I read an excerpt from his new autobiography. Dylan was never quite the hippie that his fans were. He wrote where he started purchasing firearms to protect him and his family when "fans" began to make pilgrimages to his home Many of these fans that showed up in his yard and on his doorstep were a little frightening.
Actually my least favorite Dylan period was the period that brought him most of his fame. My favorite Dylan starts with the Nashville Skyline album.