Bob Dylan Approximately
Bob Dylan Approximately is a podcast about the life, music, and mystique of Bob Dylan, hosted by actors Kerry Shale and Daniel Crespin. The Canadian-born Shale and English-born Crespin bring different generational perspectives to their shared appreciation for Dylan's work. The show features flippant humour, deep dives into cryptic lyrics, and plenty of unexpected tangents. Bonus content is available to patrons via Patreon.
Episodes
EP#26 - Every Grain of Scarlet Rivera
Who “grew up in a B-movie” in Joliet, Illinois? How did Bob Dylan help the newly-named Scarlet overcome her first night Rolling Thunder nerves? Why did she carry that dagger in her waist? Which ex-Dylan guitar slinger did she work with in Oslo? What was Joni Mitchell’s best quality? Which Boston bluegrass band made her sing a Johnny Cash song? Did she invent Goth?Recorded virtually in London, Bris
Bonus EP#25 (Teaser) - Rolling Thunder Logbook
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#25 - Rolling Thunder Logbook. For full access, plus access to 24 other bonus episodes (at the time of release), early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more, consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month + VAT at patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately.Which Beat writers loom heavily over Sam Shepard’s Rolling Thunder Logbook? Did Sam Shepard’s inner voice actua
EP#25 - Shelter From the Flowing River
Is Watching The River Flow about the challenges of meditation, the confusion of writer’s block or being a workaholic? What was the first non-Columbia Records studio Dylan recorded at? Is “factoid” a word? How does Dylan not create a scene? Who might be the reincarnation of Paul Revere’s horse? Does the song’s ending resemble a Buddhist text? How can we be like water?Does the singer regret being gi
Bonus EP#24 (Teaser) - On the Road with Scarlet Rivera & Rob Stoner
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#24 - On the Road with Scarlet Rivera & Rob Stoner. For full access, plus access to 23 other bonus episodes (at the time of release), early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more, consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month + VAT at patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately.How did it feel when Kerry went out on tour with Scarlet Rivera and Rob Stoner? Was “J
EP#24 - Honest with Me #12 & 35
Who was the tambourine man on Rainy Day Women #12 & 35? Who claimed the song was “one of the protestiest of all things I’ve protested against”. What’s the title’s mathematical/Biblical significance? What’s our opinion of the Dylan lists in Rolling Stone magazine? Where do Rosa Parks, St Stephen and JFK figure? What’s a more dangerous rhyme for “tryin’ to make a buck”?Is Honest With Me about a
Bonus EP#23 (Teaser) - Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#23 - Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. For full access, plus access to 22 other bonus episodes (at the time of release), early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more, consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month + VAT at patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately.Who recites a brand new seven minute poem at the encore of his first major concert? (hint: not Bruce Spr
EP#23 - It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only a Po' Boy)
What links Dylan, Paul McCartney and Picasso (but not in a good way)? Is Po’ Boy a classic Borscht Belt schtick? How does Othello’s pal Iago figure in the song? Have you seen Harry Dean Stanton and Bob nailing Hava Nagila on YouTube? What does Larry Campbell have to say about “Love & Theft”? Should or shouldn’t you let other people get your kicks for you?Does' It’s Alright, Ma' begin just afte
Bonus EP#22 (Teaser) - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part IV) (BDA Book Club VI)
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#22 - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part IV) (BDA Book Club VI). For full access, plus access to 21 other bonus episodes (at the time of release), early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more, consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month + VAT at patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately.Did Bob Dylan’s true artistic hero have “a million dollar voice and a ten ce
EP#22 - Visions of a Sad Eyed Lady
