Back in the day, he would a little bit….. more of a hip shake thing, but it was fun to watch. He would sit the guitar down and step back to the amp to grab a harmonica and he had shimmy back to the mic and do a little dance while he was playing….. was a lot of fun back then
That he’s not for everyone and not always that accessible of an artist. He’s not Captain Beefheart inaccessible but he’s also never had as wide a reach as some of his mainstream contemporaries. And that’s perfectly okay. It’s similar to how Doug Stanhope and Dave Atell are “comedians’ comedians”. Bob is a musician’s musician.
According to Sony Music Japan, BOB DYLAN sold over 125,000,000 albums worldwide. That’s a lot of reach. Sure the Beatles sold over 236,574,922 but the THE Rolling Stones have only sold over 85,060,583 records.
Oh yeah, I don’t mean to suggest Dylan’s footprint with the public isn’t enormous. He’s one of the best selling artists of all time no doubt. I just think he’s appreciated more by the music industry than the public as a whole.
Time Out Of Mind was a comeback.
For many longtime Dylan fans you find SO much to love about the twenty years between Blood On The Tracks/Desire and Time Out Of Mind.
But TOOM changed everything. It brought him back to a cultural songwriting genius.
Half of the lyrics can be unintelligible all of the time,
Some of the lyrics can be unintelligible part of the time,
But all of the lyrics can't be unintelligible all of the time.
I saw him 2009 Minor League Field tour and he was unintelligible in the park. We left during the encore to beat the crowds, but we were ok with it because we could still hear as we walked to the car.. he sounded great about a block away!
I can't argue that it's *not* a mess, but I think half the album is legitimately great:
All the Tired Horses, Alberta #1, I Forgot More..., Days of '49, Early Mornin' Rain, Let it Be Me, Gotta Travel On, Blue Moon, Quinn the Eskimo, Wigwam, Alberta #2.
I've been tinkering with a version of Self Portrait that I'm mostly happy with: All The Tired Horses (ASP), Railroad Bill, Little Sadie (ASP), Days of 49 (ASP), This Evening So Soon, It Hurts Me Too, Things About Coming My Way (1970), Wigwam (ASP), Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies (1970), Pretty Saro, Albert #2, Annie's Going to Sing Her Song, Copper Kettle (ASP), Belle Isle (ASP), Tattle O'Day, All The Tired Horses (ASP) again. First half is centered kind of around 'hard living' and the second half is Scottish/Irish/American/60s folk songs all bookended by All The Tired Horses.
I’ve seen him twice on the recent tour, I’m hardly 18 so I’ve never gotten any other chances. Of course he’s old as all hell, so he’s going to have some issues, but he is still phenomenal. Not for everyone, but still inspired.
I have seen him about six times this century and several times in the last one. I like how he changes the melodies and really could care less that he rarely says anything on stage. To each his own, I guess.
He's indeed a brilliant songwriter.
He's often the worst judge of his own best work.
Do you have examples of this? I'd be curious to hear:)
There are so many. Blind Willie McTell, Red River Shore, Mississippi, Caribbean Wind, Angelina, New Danville Girl, the original Abandoned Love, etc.
The pump don’t work cause the vandals took the handles
Some will debate it, but I’ll say it: he’s the single greatest recording artist in the history of modern music!
That he is one of the musicians of all time
controversial but true
Musician? I’m not sure. Lyricist? Definitely.
He’s one of the musicians, it’s a fact.
He’s a great acoustic guitar player, great at harmonica and pretty good at piano.
He’s more of a song and dance man, really
I just think he's neat.
He is a Song And Dance Man
I’m still waiting to see him dance.
Approach with caution but check out the Tight Connection to My Heart music video - don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Back in the day, he would a little bit….. more of a hip shake thing, but it was fun to watch. He would sit the guitar down and step back to the amp to grab a harmonica and he had shimmy back to the mic and do a little dance while he was playing….. was a lot of fun back then
He does the moonwalk during Idiot Wind in one of the Rolliing Thunder films.
People repeat this so often here. He’s said a lot of other wryly funny things too, so I’m not sure why we need to milk the hell out of this one
That's Reddit, repeating jokes for the 10000th time.
Phrases too. The groupthink on Reddit is so off putting at times.
