6 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
João Callado's avatar

I think that Dylan's lyrics are more important than his music and Stone's shows and rock energy are more important than their music. The same happens with Bowie, Reed and Velvet, but in their cases it's the overall artistic visions and concepts that are more important.

Expand full comment
John Raisor's avatar

I don't hate any of these acts at all. I've seen Dylan as well as the Stones live, despite not being a big fan of either. They just don't connect with me in the way that they connect with a lot of other people. Everyone's different.

Expand full comment
João Callado's avatar

I don't hate any of these artists. I just think they're overrated and it's not because of their music.

Expand full comment
John Raisor's avatar

A lot of fandom is just tribalism. We often dont think about why we like the art or artist, and we might not even actually like it. We just like being a part of the community.

Expand full comment
João Callado's avatar

Fandom has a lot to do with your personal and emotional relation with the work of some artist and the age you had when you first heard it. I'm just pointing that musicality and musical ideas are not the strongest part of the acts I mentioned.

Expand full comment
Frank Dent's avatar

Willie Nelson and Chris Smither both perform “What Was It You Wanted?” The first time I saw Smither do this song, I thought, wow, that’s his best song. Only, it’s a Dylan song. Duh!

Writing songs that can be done even better by others is one mark of a great songwriter, I believe.

Dylan did this song for his pandemic Shadow Kingdom “concert” (streaming on PBS). The lyrics now almost suggest someone with dementia trying to work through their condition. Another mark of an interesting song: how it can take on new meaning over time without changing a single word.

Here’s Smither’s recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRqJZM8heKg

Expand full comment