and "Nashville Skyline nothing but a strung-out sybarite, an
Rag." Well,' it took me awhile to find his ideological eyesore, a teleological turn-
house, and by the time I got there I coat, a mainlining miscreant, a nar-
was really worn out, so I sat down on -cotized nabob of nebulous nectarian
the garbage can in front of his building nonsense-and a Shithead," said Web-
and started to read my horoscope. bermann.
Well suddenly this strange little man "But," protested I, "how do you
jmnped out from behind a lamppost, know he's a Junkie?"
grabbed the garbage can, and carried it "Because," rejoined he, "over the
away (v.rith me inside itl!t), running past two years I have found upwards
like mad and shouting "Liberate Dy- of six thousand empty Yoo-Hoo Choco-
lan!" and "Disavow the dialectical did- late-Flavored Beverage bottles, Yogi
dlies or die!" He ran all the way over Berra's faVorite drink, in Dylan's gar-
to the IND sub-Way station on ,West bage-AND NOT ONE YOO-HOO
Or any one of the other 17·jewel, water and shock resislarit
Fourth Street, jumped the turnstiles, CHOCOLATE-FLAVORED BEV- watches shown below!
and locked himself into the men's roorh, ERAGE BOTTLECAP!!! Dylan has ~FREE! Order \'110 w3tches and r;et 3 free framed color
~ scene Jrom one ot hi Ward's Animated TV Cartoons!
where he finally put me down. Then obviously been using these bottleca:Ps r----CHRISTMAS DEL.IVERY GUARANTEEDl·--- 1
he set to work sorting out the garbage to to6k up his fL""'{eS. What other explan- I J•l'''"'° .,ooumo~•· 0111 , •• ,., "•«~·"•~•·'·«"'· "'" NL.4 I
alphabetically, pausing only just long ation could there possibly be for all that 1~~t.~lt:~.".";,".';;:'~;! \,.-;" 001 . . !fui0,:::~;"c:;:,::::~:.'..~~~;·::~ tt;..,;, '~:r''' 11 l
I-< I
enough to :introduce himself. His name Yoo-Hoo?'' !' 00
""$ I
@
satt
was K. J. Webbennann.
IC~tTY
~ ~ ~
Well, it sounded logical. Anyway, I
"You'd be surprised at some of the decided to ask Webbermann about or- \ ' ! , 1
thlngs I've discovered :in Dylan's gar- gasms-but when I brought up the Sub-
bage," he informed me. "YVhy jUst a ject he didn't Seem to know what I \Vas
! 00
I i. -· '

couple of years ago I found 'Joan Baez talking about. He told me he had never
in this very can." found one in Dylan's garbage (at least
l~':'" .~gm·<':, <ji)!·:·.':'" ~i~~a,ir, i
\ ,-, " l

Well, he proceeded to bad-mouth not that he knew of)., and if an orgasm l v. I

' I

!~~~@!
Dylan, calling him things like: "a karmic (whatever it was) wasn't dispoSable
cop-out for cultural coupon-clippers"; then it came under the heading of Prop-
"a decadent droner of dialectically erty, and Property (according to Pier,re-
deadhead drek"; "a pusillanimous pan- Joseph Proudhon, the great nineteenth- I oU•n• w.c. N~clANO !
J -S~1'P -"'-"'ON -"!:lD> --"C•sE I
derer to prepubescent peter-pullers"; century anarchist) was tantamount to L----· 30·DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE----...!
and "Shithead." Well naturally I asked legal Theft, which made the orgasm (if
continued

NATIONAL LA1'1POON 13

-
 continued
indeed such a thing existed )'--R<ltBi~
but a tool of the Power Brokers (and in
all probability counterrevolutionary ) .
Well at this point I thanked him and
went running out the men's-room door
and he came running after me, waving
an empty Yoo-Hoo bottle and hollering
for me to stick around.
" Stick around\" hollered he. " Stick
around and I'll let you in on all the
JUNE, 1970/ BLIGHT: With Sludge Magazlno, Beauty Tips for Mutants, Our Threatened Nazis, Jean details of how Dylan murdered P aul
Shepherd 's S.P.L.A.T., Mort Gerberg's Po llutlonland, and Michael O' Donoghue's Extinction Game. McCartney!"
.4 JULY, 1970/BAD TASTE: Don't miss The Liz Tayl or a nd Richard Burton Gift Catalogue, tho Special Well, I just kept on running. I guess
Mediocrity Supplement, A Photographer's Gulde to Art and Pornography, and the Most Tastoless maybe that was sort of a little rude on
Arti cle Ever Printed!
my part, but I was in a hurry to go and
AUGUST, 1970/PARANOIA: What would America be like as a second-rate power? Read We're Only look up Power Brokers in the Yellow
Number Two. Also, a Paranoia Map of the World , Is Nixon Dead? (well, is he?) and The Secret of
San Clemente. Pages.
SEPTEMBER, 1970/SHOW BIZ: Get your mezzanine seals now tor the MGM Blackmail Aucti on,
Well, when this turned out to be just
Screen Slime Magazine, Raquel Welch Laid Bare, Diary of a New Left Starlet, and College Concert another dead end I was really pretty
Com ix ! bummed out. I decided to go to a con-
NOVEMBER, 1970/NOSTALGIA: A spin out on Memory Lane. Read reminiscences by Jean Shepherd; cert, bu t when I looked in the news-
the 1896 Sears, Roebuck Sex Catalogue; The Fi fties: A Special Section; 1936: A Space Odyssey; paper it turned out to be Sunday and
and The Death Song Game.
nobody was playing anywhere, so I
DECEMBER, 1970/CHRISTMAS: Prepare now tor the next ghastly hollydaze with Gahan Wilson's decided to go to a football game. Well,
Xmas Horrors, The Santology Handbook, I Remember Jesus, and Tricia and the Prince Comics.
there was a big advertisement for a
JANUARY, 1971/ WOMEN'S LIBERATION : Combat the Pink Peril with tho Women 's Lib Naughty
Pinup Calendar, t he Anll-Sexlsl Chi ldren's Book, a speci al Cosmopolitan Parody, and the expur-
Pre-Season Exhibition so I took a sub-
gated best seller ... The Censorless Womanl way out to Shea Stadium, but it turned
MARCH, 1971/CULTURE: Tote thal tome and lift that pinkie with Michael O' Donoghue's How lo out there wasn't any game-just Lance
Write Good, The Gracie Slick Handbook ol Radical Dos & Don'ts, The Undiscovered Notebooks Rentzel. There weren't any other play-
of Leonardo da Vi nci, The Mantovanl Strai n, and The Li fe and Times of Captain Brlngdown. ers around for him to play with, so he
APRIL, 1971/ADVENTURE: Good God, Professor, it's • •• It's • . • Derby Dames on Parade , Tarzan was playing with himself. Well, I would
of the Cows, Real Balls Adventure Magazine, The Philosopher Detective, The Great American have asked him about orgasms, but he
Cereal Box, and free Booblegum Cards.
left early with a police escort.
MAY, 1971/THE FUTURE: Hop Into our steam-powered Time Trolley end stumble backward info lhe So I subwayed back to Manhattan
World of Tomorrow. You'll be del ighted that you won't Jive to see: the Zero Gravity Sex Manual
(The NASA Sutra), Ti me Warp Comics, t he Special Pull-Out "If" Section, the 1906 National Lampoon,
and sat down on the steps of the P lay-
Attack of the 90-Foot Macrobes, and Toilets of t he Extraterrestrials. boy Club, thinking over all the strange
JUNE, 1971/RELtGION: Listen, It's getting to be a real pain In the ass coming up with kicky l ead-ins things K. J. W ebbermann had told me.
to stuff like Nat/amp' s I nterno, Magic Made E-Z, The Prophet by Kahlil Glbrish, I Dreamed I Was And all of a sudden whose voice should
There In Overd ose Heaven, and Buckmlnster Fu ller-Charles Reich- Marshall McCluhan-Kate Millett I hear but Bob Dylan's himself, right
Utopia Four Comlx. behind me, singing Tonight I' ll Be
JULY, 1971 / PORNOGRAPHY : Get It up, off, and out of your system with My Secret Life by David Staying H ere with Hugh!!! Well I
Ei senhower, The Breast Game, Dirty Dick & Jane, Fiithy Sherl ock Holmes, Are You a Homo? and
Everythi ng You Always Wanted to Know about Sex (Aren't You Sorry You Asked?).
turned around and there he was--the
AUGUST, 1971/BUMMER: Have a bad trip without illegal substances with Defeat Comics, Welfare
real Bob Dylan!-grinning through his
Monopoly, the Special Canadian Supplement, and Right On! , the fll ck Jane Fond a was making
little beard, jingling his Playboy Club
whl le you thought she was working for the revolution. Key, drinking a Yoo-Hoo Chocolate-
SEPTEMBER, 1971/KIDS: Visit Eloise at the Hotel Dlxee, meet high adventure with the Hardy Flavored Beverage-and holding hands
Boys, laugh al ong with Chl ld ren·s Letters t o the Gestapo, and test your wits with Commander with Yogi Berra.
Barkfoather's spicy rebuses. Oh well
OCTOBER, 1971/ BACK TO SCHOOL: Have a few "brews," gross out some chicks, "moon" a At least he's not a junkie.
lownl e, barf In the quad, and road the M ad parody, Magical Misery Tour, The Campus War Game,
and 125th Street , the educational TV show that teaches ghetto kids thei r place.
Up against the wall for peace,
NOVEMBER, 1971 / HORROR : Step into Ghost Editor Michael O'Donoghue' s gas chamber of horrors
and meet The Phantom of t he Rock Opera, The Mammal That Suckled Its Young , Dragula-Queen
of Darkness. Dr. Jekyll's Surgical Supply Catal ogue, and X-Rated Foto Funnies.
9~
To order these back issues, just check off the ones you want In the coupon below. Return the
coupon to us with $1 In blll, check, or money order for each copy you'd Ilka.

