Dylan overrated?

Bob-Dubery · 2014-06-17T08:03:56+00:00

10 musicians influenced by Bob Dylan who are better than Bob Dylan

Bob-Dubery

Viccy wrote
the hack in question clearly lacks them—to suggest that Donovan has a greater range than Dylan is simply risible, for a start. Donovan, fer chrissakes!
took the words right out of my mouth....Donovan, very sweet, but, no where near Dylan.

I doubt Dylan could have written "The Intergalactic Laxative". Donovan started off quite folky but also went electric with songs like "Riki Tiki Tavi" and "Atlantis" and got a whole lot more interesting.

The article is a bit silly. Why diss an artist, by listing all the people he's inspired, and who were moved to either emulate him or cover his songs, because they liked them so much? Really very silly.

I think the point was that other folks did Dylan better or took what he did and built on it. Which, once again, doesn't reduce his greatness. In fact it sort of confirms it.

It's hard to put a finger on why he's so popular...he's not very likable - in any way, but he is - in a way. So there you go, it's magic. Although as far as mumbling, self absorbed folk singers go, I think I prefer Leonard Cohen.

I've read several things that suggest he's a PITA. He was very ambitious early on which upset some of his contemporaries. I don't know why he stays popular other than that he's one of THE legends. In the Rock heaven Elvis sits on the throne with Dylan on his right and the Beatles on the left. He's that high up. But I wish he'd shut up now. Heck! I wish he'd shut up 30 years ago and just issued an archive disk every few years.

No Direction Home is pretty good with loads of archive material.

DaFiz

I just never had much Dylan in my collection until Desire. It was an album that's been with me since the very first time I heard it, and I still enjoy strumming some of those songs to this day.
It also inspired me to go back to his earlier songs and strum them as well, and there's always another one to practice... 8)

[deleted]

is both how self-aware he is, and how funny.

Ja, I think that's the magic. "Everybody must get stoned" would always get my mom in a really good mood. And luckily even Cohen is cracking a smile every now and then.

also went electric with songs like "Riki Tiki Tavi" and "Atlantis" and got a whole lot more interesting.

...ahem... this is where we differ. "Atlantis" is so cute I could sing it at the nursery school. Donovan is definitely more cute than Dylan, if that's what you're saying.

Squonk

Viccy wrote
is both how self-aware he is, and how funny.
Ja, I think that's the magic. "Everybody must get stoned" would always get my mom in a really good mood. And luckily even Cohen is cracking a smile every now and then.

also went electric with songs like "Riki Tiki Tavi" and "Atlantis" and got a whole lot more interesting.
...ahem... this is where we differ. "Atlantis" is so cute I could sing it at the nursery school. Donovan is definitely more cute than Dylan, if that's what you're saying.

This might be supporting XRB's claim about being great and overrated. Donovan did some hectic stuff in the late 60's and early 70's, enough to be one of the greats, he even gave The Beatles guitar lessons that they put to good use, (listen to the White Album).

No one really mentions Donovan anymore, and I can see from some discussion in this group that he is not taken too seriously. And just as well because some of the stuff he has put out lately is shocking! But no one cares and if they did he would be in the same boat as Bob Dylan.

[deleted]

and I can see from some discussion in this group that he is not taken too seriously -

Are you talking about me?

So I guess the distinction people are making is between the personality that carries the music, versus the technical ability. Perhaps some personalities are stronger (and louder) and attract louder personalities, making it appear that some people are more popular (and expressive) than others, when it is not really the case. I do get that point.

Squonk

Viccy wrote
and I can see from some discussion in this group that he is not taken too seriously -
Are you talking about me?

So I guess the distinction people are making is between the personality that carries the music, versus the technical ability. Perhaps some personalities are stronger (and louder) and attract louder personalities, making it appear that some people are more popular (and expressive) than others, when it is not really the case. I do get that point.

Not just you Viccy, there were others totally shocked at Donovan even being in the same sentence as Dylan. I am not trying to compare the two at all, but Donovan had his moments and his songwriting was tops, lyrically he was good stuff as well.

But there is that other power or whatever it is that has put Dylan up there even though possibly he is about 40 years past his best. ( Although I did enjoy his 1980's release Infidels!)

chris77

Is Dylan overrated? Yup. But so is everybody else. One man's genius is another man's fool.
There is probably a hall of fame worth of "great" bands and performers that I just don't get.... People however keep pointing out that their Greatness is not determined by their skills and songs within the context of current musical standards, but by how they changed the scenes and shifted the boundaries of their times - which is some pretty scary stuff if that is to be the criteria going forward. (imagine a future where The Beatles are regarded as being in the same league as some of the modern artists shifting boundaries, like miley, lady gaga and die antwoord... ???)
Personally I would rather watch one Leonard Cohen or Dylan concert than a million others by bands trying to turn back time by doing the same stuff they did decades ago whilst wearing the same outfits and acting like puberty passed them by.
.

studmissile

But who does Dylan listen too? Ah yes, Billie Joe Shaver.

