On the Road with Bob Dylan

By: Larry "Ratso" Sloman

Narrated by: Ramiz Monsef

In 1975 as Bob Dylan emerged from eight years of seclusion, he dreamed of putting together a traveling music show that would trek across the country like a psychedelic carnival. The dream became reality, and On the Road with Bob Dylan is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at what happened when Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Revue took to the streets of America.

With the intimate detail of a diary, Larry "Ratso" Sloman’s mesmerizing description of the legendary tour both transports listeners to a celebrated period in rock history and provides them with a vivid snapshot of Dylan during this extraordinary time. This reissue of the 1978 classic resonates more than ever as it chronicles one of the most glittering rock circuses ever assembled, with a cast that includes Joan Baez, Robbie Robertson, Joni Mitchell, Allen Ginsberg, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and a wild entourage of groupies, misfits, sinners, and saints who trailed along for the ride. Sloman candidly captures the all-night revelry and musical prowess - from the backstage antics to impromptu jams - that made the tour a nearly mystical experience.

Complete with an introduction by renowned Texas musician, mystery writer, and Revue member Kinky Friedman, this is an unparalleled treat for Dylan fans old and new. Without question, On the Road with Bob Dylan is a remarkable, revealing piece of writing and a rare up-close and personal view of Dylan on tour.

©2010 Larry Sloman (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Fantastic book. Excellent performance.

This is one of my favorite books and I've read it several times. Sloman really does a great job describing that tour and the characters within. However, THIS audio performance is fantastic. Ramiz Monsef does an excellent job performing all of the characters. Very entertaining.

Amazing story (duh) Super Amazing Narrator

This narrator does everyone's voice perfectly you really feel like you're there, it's truly remarkable how he's able to capture all of these wonderful characters. 🤩

One of the best...

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Ratso Sloman's writing is natural and easy and suits the subject like a well tailored jacket. The narrative scores a 10 as well and I will be looking for other books read by Ramiz Monsef.

How to Love this Love-It or Hate-It Book

Larry Sloman's gonzo memoir of life with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue in the mid-70s. I can confidently recommend this book, but only with a few caveats -- not so much caveats, more like, if you can expect a few of these strange attributes in advance, you stand a better chance of falling on the love-it side of this love-it or hate-it book.

1. First of all, not to excuse Larry for his extremely politically incorrect language, but this book was written before the term "politically correct" was even coined, before that concept entered public discourse. So expect some extreme language, shrug it off as anachronistic, and move on to the good stuff.

2. This book was written during the era of gonzo journalism -- Fear and Loathing, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and such. A huge portion of it is devoted to Larry's attempts to get access to Bob Dylan to research the book -- post-modern before post-modernism was a common term, meta-journalism where the process is part of the story. Larry takes it to the extreme, to the point where you wonder whether he's making it up for comic effect. Especially once he starts to refer to himself exclusively in the third person as Ratso, after Joan Baez christens him with his nickname and Roger McGuinn ensures that it will endure. If you take it seriously, it could be a huge turn-off. If you laugh at and along with Ratso, as he certainly intends, you will enjoy it.

3. You will see some of your musical icons portrayed not as musical icons, but as ordinary people, warts and all. Whiners, neurotics, insecure paranoiacs, turf warriors, gossipers, backbiters, etc. Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, and of course Dylan -- there is a positive side to their character that shines through, but the negative aspects could turn you off if you don't want to hear it. Especially Joni Mitchell, who comes off as so consistently and endearingly nutty that you wonder if this is real or imagined, except that Larry and Kinky both make a point of insisting that it's all on tape. Anyway, be warned -- they're only human -- you will never get this kind of look at their private side anywhere else.

I know Larry from the Rangers' press room, where we worked together for several years. So far from being turned off by his personal story, like some other readers, I enjoyed it. But that is clearly a subjective experience for me, because I already knew what kind of quirky personality I would encounter. Other readers will probably have to work through that side of the story to get the part that most interests them -- but I enjoyed it.

More interesting for a general audience is the deep inside look at these people off the stage, when they're not working, not being creative, not performing. I have read a number of inside baseball books about musicians of the era -- The Wrecking Crew and Fire & Rain most recently, in audio format -- but I have never read anything that shows the true personalities of these artists when they're just hanging out, being regular people.

Then there are Larry's set pieces. When he pitches the concept to Dylan, he outlines his goal of combining a personal diary, man on the street stories, and sit-down interviews with the artists. These pieces can be eye-popping -- Joni Mitchell arguing against gender roles in the iconography of pop music, Mike Bloomfield recounting Dylan's first electric concert at Newport, Roger McGuinn lamenting his declining fortunes since the break-up of the Byrds, Robbie Robertson dissecting songs, albums and tours, and numerous others -- Dylan's wife and mother, the filmmakers shooting the movie Renaldo and Clara during the tour, Rubin Carter, etc.

As for the narration, don't judge a voice by its name. Who would have thought someone named Ramiz Monsef can sound so much like a New Yorker? I know what Larry actually sounds like and I can't tell the difference between the real thing and this performance. And it's not just Larry, although his voice carries the bulk of the narrative -- he also nails Kinky, Joni, Cohen, Rubin Carter, and of course the instantly recognizable Dylan. Standing ovation from me -- you could not have heard these voices in your head if you read the print edition.

I laughed a lot listening to this book. Got a lot of strange looks on the subway and on the streets. Seriously, if you can get past some of the things that have rubbed some readers the wrong way -- as I detailed up top -- and see the incredible humor in this tale, it will crack you up.

I'm not even a big Dylan fan. I like a lot of his work, especially from the 60s and 70s, but am not a devoted acolyte like Larry, and another friend also named Larry. I actually have more affection for Dylan after listening to this book, since he comes off as so much more human than I've ever seen anywhere else. Not to beat a dead horse, but if you can get past the "hate-it" qualities of this unconventional book, there is much to love, including the off-stage personality of its primary subject.

I feel like I was part of the Rolling Thunder tour

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Road with Bob Dylan to be better than the print version?

I read the book around 1977 when I was 14-15. It was a difficult read because I was stoned most of the time and I was never good at reading long books. But I got through it and always had a good feeling about it, even if I forgot most of it.

What about Ramiz Monsef’s performance did you like?

This guy did an amazing job. He used different voices that definitely resembled the actual people. His Bob Dylan was totally believable without sounding like a corny imitation. The reader definitely made all the difference with this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was 15 hours and I listened in 6 or 7 sittings. I listen while I work and drive. I definitely looked forward to hearing more each day.

Any additional comments?

Larry Ratso Sloman is a cool dude. Too bad Bob didn't take him on the tours that followed, because I would love to hear more of this stuff.