f
I
THE NATIONAL LAMPOON, Dept. NL1271 , 635 Madison Ave ., N.Y.C. 10022
Send me the following :
l]
I No. of copies Issue No. of copies Issue I
I JUNE, 1970 APRIL, 1971 I
] JULY, 1970 MAY, 1971
I AUGUST , 1970 JUNE, 1971
SEPTEMBER, 1970 JULY, 1971
I NOVEMBER, 1970 AUGUST, 1971
I DECEMBER, 1970 SEPTEMBER, 1971
I JANUAR Y, 1971 ___ OCTOBER, 1971
I MARCH, 1971 NOVEMBER, 1971
I I enclose a total of $ at $1 for each copy requested. This amount
I covers purchase plus shipping and handl ing.
I My Name_ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address.____________________ ______ _
I
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'
14 N ATIONAL LAMPOON
pe~ la mort et devra rester UD mois au Jit a pres avoir connu
une breve pCriode d'amnesie et de paralysie.
Pour tous ses fa ns, c'est le cataclysme final, le drame d'un
nouveau James D ean. E n ga rd ant le silence pendant quinze
mois, D ylan perpetue le m ythe. II se donne aussi le temps
de reflcchir, de rctrouver un equilibre physique et mental.
Ses musiciens s' insta llent pres de chez Jui, a Woodstock : ii
jouera avec eux. pendant toute sa conva lescence.
Une periode s'acheve. La folle sarabande est terminee, Jes
la mpions sont ctci nts, on range Jes pots de creme et Jes
s oies. D ylan ne peut guere aller plus loin qu'en reniant sa
jcunesse, comm e Elvis ou Frank Sinatra, vieux crooners
vieillissants sous le smoking a paillettes. Tente par Jes
triomp hes de casi no , on peut craindre pour !ui cette hor-
rible fin : ii ecrit Lay Lady Lay, il chante Blue Moon,
s'attacha nt a scduire ces mem es sudistes qu'il couvrait d'in-
ju res trois ans auparavan t. Phantasm es re angoisses s'erivo-
lent : « Je ne m'expose plus clans mes chansons, dit-il alors.
Je Jes chan te, un point c' est tout. Je fabrique mes chansons
comm c n'importc que l produit \..Jllaoufacture, pour n'im-
porte qui ... » II est passe de I'autre cote du spectacle et
sa musique s'en ressent.
En octobrc 1967 ii cnregistre John Wesley Harding a Nash-
vi lle, accom pagnc par trois musiciens. D ylan tourne le dos
a l'elec lron iq ue et aux progres les plus recents du rock.
Au moment meme ou Jes Beatles earegistrent Sergent
Pepper, il rctrouve la simplicite du style country et de
)' instrumentation acoust ique. Jl restc a Woodstock av e ~ · sa
femme el sei. trois enfants, co ntinue a improviser ave.: ses
music iens qui se nommenl desormais Th e Band. C alme,
dctendu. il ecrit des chansons heureuses et £rivoles. A la
fin de 19 68 il retou rnc a Nashvi lle ct enreg istre Nash ville
Sk" li ne. il n' av ait prepare que quatre chansons, mais
Johna\ C:'.~h vient un jour lui rendre visite au studio. lls
chantcnt cnscm hlc <1 Girl from the North Country ». Dylan
co mp o~e 4uc lqucs c hansons pendant la nuit qu'ils chante-
ron t en d uo . G ro'>sman n·aime pas les nouveaux albums :
Dylan sc brou illc avec lu i et ne reno uvelle pas son contra!
au printcm ps 1969. La reaction du public le preoccupe
plus q ue jamais mais ii n'a p lus de manager. Oubliant ses
anciennes co leres. ii se compose un no uveau personnage
po li ct a ffab le.
Cc Dylan campagnard ct fam ili al ne durera pas longtemps.
' Bob re\ ie nt :1 cw York a l'ete l 969 ct s'etablit dans UD
grand nppartement de Mc Dougal Street, en plein village,
tou t pres d e~ c luhs de ses debuts, le Gaslite, le Kettle of
r-i'>h. le Oi 11cr End. G crdc's. Il sort Self Portrait, plein de
musique;, douceatre et de vieill es chansons country eculees.
Violcmmcnt a ttaq ue par ses anciens fans, il decide de
renouer un pC'u avec son passe ct se rachete quelques mois
plus la rd avcc New Mornin1:;. II trnva ille, dit-il, a son auto-
bi o!!ra Dhie et se cherr he des « racines »'. Subitement, ii
verse dan s le jud:.i'isme, apprend l'hebreu, et udie les livres
~a ints. se rend en Is rael a plusi.e urs reprises : ii aide Iinan-
cierement plusieurs kibboutzim el assiste a des reunions
de !'organ isa tion sioniste militaole Jew ish Defense League.
La riposte nc se fait pas allcndre : "'' D ylan Liberation
Front, c rcc de 'toutcs pieces par le seul dylano logiste vivant,
A.J. Weberman, cristallise la fraycur ct J.'C!onncmcnt des
freaks. On visitc ses poubelles, o n !'acc use, on le vilipen-
d ic. Bref. on oublie que le izenie ce n·est pas toujours
d'e tre Jc premier ou le plus honnele, mai s le meilleur.
~ II est tres cpro uvant d'etre la proic du jugemcnl des
au tres q ua nd o n ne s·aime pas so i-m eme », dit un jour
Dylan. De tou te faco n, il se detourne du • trip Presley •.
ii n'cs t pas dcvcnu show man et se souvie nt avec une nos-
talg ie a peinc voi lce de son vicux public. Le disque d'or
u'est pas sa grande ambi tion . Peu a peu, on le rctrouve.
J; met a nouveau le nez dehors, apparalt impromptu dans
des concerts, r eflcchit encore, s'engage a ]'occasion -
comme apres la mo rt de Jackso n. La vie n'est pas une
equation et D ylan se dt!robe aux prev is ions comme aux.
ukhases. Charles M uraine •.
d'apres A. Scaduto, Bob Dylan -
(Grosset ct Dunlap, ed.), ct bien d'autres choses.
14
LESP()UBELLESDELAVERIT£
Entre D ylan e t Weherman
la guerre la plus ordu1'ie1·e a du rc pres d'un an.
Une treve rece nte e t precaire est interve nue au debut de l'armee.
Voici l'histoire e pique de ce combat houffon.
e coin des ¢ artistes > de
L Greenwich Vill age, c'est l'en-
vers de New York, un assem-
blage boiteux de petites mai-
sons de brique d'un rouge crasseux. Une
sortc Je Coron ameJiore, Un peu plus
riche. Dans une ville qui se decompose,
on ne ramasse pas les ordures a l'aube.
Une chance, pour le petit bonhomme
rondouillard qui fouine sans la moindre
retenue clans une poubell e bien garnie
de Mac Dougal street. Alan Jules We-
berman, dylanologiste distingue, remue,
cherche, renine, secoue a pleine mains,
hu rle parfois : « Ouawww ! Une merde
de chieo ! Une immonde merde de
chien ! :. La voie qui mene a Saint Dy-
lan est jonchee de bicn grossieres realiles
mais les poubelles, cntrc une bolte cven-
tree ct une godassc sa ns semcllc, laissent
echapper quelques perles. Un brouillon
de lettre de Johnny Cash - le chanleur
de country qui croit encore, el trop, a u
vieux mythes americains - , une vieille
Caisse d"oranges de Jaffa, un poeme a
maman Zimmerman, une vieille couche
encore humidc, tous .c es inestimables
indices disparaissent dans le sac en pa-
pier kraft de A.J. Weberman. Ce cher-
cheur consciencieux a 'hesite pas a s'en-
foncer au ca:ur du probleme.
Fin limier d'excelleot pedigree - celui
des yippies d'il y a trois ans - , ii debute
glorieusement a 1'5.ge de douze ans
comme revendcur de H. Etudiant stu-
dieux au easier judicia ire bien rempli,
ii effectue mille petits boulots avant de
se vouer corps ct ame au culte de Dylan.
Comme Abbie H offman, qu'il conaalt
depuis Jes New-York provo, groupuscule
pre-yippi e de 1967, Weberman possede
un humour inquieta nt, corrosif et impre-
visible. Les yippies regne nt en maltres
incontestes au royaume de Ia combine :
Weberman dctient cinq cartes de presse,
toutcs fausscs, imprimees en serie par
run de ses amis. Chez lui, uae immense
publicite de Coca-Cola, decrochee nui-
tamment d'une fac;:ade, mange tout un
mur. Dans un coin, Lm type en ecrase :
c·cst un militant en liberl e provisoire. ! Is
vivent taus de petits coups, d'astuce, de
detournements divers.
A peine rentrce, A.J. me conduit devant
une ctagere : quelques enveloppes, des
trophees, Jes meilleures ordures de D y-
lan, de Cassius Clay, de Rockfeller. Sc-
rieux comme ·un pape, ce grand maltre
du canula r me remct, comme a chaque
visi tcur, un volumineux dossier : son
analyse de la degenerescence de D ylan,
son «current bag>. Un enorme accor-
deon mecanographique vient a l'appui
de ses theses. Toute l'a:uvre de Dylan y
est passee au crible implacable de l'or-
dinateur IBM. Le grand flash Jui est
veau !ors d'un trip : la face cachee de
la poesie de Dylan , obscure et esoteri-
que, lui apparut dans toute sa splendeur
et !es contresens semblaient coller. JI
fa llait tout traduire, exprimer la pensee
du maltre en termes clairs, montrer son
desengagement progressif.
Trois cents heures de bandes magneti-
q ues recuperees ita et la, mille pages
tapees a la machine, deux ans de tra-
vail : « rain > (la pluie) devient ¢ vio-
te.n ce "• et ¢ pick i> (ramasser) devient
¢ ti rer >, ¢ stranger > (l'etranger) n'est
autre que le revolutionnaire, etc. La
science se devant d'etre au service de
!'action, la Dylanol ogie conduit Weber-
man au Front de liberation de D ylan
(DLF), fonde en 1970.
L'archeologie de la poubelle est une pra-
tique neuve. Son inventeur ne voula il
que renconlrer Dylan mais ii est aussi
complexe d'aborder une super-idole que
de croiser Marcellin aux Beaux-Arts ou
d'embrasser Garbo. A.J. risque un pre-
mier essai. Avec sa copine Ann Duncan
- qui peint inlassablement des Dylan
naifs - ii se rend tranquillement au
domicile de Bob, sonue au bouton mar-
que des cinq etoiles de la pop star,
c . ....... >. La porte s'entrebaille, rete-
nue par une chalae de surete. Un a:il
indifferent observe l'impor tun. ¢ Ouvrez,
Je veux entrer, je veux voir Dylan. >
Clac ! on ferme. U ne demi-heure apres,
nouvelle offensive. La femme de D ylan,
Sarah, est dans l'escalier. c Laissez-moi
voir Dylan. l> Fatiguee de son role de
chien de garde, Sarah se ' laisse parfois
flechir. A.J. penetre ainsi pour la pre-
miere fois dans le Saint des Saints. Dy-
lan app ara.it bientot : ¢ Que voulez-
vous? :t - c Je suis A.J. Weberman,
je voudrais... vous parler, et... ~
¢ Adressez-vous a mon manager, c'est lui
qui traite toutes mes affaires. i> - ¢ II
ne veut rien savoir. Voila ... J'ai ecrit un
livre ... l> - ¢ Adressez-vous a . moo ma-
nager i> , repete D ylan qui . s'apprete a
q uitter son fidele apotre. ¢ O.K. man,
comme tu veux " - c Que vouliez-vous
d'ai lleurs ? i> - « M'entretenir avec vous
de votre poesie... >, fa it bien humble-
ment A.J. Et D ylan sarcastique : ¢ Par-
ler de ma poesie, comme c'est gentil. .. >
11 etait deja rentre dans sa forteresse.
La porte close mene tout naturellement
Weberman a !'analyse des dechets, seul
contact intirne possible avec le maltre.
Les premieres poubelles sont riche:;. Mais
la so urce se tarit rapidement : Dylan
l'apprend et se mefie. Un jour, on ma-
nifeste pour l'anniversaire de Bob, cinq
cents freaks, trois arrestations. Une au-
tre fois, Weberman mene sa classe de
Dylanologie a l'Alteraate University en
travaux pratiques : une fouille de pou-
belle publique, observer c la seule pro-
duction de qualite de Dylan depuis
H ighway 61 revisited ... :. Ll, Dylan
commence a s'enerver. Weberman ra-
conte : c J'en avais vraiment plein le cul,
le jour ou j'ai rencontre D ylan. Une
tonne de merd ~, Jes flies, et la tete qui
n'allait plus du tout. J'ai ete faire ma
classe hebdomadaire sur Dylan et j'ai
decide : ce so ir on se lance dans ['expe-
rimentation, on va chez Jui. A ci nq uan-
te, on a descendu Ia Sixieme avenue vers
Mac Dougal street. En passant dans la
Quatrieme rue, ou Dylan habitait en
1963, j'expliquai a mes eleves qu'elle
avait inspire la chanson Positively Fourth
Street mais un ivrogne bavard m'a
empech e de continuer. En chemin, on
a ramasse qnelques beatniks qui tral-
naient par la et on s'est bientot retrouve
devant chez D ylan. J'ai commence a
hurler « H e, Bobby, mets un peu le nez
a ta fenetre ! l> Un autre mec cria :
c Ouvre-nous, Bobby ! i> A l'etage, [es ·
lampes s'allumerent et s'eteignirent pl u-
sicurs fo is, u n des gosses de Dylan re-
gard a par la feoetre. Nous firoes silence
el je penetrai resolurnent dans Jc hall de
J'immeublc. Mes elcvcs se separerent en
deux fac tions : cell e des dur du Front
de Li beration de Dylan qui rentrerent a
ma su ite, et celle indecise des groupies,
restees dehors. Finalement on est res-
sorti, et la classe decida d'etudier de ce
pas les poubelles de Dylan. Mais <:omme
j'avais deja ecrit un articie sur le sujet,
on n'a rien trouve de bien interessant.
Sharon <tenclance groupie) arriva a ce
moment pour me signaler un fait nou-
veau : ¢ Regarde de l'autre cote, ii y a
un mec q ui resscmblc a Dyla'n comme
deux gouttes d'eau... » Sainte Merde.
je me dis, qu'est-ce que je vais foutre
maintenant ! Voila que Dylan me prend
la main dans la poubell e. 11 pourrait de-
vcni r violent. E n effet, Bob etait la :
avec son costume blue-jean et ses lu-
nelles sans monture, une epaisse fu mee

