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Bob Dylan - Nobel Laureate

Discussion in 'Tilted Art, Photography, Music & Literature' started by genuinemommy, Oct 13, 2016.

  1. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    This came as a shock to me.
    A good shock.
    Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
    From an op-ed piece written in 2013:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/opinion/sunday/knock-knock-knockin-on-nobels-door.html
    What are your favorite Bob Dylan songs?
    For me, it's Blowin' in the Wind. I've been singing it as long as I can remember.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  2. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    • Like Like x 3
  3. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Sorry...why? :rolleyes:

    For me, this is like wondering why every actor freaks out about working with Woody Allen.
    meh.

    I can think of too many others that deserve it more.
    IMHO
     
  4. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    Interesting.

    I always considered Dylan to be more of a writer, than musician. It's not that I dislike his playing, it's just that covers of his work are so darn good.
     
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  5. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    You're not alone in this sentiment. I think much of it has to do with not having listened to much of Dylan (or read his writings), but there are many who have singled him out as a key contributor to letters and culture. This appreciation extends beyond the music industry. Many writers, poets, and literary critics and academics have praised his work over the years.

    Have you listened to Dylan beyond his top hits? His discography is huge (37 studio albums and much more). Consider doing a "deep dive" and giving him another chance.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    I think part of it is that in retrospect some of Dylan's work looks kind of same-y or derivative or bland because he's influenced so much of what came after him that he's kind of embedded in the DNA of American popular music at this point.

    Also, yeah. If all you've ever heard is Blowin In the Wind or All Along the Watchtower then you may not have a fully accurate picture of what he's about.

    I think the award is totally deserved. I've always thought he was more of a poet than a singer to begin with, and love him or hate him you can't deny his influence.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. Fangirl

    Fangirl Very Tilted

    Location:
    Arizona
    My favorite LP is Blood on the Tracks with Tangled Up In Blue my favourite song off that album.
    As @Baraka_Guru says, Dylan's catalog is vast. I am unacquainted with much of it but
    I've always considered him an American poet with a gift beyond my ability to measure.
     
  8. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
    I used to find his stuff unbearable, but as I aged I found his music quite enjoyable. The best stuff (for me) and also the worst stuff (for me) is some of the songs I've heard that never got any radio play (as far as I know.)

    With that said, Imma leave this here:

    ;)
     
    • Like Like x 2
  9. Fangirl

    Fangirl Very Tilted

    Location:
    Arizona

    Bob Dylan recorded this English folk song over six times for Columbia in 1970. This track would not be released until 2013 on the Bootleg Series, Vol. 10, "Another Self Portrait." Watch the official music video for "Pretty Saro" now.

    One of the things that I appreciate most about Dylan is that anytime I want I can grab a new-to-me song and be surprised at how lovely it is. Wow.
     
  10. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    Whether or not he deserves a Nobel Prize in Literature can be debated. Perhaps the best way to view it is as an overall Lifetime Achievement Award.

    Dylan the songwriter was mostly brilliant. It helps to remember just how long he has been around, and consider that he was one of very few "deep" songwriters early in his career.

    It also helps not to think of Dylan so much as a singer (his vocals are horrible, even on some of his studio recordings) and musician (he is, at best, an adequate guitar player).

    ------------------------------

    Some side notes.....

    I wonder what Joan Baez thinks of this? There are some documentaries and interviews where she is veryy critical--bluntly, but not in a vicious way--of Dylan's status as a writer of protest songs and a protest leader.

    Levon Helm (RIP), best known as the drummer & vocalist for The Band, in his book This Wheel's On Fire tells an interesting story about Dylan's appearance at The Last Waltz concert, and the footage used in the film of the same name. Nutshell: Dylan was a total asshole.
     
  11. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Maybe I should just read his lyrics...because I can't deal with the singing. I'll give it a try. I'm open minded enough to do another angle.

    Then again, I don't like Shakespeare's poetry...but I love his plays, written or done.
    So appreciation is not all or nothing.
     
  12. bobby

    bobby More Than Slightly Tilted ! Donor

    [​IMG]

    xoxoxoo