Bob Dylan Accused of Plagiarism Ahead of Hank Release
Less than a week away from the release of one of the most controversial projects in country music in years, The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, the man Sony ATV put in charge of the project is dealing with plagiarism claims for some paintings in his “Asia Series” on display right now at the Gagosian Gallery in New York.
To clarify, the plagiarism claims have nothing to do with the unfinished Hank Williams songs that are part of the Lost Notebooks project, at least directly. However they do raise even more questions of why a man, outside of the Williams family, and outside of the country genre, who is notorious for being flighty and manipulative of the media, and using controversy to sensationalize interest was put in charge of such a sensitive project.
The plagiarism claims are primarily centered around a few Dylan paintings that look like exact copycats of mid-century photographs taken by famous photographers in Asia. As can be seen in this New York Times article on the controversy and in the image to the right, the similarities are undeniable. As Dylan blogger Michal Gray points out while exposing the copycat paintings:
The most striking thing is that Dylan has not merely used a photograph to inspire a painting: he has taken the photographer’s shot composition and copied it exactly. He hasn’t painted the group from any kind of different angle, or changed what he puts along the top edge, or either side edge, or the bottom edge of the picture. He’s replicated everything as closely as possible. That may be a (very self-enriching) game he’s playing with his followers, but it’s not a very imaginative approach to painting.
Though the rules governing visual art and music are very different, the parallels between Hank Williams’ unfinished songs and paintings have been made since the inception of the project. “I just felt like it was someone being handed half of a Picasso painting,” is what Hank Williams’ granddaughter Holly said in the EPK for the Lost Notebooks.
Bob Dylan is possibly the greatest living American songwriter, and possibly the greatest American songwriter of all time. But his propensity to use controversy, or to be mired in controversy unknowingly, raises even more questions on the eve of a release that is mired with questions and controversy already. And Bob’s involvement in the Lost Notebooks is not just exclusive to contributing one song and selecting the other contributors. The project is being released by his Egyptian Records, not Time-Life like so many of the other recent Hank Sr. releases, or on an imprint of the rights holders, Sony ATV.
So far Dylan has not commented at all on the plagiarism claims.
September 29, 2011 @ 12:23 pm
this is really becoming ridiculous… i mean this site, not bob dylan.
September 29, 2011 @ 4:01 pm
ya know what napoleon? you can leave!
September 29, 2011 @ 5:44 pm
I’m with you on that. Fuck i thought No Depression was bad. Well it turns out it may be worse here with all the tattle tale bs and the poop country coverage.
Bob Dylan is not the Devil. Who else would you want to put this project
Together besides the Williams family? It could be a whole lot worse these songs could be completed by a contemporary country star, so to say, who has no grasp on what Hank stands for.
Am I happy about who is all in on this project? No!! But Towed Van Zant is not alive to do this project so Dylan will suffice. He has done tremendous amounts in the influence department when it comes to real music.
Oh and to all ya’ll that had to Google Townes Van Zant, which is probably 90% of the people on this site, this site maybe perfect for you
September 29, 2011 @ 6:26 pm
yes you’re right 90% of the people don’t know who Towed Van Zant is. Townes Van Zandt, however, we are all familiar with. I agree that this article is somewhat unfair, but comments like yours aren’t getting anything accomplished
September 30, 2011 @ 5:17 am
Thanks for catching what auto correct corrected. Just WTF is to be accomplished? You tell me Mr. Proof Reader
October 2, 2011 @ 7:25 pm
The fact that your disagreement with an article on the intertubes makes you become a deranged jackass is the interesting thing here.
September 29, 2011 @ 12:32 pm
WOW – this is amazing… there is alot of good and thought provoking debate on the NYT article. Dylan has always been a mirror of sorts and the painting certainly prove that. Maybe because of his ability to project others’ art(s) and inject them into the music fabric as he has, he was given this project. Maybe someone thought he could mirror Hank Sr. somehow and do something great with the “lost songs”. Time will tell I guess. Great article Trigger, as always.
September 29, 2011 @ 12:48 pm
This is pretty bad on his part and reminds me of some the lyrics on Modern Times taken from a few books, but is he really notorious for using controversy to sensationalize interest? He has written some songs about real life events, but I don’t think that counts. Bob keeps a pretty low profile regarding his life and especially his politics. His handlers/fans/enemy’s maybe could be guilty but I don’t think the man himself is.
I like your blog Triggerman and value your perspective and effort, but honestly I think more and more in the past 6-9 months that you are going out of your way to make fire where there is little smoke, or in other words create controversy to sensationalize interest.
September 29, 2011 @ 4:36 pm
Sonic,
I knew before I published this story that some people would be turned off by it, or find it sensational on my part. I saw the story last night, but I waited until today to publish it, because I wanted to sleep on it. In the end I decided to publish it for a number of reasons, the main one being that I have covered this unfinished Hank Williams song story for 3 years, and I feel it is germane to the subject.