Dylan a riposte : sa bonne n'abandonne plus ses ordures ql!'au
seul eboueur. Weberman y avail recolte, en plualeurs fols, trols
couches usagees qu'll garde en souvenir : « II apparut, dlt-11, que
Sasha, le chlen de Dylan, ne savalt pas se retenlr et ~u'un chat,
au moins frequentalt les lieux. De nombreux joumaux dB· rock
montrent que l'homme es• sensible a la prose des critiques. II se-
ralt plalsant de declarer que la malson de Dylan tetalt des
15
steacks a moltie entames et des boites de truffes ou de ·caviar.
II mange en realite plutot sobrement. Vous pouvez volr une boile
de pizza en haut a gauche. Je lrouvais quand meme un ob)et de
valeur : une lampe que j'alme bien, et plusieurs ecrlts revela-
teurs : tels un debut de lettre a Johnny Cash, le chanteur Coun-
try et reac, ou une ebauche de portrait d'Hendrix, dessinee le
soir de sa mort et dechlree peu apres. ,,
lui sortait de la tete : ii y avail de
l'O.K. Corral dans !'air. Je murmurai :
c Oh ma Dylar.0logie, nc m 'abandonne
pas ! • tout en m 'avan9ant vers D ., a
qui je trouvai !'air batard d 'un etudiant
du Talmud miitinc de Pop star. Je pris
!es dcvant : c Comment 9a va mec ? >
c Arrcle le magneto •, fit-il en guise
de reponse. J"arretai le magneto quc
j'avais a la main ct ii ajouta : c Pour-
quoi t' ame ncs to us ces types autour de
chez moi "! » - « On etait parti pour
des travaux pratiques, je Jui rcponcls,
mais c'est 11 devenu unc m anifesta tion
contre toi. el contre tout ce que tu re-
presentes > - « Viens Alan, qu'il fai l, on
va causer un m oment. > II me saisit par
le bras avcc une vigueur q ui ne laissail
guere le choix. J e c riai : 4; Relax, m ec,
9a fair, m aJ ! Pas de violence ! • -
c Al , qu'il dit, jc ne t'ai done jamais
parlc de mon karate ? • (... ). D ylan
~· assi t sur !cs marches d' un petit immcu-
ble a quelques centa incs de metres de la
el la conversatio n sc poursutt . JI me de-
hite to utcs ses 1mbecillites du genre :
c. La guerre d u V iet-nam n 'es t qu'un
Karm a, IOU~ le mo ndc a tort », CIC.
JI n'a imait pas les Panlheres Noires, a
cause de Jeur attitude s ur le Moyen-
Orient : c L petit Israel contre to us
ces ... > Je dus lui expliquer que to ut
le monde avail le droit de vivre. !es
juifs, Jes arabes. mais aussi Jes rcfu-
gi6 pales1iniens. C'cst a lors qu·u •I de
mes clcves s'est pointe, mais je 11ii ai
dit de se tirer, qu'o n n'avait pa, de
temps a perdre. Dylan pretendit avoir
voulu m ' invitcr; deux mois auparavant ,
dans sa m aiso n de W oodstock . « Pour-
quoi du !'as pas fa it - je lui demandai
- . ii faut manifester devant ta po r tc
pour quc LU te decides a negocier ? Tu
conna is pourta nt mon devouement a to n
a:uvre. • -
0
c J e sais Al, un jour jc
l em m enerai faire un tour et je t'aiderai
a interpreter mes poernes, t u en as dro-
lement besoin. • - c <;;a serait pas un
to ur du cote des docks, des fois ? > -
~ Non. Tu sais, Al , tu as fait pet.Ir a
mes voisins en cria nt comme 9a, to ut a
J"hcurc. • - c D esole m ec, que je lui
dis. je ne voula is pas nuire aux nutres.
Seu lement. tu vois, les militants du DLF.
depuis qu'ils savcnt ou t'e n es, ils sont
devcnus vachem ent violents et j'ai du
mal a !es retenir. T'es pas sympa pour
tes fa ns. lu n'es plus a la ha uteur... >
- c Tu sais Al , moi aussi je connais
des gens q ui ne t'ai menl plus bcaucou p,
surt o ut depuis que tu ~ou ill es dans mes
poubelles. Je commence a en avoir
ma rrc de to us ccs mecs qui ~ iennent
y ramasser des souvenirs pour accrocher
dans !cur\ piau les ! T'aimerais pas 9a
no n plus. si i;:a r a rrivait > - « Achetc-
toi un broyeur et fa is-m oi signe une- fo is
par scmainc. > - c J'a ime pas les ma-
ch ines. > - c Dis done, Bob, tu vou-
<lra i!. pas me faire eli mincr, par ha-
~ard ? > - T'as peur ? > - « Tu sais,
rargcnt donne le pouvoir, et quand on
en a hca ucoup ... > - « Non, je ne le
ferai pas, Al, tu peux dormir tranquille.
D e loute fa~o n . c'est trop tard. • -
c J'cn ctais pas sur, m ec, la General
Motors a bien essaye d'elim ioer N ader .
En tout cas, t'as intfret a le faire d iscre-
tement ... ,,
C'est alors quc je dem a rrai, balan9ant a
D . un grand discours sur l'imperialisme,
Jc racism e ct le sexisme (ii n'avait pas
!'a ir d'ecoutcr), et pu is je Jui a i signifie
que Nash ville S kyline fn isait chier, ct
q ue Self Po rtrait, c'eta it d u vol. Les
gens l'ont ache tc sur son nom e t n'ont
jamais pu l'eco utcr. Aucun de ces deux
albums ne traduisait vraime nt la realite
o bjective. Dylan rcpondi tranquille-
mcnt :
- Sans eux, je n'aura1s pas iait N e w
Mom inR. ct d 'a illcurs, jc commence j u~ e
a m 'y rcfro uvcr en mus14uc ... Dis <lone,
Al , tu prentls tics am phcs '!
- N o n m ec. si j'a i tant d'cncrgic c'cst
quc jc me branche a fon d sur la vie,
JE VIS, MFC... !
- Pourquoi s'ohsl111er sur le <,1_uotid 'en
al o r~ que...
- Et tu crois q u"il faut q1,1e JC m'intcr-
roge sur lcs m a rt icns. npn ?
Tu es s(1r quoi. Al ?
Le joint ct la cafc inc. ct oi '!
Ricn .
B,11:;)tin !
J e tlois neanmoins adm cttrc q ue j'ai tou-
jours vu Dylan 41.vc l'dil frai~, Allcz,
salu t Al. q u'i l fail . h n se ve,rra bieo tot. ,,
Je Jui tend" k poing f ·rme ct ii se ti(a.
Quam.I j'armai che1 m oi, j plana is
d'cmot1on. J c pa 1la1s avcc Harvey. u
potc avocat, q 11a nd le t~le pho11 e so nna.
c Salut. Al. c·e~t Bo b ~
D ' un scul co up. le telepho ne reson na
com m c unc cha inc stereo clans une c , -
thed rnlc.
- Tu veu x veni r me voir dcm ain '!
qu' il pours uit.
- Qucll c q uest ion. JC d1'. c'esl comi:nc
dema nder i1 un m ec en manquc s'1l veut
un fixe !
- Al. jc vcux vra 1111c111 It' remercier.
avec l0 ll5 tcs trues tu 111 'as fail vc ndrc
un sacre ""paq110.: t u d isqucs.
- Ouais. c 'csl un , speer dt' la Oylan0-
logic quc jc n 'aiml" pa' hca ucoup. On
va essayer d \ 111ell re 110 tcrm e
Dis do ne. Al. tu sa1s cnndutrc .,
- Non. j'a i 1ama1' 'ill
- Dommago.:. f .1v, t\ •11,t.: ment 1'csotn
d' un cha (1I fo.: ur.
Non ma is d is dnnL t'c~\a 1 c 1-.1" pas
de m·achctc . d ' s h••' ' J',1 im.: autant
de prcvc1111 , 1 ~ l P lJ:'\ ARR El FR
TOUT DE SU IT[ I
Le lendem a in. j'alla1s k ' tr ;1 son stu-
dio. 11 m e dc ma ml a d'cmhl cc cc q uc JC
pen sa i ~ de T im I ea ry: Je le Lrouve
extra , c'est un revolut ion na irc de la pre-
miere heure. II a compris q uc po ur
plai rc a la classc m o yc nne, ii fa ll ai t
parlcr un Ja ngage mystique. U n vrai
heros national de W oodstock N atio n.
Et Loi , qu'e n pc nscs-tu ? > Dyla n hcsitc ,
puis : « Tu sa is. jc nc suis pas branche
sur la politi que. •
- He di ~ ! a d'autres ! co m ment cx-
pliques-lu tous ccs jou rna ux que j'ai
tro uve da ns ta poubcllc '!
- C'est la m cme poubelle pour tout
l'immeuble. ,, .... ,,...,.
- Ouais, dis done mec, je vais te parler
un peu de ta politique, une politique de
genocide. Quand je vendais mon edition
pirate de Taran111/a dans la rue, les gens
me disaient, d'apres · ce qu';I savaient
de toi, que tu soutenais la guerre du
Viet-nam. 11 y avait notamment une in-
terview dans Sing Ow ...
- J'ai fais cette interview pour que Jes
freaks me foutent la paix une fois pQ.ur
toutes. Quand j'habitais Woodstock, il
y avail toutes les cinq minutes un type
qui sonnait a la portc. La celebrite en
dehors de tout controle, je n'avais pas
pense un seul instant que 9a irait jusque-
Ja. et,, J'AlME PAS <;;A! Partout ou je
vais. rncme d a ns lcs bleds Jes plus re-
culcs, ii y a toujours un groupe de
freaks qui vient me coller au cul.
- Achete-toi une perruque !
- Pourquoi tu m 'en achetes pas une....
Al ?
(...) Pendant toute la conversation, le
telephone n 'a pas arrcte de sooner. Quel-
qu'un entra pour donner a D . une lettre
de fan accompagnee d'un recueil de
poemes. II parcourut la Jettre et me
tendit le bouquin. c Rega rde un peu,
ct dis mois cc que L'en pcnses ... Tu sais,
j'aurais du publier un livre de poemes ii
y a deux ans ... •
-- Bof. .. et toi, qu'cst-ce que tu penses
de ce 4ue je Cais?
- Tu y crois. dit-il
Et moi : c Dans unc autre epoque, j'au-
ra is pcut-etre ctutlic le Talmud. •
- M oi a ussi, fait Dylan, qui ajoute :
Lu vcux voir le rcste du studio?
On trave rsa une piece encombree d'ins-
truments de musiques et de tableaux. de
D . - des trues. des peinturcs d'un im-
prcs. ionnismc abyssal. c Aime~tu ma
pc.mture? >, me dcmande-t-il.
- T u ferais mieu x de t'en tcnir a la
pocsie
re pcins cc que j'ai clans le crane.
-- " est plu1l\1 vide.
M a .rupo se dut le satisfairc parce que,
po ur la. premiere ois, ii ril. ET FAUT
V l~A I MENl SE DONNER m r MAL
POUR CE FAJR E R IRE. La, j'cu pro-
fit a i JJOU t 15.c her Jc m o rccau :
Dvl nn. t u dois ctre a la hauteur, assu-
mer. la rcspom abilttc! de heros culture!
- tu c~ D yhl!), mcc. Tout freak te
gardo.: dans son cccur un pctit coin sen-
sible II-; l'a1ment, mcc. Tu es Dylan.
DY i AN . D Y-LAN. - c Dylan, c'est
pas m oi. C'cst toi. > - c Jc sais. En
fo ll. t'es quclqu 'un d 'aulre, hcin? •
Nous retournamcs a l'cntrce du stu-
dio. II m e dcmanda si je voulais quel-
que~ di sque~. c Non . quc je fais, jc me
debrou ille pas mal avcc lcs maisons de
disqucs. ;>
« Unc pho to dedicacce ? »
« J c t 'ai dit q ue j'ai deja tout <;a dans
mes a rchives... mais continuons. Tu
crois quc c 'cst !'argent qui t'a corrompu .
Tu as memc declare une fois que plus
o n partic ipc au systeme, plus on est
conserva te ur, rappcllc-toi : c les rela-
tions de pouvoir t'cmpcchent de planer.
etc. >. Oua is, mec, t'as utilise la lutte

