By Steve Marinucci
Published February 24, 1995, San Jose (CA) Mercury News
WHEN Bob Dylan first recorded "The Times They Are A' Changin' " in 1963, he was commenting on political change blowing in the wind. But today, with Dylan releasing new material on CD-ROM, that title takes on new meaning.
Dylan has joined the artist formerly known as Prince, Todd Rundgren and David Bowie at the forefront of a technology that allows listeners to take part in the audio-visual experience.
The new Dylan CD-ROM -- 'Highway 61 Interactive' (Graphix Zone, $59.95) -- just reaching stores, is the newest and among the most intriguing.
Idea intriguing
While earlier discs concentrated on music alone, "Highway 61" is a scrapbook incorporating historic film footage, observations from Dylan associates such as Roger McGuinn, Lou Reed, Eddie Vedder and Eric Clapton and previously unreleased outtakes from his legendary musical canon.
Why would an artist of Dylan's stature and one with his penchant for privacy consider a project like this?
''He has . . . a set of very creative people who surround him and do a lot of his publishing as well as creative work," says Chuck Cortright, Graphix Zone president and CEO. "They had been looking at this technology, and Dylan was intrigued. When we approached him with it, one thing led to another."
Personally picked
Dylan personally chose several songs on the disc, as well as the title and cover shot. And Graphix Zone received full access to Dylan's archives, says Cortright.
''They completely opened up the vaults, both at Sony/Columbia and Dylan's offices," he adds. "It was incredible having access to the total outtakes of the 'Like a Rolling Stone' session." (Nine of these are included on the CD- ROM, as well as the ledger from the session.) "We had access to some songs that had never been released before."
The disc includes a previously unreleased electric version of "House of the Rising Sun," recorded by Dylan in 1962, two years before the Animals' version hit the charts. This track can also be played on any audio CD player.
''Even little things like posters (from) when he first started playing" were made available, says Cortright. "Sony/Columbia had a warehouse, a secured vault area, where they had all that stuff."
All the archival elements can be viewed through the huge collage that a user first encounters when opening the CD-ROM. Click on almost anything here, and you'll see some element of Dylan's career. You can can take virtual- reality tours of Greenwich Village in the '60s, where Dylan performed in a coffee house; a Dylan recording session from the '60s; and the 30th- anniversary tribute to the artist at Madison Square Garden in 1992.
Though the booklet included with the set and a "read me" file on the disc give some hints about what you'll find, it's more fun to explore the program without them. (However, a time-line on the disc enables you to bypass the collage and click on elements directly.)
As one might expect, there are some surprises. One is the presence of Jimi Hendrix in the collage, which leads to a short clip of Hendrix performing "Like a Rolling Stone" at the Monterey Pop Festival. "They respected each other," says Cortright. "In fact, Dylan has said many times that he loved Hendrix's version of 'All Along the Watchtower' better than his."
Even more surprising is a collection of covers from various Dylan bootleg albums. You access them by clicking on a pair of handcuffs. According to Cortright, that was Dylan's idea. "It's another way of defusing (bootlegs), I suppose."
Another component is an up-to-date compendium that includes lyrics to every song Dylan has ever recorded (including "Dignity," released recently on "Greatest Hits, Vol. 3") as well as a list of all the artists who have covered each song.
Also included are sound bites from more than 40 Dylan songs and two full- length videos -- the classic "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and a video montage set to "Masters of War."
Cortright says Graphix Zone initiated "Highway 61" as a follow-up to a CD-ROM by Prince. "I approached (Dylan's) manager, . . . showed him what the possibilities were, and six months later we got the deal." The disc took about seven months to produce with 18 people working full time.
The disc is being sold by local music and CD retailers as well as computer stores.
Graphix Zone plans other music CD-ROMs. And late in the summer the company also plans a to release a series of comedy/educational CD-ROMs in cooperation with the Improv comedy club, described as "laugh as you learn."
Cortright has bright hopes for the future of the medium. "This is a new form of entertainment. By no means do I think this is going to replace CD audio. (The CD-ROM) allows us to interact (with) every form of media -- CD- quality music, animation, text, graphics.
''I think it's a form of entertainment that's definitely going to stick around."
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
''Highway 61 Interactive" runs on either Windows or Macintosh. Minimum requirements: For Windows, a 486SX 25 MHz computer or faster, 4MB RAM, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later, 640x480 screen resolution, double speed CD- ROM, 15MB hard disk space, 16-bit Sound Blaster or Windows compatible sound card and a mouse. For Macintosh, 8MB RAM, System 7.01 or later, 640x480 screen resolution, double speed CD-ROM, 10MB hard disk space.
CAPTION: PHOTO: The new Dylan CD-ROM is a scrapbook incorporating film footage, observations from his associates and previously unreleased outtakes.
950224 EY 45
