The Picasso of Song Returns: Volume Two Lands October 2025
Heads up, Dylan fans—Chris Gregory has a new milestone on the horizon. Minstrel Boy: The Metamorphoses of Bob Dylan (Picasso of Song, Volume Two) arrives in October 2025, tracing Dylan’s shapeshifting years from 1967 to 1990 with the mix of insight, humour, and musical know‑how that made Determined to Stand a standout.
What to expect
- A clear, accessible deep dive that reads like a fan’s guide but thinks like a scholar.
- Textual analysis threaded with vivid accounts of key performances.
- Wide-ranging influences—from William Blake and the King James Bible to folk, blues, country, gospel, and rock and roll.
Inside the book
- Retreat (1967–1973): Country-inflected introspection away from the spotlight.
- Return (1974–1978): Major records, major tours, creative ignition.
- Rebirth (1979–1990): Spiritual turn and another reinvention.
About the project The Picasso of Song trilogy is being written in reverse chronological order. Minstrel Boy is Volume Two; Volume Three, now in progress, will cover the early years and complete what aims to be a definitive study of Dylan’s career.
About Chris Gregory Gregory’s site, From the Pen of Chris Gregory, features blogs on hundreds of Dylan songs and has topped 100,000 visits. His podcast, Bob Dylan: A Headful of Ideas—available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Buzzsprout, and more—has over 10,000 downloads and nearly 80 episodes, and has been listed by Feedspot, Player FM, and Million Podcasts among the top Dylan podcasts. He’s also the author of Be Seeing You: Decoding the Prisoner (1997), Star Trek: Parallel Narratives (2000), and Who Could Ask For More: Reclaiming The Beatles (2009).
Why the buzz? Reviewers of Determined to Stand praised Gregory’s “intellectual necromancing” (Splice Today), “richly atmospheric” live accounts and comprehensive song analyses (Bilingual Culture), and his mapping of influences from ancient myth to Shakespeare and William Blake (Louder than War), with Americana UK calling it “a fascinating tale.”
Save the date: Minstrel Boy lands October 2025—an essential guide to Dylan’s retreat, return, and rebirth.