Bob Dylan CD
My favorite musical artists are singer songwriters, especially those who write wonderful lyrics. A Bob Dylan cd is very often on my player, both new and old releases. Some albums stand out over others but I never tire of the gravelly voice and words full of metaphor. Take the music away and the songs stand up as poems, holding their own with the other great poets.
In the 1960s, Dylan was revered as a protest singer, a label he didn't really like. He refused to be boxed in and didn't want to be hijacked as a spokesman for any movement. He identified more with the hobos and wandering musicians such as Woody Guthrie than with political doctrine. There are great political songs of course, such as With God On My Side and Masters of War. He is equally capable of producing a tender love song like Just Like A Woman or Lay, Lady Lay.
He went to New York as a young man and performed in the folk clubs in Greenwich Village. Meeting his heroes and drawing inspiration, he honed his skills as a songwriter and musician. The first Bob Dylan cd was simply called Bob Dylan and the legend was born. He popularized acoustic music and developed a following that eclipsed other folk singers like Pete Seeger. His records reached the pop charts and the world was at his feet.
Dylan then did something that shocked the folk purists when he performed on stage with an electric guitar. He wanted to develop his sound and produced the first plugged in Bob Dylan cd. This lost him fans and gained others but there was no turning back. Whatever people thought of the musical method, the lyrics were just as good. Sometimes they were savage insults and they were often beautifully lyrical.
My favorite Dylan tracks are ones that perfectly blend words and melody into a sublime whole. A best of Bob Dylan cd should feature Gates of Eden, Boots of Spanish Leather and It's Alright Ma, I'm only Bleeding. He may have gone in and out of fashion and alienated some fans with his various phases but he remains one of the true geniuses of music. A Bob Dylan cd should not be played as background music but listened to properly. In this world awash with mediocre manufactured pop, he is a poet and deserves our respect. There are those who are greater than the sum of their parts and Bob Dylan is a member of that stellar few.
