Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties

Elijah Wald’s Dylan Goes Electric! revisits the infamous moment at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when Bob Dylan shocked folk purists by plugging in. Wald examines the clash of tradition and innovation, drawing parallels with Pete Seeger, festival politics and generational shifts. He places the moment within broader movements—from folk revival to rock rebellion—exploring how music often ignites cultural rupture. The narrative is richly researched yet grounded in the personalities and power plays behind the scene. It reads like cultural criticism in vivid detail—a key chapter in American musical history.