I honestly do not think this article is sensational. I think the subject matter might be sensational, but that is not my fault. In fact, the question of Bob Dylan sensationalizing stuff is one of the main subjects of the article. Now take my Rascal Flatts article on them joining the Opry. THAT was sensational, and I wrote it that way on purpose, to hopefully make people laugh about what otherwise is a pretty depressing subject. I think it would have been just as controversial, and I would have received just as much negative feedback if I had NOT covered the fact that the man in charge of these unfinished songs is being accused of plagiarism. And please note, I am not accusing Bob Dylan of anything, I am simply reporting on it.
And I am probably going to cover the protests going on this weekend at the Country Music Hall of Fame over the project, and I’m going to do a review of the album when I get a copy, and I’m sure there will be droves of folks who will be tired of the subject before I say my last words on it. But I will say and cover everything that needs to be, because I truly think this is a gravely important issue that has many folks bothered, and deserves my undivided attention, even if the attention span for the subject here today is wavering.
I also don’t think I have been doing any more sensational stories than I have ever done here. In fact, I think I’ve been doing many less compared to 1 or 2 years ago. The difference is, now people interface with the site through the filter of Facebook, which purposely emphasizes the sensational stories, and buries the innocuous ones in their news feeds. The main change in the format in the last 6-9 months is I am now doing dramatically more album reviews.
October 2, 2011 @ 7:27 pm
It’s all on a direct line from your coverage of the Williams story. Makes perfect sense.
September 29, 2011 @ 5:55 pm
I agree with the last part of your comment fully.
September 29, 2011 @ 1:12 pm
For anyone wondering how this article relates to country music, here’s your answer: Life inspires art. Music is art. Dylan is a huge presence in music and the arts as a whole. He is a historian of sorts and he is the overseer of the Lost Notebook, involving unfinished works of country music icon Hank Williams.
And I don’t see why sensationalism in article writing is a bad thing. It draws readers and some of those readers bother to browse the rest of the site. And isn’t that what online journals and magazines are for? To browse. I think Triggerman caters to a variety of readers. I for one think this is a great article.
September 29, 2011 @ 4:38 pm
Bob Dylan had to know that the plagarism charges would be brought up, and must have done it intentionally so as to generate controversy and publicity.
September 29, 2011 @ 4:41 pm
Well, nobody creates art in a vacuum. And I’ve never had a problem with traditional country music being derivative to the point of copyright infringement. That’s part of what I like about it. Blues guys do it all the time, and the only time they sue is when the guy stealing from them is named Jimmy Page.
If you wanna take a shot at Bob, first, he stole his last name from Dylan Thomas. And “The Times They Are A-Changing” is just an old Carter Family chord progression done in 3/4 instead of 4/4. And without Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rogers where would he be?
As far as the Lost Notebooks goes: who gives a shit. If the songs aint’t done, then they ain’t done. Just another record industry project that gets a few people paid. Publish the scraps and let EVERYBODY take a shot. Like a Hank Wiki project.
As far as Zimmerman the painter, I wish him luck. His voice is shot anyway. So he painted a photograph. Big deal. Nobody buys his art for art’s sake. They buy it cuz it says Bob Dylan on the bottom. Like an autographed napkin from a restaurant.
September 30, 2011 @ 7:57 am
This is very controversial and very significant in the art world. ART includes a plethora of avenues from songwriting to sculpting to painting to journalism. Journalists have a duty to present the information, as unbiased as possible, so that the reader can draw their own conclusions. The article should be factual, unless it’s satirical, and should be able to evoke controversy. Triggerman has met his objectives.
September 30, 2011 @ 11:00 am
Dylan has been leeching off more talented individuals from the beginning of his career.
SCM should get credit for opposing or at least monitoring Dylan’s latest attempt exploit music and art fans.
September 30, 2011 @ 1:31 pm
“Bob Dylan is possibly the greatest living American songwriter, and possibly the greatest American songwriter of all time.”
That’d be a negatory. The greatest living American songwriter would be Guy Clark and of all time would either be Townes or Hank.
October 2, 2011 @ 7:24 pm
Interesting stuff, Kyle. did not know about the Williams project.
October 11, 2011 @ 11:14 am
Plagarism… in a painting… come on now
its a painting people have borrowed ideas for paintings for years
if someone makes a painting of someone who is not alive they use a photo
do they credit the photo NO!!!
its a painting an artistic representation of whatever a person, a photo, a landscape whatever, andy warhol was always copying photos for his art and most the time he wasn’t even painting them himself, and his paintings sell for millions, van gogh also borrowed for japanese art, this whole plagarism thing is just silly, its not lyrics that were stolen or a book that was ripped off, its a painting its art, who cares where the subject came from, only this one time, when i musician, who has once before been accused of plagarism makes a painting, he was doing paintings of asia so he did images from asia, from a time that can’t be captured anymore, get over it!!!
November 2, 2015 @ 1:22 pm
In my judgement,the only judge that counts. To me at least. No-one in any form of popular music has come close to the immortal Hiram’s fusion of voice, melody, and other worldly, straight to the heart, magical communication.
Falling like rain on a parched and solitary soul.
The man gave it away.
But i could be crazy…so i’ll let this little ball of lightning plead Luke the Drifter’s cause…
A third of the way, and halfway down the page…
http://mansonsbackporch.com/-hobby-shop.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N97LIkvYtk