Is Bob Dylan the Greatest American, Artistic Genius of the 20th Century ?

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Every great artist in every genre, "borrows" some style from other artists who preceded them. But nobody wrote all those incredible lyrics to all those songs but Bob.
I speculate there are many people who toss ideas around who havent really heard many of the Bob Dylan repertoire. Ot sank their minds into the depths of the songs/poems. If this is the case, definitely click on the videos in the OP, and Post # 31.

Of course everyone is inspired by predecessors. That’s why I mentioned it.
But I would suggest that the rest of your post applies way more comprehensively to Tom Waits as he didn’t enjoy (endure) the mainstream success Dylan did.

 

[August West]

Quite a few of his songs I heard first by local folk/pop group The Seekers. I liked his songs but I preferred them done like these:









Tell me the difference between these two:



- YouTube

As a singer I didn't particularly like Dylan especially after he went electric.

So who?

Woody Guthrie

Pete Seeger

Joan Baez.............................................who helped Dylan no end. And wonderfully so.

Malvina Reynolds





Please don't get me wrong; I liked Dylan but he wasn't my first contact with a lot of his songs. As a folkie I must admit a lot of his tunes I think came from a folk base and he adapted them.

NOT that there's anything wrong with that.

AI says:

It's impossible to give an exact number for how many of Bob Dylan's songs were old folk tunes, as he drew from a vast tradition, but his early work in New York's folk scene was heavily influenced by artists like Woody Guthrie and incorporated many traditional folk elements and melodies into his original compositions. He eventually grew beyond the constraints of the genre, but folk tunes formed the foundation of his early career.

I did not like his songs much after he went electric: prove me wrong!!!

Greg

Was there ever a worse song than Quinn the Eskimo?
Absolutely not.

 

[protectionist]

Huge surge of interest going on now in the 2020s, among young people for old Bob Dylan songs. I love the reaction videos being put out by these young'uns, whose parents weren't even born yet when most of these 60s/70s songs were released.

This one is from 1979, won a Grammy, very blusey, lots of soul, from Dylan's Christian Rock period >> Gotta Serve Somebody.

 

[AlexanderPK]

OMG! This post shows how far wrong posts can be in this forum. This one is abut 100 light years off the mark. Some posters are doing a great job of showing how much they don't know.

A few aspects of Bob Dylan's goldmine of songs are >>

• more diverse than any singer I've ever heard. Musicologists have been noting this for 6 decades
• that diversity spreads over hundreds of songs and 63 years of recording

You were asking if you might call him a GOAT, I just kind of said I don't think so, but I don't mind you calling him that. I've heard there are people who like rap, can you imagine that? What do they call them, rapists? Just kidding, sorry.

 

[protectionist]

More young people discovering the American treasury from the 60s, for the first time. Another reaction video of stunned folks telling you thier reactions >>

 

[BothWings]

How is it being rammed down your throat? I`m not a Springsteen fan so I don`t listen to him. Why do you? I classify Harry Chapin in the same category as Jim Croce. Dull and completely uninteresting and the music world never needed them.

I do agree with that Bruce Springsteen SUCKS. He sounded like a drunken idiot poser. Or maybe you wouldn't quite go that far but that's how I feel anyway. However I definitely don't agree on Harry Chapin and Jim Croce. They were good songwriters.

 

[protectionist]

Rapper FIRST time REACTION to Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone! This is IT folks - Reaction video with all honesty >>

 

[gtopa1]

Was there ever a worse song than Quinn the Eskimo?
Absolutely not.

I liked it back then but I was surprised to learn later that it was a Dylan song. Just a catchy ditty.

Greg

 

[gtopa1]

Huge surge of interest going on now in the 2020s, among young people for old Bob Dylan songs. I love the reaction videos being put out by these young'uns, whose parents weren't even born yet when most of these 60s/70s songs were released.

This one is from 1979, won a Grammy, very blusey, lots of soul, from Dylan's Christian Rock period >> Gotta Serve Somebody.

Yeah; it's OK.

Greg

 

[gtopa1]

More young people discovering the American treasury from the 60s, for the first time. Another reaction video of stunned folks telling you thier reactions >>

Yeah; I like that.

Greg

 

[gtopa1]

More young people discovering the American treasury from the 60s, for the first time. Another reaction video of stunned folks telling you thier reactions >>

Greg

 

[gtopa1]

I do agree with that Bruce Springsteen SUCKS. He sounded like a drunken idiot poser. Or maybe you wouldn't quite go that far but that's how I feel anyway. However I definitely don't agree on Harry Chapin and Jim Croce. They were good songwriters.

I liked some of Bruce's early songs but , and I think Dylan went the same, after a certain time he lost the mojo. Such is life.

Greg

 

[BothWings]

I liked some of Bruce's early songs but , and I think Dylan went the same, after a certain time he lost the mojo. Such is life.

Greg

One or two of Bruce's song are ok, I guess. I like "I'm on Fire"

 

[protectionist]

Greg

Please no other music videos. Let's stay on topic. Bob Dylan only, or else this thread will go off on 100 tangents. Thanks.

 

[protectionist]

BOB IS HILARIOUS!! Bob Dylan's 115th Dream. Along with all the serious songs about war and civil rights and love, Dylan has quite a few funny rap songs in his repertoire too. This is another one of those. Enjoy. Let me know if yould like to have another one of these popped in here >>

 

[protectionist]

I was never a fan of Bob Dylan and never got the hype. I think it was generational and you had to really connect to what he was saying back when he was saying it. I have no issue with people who do connect with him though. Love is love.

Many songs are 100% relevant to what's happening today, as much as in the 60s. Listen to Chimes of Freeedom in the OP.

 

[August West]

I do agree with that Bruce Springsteen SUCKS. He sounded like a drunken idiot poser. Or maybe you wouldn't quite go that far but that's how I feel anyway. However I definitely don't agree on Harry Chapin and Jim Croce. They were good songwriters.

They should have sold their songs to someone else.

 

[protectionist]

This is the Bob Dylan song ("Mr Tambourine Man) that if in 1965, you went to 100 stores, in a dozen different cities, you could hear this song playing in the ceiling speakers about 75 times. The subject matter (Mr Tambourine Man) is the hallucinogenic drug LSD, and as an illegal drug (then & now) in the US (legal in some countries), I sure don't recommend it, but what a super artistic creation of poem words, to describe the experience in this song. And a very beautiful harmonic solo to accompany the chiming guitar beat.

While most people (then & now) don't know that "Mr Tambourine Man" refers to LSD, in this video, Amber hit the nail right on the head, when she said > "..it was, you know, in a psychedelic way that Mr Tambourine Man was kind of taking him away from his worries"

Reaction videos so cool - Young people today discovering the artistic, super songs of 60 years ago.

 

[Muckah]

Dylan wasn't a good guitar player, singer, or harmonica player but was one of the best song writers of all time. It's the whole package 'put together' that made him.

 

[protectionist]

Dylan wasn't a good guitar player, singer, or harmonica player but was one of the best song writers of all time. It's the whole package 'put together' that made him.

Dylan wasn't a good guitar player, - Strike 1
singer, or harmonica player - Strike 2, Strike 3

Don't let this deter you. Keep posting.