807. Dylan, Lennon, Marx & God (with Jon Stewart PhD)

A conversation about two legends of contemporary popular culture - Bob Dylan and John Lennon, with pop-star academic Jon Stewart (guitarist in The Wedding Present and Sleeper). 👉 Episode page 📖 Get Jon’s book here (other bookshops are available) Jon Stewart is an interesting mix. He is both a university lecturer and a pop star. He runs a Masters Degree course in Music Business and Popular Music Practice at the BIMM Institute in London and he also plays guitar for legendary British group The Wedding Present, AND classic ’Britpop’ band Sleeper. So, Jon knows all about the music business from both a personal and academic point of view. In this conversation I ask Jon about his new book “Dylan, Lennon, Marx and God“ which is an amazing dual-biography of John Lennon and Bob Dylan, two of the most significant figures in contemporary popular culture. Jon talks about the way Dylan and Lennon used language in their work, the references they make to the culture they grew up in, including their spiritual and political views. Jon also talks about his time as a musician, including working with Elvis Costello and George Michael, and a funny story about John Lennon’s “Imagine piano“. I hope you find this conversation as fascinating as I did. If you like it, consider getting a copy of Jon’s book! 00:00 Introduction 08:28 Interview 53:07 Jon’s “Lennon Piano“ story