Tom Jackson

Is It Rolling, Bob? Talking Dylan

To mark our 50th episode, writer and podcaster Tom Jackson gives us his clear-eyed take on Dylan’s “Born Again” albums: Slow Train Coming, Saved, Shot Of Love and Trouble No More. “Slow Train Coming is not a smooth record, not a pleasant record, but I enjoy the tension.” And the accompanying live performances? “They were church services, really. But why is Dylan so angry? That terrible, clear-eyed vitriol. He’s got the answer but he’s still furious! I think he enjoyed baiting his audience, messing with people’s minds”. In a 50th outing overflowing with colourful opinions, Tom brings it all back home: “Dylan does nothing straight. I imagine when he puts his Ocado delivery in, there’ll be a note or a poem in it! His older persona, the grizzled storyteller full of wisdom and foolishness, is so appealing”.

Tom has collected postcards for as long as he can remember. He is the author of Postcard From The Past, 4th Estate (‘A book of rare and genuine beauty’ James O’Brien). He has written about postcards for The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Big Issue and talked about them on Radio 3, Radio 4, Radio 5, Talk Radio, BBC local stations and Monocle 24. He has produced documentaries for Radio 4 including Postcards From The White City. The Postcard From The Past book started life as Twitter account @pastpostcard, which attracts over 13 million impressions a month. He hosts Podcast From The Past, (“Fascinating, funny, poignant" BBC Radio 4Extra) in which he chats to well-known guests about postcards and their lives.

Kerry and Luke were guests in 2020.

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Twitter @isitrollingpod

Recorded 22nd January 2021

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