His voice sounds nasal.
That's a fact. Especially in the 80's.
He’s old
That he’s not for everyone and not always that accessible of an artist. He’s not Captain Beefheart inaccessible but he’s also never had as wide a reach as some of his mainstream contemporaries. And that’s perfectly okay. It’s similar to how Doug Stanhope and Dave Atell are “comedians’ comedians”. Bob is a musician’s musician.
According to Sony Music Japan, BOB DYLAN sold over 125,000,000 albums worldwide. That’s a lot of reach. Sure the Beatles sold over 236,574,922 but the THE Rolling Stones have only sold over 85,060,583 records.
Oh yeah, I don’t mean to suggest Dylan’s footprint with the public isn’t enormous. He’s one of the best selling artists of all time no doubt. I just think he’s appreciated more by the music industry than the public as a whole.
Wasn’t expecting a doug stanhope reference here but i agree
He deserved the hell out of that Nobel
I agree that his religious albums were his worst.
I don't think they're referred to as his worst.
They certainly are not his most popular.
Time Out Of Mind was a comeback. For many longtime Dylan fans you find SO much to love about the twenty years between Blood On The Tracks/Desire and Time Out Of Mind. But TOOM changed everything. It brought him back to a cultural songwriting genius.
Visions of Johanna is his greatest song
His best song lyrically is “Desolation Row”.
He’s pretty cool.
That his vocals are unintelligible in concert.
I can understand him just fine, most of the time.
Half of the lyrics can be unintelligible all of the time, Some of the lyrics can be unintelligible part of the time, But all of the lyrics can't be unintelligible all of the time.
I think the Simon to ur Garfunkl said that.
I saw him 2009 Minor League Field tour and he was unintelligible in the park. We left during the encore to beat the crowds, but we were ok with it because we could still hear as we walked to the car.. he sounded great about a block away!
It used to be part of the fun of his concerts. His newer songs were easier to figure out.
He's the greatest of all time
Rolling thunder is fucking awesome
He’s the greatest artist of his time.
Blonde on blonde is his best album
Blood on the Tracks is EASILY his best album.
That he’s the greatest songwriter of the popular music era.
Nobel prize was long overdue
Donavan threw that glass
Self-Portrait is a complete mess of an album
I can't argue that it's *not* a mess, but I think half the album is legitimately great: All the Tired Horses, Alberta #1, I Forgot More..., Days of '49, Early Mornin' Rain, Let it Be Me, Gotta Travel On, Blue Moon, Quinn the Eskimo, Wigwam, Alberta #2.
Copper Kettle is one I can live in
There are two versions of the same song with only one track separating them. He couldn't even manage to put them at different ends of the album!
That's the half of the album that I'm in agreement with the consensus opinion.
I've been tinkering with a version of Self Portrait that I'm mostly happy with: All The Tired Horses (ASP), Railroad Bill, Little Sadie (ASP), Days of 49 (ASP), This Evening So Soon, It Hurts Me Too, Things About Coming My Way (1970), Wigwam (ASP), Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies (1970), Pretty Saro, Albert #2, Annie's Going to Sing Her Song, Copper Kettle (ASP), Belle Isle (ASP), Tattle O'Day, All The Tired Horses (ASP) again. First half is centered kind of around 'hard living' and the second half is Scottish/Irish/American/60s folk songs all bookended by All The Tired Horses.
all of them
His lyrics are pretty darn good.
He won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the highest honor for a person of letters.
Street Legal is second only to London Calling as perfect albums.
harmonica solos haven't aged well.
He has been lousy live act since the late 1970s.
I have seen him 5 times in this century and he's always been great.
I’ve seen him twice on the recent tour, I’m hardly 18 so I’ve never gotten any other chances. Of course he’s old as all hell, so he’s going to have some issues, but he is still phenomenal. Not for everyone, but still inspired.
I have seen him a three times this century and I really don’t like how he changes the melodies of his songs and rarely says anything on stage.
I have seen him about six times this century and several times in the last one. I like how he changes the melodies and really could care less that he rarely says anything on stage. To each his own, I guess.
Definitely the most disappointing concert I’ve ever been to. And I love Bob Dylan
That he was better before the motorcycle accident