I don't "get" Bob Dylan

  On 6/12/2012 at 10:10 PM, beerwolf said:

play The Ballad of Hollis Brown. If you don't get it or don't feel floored by the sheer power of the words/imagery that Dylan weaves, then you can feel safe in the knowledge Dylan isn't for you.

 

Epic track (words) set to the most basic and rudimentry music (twanging one chord and a brief wailing harmonica). It makes sense when you hear it, (trust me). If you don't understand what to get after those 4 minutes I'd suggest you forget about Mr Zimmerman altogether and search somewhere else for a pot of gold.

I'd give the same advise, but with Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.

The bottom line though, is, those of us who are more into music than lyrics will probably never get it..

  On 6/13/2012 at 1:08 AM, modey said:

The bottom line though, is, those of us who are more into music than lyrics will probably never get it..

apparently i'm the only one who vehemently disagrees with this, and thinks bob writes beautiful songs.

Fair enough. I just don't think he's a very good guitar player, or even a good vocalist.. Then again, most of the time I tend to go for the more polished, well produced stuff, so forget I said anything.

Bringing it all Back Home is my personal fav. Love the lyrics. I remember loving that song She Belongs To Me. I remember thinking back in the day... Damn... She must have been some woman!

I like some music with lyrics. I think it's just a matter of finding something that speaks to you.

  On 6/13/2012 at 2:09 AM, modey said:

Fair enough. I just don't think he's a very good guitar player, or even a good vocalist..

He's good, though.

  On 6/11/2012 at 7:45 PM, zaphod said:

there's nothing to get

  On 6/13/2012 at 1:20 AM, pattern recognition said:

  On 6/13/2012 at 1:08 AM, modey said:

The bottom line though, is, those of us who are more into music than lyrics will probably never get it..

apparently i'm the only one who vehemently disagrees with this, and thinks bob writes beautiful songs.

no, i think he's made some fantastic music, I'm a big fan

this is nice

  On 6/12/2012 at 8:01 AM, psn said:

BTW, check out the endless arrogance here:

 

[media=]

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Donovan: "I'll sing a song for you, that's what I'm here to do, to sing for you..."

 

Dylan: "You must leave now..." "...it's all over now, Baby Blue"

yeah that did put me off a little....I quite liked that ditty, especially considering Donovan was 19 or 20 when he visited.

Its interesting to note that while Dylan here is sorta putting Donovan down in song for his "poor" Dylan imitation, Dylan's early work itself was a complete imitation of Woody Guthrie.

So yeah, I think Dylan is overrated and an asshole, but that doesn't mean he hasn't created absolutely gorgeous tracks here and there.

  On 6/12/2012 at 10:29 PM, modey said:

  On 6/12/2012 at 9:04 PM, baph said:

Also I take my folk more fucked up than Bob can deliver.

 

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHHZhIZOF44[/media]

Yes! A friend of mine introduced me to them on the weekend. They're like a more fucked up version of early Genesis without the rock. Like if Tony Banks and Anthony Philips took acid or something. Amazing stuff!

wow this is great!

this is cool, bob with some 80s gimps + a broken harmonica + lookin a bit like my dear departed old granny. thanks mr zimmerman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwdUwxhjnYY

Y'all confusing two meanings of "bad voice".

You can have an aesthetically pleasing, great voice like most of those pop singers. Or you can have a highly expressive voice, in near total harmony with lyrics and music, transporting emotion exactly as the musician intended, etc. That's Dylan.

Listen to the things he does with his voice on the (original) recordings of BOTT, or on Blonde on Blonde. I think it's incredible.

i know what you mean..i like to refer people to Bowie's Berlin Trilogy for another great example of that...also the first track on Scary Monsters....I can't tell if the guy is singing or in the middle of a nervous breakdown.

only read the first post...so...

if you can listen to highway 61 revisited and not enjoy it then just put him down as not for you

i recently fell in love with this track off nashville skyline.despite dylans weird voice getting weirder. also johnny cash. they fuck up the ending up it adds to it somehow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aSLMEKl8E4

  On 6/11/2012 at 8:52 PM, beerwolf said:

 

However my first experience of Bob was a wise choice, and it was one of those moments that blew me away. What track? Masters of War.

 

a favorite of mine too.

  On 6/17/2012 at 6:37 PM, dese manz hatin said:

Y'all confusing two meanings of "bad voice".

 

You can have an aesthetically pleasing, great voice like most of those pop singers. Or you can have a highly expressive voice, in near total harmony with lyrics and music, transporting emotion exactly as the musician intended, etc. That's Dylan.

Listen to the things he does with his voice on the (original) recordings of BOTT, or on Blonde on Blonde. I think it's incredible.

I understand that, and I'm sure there are at least a few vocalists who I enjoy who aren't particularly good technically (though for the most part I prefer vocalists who are over the top/ridiculous, such as Mike Patton, or most 80s stadium pop). I just don't like his voice, that's all!

He personally appeared in a Victoria Secret commercial. What a twat.

  On 6/12/2012 at 12:10 AM, kaini said:

  On 6/11/2012 at 10:54 PM, Awepittance said:

someone should have handed bob dylan a lyric sheet for 'masters of war' when he was here

 

 

 

either hes now senile, or forgot the lyrics to his own song

 

blah blah obama is bad. seriously. get a new schtick.

alright i have a new schtick, it will take the form of jabs when im in a bitchy mood, never-mind that's not new

obamalover

Since there's been so much talk about Neil Young in this thread:

  On 6/17/2012 at 6:37 PM, dese manz hatin said:

Y'all confusing two meanings of "bad voice".

 

You can have an aesthetically pleasing, great voice like most of those pop singers. Or you can have a highly expressive voice, in near total harmony with lyrics and music, transporting emotion exactly as the musician intended, etc. That's Dylan.

Listen to the things he does with his voice on the (original) recordings of BOTT, or on Blonde on Blonde. I think it's incredible.

Completely agree, it's the combination of the lyrics and the delivery that is so powerful. Just reading the lyrics doesn't have the same effect. You can hear the pain in his voice on tracks like Meet me in the Morning and Shelter from the Storm. A more polished voice would not be as effective. There is something incredibly raw and heartfelt about his music.

The melodies are great too, but they take a while to sink in, they are quite subdued.

Obviously it's not everyone's cup of tea though, I can understand that.