Bob Dylan fans - I don’t get it

[cantdrv55]

I really don’t. His music to me isn’t all that melodic. Lyrics are good but the melody is more important to me. His voice is terrible. Maybe I was born too late to appreciate him? From his era, I like the Beatles and the Stones. After that it’s disco, old school R&B/Soul Train stuff, then New Wave and some alternative. Were any of these later genres influenced by Dylan? I guess maybe I was never destined to like his music but man, the adoration for the guy is a mystery to me.

[Geronimo '74]

I’m guessing you’re not a Tom Waits fan either..

[sugarwood]

The folk sound sowed the seeds of 60s social revolution. He is iconic beyond his music.
He's influenced anyone who picked up an acoustic guitar after 1963.

As far as actual music, start with something with some mainstream appeal like this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ8GUwNaboo

[herr_oberst]

Because it's music.
That's an unanswerable question, in the same vein as a preference in partners. 'Blood on the Tracks 'is one of my Desert Island picks. 'Kind of Blue' kind of bores me.

[pavulon]

Soy bomb guy would disagree.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Because it's music.
That's an unanswerable question, in the same vein as a preference in partners. 'Blood on the Tracks 'is one of my Desert Island picks. 'Kind of Blue' kind of bores me.

Perfect, Herr O.

[Steve Carlton]

Some of his lyrics border on great poetry, and he won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. His voice is different, for sure. Mostly I like it. YMMV. His influence is indisputably massive. I understand he's not your cup of tea, but most people will feel otherwise.

I find his promotional clip of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" very clever for its day. The song came out in 1965, and this is one of the earliest music videos to come out.




I admire his taking of Reuben Carter's plight in "Hurricane." This is an interesting performance before he had to change the lyrics when faced with a lawsuit. The violin work in this is magical. I'm putting in the link instead of embedding the video so you can read the introduction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voH11xV4AKI

[Baz]

The Prophet!

[flatbutt]

That shooting took place a few blocks from my house and yes the cops were most definitely racist. Dylan voice sux madly but his lyrics are amongst the most meaningful of the period.

[stevej37]

Everyone has certain music they just don't get.
Mine is Hendrix.....I do like Dylan, but not as much as most do.

[cassisrot]

If you don’t get Dylan, I’m sorry. He is simply the best.

[908/930]

I think your age determines a lot of what music you like, what you were listening to as a teenager sticks with you. Bob Dylan, Neil Young and many more were too old for my taste, and still are.

[craigster59]

Mr. Tambourine Man, Blowin' In The Wind, Girl From The North Country, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, Make You Feel My Love, etc. are all masterpieces in songwriting.

That said, I've seen Dylan in concert. I'd rather hear someone else sing his songs.

[pete3799]

I'll give you his singing sucks but listen to the music and more importantly the lyrics.

[cassisrot]

I saw him in Ft Collins, and even though a hard rain was falling.he was great. Saw him again in Denver in 02, I think, and he was not as sharp. We all get old.

[craigster59]

A rare Rickenbacker "Light Show" with Roger McGuinn and Clarence White's "B-Bender" played by Marty Stuart. Doesn't get much better than this.....

[Steve Carlton]

I saw him at the Greek Theater in Berkeley quite a while ago. I wanted to see him perform songs from "Love and Theft" and "Modern Times," and I wasn't disappointed. They say he's unpredictable in what he'll perform and it can be great or not so great. I was thoroughly pleased, but I didn't see much from his period of truly incredible lyrics. It was good to see him, and I like his (now) gravely voice.

The Byrds leaned heavily into Dylan on their first album Mr. Tambourine Man, covering four of his songs. I think their version of the actual song is much better than Dylan's version, and he complimented them on their cover. I think the next Byrds album did covers of two of Dylan's songs. Similarly, Jimi Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watchtower" was better, and Dylan admitted that Jimi found more in it than he did.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by 908/930

I think your age determines a lot of what music you like, what you were listening to as a teenager sticks with you. Bob Dylan, Neil Young and many more were too old for my taste, and still are.

100%.

That's the Way of the World.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by cantdrv55

After that it’s disco, old school R&B/Soul Train stuff, then New Wave and some alternative.

Easy to see why you wouldn't like Dylan.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

...his lyrics are amongst the most meaningful of the period.

No matter what one thinks of his voice or his live performances, this fact holds true.

[herr_oberst]

Nobody wears a cowboy hat backwards better than Dylan.

I love this song. Good beat. You can dance to it.

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