des Noirs pour devenjr c elebre, Blowing
in the ll'ind, _,a le <.l it r ie n ?... Tu as di-
gere leur musiq ue e n y ajo utant ta sau-
ce. Tu leu r dois bea ucoup, non ? :o
« Possible. >
C'est alors que je co mmem;ais a lui ex-
pliquer ce q ue je pensais des g uerres d e
liberation du Tiers Moncle. Je Jui parlai
d"un pauvre type d e mes amis qui c re-
vait de faim au M exique . <;a lui donna
une idee : « Tiens, on va ecrire une
chanson sur ton voyage et o n partagera
les royalties. ~
Tu peux envoyer ma part a ux grevis-
tes de Cal ifornie.
Dis-moi seulement ce qui s"est pas-
se. je vais ecrire q uelques lignes.
A Progresso, dans le Y ucatan, j'ai
habite chez ce lrava ille u r ... Tous les cli-
ches du Tiers-Monde, tu vo is, pauvrete,
famine, malad ie - un vra i cauchemar,
une intermi nable ag o nie . Bref, pour evi-
ter Je crever de faim , le mec est deve-
n u un bracero, u ne so rle d e journalier
agricole .
Bracero ~a rime avcc sombrero.
Oua is, ce type, ii pensa it mc mc q ue
les commuoistes elaie nt des m ed io cres
- oo lui avait bien la ve le cer~eau ! -
... sa baraque etait jus te e n face d u d epot
d 'ordure .. . Avec cette c ha nso n, tu vois.
ii faut coovaincre les Americaios q ue
leu r d evo ir est de so utenir les g ue r res
de liberation.
Et voila ce que D yla n ava it trouve co m-
me refrain : « La- bas a Progresso, un
bracero vivait c;laos uo sombrero p lein
d"exp resso. »
« Quo i ! bord el ! qu'est-ce que c;:a veut
d ire ? Avec de telles a ll egories tu ne
vas convai ncre pe rsonae . > - « C 'est
c;:a m o o tr ue, Al. :o
(...) A lors la, · je l'1mgueulai : « Oua is
mec, un vra i reac voila ce que t'es, tu
ne te sers pas de ton influence pour ai-
der Jes gens. Tu pourrais sauver des
vies si tu vou lais. R egarde un peu ce
qui vien t d e se passer au Pakist1U1. >
- Je me demande b ie a pourquoi le
Bon Dieu a voulu que tous ces gens
meurent.
- Allons, tu ne vas pas me dire que tu
crois en Dieu ?
- Evidemment que j'y cr.ois.
- Tu ne tro u ves pas que c'est contra-
dictoire avec ce que lu disais dans ta
chanson With God i11 Our Side. Tu
cro) ais en Dieu a l'epoque ?
- Oui ... probabl em e nt.
- Et si tu te servais de tes cinq millions
d e dollars pour aider Jes ge ns ?
- J'en a i pas tant.
- Tu parles ! ii y a e u des fuites. Tu
n'es qu'un sale multimillionaire, d'a il-
leurs tu te proclamais d e ja millionaire ·
en 1965 ... et les concerts gratuits, c 'est
pas too genre, e n plus, tu fai s des chan-
sons apolitiqucs comme Nash ville Skyli-
ne, de la guimauve. Tu t'es co upe les
c he veux, tu ne joues qu'a vec des musi-
ciens de rock qui se foutcnt complete-
menl d e la politique, tu pues. Le DLF
et moi. o n va en pa rler. On a quelques
projets qui vont le peter la te te. ( ... )
Q uclqucs jo urs aprcs, D y lan m'appela
d e nouveau. 11 sa va il bi e n q ue j'allais
po nd r-c u n a rticle u parl ir de nos con-
versatio ns cl <ra n·avait pas !'a ir de lui
pla ire. Des que le te lephone SC mil a
~o nn er. jt: 111e Lle m erda i s upe rvite po ur
branche r 1110 11 m agne lo : cette fo is au
m o ins. ii nc me prcndrail pas de vitcs-
~c. I I insisla po ur que .i e lui li sc le texte
ii u teleph o ne. ce que je fi s. II g ue ula .
hie n sur. mais n'appo rl a que d es correc-
tio ns d e detail. Puis ii m e dem a ncla :
- Di ~ done, Al. l'es en l rain d e t"en-
registre r tout 9a . hein ?
- Euhcuheuh ...
- Ah ! jc peu x pas avoir co nfi a nce en
to i. Wehe rm an. je pe u x v raiment pa'
:ivoir confiance e n loi ...
- Eh h ic n e u h... jc pe u x pas.. . J"a i
p a ~ .... eu h. j"vais ... j"peu x rien e n fai re
de toutc fac;:on. mec. pas v rai ? Jc pcm
ricn en faire ...
Alors t'as tout enreg is lre. he in ?
- Euh non pas vraimenl . no n ... juste
un p ... c nfin, e uh , unc pa rti c. quo i. .. le
m ag neto m a rche tres m a l. alo rs 1u vois ...
Q u·esl-ce q ue t'as pris ?
- J"sa is pas. j"sai s pas ...
- Al ors comme <;a tu vas fa ire ccou-
ter la bande a tes eleves ... Bravo mec .
1u \' pe rds : je ne t'appell era i pl us ja-
111a1s. fini ssons-en.
M ais jc re pri s c a rrc111en1 :
- Dis done, Bob. pourquoi est-ce que
t u fais jamais I.a preuve que tu as le
creur a gauche ? En donnant un concert
po ur J o hn Sinclair. par exe mpl e, o u pou r
les pri sonniers poli liques.
- E n ce mo m e nl. j'ai pas plus envie
d 'a ider Sinc la ir que de donner des con-
certs, mcc.
- Tout ce que t'as a fa ire, c'est sor-
tir de chez toi. bra ncher la g uitare et
cent mille freak s e mergeront de !curs
gourbis ...
- D eso le, A l, je ne peux pas fa ire 9a
mais j'ecrirai une cha nson s ur le<> pri-
sonniers politiques d ans mon prochain
album .
- Pas de promesses pour dans neuf
 mois, Bob ! Jc vcux de !'action, et tout
de suite. Tu comprcnds, tu fais la loi
dans le rock. Condu is-toi en ho rnme, ii
y en a des tds tl'autres q ui se conduiront
en hommcs ... A propos, comment veux-
tu quc je finisse l'a rticlc ?
- J'e n sais rien, c 'esl ton article, no n ?
- O .K . rncc ... tout ce que je t'ai lu
tout a l'hcurc, c 'ctait vrai, non ?
- i=n gros, oui, m a is pas vraiment.. .
j"ai dit quelque chose d'approchant,
mais tu le dcformcs en l'utilisant, tu ci-
tes hors du contexte, comme Look Ma-
gazi11e.
- Aaaah, tu n'as pas le courage de cc
q ue tu dis, mec !
- Et puis quoi encore ?
- Tu ne defends meme pas tes pro-
prcs chanso ns, c'cst clair.
- Mee, je cro is que je vais ecrire un
article sur to i. o u mieux, je va is ecrire
une chanso n sur toi.
- Bo nne idce, era me fera de la publi-
cil e.
- Oua is. d'a ille urs. c'est la seule raison
po ur laq ucll c jc ne l'ecrira i pas, mais
c'est un hon sujet pour une chanson.
Commen t tu vas l'appeler ?
- Le pore.
- Alors, je sui s un pore, c'est era que
tu veux dire ?
- · Ouais. exacte m enl.
- Putain de merde que je suis un pore,
mec !
Sihemcnl , mec.
C'est plut ot loi. le pore !
Et ton magneto. ii court toujours?
Ouais, mec.
11 est pas cassc ?
Non. c·est un bon m agneto.
Tu devrais pas faire era, Al , tu vaux
pas plus chcr que les fli es avec leurs
lable!> d"ccoutc. Et en plus, tu fo uilles
dans Jes poubclles comme un vieux co-
cho n !
-- Cc quc je faisais, Bob, c'etait po ur
ton bien. Mttis tu -n 'es qu'un eynique.
- Non mee. c'cst triste ce qui t'arrive.
- N on. c'cst toi que dcformes tout.
Qu 'e!>t-ce que j'e n ai a faire de tes pou-
belles. je nc Jes ai pas vendues a Life
Magazi11e, non ? !
- (incredule) Paree que tu crois que
Li/e Maw1Zine aurait achete mes pou-
bclles ?
- J's ui~ pas comme to i, mec, je fais
to ur pour rien. Je crois que Jes choses
dcvruicnt ctre gra tuites . M es articles ne
me rapportcnt pas un rond. Les gens qui
m'ceri vent pour me remercier, voila mon
sala ire. Quant! j'ai besoin de ble, je fa is
la plonge dans une des bottes de Green-
wich Village. c'cst commc era que je vis,
moi !
- Que Dieu le benisse !
- Tu sais cor.nbien m'a rapporte la D y-
lnnologie ·7 Vingt-cinq dollars, il y a
• • lrois an -;, pour un pa picr dans un jour-
••• na l au moment tie N oel. Et j'en suis fier,
•• mec .
- Tu as bicn raison, m ec.
' - Et si j'ai envoyc des articles gratis,
c t s i j'ai foui ll e dans tes po ubelles, c'etait
•• pas. tu vois ... Tout ce que je voulais
•••
fai re, c'etait montrer que tu etais vu!-
••
nerable et ri9icule , mec. ll y a trop de
gens malheureux a cause de toi et de
ce que t'es devenu. Je re-ecoute souvent
tes chansons, el c'est vraiment depri-
mant.
- Ouais, mais je les ai rendus plus heu-
heux que malheureux. Leur plaisir vaul
largement leur tristesse ( ...) Tout ce que·
je sais, tu vois, si j'etais un petit mec, je
veillerai a changer de trottoir quand je
te croise. Tu portes deja un petit badge,
la, juste au-dessus du creur, on devrait
plutot t'accrocher unc grande pancarte
dans le dos.
- <;a te va bien de dire era ! LID type
qui a ecrit des chansons comme toi et
qui vi t comme tu vis !
- Oui mec, et qui done a ecrit de
m e illeures chansons que moi? De s
noms !
c Voyons... Creedence Clearwater? »
- D e la me rde.
- Gordon Lightfoot n'est pas ma! du
tout.
- Ouais, pas m a!.
- II ecrit de bans t rues, des chansons
asscz choucttes. Et un autre type qui a
pas ma ! d' imagination. attend, comme
d ans Tarantula ... ah oui, Barba ra Keefe ...
Hum .. .
John Lenno n '!
En progres.
George Harrison ?
Mmmm ... mouais.
J im M c G uinn ?
Quoi !
Proco! Harum. e t le parolier, Keith
Reid '?
Oua is, habiles ...
Et G race Slick? Trop politique?
J'sa is pas, ellc ecrit des trues ?
Oua is, elle ccrit, mais c'est trap po-
litique, hein '!
- Si tu le dis ... Ecoute, Al, faut que
jc me tire. <;a suffit. pour !'article?
- Je fera i les c ha ngeme nts que tu m'as
demande.
- Je peux voir lcs corrections?
Quand era !'arra nge.
-- Demaio ?
- Dem a in ? Non, JC dai s aller cher-
cher des badges.
Ah oui?
J'en ai fait imprimer un bon nombrc.
Et qu'est-ce qu' il y a dessu s?
Li berez Bob Dylan.
<;;a c'est extra, mec. J'en fais fa bri-
quer moi aussi ...
Quoi ? Liberez A .J . Weberm an ?
Non.
A.J. le pore ?
Ouais, mec, tu l'as d it, A.J. le p o re,
avec ta photo dessus.
L'affaire D yla n-Weberman faillit se ter-
miner, en septembre, dans un bain de
sang . Culbutes yippies contre karate dy-
lanesque. un combat de titans. A.J. de-
venait feroce. fl traitait sans cesse D ylan
de junkie, de « pore capitaliste >, un
homme capable d' invcstir un million de
francs dans des immeubles, d 'acheter
cent mille francs d 'actions de societes
compromises dans la · guerre du V iet-
nam, le conglomerat Ling Tempo Voight
par exemple. II aide la Jewish Defense
League, organisation sioniste de ,Aroite,
il est le seul a toucher .de-¥-a~enl~cin­
quante centimes par alburi17sur le disque
collectif Bengla Desh, etc.
Et !'inevitable affrontement survient un
jour ou A .J . c faisait une poubelle >
pour un photographe de !'Associated
Press. Alors qu'il avail le nez dedans,
Sarah D ylan l 'obse rvai~ du pre mier eta-
ge derriere ses jalousies. N'y tenant •
plus, elle descend dans la rue, agresse
le photographe ct prend a parti Weber-
man , le chiffonnier de la Table Ronde :
~ Laisse tout c;a, sale parasite ! " Deux
couches a la main, A.J. Jui repond, SU- .
perbc « Mcrdc, tu jettes des tas de
trues interessa nts, laisse-moi do ne !es
prendre. Je fais du recyclage ... > Plus
a vant dans la journee, alors qu'A.J .
ctait sorti acheter un coca-cola, ii se
trouve moleste par un sinistre individu.
D ylan qui n' aime pas qu'on parle haul
ii. sa femme, etait passc a ('action direc-
te. e n lui sautant sur le dos.
De puis !ors, sur le front D ylan, la pro-
gression des forces revolutionnaires s'est
averee remarqua ble. Fin scptembre, Dy-
lan ecrit une chanson e ngagee sur la
m a rt de George Jackson. et !es vieux
freaks de fri ssonncr d'emoi. Bob Dylan.
a retrouvc Allen G insberg, il enregistre
plus OU moins avec lui. Tous deux eeri-
vent un pocme sur la convention repu-
bl icai ne de Sa n Diego ou lo us !es yip-
pies. zi ppies et autrcs freaks sont con-
vies le 12 juillet pour s'opposer a la re-
e lection de Nixon.
c A ller a San Diego. pousscr un cri sa-
cre
A ller a San Diego, no us ne Luerons plus
Les politicicns nc ~cront plus des putes
Aller a San Die go. nous sommcs de-;
pacifisles
Le vieux Ni xon doit s'effacer devant le
peuple. »
Une Lelle conve rsion, meme demagogi-
quc. coupait court aux o peratio ns du
Front de Liberat io n de Dyla n. ct Wc-
berman s·est formellement e ngage ii ne
pl us !'importuner. D'aille urs. ce ne soo t
pas lcs poubcll cs qui manquent, m eme
si leur abord est dangereux. On ne rode
pas impuncment autour de celle de D a-
vid Rockefell er, grand banquicr. frcrc
du gouve rneur de l' Etat de New York
« J'~sperais y trouver quelque c hose. a u
moins de !'argent use. quelques grosses
co upures tachecs de confiture, je nc sais
pa~ ... • . dit A .J. I I n·a pas eu le temps.
Si Lot le couvcrcle Ieve sur trois beltera-
' e~ ct q uelqucs os de poulet. dcux flies
peu affab les /ui beuglem dans cctte
oreille gauche qu'il a s i tendre : c Qu'est-
ce que tu mets dans cette poubelle ? » -
« R ien. i'cssaie plut6t d'enlever ... • -
« Quoi ! Tu te fo us de nous ! ,, Et no us
entendrons longtemps reson ner la fiere
repo nse d' Alan Jules Weberma n c Im-
beciles, vous connaissez bien des collee-
ti o nneurs de timbres, de cartes posta-
les, de ca illoux, de diamants, de jarretcl-
les, de femmes, de fleurs en plastique.
de poupecs, a lors n' importunez pas un
collectionneur de dechcts ... "
J11/ie11 Vladimir .