Bob-Dubery

Mike wrote
X-rated Bob wrote What I like about the piece that I linked to is that there's a journo out there who is prepared to face the slings and arrows of outrageous tweeting by suggesting that Dylan is less than infallible.
Well, y'see, I don't think that consensus exists. I think most people with ears know that Dylan has been hugely fallible over the years (with many, in today's parlance, epic fails).

I don't know so much. I keep on reading reviews and seeing Dylan's name crop in interviews and it seems to me that it's a brave person who writes Dylan off - though Joni Mitchell has been doing it for years. It's not just his voice - the easiest target - but people still insist he's writing good songs. Richard Haslop (who I pay attention to) has been asserting that Dylan had a slump back in the 80s but these days quality is guaranteed. OK... Haslop may be more sly than I give him credit for. In general - maybe I read the wrong press - it seems like every time he brings a new album out it's the best thing he's done since Blood On The Tracks. Exceptions (but I don't know how big their reach is) are Wilson and Alroy at www.warr.org who have realised that these days the Emperor is naked.

Keira-WitherKay

Dylan was the voice of a generation .... and because of it he became an icon/legend of that era

and as we all know music appreciation is in the eye or ear of the beholder ..... and if enough people buy your music and identify with your social/political message or image ....it does not matter how talented you are ...at the end of the day it's the size of the support by audiences at performances or record sales that define an artists future.....very seldom their virtuosity that matters

? just like these days theres bands like "one direction"

Ray

Desire and Blood on the Tracks are two of the best albums in the world. Other than that there is the occasional good thing.

major7th

guys !

this underlines the magic and frustration of music and opinions. Likes and dislikes are so relative and subjective. For me,

Dylan's class and abilities are beyond debate. However, as with all music, it depends on how you measure how good he was and how you do your comparisons. in those days, he was a pioneer of poetry set to music, as well as being the Father of protest music.

But then, someone will stick their hand up and tell us that Elvis pioneered sexuality in musical performance. Would Dylan be a hit now ? no. Would Hendrix be a hit now, equally No.

It all depends where you sit and where you were sitting.

( and then, of course, there is no accounting for taste )

Sebber

I've wanted to quote a number of posts on this thread but to be honest there are too many divergent opinions that by the time I got to page three it was technically and physically impossible to do so whilst providing any justice to any of you!

On the question of "Is Dylan overrated?" I can only ask in return: "who's rating, and for what?".

All I can say is that Blonde on Blonde is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time and I agree, but in the same token I'm not such a huge fan of Blood on The Tracks nor Highway 61 Revisited. Anyone who can write and record numbers like Visions of Johanna, Leopard-skin Pill-box Hat, or Just Like a Woman (amongst others on that album) counts as a great in my book, regardless of what I'm rating him on!

Similarly, covers of some of his numbers like Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower or, more recently, The Derek Trucks Band cover of Down in The Flood, to me, prove that his music can be and is a vehicle for other musicians' inspiration and creativity.

I'd suggest that Dylan is overrated if, for example, you're rating him on his skill to unblock a drain or braai a steak, but as a musician (agreed that he lacks some technical skills), songsmith (yes he's written some poor songs as well as some brilliant ones), performer and entertainer (no doubt when you have a career as long as his there's some patchy work involved), and cultural icon (undoubtable), then forget about it: if you suggest he's overrated then I'd suggest you stick to One Direction and the Jonas Brothers!

deebee

The fact that he is still being discussed and argued about 50 years down the line speaks volumes - Bobby the D - non pareil :? ? ? ?

singemonkey

I don't see how he can be over-rated because he's not as good as he once was. The Stones are not over-rated either for being a Rolling Stones cover band featuring the Rolling Stones for 30 years. The rating is not based on always being astonishing, world-changing, moving every new generation since day one musicians with every new album. It's about doing it once. And Dylan did it more than once. Very few of the musicians he inspired have done so even once.

As for his live performances, I have a friend whose seen him numerous times and assures me that even now, you can go to one of his shows that leaves people gobsmacked. It's just very hit and miss.

But yeah. He did more from Freewheeling to Blood on the Tracks than most "big musicians" have ever done. There was enough game-changing there to build the careers of about 10 other artists. Except this was one guy.

So no. The answer is that he's not over-rated, even if lots of people don't like him. That's a different matter.

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