In what way does Bob Dylan resemble an Amazon delivery person? Is the Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands actually Johanna? Does falling in love always alienate everyone around you? Does an 11 minute, 23 second waltz justify a whole side of vinyl? Are you going to spot the Dylan references in Kerry’s Radio 4 adaptation of THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds, from 19 July?If you enjo
Bonus EP#21 (Teaser) - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part III) (BDA Book Club V)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#21 - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part III). For full access to all bonus episodes, as well as early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more, please consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 + VAT (go to Patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately to sign up).Which Nobel Prize-winner is fond of the words “hellcat” and “wench”? When Dylan describes Elvis Costello’s fans,
EP#21 - Things Have Changed For a Clean Cut Kid
Is Dylan a Hindu Master or a Subconscious Buddhist? What’s that “other stuff”, under the bridge, in Things Have Changed? What’s the difference between being trapped in the heart of it and being out of range? When did Bob exclaim, “Oh my good God - this is amazing!” What’s our favourite Dylan music video? What species of animated animal is Mr Jinx?What did Dylan hope to achieve by hiring Arthur Bak
Bonus EP#20 (Teaser) - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part III) (BDA Book Club IV)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#20 - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part II). For full access to all bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more ,please consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month at patreon.com/bobdylanapproximatelyHow did Kerry find out about Roger Daltrey being kicked out of The Who? Did Pat Boone have a clue what Tutti Frutti was about? How did Dyla
EP#20 - Spirit on the New York Water
Is Spirit On The Water our first song suggested by a Patreon subscriber?Who or what has the key to the singer’s brain? Why doesn’t Jack Frost get more credit as a record producer? Who said, “CDs are small. There’s no stature to it”? Have you bought tickets yet to see Kerry MC the 50th anniversary tour of Desire, featuring Scarlet Rivera and Rob Stoner? https://dice.fm/event/k6gwdq-david-ford-
Bonus EP#19 (Teaser) - The Philosophy of Modern Song (Part I) (BDA Book Club III)
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#19 - Philosophy of Modern Song (Part I). For full access to this episode, as well as access to all bonus episodes, early access to all regular episodes, ad-free listening and more, please visit patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately and get all this for just £5 a month.Is The Philosophy of Modern Song a heartfelt letter to America? Why did Bob record his audiobook excerpts
EP#19 - Too Late for Foot of Pride to Find Dignity
How many days did it take for Too Late to morph into Foot of Pride? Is Dylan railing against the hypocrisy of organised religion? Has his career ever recovered from the Born Again days? How does he manage to sing such insanely complicated lyrics? In what way are the songs connected to Casino Royale and The Crucible? What’s Bob’s secret vocal trick?In 2026, is “the soul of the nation under the knif
Bonus EP#18 (Teaser) - Shadow Kingdom
Is the Shadow Kingdom version of To Be Alone With You the confession of a devoted lover, an incel stalker or a hopeless druggy? Who does Dylan sing the SK Forever Young to? Where do Woody Allen’s Love and Death and Michael Haneke’s Amour fit in? Is What Was It You Wanted addressed to Bob’s fans? Can we recommend Bo Burnham’s “Inside” (Netflix)?Recorded at Cathouse Studios, Islington, London.Produc
EP#18 - Born in a Series of Dreams
What does Dylan expect from his songs? Is Born In Time a barely remembered fever dream? What is it about the song that’s so… revealing? Can numbers help us grab hold of Time? Or Truth? Or Stripes? Is Bob raising the curtain on himself? Who wouldn’t want to sing the phrase “foggy web of destiny”? Why do singing teachers use piano rather than guitar?In Series of Dreams, who is the umbrella? Why is i
Bonus EP#17 (Teaser) - Masked and Anonymous (BDA Film Club V)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#17 - Masked and Anonymous. The full version, as well as all bonus episodes, early access to all episodes, ad-free listening and more, are available to our Bobsessives at patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately for just £5 a month.Is it possible to watch the film without checking your phone? What’s the difference between a honey badger and a dolphin snagger? Can Bob Dylan wal
EP#17 - Jordan Klepper Contains Multitudes
This week we welcome Emmy-winning American comedian (and fellow Bobsessive) Jordan Klepper, co-host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central.Is I Contain Multitudes the “cleanest on-ramp we’ve had for 15 years”? Is the pairing of Anne Frank and Indiana Jones ludicrous swagger or playful rip-off? Is Key West a tropical paradise or purgatory? Did Jordan find spiritual enlightenment listening to The Basem
Bonus EP#16 (Teaser) - Murder Most Foul
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#16 - Murder Most Foul. For access to the full episode, and all other bonus episodes, consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month at Patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately.Who killed Kennedy? Why spell it G-d? Is it about America’s soul, Lee Harvey Oswald, Houdini, generational trauma or the number 3? What does Nick Cave think? Can you spot the Warren Zevon reference? How
EP#16 - Man in the Long Black Diamond Coat
What rhymes with “floor” in Black Diamond Bay? What really annoys Dan about the song? What costs less than dessert at a decent restaurant? Why did Joseph Conrad’s picture appear on the album sleeve? How does a clinical psychologist end up directing Sam Shepard and writing with Bob Dylan? What time was Walter Cronkite’s evening news programme?Was the man in the long, black coat Bible John or Robert
Bonus EP#15 (TEASER) - Desert Island Dylan (Part III)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#15 - Desert Island Dylan (Part III). For access to the full episode, and all other bonus episodes, consider becoming a Bobsessive for £5 a month at Patreon.com/bobdylanapproximately.Desert Island Dylan (Part III)... In which Kerry and Dan each choose their final two Desert Island Dylansongs, with added bells and whistles.What’s the major problem with listening to a son
EP#15 - 4th Time Around, I Paid in Blood
This episode is also available in video format over on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XdJM50QwYY0Was Dylan taking the piss out of the Beatles with 4th Time Around? Who feels with their thumbs? Who doesn’t listen to lyrics? Where do we stand on Evil Spotify? Drawer or drawers? Crutch or crotch? Who is right about the Beatles, Kerry or Dan? Was Edie Sedgwick “Blonde on Blonde”? Why does the narrator gall
Bonus EP#14 (TEASER) - Desert Island Dylan (Part II)
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#14 - Desert Island Dylan (Part II), in which Daniel and Kerry each choose three more Dylan songs to take to a Desert Island. For full access visit pattern.com/bobdylanapproximately and for £5 a month you can become a Bobsessive. How does Barbra Streisand figure in Kerry’s choice of Mr Tambourine Man (the Budokan version)? Was he cast in her movie because he was “a goo
EP#14 - Most of the Time, There's No Time to Think
Is “No Time To Think” a poem, a random word dream or a proper song? Which cover version unlocked it for Kerry? Why does it remind Dan of a Toto tune? Do we call it “a beautiful poetic explosion” or “vomit”? Is it the weirdest ode to a mid-life divorce crisis ever written, a cleverly disguised hatchet job on Albert Grossman or all of the above?Why does Dan repeatedly reference Ernest Hemingway in t
Bonus EP#13 (TEASER) - Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (or "Where's his scrotum?") (BDA Film Club IV)
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#13 - Inside 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (or "Where's his scrotum?"). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now, for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please ra
EP#13 - Standing in the Doorway, Cryin' 'bout Summer Days
Where do you come from? Where do you go? If it’s information you want, why ask Bob Dylan? Which F Scott Fitzgerald novel turned Dan on to unreliable narrators? Which track from Simon & Garfunkel’s 'Bookends' does Kerry find terribly strange? Is Bob the cool uncle who takes you for a ride on his chopper, singing “summer days, summer nights are gone…”When Dylan moans that he’s suffering like a f
Bonus EP#12 (TEASER) - Desert Island Dylan (Part I)
This is a teaser for Bonus EP#12 - Desert Island Dylan (Part I). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now, for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and review via whichever
EP#12 - My Own Version of High Water