2. Alfash
Collector'sView
ofBobDglan
By Eleanor Moore
The pop scene has produced any, number of freaks, but
A.J. Webberman deserves more than just a place in the
Pantheon. He's the High priest of pop. Like all true
religionists his lifestyle is humble. And approaching his .
Bleecker Street loft su"ounded by decrepjt warehouses and
falling down apartments, I had second thoughts. Access to
the holy temple is made only if A.J. deigns to look down
from his street-front window and hears you calling out on
the street below. He 11 come down and unlock the door and
lead you up two very unstable flights of stairs, past the
communal toilets, up to a lacquered green door embossed
with gold letterings:
A .J.
Dylan Archives
A portal to a better world? A distinct relief from the dark
stale hallway.
A.J. 's manner is diffident as he settles himself into the
wingbacked canvas chair (in front of a fake fireplace) in
this symbolically well-lit, frifndly sanctuary. The relics of
his Dylan scholarship bespeak themselves: his volumes of
computerized lyric concordance comprise the Gospel; these
famous garbage graftings, the New Testament; and the walls
and shelves are everywhere invested with comprehensive
Dylan iconography - photos, stories, albums.
As A.J. begins to speak about himself, I realize that his
beginnings were anything but messianic. This 26-year-old
Dylan scholar grew up in Brooklyn of all places, and his
father was an attorney. But when A.J. was 15, he
discovered dissent and decided to be a socialist and atheist
(after brief devotion to that right-winged sect, Young
Americans for Freedom). His Orthodox-in-every-way
parents sent him to Michigan State to cool off And his
non-directed activist head discovered Dylan 's politics and
poetry in the early songs like Freight Train Blues and
Blowing in the Wind A.J. was hooked and discipled:
"Dylan was my brother, someone you could trust. "But he
returned to New York and lost Dylan-track for awhile in
sporadic bouts working for a "blatant ripoff employment
agency" for unsuspecting blacks and Puerto Ricans and
defending himself with a "disabled bb gun" in various
apartments on the lower east side.
"Bringing it all Back Home" renewed A.J. 's Dylanesque
devotions and begin surely one of the weirdest, all-time
crazy freak (self espoused) careers of pop-time. As my
interview with him indicates, A.J. 's a man possessed, a true
phoenatic.
Charlie: I'm curious about how you see yourself today.
'S' ;' ' -<"
Do you see yourself as a new kind of pop personality, a sort
of Boswelli;m figure who interprets and chronicles a
star's life and work? A pop parasite, so to speak? Obviously
you feel what you're doing is valid.
A.J.: Yes. I don't see myself as a parasite.
Charlie: Well, that's facile.
A.J .: The parasites in the rock business are the
promoters and the entrepreneurs, the middle men who really
don't do any creative work themselves, but just kind of
weasle their way into a position where they can get some
bread out of the whole deal. Because, I work very hard at
what I do. I think I spend more time interpreting Dylan's
poetry than he spends writing it.
In a sense, though, I am ripping Dylan off for his fame.
I'm using Dylan's name and reputation in order to get
access to the media. But I feel that what I have to say is a
hundred times more important than what Dylan has to say.
Charlie: Why?
A.J.: Because all Dylan says in his lyrics is heroin is
beautiful. He sings the praise of heroin in his lyrics.
Charlie: But that's only your interpretation.
A.J.: Oh, no. I'd bet my life on it. It's not just one thing.
It would take me hours and hours to explain why I think
it's happening. I have been recognized as the leading
authority on Dylan's lyrics, and I can tell - it's the only
way it makes sense.
The main theory of Dylanology really isn't that far out.
It's been used before by other people. It's the theory of
analytic criticism. I've studied each word in Dylan, and I've
seen how Dylan uses each word - in various contexts to
find out what that word means.
Charlie: You take in the oeuvre, not just specific songs,
to develop this elaborate key.
A.J.: And it works. It's consistent, and people believe it.
And nobody's come up with a better system. Being a big
Dylan fan, I have no reason to want the cat to be a junkie.
And yet, this is what it comes out, his poetry's abo ut junk.
What can I tell you?
Charlie: You sound like T.S. Elliot How do you feel
about multi-layered symbolism?
A.J.: WeU, on some levels, Country Pie is about food :
But on it's most significant level, in Dylan's secret language,
 ,, . ,6"
it's about heroin. I'm not the only one who understands
these songs - there are many other artists who understand
them, too. And they write songs in this secret language,
putting him down for being a junkie.
Charlie: Who?
A.J.: Oh, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel,
Steppenwolf, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater,
they all use the same symbols as Dylan and put him down.
It's there clear as day, once you know the secret language.
Once you know French or Spanish, the minute you know
the language, understand the symbols and how they're
used, you start to listen to rock and see what it's all about.
Dylan is the founder of rock poetry, and there are many,
many, many other Dylanologists, but they are all into the
music thing. I'm the only one who talks about it in literal
terms. They all write songs and sing about it, but I talk
about it in literal terms.
Charlie: Why does it have to be this conscious?
A.J.: It has to be this conscious because there 's-so much
information tP.at's transmitted.
Charlie: What kind of feedback have you gotten?
A.J.: John Lennon's mentioned my name. I interpreted
his lyrics and Lennon mentioned my name. In Give Peace A
Chance he says "Everybody's talking about Webberman."
Paul Seaver wrote a song to me called "Jasper in the
Minors." "Jasper told the miners, Dylan told his critics not
to dig too deep, cause they might find something he'd
rather keep asleep ."
Charlie: I meant Dylan - what kind of feedback have
you gotten?
A.J.: I've talked to Dylan. I think just the fact that he's
willing to be my friend and talk to me and wasn't afraid
that I was going to shoot him. Because, if it was true, if I
was inventing all this and going around saying this on
television, in Rolling Stone, all over the media, if it wasn't
true, Dylan would say, "Wow. Webberman'sjust a nut, I am
what I am - I have a bunch of kids, I own real estate." But
that 's just a front that he has to keep the heat off him. Or
that's his lifestyle. Dylan has retained some of the hip
lifestyle , but the ugliest parts.
Dylan would say. "All I'm singing about is country pie
and love - this Webberman is crazy." But Dylan doesn't
treat me that way at all.
Charlie: Maybe he doesn't take you seriously . How does
he treat you?
A.J.: The cat admits that I'm right, and he asks me to
play it down , not to talk about it.
Charlie: He said this to you?
A.J.: It's on a tape between me and Dylan. I said I'm
going to New Haven, and he says, " Don't talk about my
uhh, don't talk about my hmmm," what I call his current
bag - or scag!
Charlie: When did you meet Dylan?
A.J.: I met Dylan after I had a demonstration in front of
his house with my Dylan class. We called it a field trip, and
he finally came out. He wouldn't meet with me before
then.
Charlie: In Woodstock?
A.J.: This was on MacDougal Street. And then we had a
series of meetings afterwards. But I found his garbage was
much more interesting ...
Charlie: Let's get into that!
A.J.: . . . than the meetings. Well, Anne and I were going
over to the Cafe Gaslight. We happened to be walking past
Dylan' s house, and we saw Dylan's garbage lying
outside there .
Charlie: How'd you know it was his?
A.J.: Well, we figured it was in front of his house , and
we looked through it, and sure enough, there was letters
written to Bob Dylan. So I said, wow, I've got a great way
to find out about Bob Dylan and study him: I'll go through
his garbage. So after that , we went through the garbage
every night. I heard from a friend of Dylan, that pretty
soon Dylan became aware that somebody was going
through his garbage, dealing his garbage! Somebody said,
"It's Webberman." And he said, "The thought crossed my
mind. Let's call the police on him."
And they said, "No , that's just what Webberman wants.
He wants you to call the pigs in so he can have a whole
cause: Dylan has Webberman arrested and he can get in the
establishment press, and have a whole human interest story
as a guy who studies another cat's poetry for years and
what does the cat do - has him arrested for going through
his garbage."
So Dylan decides against that. But he wants to make
@
sure it's me, so he hires some guy to watch his garbage for a
week.
Charlie: A garbage guard ?
A.J.: Right. And they saw me and then they started
taking all the good stuff out of the garbage.
Charlie: They left you the coffee grounds?
A.J.: And the diapers. I didn't save any of that., just the
papers.
Charlie: Like what.
A.J.: I found a letter to Johnny Cash, apologizing for
not being down in Memphis, showing they were really close
friends. I found a list of songs from "Self Portrait." Dylan's
kid's scribblings. A letter from his mother in Fort
Lauderdale saying, thanks for the candy , having a
wonderful time in Florida , something from his Uncle
Morris ... Ali kinds of really weird stuff. Advertisements
from fashion stores, and ads for all these weird cosmetics
for Dylan's wife.
So then I wrote an article about that called "Dylan's
Garbage's Greatest Hits" which a lot of people really dug.
That was the beginning of when Dylanology really started
to become popular. That and the fact that people were

