Barry Feinstein is a living legend in the world of pop still photography. He served as Bob Dylan's official photographer on his landmark 1966 and 1974 world tours. The 1966 tour is documented in D. A. Pennebaker's pioneering film Don't Look Back. Additionally, Feinstein and Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary were once married. Feinstein directed the 1960's cult classic You Are What You Eat . Needless to say as a perceptive photographer Feinstein was able to document the 1960's folk and rock movements from their insides as he took simple, rich pictures of the people who were at the forefront of 1960's music. He was a first hand observer of Dylan's "going electric" and the furor that it generated in his fan base.
Bob Dylan World Tours 1966-1974, Through the Camera of Barry Feinstein is a film that gives the aging and endearing Mr. Feinstein a vehicle to exhibit his own personal archive of Dylan photographs. Feinstein displays his collection in a series of interviews with Joel Gilbert, an independent filmmaker. Gilbert attempts to put his viewers in touch with the times with a documented road trip to visit Feinstein at his home in Woodstock, New York. In addition to being a filmmaker Gilbert is the lead singer of his own Dylan tribute band, Highway 61 Revisited. All of the great "Dylan" backing songs on the DVD are covers by Gilbert's band.
The film is enjoyable ... and presents a remarkable series of interviews. Feinstein, filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker, pioneering rock journalist Al Aronowitz and the man who probably did more to make Dylan into the recluse he is today, fanatic A. J. Weberman, all tell their portions of the Dylan story. Aronowitz's firsthand description of how he and Dylan turned the Beatles on to marijuana is an incredible piece of documented history. For these nuggets Dylan fans should be grateful...the point of the film is the Feinstein's photography, and that is superb with his witty, colorful narration...all of Feinstein's photos are contained in a gallery in the Bonus Materials of the CD. It was quite enjoyable to watch those while playing Dylan's Live 1966 . On the whole, this film is a nice sidepiece to sit by Don't Look Back on the shelf...enjoyable if you are interested in Dylan's formative career. |
