The Beatles Greatest Hits
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300 million dollars according to the NYT.
That’s all? I wonder why he decided to sell them all off in one go.
The newest one is fantastic.
Probably to do with the rumors
That’s the will sorted now.
Is he the greatest of all time?
He certainly can’t be topped anyway… Listened to 2 hrs of ‘This is Bob Dylan’ there on Spotify, you’d nearly forget half of what he’s done… A story telling poet… McGowan is the same mould in many ways. The ability to paint a picture that you feel like you’re in the middle of.
‘I was born here and I’ll die here against my will
I know it looks like I’m moving, but I’m standing still
Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb
I can’t even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don’t even hear a murmur of a prayer
It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there’
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I agree the ability to tell a simple story about ordinary life yet make it fascinating at the same time. A Dylan rabbit hole is good for zen
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Greatest lyricist and one of the great poets. His voice can be fatiguing. Incredible body of work but my favorites songs of his are covers, Hendrix doing Watertower, Just like a woman by Jeff Buckley, The Byrds Mr Tambourine Man.
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This is unreal.
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“I’m helpless, like a rich man’s child” is one of my favourite lyrics.
Dylan is a fascinating one.
Easily the most respected musician and lyricist of all time. I have a mate that’s obsessed with him.
Unlike many people I came to him late. I have his big albums but that’s about it.
Truth be told I find him challenging to listen to sometimes but I can see his brilliance.
For instance, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands from Blonde on Blonde. Brilliant but 12 minutes is probably overkill. That’s my view.
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Musically and even his Voice… We all know isn’t out of this world. But Bob is a story teller and as such speaks to us on a primordial level… Folk and folk memory is huge in the human psyche, something we’re slowly losing… Bob is very much the custodian of this tho there’s many other greats in the genre. It’s something Joe Strummer came to realize before he died, the importance of telling stories and sharing them, sitting around the camp fire… You get that intimacy listening to Dylan that you don’t get with too many others.
What I find hard to get isn’t Dylan’s mass popularity. He is for all intents and purposes not an easy listen at times, even more so live.
An incredible body of work stretching nearly 60 years. Certainly at his most prolific over the first 20 - Times They Are A-Changin and Blonde on Blonde are two of the seminal albums of the 60s.
After an early 70s dip, owing to married bliss, he rebounded brilliantly from Blood on the Tracks through to Street Legal. Even Slow Train Coming, after he tuned God-botherer, is a solid record.
The 80s were mixed with occasional brilliance (Infidels, Oh Mercy) and some awful dross (Empire Burlesque, Knocked out Loaded, Down in the Groove) The Biograph compilation redeemed the entire decade though.
Since then, other than Time out of Mind and, to a lesser extent, Modern Times he’s been largely phoning it in. Still touring as he hits 80 years of age next May. Bob is a trooper.
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You could kinda say the same of McGowan , Young, Cohen even Nick Cave … lads that had to bend their voice around their art.
Are you mad. Love and theft is also brilliant. And together through life of very good. The fascinating thing about them is they are a remarkable run of creativity again, four excellent albums, after a spell of fallow years. What is fascinating about Dylan is how he went through phases then major change, driving different periods in his career. I love that about him.
His most recent album, rough and rowdy ways, is comfortably his best since his classic best albums. It’s magnificent. Give it a listen.
I love Bob.
I’ve seen him live numerous times and I always enjoy it.
I try to go see him every time he plays in Ireland. I have a theory that if I miss one of his concerts he’ll die and then I’ll have missed the last opportunity to go see him.
That’s an odd argument to make coming from someone who likes to post music that goes out of its way to be intentionally hard to listen to.
The beauty of Dylan is that he is at once a storytelling folksinger, and also a complicated poet. You can go deep dive and get lost in many of his songs if you are so inclined, or skim the top. Even people with little or no propensity for great songwriting can trot out Dylan songs and lyrics that have lived with them, like they would with a traditional folk song. Or you can go all in and get lost in the song and write a thesis. Shelter from the Storm or Like a Rolling Stone are perfect examples of this, there is is something for everyone in there.
He’s on a completely different level. Can’t think of anyone that comes close.
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My point was more in relation to how I find it surprising that he has mass appeal given that he’s essentially an alternative musician with songs which can be a challenging listen. That’s more a compliment of him than anything.
That’s a fair point on my posts. I suppose I don’t find them challenging for whatever reason. Others do. I can find other stuff challenging which other people don’t. That’s the nature of musical taste.
Half the people that claim to like Bob Dylan never listen to him. It’s like people reading Ulyssees.
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