Robert Shelton (critic) his Dylan biography, "No Direction Home, The Life and Music of Bob Dylan" which was finally published in 1986, after years of arguments with publishers about the style and length of the work. Shelton's intention from the outset was to write a serious cultural study, not a showbiz biography; as a result, he later said his life's work had been "abridged over troubled waters". The title is taken from the lyric of Dylan's hit single, "Like a Rolling Stone". The same title, "No Direction Home", was used by Martin Scorsese for his 2005 documentary film about Dylan's career from the
The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia is a compendium of articles written by Michael Gray covering the life and work of Bob Dylan. It includes reviews of varying length for each album and numerous songs in Dylan's musical output, but is not just a work of music criticism. The topics for individual articles encompass Dylan's musical forebears, literary influences, personal acquaintances, key career events, musical associates, cultural context, forays into film and writing, and minutiae of all sorts. Gray's opinions characterize the content found in the "Encyclopedia". Gray connects Dylan to the tradition of country blues, and there