really starting to become sick and tired of Dylan's
reactionary politics. And they started to give me some
exposure as a way of getting back at Dylan, and breaking
the Dylan myth.
Oh, and in the garbage article, I also included things
from this letter I had from a friend of Dylan's wife to a
friend in England which managed to come into my
possession. It had Dylan and his wife fighting it out, and all
this gossip. In my garbage article there was a hatchet job on
Dylan - I wasn't really trying to be objective, I was just
picking out all the bad things about Dylan. I admit it.
Because the cat. wasn't singing about life anymore in his
lyrics. On th~ literal level, it's all these love songs and
singing the praises of monogamy.
Charlie: When you say reactionary· politics, I assume
what you mean is absense of any previous substance. But
isn't that Dylan' s choice?
A.J.: Right , absense of any substance. No , when
somebody has access to the mass media the way Dylan
does, it's their duty to talk about what's happening. If you
walk down the street and see a little child being
machinegunned by somebody dressed in a uniform, and
you just walk on by and never say anything about it for the
rest of your life, you're as guilty as the guy who's doing the
machinegunning.
Charlie: If that's the way you feel about it. But his
choice is passivity.
A.J .: No, it's his duty to talk about it. He can do his
thing, but I can do my thing, too . All these thing I've said
about him, I've said many times and he's never sued me.
Charlie: But calling attention to you would give you
® credence.
A.J .: Right. But I could prove it if it ever came to court
- I have my concordance, my computerized concordance.
Here, take a look a Volume 1.
Charlie: This puts the Interpreter's Bible to shame.
A.J.: I could have college professors come in and testify
that there is definite reason for Webb erman to believe .. .
Charlie·: What did you think of Toby T hompson's book?
A.J .: 1 thought Toby Thompson's book was a rip-off. I
really don't have an objective view, being someone who is
also doing a book on Dylan, but I'd say that the fact that
this book is published in America and will probably sell is
indicative of the fact that the revolution HAS NOT COME
YET. People will still be fooled. It should be called "My
Trip to Hibbing." That's all it's about. He takes the most
minute, insignificant instances and he blows them up to
major proportions. just to fill up the book.
Charlie: He's grasping?
A.J.: Yeah, just filler, all those blank pages.
Charlie: What do you think of the veracity of Echo's
portrait of Dylan, or Ellen Baker's? I'm sure you don' t agree
with his mother's.
A.J. : Tony Scudullo is coming out with a book which
will negate a lot of Toby Thompson's findings.
Charlie: Is it fallacious or just fatuous?
A.J.: It's fallacious. What Echo says is just her
imagination. "Hey baby, want to come back to New York
with me, huh, huh?" And she takes it seriously. As I said,
this book is a stone rip-off. Although I don't dig th.is cat
Scudutto very much, at least he put some work into his
book, talked to a Jot of people, there's some substance in
there.
"' ... , ~
Scudutto's just an idiot. He can't study Dylan's poetry
or anything like that. He has no idea of what he's saying,
and he let Dylan censor the book, and he doesn't have
much political consciousness and doesn't really know
what's happening. But he did do a good job of researching
it, talking to his friends, spent some time and some money
doing it, so I respect him for that. Toby Thompson , on the
other hand, made one trip to Hibbing and wrote a book
about it.
Charlie: Two.
A.J.: Pure exploitation. It's unfortunate that the book
will sell .
Charlie : But anyone who envelops himself in this veil of
secrecy lays himself open to what Thompson is doing, and
for that matter, what you are doing.
A.J. : But I don't look at Toby Thompson as a
Dylanologist.
Charlie: An opportunist?
A.J.: Yeah. But my book will be out soon, in bootleg
edition. It should tell you what Dylan is saying in his
poetry.
Charlie: What 's going to happen to Dylan?
A.J.: I don't know what direction his life will take, but
I've certainly become a potent force in hi~ life. I'm
moblizing public opinion against him. Either he's going to
stay a reactionary in spite of Webberman or e lse he's going
to have to give in. It's going to be hard for him to continue
ripping off the public. I'm going to make it difficult for him
to walk the street.
Dylan is two different Dylans. There's Dylan the old
guy , the old cat who was into politics; and there's the new
Dylan who's into heroin and who's a capitalist. Dylan the
heroin addict capitalist/ is exploiting the reputation of the
old groovy beautiful Dylan to sell the records. Dylan has
told me, "I'm not Bob Dylan anymore." I'm not going to
stand by and Jet this happen, because I could really do a
number on Dylan. I can expose him.
Charlie: A.I., you obviously don't accept personal
change.
A.J.: You have to understand, I don 't look at things like
a pig. I look at them from somebody's who's oppressed
which is the majority of the world. I don't think it's moral,
and ultimately, it's selfdefeating. My politics is the basis of
Dylanology. 8
i
·• 2

ZOOT MAGAZINE # -2 & Holding/ a werepuke publication

This is the special ZOOT dry-run, composed of a bunch

of stuff from ZOOT #1, some of it mimeo'd and some of

it offset from original manuscripts. It goes something

like this•
4 by Jon Eisen,,.,,,,,,p. 3
Leopards Rose by George Paul Csicsery •••••• p. 4

A,J, Weberman Interviewed by Ko I.a.nkester •• p. 5

I'm A Whip Freak by Ed Sanders ••••••••••••• p. 9

The Rest of You Men Come With Me by Jon Eisen •• p. 10

The NHRP Story by Jon Tiven ••••••••••••••. p. 14

Outer Pumice by R. Meltzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p, 17

Guitar Moll Poesies by Kathy Dorritie ••••• p. 18

Trick*Belly*Moan by Nick Tosches •••••••••. p. 19

1970 Album Awards by__Jqn ..T~"..~!J. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20

Diary Excerpts by Taylor Mead,, ••••••••••• p. 22

The first real issue will feature Bobby Abrams

on graveyards, lots of graphics by the likes of

s. Clay Wilson, Rolandalgo, The Mad Peck and Kim

Deitch. Plus the first totally complete John Coltrane

discography ever. Plus excerpts from a forthcoming

book by Jon Eisen & Nick Tosches. Plus an extensive
record review section. If anybody sends us books, we'll

do those two.