How many characters appear in the seven verses of Dylan’s High Water (For Charley Patton)?Can Englishmen pronounce “panties” without raising a larf? Do we finally nail the meaning of “I’m no pig without a wig”? Is sardonic “2001” Bob cooler than snarky “1965” Bob? Who is sexier: 2001 Bob or 1965 Bob? Is “Love and Theft” bleaker than Time Out of Mind?Is Dylan the Master of Terror? In My Own Version
FREE BONUS EPISODE! - Chronicles (Volume One) (Part I) (BDA Book Club I)
Today we offer you a free bonus episode, on us here at Bob Dylan Approximately. This was Bonus Episode 6 that came out in early November 2025. Listen as we start out our 3-part epic deep dive into Bob Dylan's 'memoir' 'Chronicles (Volume One').If you enjoy our bonus content, please consider becoming a Bobsessive over on our Patreon. We release episodes weekly to our Patrons, as well as early acces
Bonus EP#11 (TEASER) - That Dylan Scorsese Netflix Thing (BDA Film Club III)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#11 - That Dylan Scorsese Netflix Thing (BDA Film Club III). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now, for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate a
EP#11 - Talkin' World War III Hollis Brown Blues
Was America Great when Dylan wrote The Ballad of Hollis Brown? What links the song to Othello’s pal, Iago? What’s the difference between being broke and having nothing? How did Dylan make that stabbing sound on his guitar? Who stole Ronnie Wood’s duvet? Which Bluegrass band named themselves after a brand of bib overalls?How does Talkin’ World War III Blues make use Shakespeare’s iambic verse? How
Bonus EP#10 (TEASER) - Yea! Heavy & A Pack of Wild Geese (The Second Pilot Episode)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#10 - Yea! Heavy & A Pack of Wild Geese (The Second Pilot Episode). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now, for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, pl
EP#10 - Every Grain of Nish Kumar
Has our special guest, comedian Nish Kumar, officially entered his “Every Grain of Sand” era? What does screenwriting guru Robert McKee have to say about the song? Which small seed-eating bird was used as a cheap source of protein in Biblical times? Why did Nish try to avoid seeing Dylan in concert after 2002? Does he think Bob and Nick Cave have a duty to engage more fully with politics? Why does
Bonus EP#9 (TEASER) - Floating and Wiggling (The First Pilot Episode)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#9 - Floating and Wiggling (The First Pilot Episode). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and revie
EP#9 - I Want a Danville Girl
Was Dylan’s voice “at its peak of nasality” on I Want You? How does it figure in A Complete Unknown? Why was the lonesome organ grinder crying? Who was Joni Mitchell’s biggest influence as a songwriter? What’s the possible Brian Jones connection? Who said, “love and sex hang everybody up… it’s just whatever two souls happen to be.”Which album is worse: Knocked Out Loaded or Down In the Groove? Whi
Bonus EP#8 (TEASER) - Chronicles: Volume One (Part III) (BDA Book Club III)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP# - Chronicles: Volume One (Part III) (BDA Book Club III). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and
EP#8 - The Men the Authorities Came to Blame
Is Dylan’s Lenny Bruce an execrable song, or actually quite good? Which chat show host interviewed both Bob and Lenny? Which seminal album cover featured both of them? What links Peter Cook, Robert de Niro and Bob Fosse? Who is Dylan talking to when he describes Lenny as “more of an outlaw than you ever were?”Was Rubin Carter ever the Number One contender for the Middleweight crown? Who was the po
Bonus EP#7 (TEASER) - Chronicles: Volume One (Part II) (BDA Book Club II)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#7 - Chronicles: Volume One (Part II) (BDA Book Club II). The full episode is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now for just £5 a month.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and r
EP#7 - Tomorrow is a Red River Shore
Do we ever get over our first broken heart? What drove Billy Connolly’s kids crazy? What’s the connection between singing and acting? Between Dylan and Hemingway? Burton and Eastwood? Kerry and Ben Whishaw? How many of Dylan’s greatest songs, like Tomorrow Is A Long Time, have only three chords? Whose hills are alive with the sound of music?Is The Girl on the Red River shore Dylan’s muse? Or is sh
