Bob Dylan, Boston Herald page 3 8/23/06

[majick47]

The tunes, they are a changin' for the worst, says Bob Dylan. Quotes from a recent Rolling Stone article. "You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over the them" he added, "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like---static." Commenting on a recent recording he made, "Even these songs sounded 10 times better in the studio, when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it." Another quote, "I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really." I have to agree with Bob Dylan and the great precentage of todays popular music is poorly recorded and the singers/musicians sorely lack any real talent.

[hjames]

The tunes, they are a changin' for the worst, says Bob Dylan. Quotes from a recent Rolling Stone article. "You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over the them" he added, "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like---static." Commenting on a recent recording he made, "Even these songs sounded 10 times better in the studio, when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it." Another quote, "I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really." I have to agree with Bob Dylan and the great precentage of todays popular music is poorly recorded and the singers/musicians sorely lack any real talent.

Of course, the Washington Post savaged his recent concert in the DC area -Dylan, Wheezin' In the Wind In that column the reporter said
"Dylan's voice has withered over the course of his storied 65 years. Nor is his tendency to rearrange the phrasing and melodies of his songs to suit those battered pipes. But these days, the man sounds less like a rock-and-roll icon and more like Cookie Monster with a head cold."

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment: One where you wished those drunk dudes singing behind you would cut loose and drown out the guy onstage."

I don't know where they get these young kids doing reviews - I have a vinyl copy of "Before the Flood" (Dylan and The Band, circa '74) and it used to drive me crazy to hear Dylan's "Shoutin' out the lyrics" way of singing on that album ... ya gotta wonder what folks expect when they go to see a legend like Dylan ...

[moldyoldy]

While I can't say there's been no good recordings in the last 20, I'd definitely agree there's been too damn few. Then again, to be fair, that's what my folks said in '69.

Yeah, Bob had his head up his ass during the period he had The Band at his disposal, either he was a couple years behind, or they were a couple years ahead. That said, "Music from Big Pink" and "The Basement Tapes" are both still in my all-time Top 20, even though the recording quality was rather dubious. (Did I spell that right, or was it doobious?)

I have tickets to see Levon and his daughter jam with some local boys (The Cate Brothers) this Sunday.

"I'm goin' ALL the way, till the wheels fall off and burn!" ("Brownsville Girl")

[Zilch]

Anyone what thinks Dylan was ever about singing is unclear on the concept....

[BMWCCA]

I saw him at what I was led to believe was his first concert after "the accident". It was The Band concert at the Mississippi River Summer Festival at Southern Illinois Universtity (SIU) in Edwardsville, IL. The year may have been 1969. He came out as a surprise though there had been mumblings all evening. It was the debut of the even-whinier Dylan voice. I have to agree, he was never about the singing and all about the words. As a songwriter, though, much of his stuff got great new life at the hands of others like David Crosby and the Byrds. I never was a Dylan fan but it doesn't mean I can't respect the groundbreaking aspect of his career. It's tough to describe to my kids exactly what his legacy is, and it probably won't be helped when Cate Blanchett plays Dylan in the upcoming movie of his life. Though my daughter does like most of "his" Byrds songs.

Since we're talking recordings here, I'm very fond of most of Donald Fagen's from a quality standpoint. Got to see Steely Dan in DC last week, in fact. And much of Bruce Cockburn is very listenable and well-recorded recently, including his live stuff. Somewhat of a Dylan-esque figure himself. If you like modern troubadours, try a guy named Kenny White's album "Symphony in 16 Bars".

[scott fitlin]

Well, I`ve been saying this for quite some time now! They dont make good sounding hit oriented pop music anymore. It has become all electronic, and most of it is poorly recorded, with lack of good recording and mastering engineers, and especially in dance music, lack of vocalists, and musicians altogether!

Then there,s Hip Hop, the disease that has spread across the United States and the World, but, this is what the kids want now!

In NYC we always had a proliferation of hit oriented radio stations playing new music! Its kind of funny how NYC now has many stations playing classic music, 60,s 70,s and 80,s hit oriented pop music, from rock to R & B, but not that many new music stations like htere used to be.

And recording label executives are wondering why people arent buying music like we use to! I would think if they put out a product everyone wanted.....?