Zoot Magazine/131 Williams Avenue/Jersey City,

N.J. 07304/201-332-3609, shoot for zoot,
 BY
HIS DUTCH COLL'::AGUE

"I knew Alan 1Teberman for about a year---via letters

and exchanr;ing of tapes---before I finally met him in June,
1970, at his Dylan Archives. In Hollc.nd I was doinr; the
same thine; Alan did in New Yorl<---wri ting articles about
Dylan, tryi;1g to intorpret his songs and poetry; only Alan's
articles were more articulate and no doubt more correct than
mine (for one reason because he had an awful lot of tapes,
articles, interviews, et ceter2,, that I did not have and
also because it is pretty hard for a non-American, who
doesn't even speak Enc;lish afl a native language, to understand
the American society that Dylan was singing about for years.
"I stayed at the Dylan Archives for about two weeks before
hitch-hikine; G,000 miles across the country in six weeks. The
first part of the intei·view took place on the evenine; before
I left, the second part aftP.r I had returned, This interview,
needless to say, is the longest and most comprehensible A.J.
Weberman has ever given."
---- Ko lanl>ester

Is it rolling, ~o?

Yes, it is. Question number one: ;Jany articles have been

written about Dylan and du:rino; the last four or five years
I have read anything I could get on the subject, but nine
out of every ten a.rticles left me with exactly the same
lcnowledge about Dylan's poetry. The articles discussed
Dylan's "philoso1)hy of life," they compared. him to Kant,
to Nietzsche, to '.·'.afka, but they hardly ever singled out a
certain song, a certain verse, a certain word, and they tried
to get to the heart of the matter asking the obvious question:
"What does Dylan mean?" It took me four years, until the sprine;
of '69, to find somebody who was really trying to find out
what tl'le songs and poems were all about, and who did a 13:ooc1-
job in findi.ng some answerG, too. When I read a short
interview with a cat named A.J. Heberman I knew I had found
that man.

Let me co1Jllllent on this question---

I'm not finished,

Yeah, I J;:now it's not finished. ii.lot of people have

compared Dylan with Kant. I think he was the one who started

~
that bullshit rumor by saying that he read Fant in college,
but I don't believe it. I have read ~ :ant and I find very
little similarity between Dylan and :~nt. They seem to be
on different trips. Dylan isn't into that heavy metaphysical
trip, although both of them are very ohscure. ::ant is one of
the most obscure philosophers to read and f' ylan is one of
the most obscure poets, but after that the similarity ends.
I don't find too much similarity he tween Dylan and :n.etzsche ,
al though there is some between Dylan and. :::·.afka, especialljr
of late, since he started this DTIIFTTI:R '.S ESCAPE , this whole
courtroom/sentencing metaphor. Also, :::afl'\a wrote alle g-ories,
prose alleg ories, whi le I'ylan wri tes poetic alleg ories,
which is another example of similarities, and, also, they
were both anti-establishment and had radical tendencies---
more so in Dylan's case, I 'd say. It's true that i n most of
the articles that I've read the people completely avoid the
issue of what the lyrics mean, or else they say they're
meaningless .
Tell me, Alan, can you d i r; why nobody tried to analys e
these sone;s ? I mean, those other writers , people liJce Paul
Nels on and Paul Williams, did not fail to und.erstand the
songs---I could have understood that much---but they
9.id n,ot_ even. try! Why? Are the words too difficult? Or do
you neeo a special sense of humor to trace Dylan's way of
expressing his feelings?
Tl ell, I"o, J think one reason is because it's too fucJr: ing
difficult. You have to spend so much of your time 0oin~ it
that it's hard to function as a critic. rhat's why I call
0

myself a "Dylanologist, " because I found that I was spencling

so much time studying Dylan that I didn't have much time to
study the entire rocJr. scene. I t's the a ge of specialization,
and I decic'.l. ed to specialize in Dylan's poetry. l\Tow people
lik e Paul i\Telson and Paul 1 !illiams---I ' m not sure about
Paul Nelson; he was a friend of I'y1an ' s back in Ilt nnesota
and he was pres ent when they made the Hotel Tape, I' m sure---
but I ' m familiar with Paul Uilliams' views that you can't
understand, that the poetry is meanine;less, and , you k now,
the words are there to elicit an emotion. Now I think this
stems from the fact that he considers himself to be a really
intelliu;ent, avant- gara.e k ind of person who was really into
wha t's happening and since he couldn't understand them he
decided , " Well, d i g me, man, I'm so fuck ing smart ana every-
thinc; that if I can't understand them, then they must be
meaning less." So, I think that it was partly his e go gettinB
in the way and this has been true of many critics who have
stud ied rock poetry. For example, Robert Christgau, who's a
roe};: critic for The Villar;e Voice and who wrote for The
~;;-ew Yorl;: Times for a while. Re had something in Cheetah
which was later reprinted in a n anthology, The Ap;e of Rock
or somethinr; , about rocl: lyrics which he claims is a
definitive article about rocJ.( l yr ics, wherein he saicl that
many of them are meaningless, that rock lyrics aren't poetry

r- f>
because he can't find an ironic meaning, implying at best
that they're nonsense poetry, which is another example of
someone trying to analyse and not finding anything, not
because it was not there but simply because they were not
prepared to apply the analytical method to Dylan's poetry
or to other roclr poets' lyrics, A prerequisite to applying
the analytical method, which relies heavily on recurrent
symbolism, is Jmowing the soniss by heart, You have to lmow
all the songs by heart so that when you come across a
symbol in one context---"lady" for instance---you can thinl{
bacJ.: without having to go throu13h hundreds of pages of
poetry, and say "The LADIES treat me ldndly",,, "In the empty
lot where the LADIES play ... " Or else you have to do what
I'm doing, which is a isreater hassle than memorizing the
poetry: I am feeding all the l'rord.s into a computer, ancl
checJ;:ing the concordances in the various trends and pairing
words, sort of, I'm having the computer do it because it's
impossible to memorize Tarantula, which is about eighty
pages of poetry.
So one reason that they did not do it was because of the
difficulty involved. Another thing is that if they had that
much imagination they generally would become rock singers
and writers, not just critics, and it's lilre rocl-;: poetry
seems to be years and years ahead of rock criticism. I am
trying to bridge that gap. So I'm really dol'm on people like
Paul ~Iilliams, Dylan once told Paul Uilliams that there are
alot of people around who think they know what's happening
but really don't. And Williams quoted this in one of his
articles and thought it referred to other critics outside of
himself, when, in reality, I think Dylan was telling 'lilliams
in a nice way that he really didn't J<:now what· was happening.
Some of them try, some of these rook critics try. Jack
l\Tel'rfield for instance, who was slated to be Bobby Jeennecly's
press secretary. He wrote a boo];: about radical politics. He
also writes for The Village Voice. Deing into a radical head,
he wrote some e;ood articles about Dylan. Ralph Gleason made
some half-assed attempts in an earl3r issue of Ramparts, in
a cover story on Dylan called. "The Children's Crusade." He
made some half-assed attempts at interpretation. lut, I've
never seen anybody interpret a verse, line by line. The only
thing they've done is take a couple of words out of Dylan and
say that they mean somethine;, that they mean this or they
mean that. To support their m,m particular bag. They've looked
·: :· ·'.:· ·~'.· · .' .; i· ·:'.· .; :· ..;:· ·::· .; '.· ·: :· ·::· .. :. ·i:· ·: :· .;;. ·::· -::·..; :· ·: .•-;-;. -lE- -:t--; '.·.;: -:~- -:;--::·.; ;- -;:--; '.· -:~ ·::.. -::· -::--; ,. ·:: .; ;. ·::--: :-·::- -:~- -:'.· ·: :- ·!:· {:· ·: :··:!· .;:- -::- ·:f·-l:· -; :· -::--::- ·::--;;- -:~- -i:-~
{fj___c&o CjQ/j;:][J}~[j/)t)o~ofl,
~:-

'.'.
~.:·

-:.-
@> (Po @o @~ [:5~9;J\3'.J'CJ:J_J}:,
~,Y .. 1 cV-Y. too13
2]Yo 8V/.9Jo : ;.
-:~
-::- -: :- ·:~-.; :· ·: :· -: :-·: :· -::· ~<- -: :· ·:: -::· ~ :..;:· ·: :· ~: ~.· -:r ·:;. ; :· ~:· -::· ;:. -::· ·:~· ~:· ·:: •. :..::· -: :..;; -::-~ :--:~· -::· ·: :· .; ~· ·: :. ·::..;.;. -: : ·::- ·:t··::-·::· ·: :..::·; r·:} -::· ·::· -:~ ·::· ·: :· -:to·::·~~·::·~:·
MORE WEBERMAN •••
at it almost completely subjectively. There is another
possibility---that rock criticism is corrupt, that the
society is such that it tries to read out any kind of
creativity that the individual may have in school, and
turn him off to literature and turn him off to poetry.
By making him read all of this irrelevant shit like
A Tale of Two Cities and all this shit that was going
on in the eighteenth century, which has very little
relevance to our lives in technological society, so in
some ways the talents of creative people are definitely
at a premium. Rock criticism is such that these people
who do have this modicum of talent don't really push it
much further, because they know they can get by on what
they have, so they are corrupt in a sense. I think alot
of rock critics are corrupt. Although the rock critics
don't tune into the secret language, the Dylan-secret
language, many rock writers did, they spent their time,
memorizing all the Dylan songs, and got very much into
them on a very significant level. They learned Dylan's
secret language to communicate with Dylan in that lang-
uage. So I'm not the only one in the world who can do it.
It's o~en to anyone. As long as you know the method you
can carry it over and interpret Dylan's songs. You have
to have a good knowledge of Dylan's career. It helps to
live through things like Newport and Forest Hills and
experience them first hand. Like I did.
About a year ago, Alan, when I wrote to a friend about
you I called you "The Freud of Dylanology" •••
(surprised) The Freud of Dylanology?

••• TO BE CONTINUED

/~
does anyone have access to a
web offset press????????????
????????????????hunh????????
if you do, call nick@ 20133
2 36 09 •••••••••••••••••••••••
 •
MikeJahn

S()UIDS()f
f~~E SEVEIT~ES
from Special Features-syndicate division ofThe NewYorkTunes
FOR RELEASE: Dec.11-12, 1971 With 'photo of writer
A. J. Weberman
The Underqround Rock Writer:
The Press Party is His Dish

By MIKE JAHN

Rick is an underground press writer, and like so many underground press

writers, he is broke and hungry. He spent all day sewing plastic bags into

his clothes, and now is hitting the buffet table very hard.

After three years of free-lancing reviews ($15 each) for an underground

paper, he has become an expert at more than rock. He is also expert at

filling a plate with one hand, while stuffing his shirt with another. Did

you ever wonder why so many people wear shirts with baggy sleeves? With a

quick hand and fast-action cuffs, you can get half a turkey in there.

