Bob Dylan:What's the big deal?

I've hear some of his songs and heard snippets of some of his interviews whenever he was on 60 minutes or w/e. Forgive me for being ignorant but what's the appeal? poor voice, incoherent lyrics(he said he was just writing songs, and that people read into it), standard rock chords. can someone inform me?

Sandino said:

the guy is 68 and still making great records (around 34 studio releases)

here you go http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan

still touring too and he always has a great band with him

hope we can say the same thing about prince 15 years from now

I'm not familiar with Dylan outside of his bigger hits, and I don't own any of his material, but Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke had a massive amount of respect for him, as do a lot of other artists, so that's good enough for me.

Maybe it's the fact that he isn't an overproduced, powerful-voiced belter that is his selling point.

His voice isn't wonderful, it's true. But that was never why people dug him. Dylan was and still is one of the best lyricists in modern music.

Personally, I never felt anything he said/sang was incomprehensible. Maybe the rest of y'all just need to turn your hearing aids up.

A whole lot of people dig his voice. even now there's much more depth and sophistication in his vocal style than whitney or Maria ever had

japanrocks said:

Rightly said:

PPKING said:

Rightly said:

PPKING said:[quote]

Rightly said:

PPKING said:[quote]

PPKING said:

Rightly said:

A whole lot of people dig his voice.

A whole lot of people dig their on piss and drink it-so?
[Edited 9/2/09 6:36am]

meow85 said:

PPKING said:

A whole lot of people dig their on piss and drink it-so?
[Edited 9/2/09 6:36am]

Let's hear you sing.

PPKING said:

He sounds like a cow in pain!

...by the way this album is G R E A T

I've NEVER understood his appeal. Never will.

Sandino said:

But his stuff is an acquired taste. I certainly didn't like it right away. I remember hearing him first on We are the World, and just laughing. I couldn't believe anyone sang like that.

Meow said his voice is true, and she's right about that. For people who are looking for feeling & truth in their music, singers like Dylan or Tom Waits fit that bill, despite not having beautiful clean voices. Pretty singers like Celine Dion are so much frosting, but they don't have any substance or weight. But that is something you either hear or you don't. It can't really be explained.

NDRU said:

NDRU said:

I think his voice has aged well. I have about 15 Dylan CD's and he is my favorite lyricist of all time. As far as seeing him live, it is hit and miss. I am going to see him for the sixth time Oct. 10 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. I have seen him 3 times when he was great and twice when he was terrible. There is no in between, he is either incredible or he is horrible. I am hoping for a great show in October.

I am not a Bob Dylan-fan myself.

But as others said, i think his appeal lies first of all in his lyrics, and second, in his songwriting abilities.
His voice might be something to get used to / an acquired taste, but the hundreds (or probably thousands) of (often great) versions of his songs by others, show he is a very gifted songwriter.

Coming back to his voice: His voice is not my favourite voice either, but very often I see people on the org equal 'good or great vocals' to so-called technical abilities (reaching a certain number of octaves: Shitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey) or the ability of singers to 'polish' their delivery (George Michael, Luther Vandross). Like singing is some kind of contest in techninal issues.
Isnt singing in the first place about expressing your soul and ideas? And about succeeding with delivering your message, how technically 'limited' your octave range might be?
Dylan might not be a technically impressive singer, but his delivery 'fits' his lyrics and music and I take him ANY day above the empty showing-off of someone like Mariah Carey.

Graycap23 said:

NDRU said:

Graycap23 said:

Interesting that U mention Tom. I dig his music and singing.

Me, too, but I remember a friend stating in no uncertain terms that he was NOT a good singer because he didn't meet the standard requirements of "voice, pitch, phrasing, rhythm..."

What can you say to that? "I guess you're right and now I hate his singing?"

The funny thing is, looking back the only thing Tom Waits is maybe lacking out of those things is voice, and his voice is interesting if not pure & pretty.
[Edited 9/2/09 12:27pm]

Graycap23 said:

NDRU said:

Me, too, but I remember a friend stating in no uncertain terms that he was NOT a good singer because he didn't meet the standard requirements of "voice, pitch, phrasing, rhythm..."

What can you say to that? "I guess you're right and now I hate his singing?"

The funny thing is, looking back the only thing Tom Waits is maybe lacking out of those things is voice, and his voice is interesting if not pure & pretty.
[Edited 9/2/09 12:27pm]

I can "feel" Tom but Dylan is not doing a thing 4 me on any level.

NDRU said:

He is not a pop singer (you wont have a "correct" voice for pop, like McCartney´s or MJ´s)

He is not a rock singer either

He is closer to a mixture of blues and country singer imo
(he is closer to the rolling stones than to the beatles)

NDRU said: