Planet Airwaves – Part I

In his own words: Bob Dylan’s favourite records (and where to hear them). Compiled by Jason Draper

On 3 May 2006 the official unveiling of Bob Dylan-the-DJ’s radio show, Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan – Dreams Schemes & Themes, took place. After months of speculation (what the hell was Bob Dylan doing as a radio DJ? And how long would it take for him to lose interest?… Rumour has it that he’s signed up to at least 50 episodes) the world – or, at least, listeners of XM Satellite Radio, a digital radio station available only to US-based subscribers – would finally hear what all the fuss was about (BBC 6 Music recently bought the rights to broadcast episodes, though they’ve so far aired them in a slightly different order, and it’s unclear whether they will air each one). Far from being a vanity project, and most definitely not a forum for Dylan to play his own music, Theme Time Radio Hour is a breath of fresh air for those sick of anodyne Radio One playlists, yearning for a show that could be revelatory, enjoyable and often very dryly funny.

With each hour-long episode based around a particular theme (as disparate as Weather, Hair and The Bible), the show is as idiosyncratic as its creator. Dylan clearly revels in having the opportunity to play some of the songs that he holds dearest to his heart. And he’s a collector, of course, happily playing Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash …

by Jason Draper
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