Bonus EP#6 (TEASER) - Chronicles: Volume One (Part I) (BDA Book Club I)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#6 - Chronicles: Volume One (Part I) (BDA Book Club I). It is available to our Bobsessives over on Patreon right now for just £5 a month. Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and review via which
EP#6 - Frankie Lee & Judas Priest, Said the Joker to the Thief
Why are we discussing a Jimi Hendrix tune? Is All Along The Watchtower, Dylan’s most-performed song, a critique of the Music and Acting Industry? Who recorded the most boring cover version? The best? Who in their right mind releases a major album two days after Christmas? How did Elvis come to sing his only Dylan song? Who loves an outlaw? What did Ozzy Osbourne say about the Beatles? What does Da
Bonus EP#5 (TEASER) - Don't Look Back (BDA Film Club II)
This is a teaser of Bonus EP#5 - Don't Look Back (BDA Film Club II). It is available to our Patreon subscribers right now.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and review via whichever platform you are listening to the podca
EP#5 - When David Hepworth Comes In
"There's very little you can say about the music industry that's not true", says our first guest, the legendary Mr David Hepworth, in this special extended episode (available in both audio and video formats). But does he really believe that Dylan invented the pop-punk band Busted? Where does he say is the best place to listen to Nick Drake outtakes? Has attending a Bruce Springsteen concert "turne
Bonus EP#4 (TEASER) - I'm Not There/A Complete Unknown (BDA Film Club I)
This is a teaser of the first ten minutes of Bonus EP#4 - I'm Not There/A Complete Unknown (BDA Film Club I). It is available to our Patreon subscribers right now.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and review via whicheve
EP#4 - Lily, Rosemary, Jack & Tony Perkins
Why did Mandy Patinkin use his Johnny Cash voice when covering 'Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts'? Has there ever been a more unreliable narrator than Bob Dylan? Or a more out-of-tune harmonica intro? Was Bob's acting in 'Masked and Anonymous' awful, or way ahead of its time? Was Rocky Raccoon a Dylan tribute song? Do pen-knives actually kill?Is 'Motorpsycho Nitemare' the first draft of 'Bob
BONUS EP#3 (TEASER) - Dylan and Women (Part II)
This is a teaser of the first ten minutes of Bonus EP#3 - Dylan and Women (Part II). It is available to our Patreon subscribers right now.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and review via whichever platform you are listen
EP#3 - Beyond Here Lies Jokerman
Who was Dylan’s first choice to produce Infidels? The spirit of which Beat poet lurks behind the lyrics to Jokerman? Do I smell goats roasting over fire and brimstone, or is it my imagination? Have you heard the one about the old man in the church who faced down the Devil? What’s the story behind Dylan and the Plugz on Late Night with Letterman?Why does ‘Why Dylan Matters’ by Richard F. Thomas mat
Bonus EP#2 (TEASER) - Dylan and Women (Part I)
This is a teaser of the first ten minutes of Bonus EP#2 - Dylan and Women (Part I). It is available to our Patreon subscribers right now.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcast, please rate and review via whichever platform you are listeni
EP#2 - Highway 61 Through Mississippi
Who is Rosie? Who said, “Polyrhythm has its place but it doesn’t work for knife-like lyrics trying to convey majesty and heroism”? Was Bob writing about the state of Mississippi, the state of the nation or the state of a relationship? Or Elvis? Is the older, sardonic, raised-eyebrow Dylan superior to the younger, sneery Bob?Who wrote about Highway 61 that “it was my place in the universe. Always f
Bonus EP#1 (TEASER) - What is This Shit?
This is a teaser of the first ten minutes of Bonus EP#1 - What is This Shit? It is available to our Patreon subscribers right now, as well as early access to Episode 2 - Highway 61 Through Mississippi.Are you a Bobsessive? If so, please consider joining us over on Patreon patreon.com/BobDylanApproximately for bonus episodes, early access to all episodes and much more. To further support the podcas
EP#1 - Time Passes Slowly, Señor
Who is Señor and why won’t he answer questions? What was the Lincoln County War? Who was Marvin Mitchelson? What did he invent? What did Dan find himself apologising about at LAMDA? What life advice did Kerry receive from Sir Toby Belch at the Old Vic Theatre? Why is there no harmonica on Street-Legal? Who was the old man on the train?Is New Morning an album of domestic bliss or spiritual death? W
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