runtfan said:
I hate to be the one to break the news, but there's nothing remotely gutsy OR artistic about being well paid to take the stage and then sounding like crap...and apparently not giving a rip one way or the other.
I know you really dig him and I know he's a "legend" and all that, but that's just lazy on his part. I mean, let's not kid ourselves, Dylan's never been a great singer, but mumbling his way through his lyrics - really the only thing he's known and respected for - is pretty unforgivable.
Shame on Bob. Anybody who goes to see him live is either starry-eyed and blissfully ignorant, or they deserve what they get.
It's one thing if he's out there trying to make it work and just doesn't have it anymore, but that doesn't sound like that's the case. Sounds like he's just going through the motions. Don't cut him any slack just because he used to be "Bob Dylan".
The notion of "we payed for our seats, so give us what we want" is absolute hogwash. If you don't like what Dylan does then don't buy the seats. No artist owes any of their fans a single cent or ounce of effort. They make their music, and if you like it then you can pay for it. No one to my knowledge has ever been forced to pay for an artist's work. Especailly in the age of the internet, you can get an extremely good look at what you're likely to get out of a concert before you even buy your seats. Bob deserves to be himself, regardless of if people don't like who he is. I can't think of so much as a ghost of a reason as to why anyone would have the right to tell Bob Dylan what he should or shouldn't be doing with his performances. And that applies to every artist, regardless of whether they're respected or not. Money isn't worth more than art, guys. Recognition for good art is something that should be given in tribute or thanks to a good artist, not something that should be held over an artist and bastardized into the idea that the artist has to pay dues to US! That's just ridiculous.
Runtfan, you are wrong about me, and I'm insulted that you would make such assumptions. My respect for Bob Dylan right now has nothing to do with his legendary status or my enjoyment of his music. I respect Bob more for what he is doing
right now than for
anything he did in his past. Back in the day Bob was an amazing artist, and there's a chance he'd make my top 10 list, but his old glory has next to nothing to do with why Bob Dylan is one of my quintessential idols right in the here and now.
If people don't agree with me about Bob, that's fine. It's rare that people appreciate music from the angle that I appreciate it at, and there's nothing I can say about that. But I can at least explain my position. Bob Dylan isn't only a great singer, he's the best singer of all-time. There's far more emotion, expression and strength in his voice than I've ever heard elsewhere, and there are only a few other idiosyncratic singers I've ever heard that can go near him on his astoundingly impressive command of unique voice. I legitimately enjoy Bob's singing voice vastly more than other singers. I listen to him side-by-side with others and his froggish drawl is just so much better than the rest. Everyone else sounds smooth and nice, and everyone else sounds just like each other. It's boring and it does absolutely nothing for me. Bob's voice today isn't the voice of an amateur or someone who's simply a bad singer. Even if you can't understand the words and even if he mumbles (I happen to like mumbling vocalists), his voice still has an immense amount of character and strength. It's not like going to an Open Mic and seeing people who aren't "good" at singing, Bob's voice is fine, it's just different from the norm. I am an excruciatingly cynical person and I accept very little of anything as being legitimate or good. To me. very little music ever stands out from anything. Bob today has an incredibly rocking band and the most unique voice in music. Would I have gone to see him live if I didn't know his early work? No, simply because I wouldn't know about him. But if today I heard an artist who was just like Bob Dylan sounds today except without the notoriety, I'd jump on the train and go see him play! Plus, I have an immense respect for Bob Dylan's true rebel attitude. If you're only rebelling when it makes you look good, then you're not a true rebel. Today the snobs of the public tell Bob that he's got to be cordial to the crowd, and he's got to sing nice so we can hear the lyrics, well **** them! Bob Dylan seems like he's following himself instead of following the expectations that fools try to force onto him, and that's something I respect more than almost anything. I'm not saying people are wrong to want Bob's show to be pleasing to them, it's obviously not wrong to want that. I am saying that Bob Dylan is a human being with his own heart and mind and noone has the right to force their will on him. The kinds of things that Bob does are so much more real to me than the 'rebellion' of others. If Bob's gonna be lazy, well then I applaud him for it, because I wanna be lazy and I love what he's doing anyway. My appreciation of Bob has nothing to do with my respect for him as a lyricist or a legend. I've never respected Bob much for that to begin with! If you disagree with me, that's fine, but no one could possibly deny the validity of my opinion on the matter. Everyone appreciates music and artistry differently, that's why it's not something boring and tedious like math and science.
