By Brad Durham

Dylan was 24 in 1965, when he went electric at Newport. Listening to some of his songs from that period blows my mind. 

I was nine years old in 1965, and I’m not sure I knew Dylan existed back then. I may have been 16 when I first really realized who Dylan was as a songwriter. 

And I thought I was a decent music enthusiast when I was around 14, collecting 45s and listening to the Top 40 hits on WLS at night on my bedside radio. How did I miss this guy in 1965 when I was alive? It was all Beatles and what was on the radio and TV back then.  

It wasn’t until I really started listening to music and buying albums that music became spiritual and meaningful to me. The album that made music personally meaningful to me was QUADROPHENIA. That crazy dude from England was speaking to my psychologically troubled mind and broken heart. 

Then Dylan became like the Shakespeare rock and roll spokesman to me. But it was always Pete Townshend who gave me personal therapy in rock and roll. 

Then Springsteen jumped out to me with DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN. I was already into Christian rock and roll at this point, but DARKNESS reached into the troubled psychological parts of my mind. 

Then Jim Morrison’s poetry was put to music by the remaining Doors with the release of AN AMERICAN PRAYER. Jim Morrison’s writings and stories would change everything for me 38 years after the release of that record when I went to New Mexico to clean my doors of perception. 

These artists and albums helped shape my life, for better or worse. They actually helped me make sense of my experiences and life. Not sure how I would have made it this far without them.