The New Issue of Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan's America

It's a land of Walt Whitman and Chuck Berry, of border towns and murder ballads — and America's greatest songwriter may be the last man living there. For the new issue of Rolling Stone on newsstands today, historian and professor Douglas Brinkley followed Bob Dylan from Paris to Amsterdam as the Midwest's most famous son held court on American icons like Elvis Presley, Walt Whitman, Chuck Berry and Carl Sandburg.

Dylan also opened up about his partnership with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, who contributed to Dylan's new Together Through Life and mused on playing with the guitarist Mike Bloomfield.

Rolling Stone also takes a look back at the magazine's long history with Dylan in a gallery of his RS covers (he appeared on his first in 1968), and explores the singer's non-musical work in a gallery of his paintings, which have been displayed in galleries worldwide. Plus, read David Fricke's review of Together Through Life.

Also in this issue:

• Sasha Grey: The Dirtiest Girl in the World

• Mike Tyson Reveals the Only Thing That Truly Scares Him

• Meet the Chess Masters Behind Obama's National Security

• Review: Green Day Go Bigger on 21st Century Breakdown

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

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