-- -- - -It's
- - weil-known that record com a~ies support the undergro.und__P%'.ess.

through advertising. Less known is the manner in which record companies

support underground press writers, through parties. There are at least

two or three each week in New York. Eaeh is stocked with enough food and

drink to support a large hippie commune or, in·· this case, the metropolitan

underground press cadre.

Salami Sw~per

According to Paul Colby, owner of the Bitter End, a Greenwich Village

folk club that has about one press party a month, "there was a guy who stole

all the salami at the end of one party. The whole plate. I blew my top.

I happen to like Italian salami."

Others come into parties with shopping bags, and try to take everything
they can. Somebody came in once, took a shopping bag from the kitchen. and

started cleaning up the table," Colby said. "I saw him, but what can you

do? The guy who took the salami, I made a mention of it when I saw him.

He looked embarrassed, but he kept walking.

"He really burned me up. The salami wes on a paper plate. He just

(more)
! material may be used on ly by arrangement with Special Feat ures. For cost and ot her information, please phone (212) 556-1721 collect.
" .
Jahn/Rock Writer--2

folded the plate in half and stuck it in his shirt."

Stealing from the buffet table has become so much a part of things

that when one writer, A.J.Weberman--who went through the garbage of Dylan

and other celebrities and landed a front-cover article in Esquire (October)

for it--was asked whether he minded having his picture taken at a press

party, he immediately grabbed a gouda cheese and began inserting it in his

shirt.

To Introduce an Unknown

According to Pat Luce , New York press agent for A&M Records, the

average press party costs about $1,200. "'!'hat buys an open bar and a buffet

table, which usually is fruit, cheese, potato and macaroni salads and cold

cuts. Stuff like that. I like to have them catered, though, which costs

a few hundred dollars more.

"The bigger press parties, like at a suite at the Hiltcin, they cost

anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000," she said .

The purpose of a press ·party, she said, "is to separate an unknown

ax ttsc nom tne !::htlr':fle of the lire-e-mililon new artists that come out from
4 ,000 record companies each week. The press won't go to see a new and

unknown artist unless provoked, considering the plethora of high-powered

talent around. Your gimmick is to throw a party and yive them things to

eat, things to drink, and have the artist perform for half an hour."

It's generally thought that the critics are kinder to artists if they're

we ll-fed when they see them perform. Also, since half the people at the

parties work for the record company involved, the audience nearly always

gives the performer an outstanding ovation. This too is impressive . If

Broadway producers threw press parties on opening night, there might be

fewer flops. '!'here als o would b e more unde rground pre ss write rs interested

in drama.

Organic Foods Messy

Bob Altschuler, h ead of PR for Columbi a Records, said that CBS has

started providing vege tarian food for press partie s at which the unde rground

pre ss is expected. But nearly all the good thie ve s in the busine ss go for

(more )
.. ..
J ahh/Rock Writer--3

meat and cheese,which is easier and less me ssy to steal than organic vege-

table stew.

"I lean toward cold cuts and fowl," Rick said, "but fruit and cheese

can be accommodated. Last summer all the companies were into fruit, and

my prize was a small watermelon . I put it in a bowling bag I saved from

the days I was growing up in Brooklyn. I a lways knew I would have a use for

that." He decries the trend toward sloppy foods like fruit s alads and things

with beans and rise.

"I ruined one of my b e st pairs of j e ans with a taco last week/' he said .

- 0 -

(c) 1971 Mike Jahn

(Readers may write Mike Jahn in care of this newspaper.)

Editors: Only the following cre dit should be used (c) 1971 Mike Jahn. No
credit should be given to The New York Times Co., The New York Times Special
Fe atures or The New York Times News Se rvice .

---------
 I
/}n~ ~.rp I 2e.f'
I
i
r W~V'orm.s­ (As the price of gold rises, my c h ~nee o f receiving
. . 'that
·~ lo-w f -..;;;: . You worm'.~
-
gold coin goes down
• I•

.
:Off the recof\d
\ ~ _7 1"l 1 con(ess to'·possessing numerous Dylan bootlegs, VVedneSday, March 25. 198 1 • The Mian11 News o
"
5C
-., '~ one in \Vhich somebody hid a tape recorder
~ Jon Marlow'e under .a sofa \Vhi!e Dylan sat and sang acoustic
versions of.some of his "High\vay 61 Revisited"
I
songs. · '.. I
Critic's t}ook , Although bootleg albu1ns and/or tapes are in \ .,, '
.

is bootleg~rjp
\
"violation of: the Jaw, Bruce Springsteen used to
ac'tually. tell" b6otleggers "Roll your tapes" at
many of hi~ concerts. That's V.'hy it \Vas a little
surprising (not to n1ention rather depressing) f
I Let:)OscarMake
into Bob Dy.tan
that Springsteen recently sued a group_ of Cali- I
fornia bootleggers and \Von ... to the tune of j
$20 million. '·
But Cable, as well-3ls many other rock critics
I YG>u a Winner!
_ Once upon a time we had sunk so \o\v that (
.,.\Ve looked to A.J. \Ve~erman to pi_ck.thro_ugh .~ _, ~'~:;.r':_
~Bob Dylan's garbage to get a ne\v 1ns1ght into
·~.
>;-[-
~~

:_ 1. -l:-·;:.:i'-·--: _. ·,
,
i
and music !Overs, feels bootleg records are·justj ...
fied:
·•r
1
• ·-
can't\really·get \vorked up about losses J
suffered by official record companies through
,
}m. Miim1Hew$
·=f~<

A<3DEMY
·the man. r:.. bootlegging.r-· Cable \vrites. "because people
~ That alone says a great ~.'..·~'~ . .'._ . \Vho buy bootleg records of a particular artist in·
.deal about A.J., Dyl.an ... and *"'.! · -; . ?'.:JA'J~fl~.'Aff.--
.'t variably alre~dy own all that a_rtist's official rec·
,.._:us. Granted, the times have :&~··..,:;,~' & ords. In any;'case, \Vith Dyl~n 1t co.uld be argued
1
;changed. -Today you may not , d' that a .record company \Vh1ch onuts 'I Shall Be
:like the fact that Bob Dylan ,•?~yla_n s unreleased recor tngs re- Released' an1d 'lvlighty Quinn' from 'The Base-

A~]~RDS
,._has turned to Jesus. l'ou may vealing ment Tapes' ,deserves anything it gets."
7have hated his last two slight-· . I Ironical\)•,' although_ bootlegging has been
:1y religious LPs: "Slo\V Train No\v Or Have You Ever Been?," "St. Valentine's \vith us sinCe the '40s, it wasn't until a Dylan
:coming" and "Saved." Heck, Day !';1assacre," "Now Your Mouth Cries \Volf," bootleg "The'. Great White Wonder Album" was
...you may no longer care (if IViorlowe "J:fold The Fort For \Vhat It's Worth," "Valenti· released in the late '60s (and sold hundreds of
_:you ever did) wh_at's in his nO Type Tangos," "Tapes From Sherry's Attic," thousands off copies) that bootlegging became a
~trash baskets. But there's no denying_ Bob Dylan "Seventy Dollar Robbery," "See1ns Like A massive and ,lucrative business. In recent years,
:has been one of the most influential musical Freezeout," "Life Sentence" and "Let P.1e Die In bootlegging ,has come under serious legislation

CONrEsr
.•forces of lhe last t\VO decades. M>' Footsteps." and Ja\v enforce1nent. A recent check revealed
... Pop music critic Paul Cable feels the same ··1 :'It's almost in1p6ssible to belie\•e, if it \Veren't that not onel IV1iami record store carried above·
way. In the introduction to his \Vonderful $5.95 sci \vell documented by Cable, thal there are the-counter (.the operative \Vord here is "'above·
Schirmer book "Bob Dylan: i;is Unrelea~e.d Rec- more than 100 bootleg Dylan albums and tapes. the-co11nler"JOylan bootleg ... or any other
ordings,"·Cable \Vrites: _ Ap.d as Cable says, n1any contain vintage Zim- bootleg. for that matter.
"It _co~l? be ar~u~d that, as thcr,e ari: .so m,erman songs - "C~urch With i'~o Upstairs,", \Vharevef our feelin s on buotle records ' .
many s1~n~f1~ant 0~1ss1ons from D~!an s .off1c1a! "I'm Not There," "Sign Of The Cr:oss," "Get and ta es Ca~le's "Bob 13 Ian: His U~released
l'1'

albun1s, it is 11:nposs1ble to look at his musical de· Your Rocks Off" ~that most of us have ne~'er Record)ng's" makes for inrorrnative and intri· Predict .i,tie Oscar winners and you could
velopment \VIthout recourse to the unreleased h.eard Bob Dylan sing. If vie had heard songs hke . , ct' d 't 't help but niake vou
·work. Thus this book is intended to be of interest "Shu'rch \Vith No Upstairs" and "Sign Of The ghu1nhg. reaf ing - .3 ~ 1 can Pl s C ble doe-s . win a CRUISE FOR TWO aboard Costa Cruises'
· not only to collectors,
· but to anyone ac k no\V I· Cross,"
'
~edging the n1assive influence Dylan has asserted come as sUch a shock.
Dvlan's recent Jesus foray mav not have t e ct·
.. ?~Ya
11 o any 1nv1a party.
1 1 ~~au;s e~~~.
d tapeu in
, terms
a n1
of lvr
1 r~i~~ c~~tics al\vays fall ifiL~
T/S )]Jt1i\'1Jf$\, or DINNER FOR TWO at the
·over the last 15 years." Cable not only lists all the bootle~ LPs and ~~~en it cor:fes to D~lan, b.ut also dissects the
Sheraton Bal\ Harbour {if used prior to April 18,
, And so, for the next J 97 pages, Cable takes tap;s and what Dylan songs they contain, he also rnelodv chord changes and the general rnusi- j you will also iee the revue C'est Si Bon) or
:us on an amazing journey through each and rev1ev:s the performances and th: s~ngs, hov.' cianshiP involved ... and he really kno\VS what , ADMISSION fOR TWO to a Wometco, General
.every bootleg tape and/or LP that has eve.r been aqd· \Vhere the bo?lleg was obta1nea and the he's talking about. . !
·issued on Bob Dvlan. It goes fro111 the sublime - oyerall sound quality (some of then1 are \·ery , 1
Cinema, AMQ, Loew's or Plitt Theatre.
:"The Great \Vhfte \Vonder" LP - to the ridicu- p6or). In the end, Cable acco1nplishes just \Vhat he 1
lous - a jingle sung by Dylan into his te!e- It should also be stated here that bootleg rec· set out to dolBy exposing us to this astounding I
1. Check one Dq.x in each of the eight Academy Awards
phone-ansv..'ering n1achine. ords are illegal. They are 1nade \Vithout the per· output of bo~tleg product he really does give us i

':,:::
· Along the \vay \Ve are introduced to such farmer's kno\v\edge, at concerts, off live radio or a ne\\' insight into Dylan. And to think he didn't
categories below. (Note; Only this entry form or a

=::::·~: ~~::1~_ v:~:, '"Are:: TV broa:::::. by any o:~::a::::.::_ ha~e t~. si:t t\ough ~ob~::.::::.::: ;·:::::·:~: "1:':,~~'. ,o ::,o••o•o::O:M I