advertisement


Dylan does Christmas

garyi

garyi

leave blank
Just heard some snippets from his new album.

The guy cannot sing, lets face it he never could sing, and this just sounds awful. Its just rehashing christmas carols, so nothing new to the party. So one can't help but think his gradul slide into selling out is nearly complete.
 
His last album Together Through Life is brilliant. Hadn't heard of the Christmas album until you posted. Sounds weird. But suggest we don't write him off on the basis of it.
 
It's a charity thing.

All proceeds to good causes. That makes it forgiveable, but still pretty naff IMO.

Chris
 
For me, the definitive version of Mr Tambourine Man was that by the Byrds. First time I heard Dylan sing it, I thought exactly that - he can't sing. No more can he, but it took a long time before I understood that Dylan isn't a singer, but a poet. Once you realise that, you see him in a whole new light. I hear very poor reports of his concerts in recent years, though. Maybe some people should retire at the top of their game. Dylan belonged to an era which some of us remember fondly, but which is past.
 
Freewheelin', Times, Blood, Blonde and Desire are regular guests on my deck but still - such a dead voice is, if anything, just suitable for interviews. Dylan could take a few lessons from Keef R. who succeeded fairly well in this form of self-parody.
 
Just playing Together Through Life now...on vinyl...sounds fantastic, with the band recorded like an old Sun session. And what the **** does anyone expect his voice to sound like after all that livin'?
 
Dylan sings like Monk played piano and Hendrix played guitar. It's always been about phrasing, timing and emotion. It's never been about the less interesting aspects such as carrying a tune.

Listen to anything from the '66 world tour or the Rollin' Thunder Revue from '75/'76. He peaked on both of those tours. The RTR being spectacular.

This has always been his focus; even when he started out.

Ballad of a Thin Man and Idiot Wind (to name but two) have been covered countless times - none of them are in the same part of the galaxy.

Saw him for the umpteenth time last year and he's lost nothing even though his is voice is shot in the conventional sense.

JK
 
So in conclusion then people who like dylan thinks he sings well, everyone else think he sounds like a bag of nails singing out of tune?

As much as I understand the charity angle, the tracks this morning just sounded embarrassingly bad.
 
Haven't heard much recent Dylan.
It's not about whether he can sing. If Dylan can't sing then neither can Van Morrison.....

It's about whether they can communicate.

They can.. so if you can't hear them.. you can't.

'I wish that for just one time, you could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment I could be you...
I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes.
You'd know what a drag it is to see you...'

Simple class.

His singing on 'Tomorrow is a Long Time', and 'Bob Dylan's Dream' is as good as anybody, in any genre, ever.
 
JimKempton said:
Dylan sings like Monk played piano and Hendrix played guitar. It's always been about phrasing, timing and emotion. It's never been about the less interesting aspects such as carrying a tune.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. And those are the aspects which make his singing really, really interesting ... and he could actually carry a tune reasonably well when he chose to.

Daniel O'Connell can sing - he'd probably have made a better fist of this Christmas album as well ... in that sense. Or maybe Harry Secombe.
 
I heard a couple of clips on Radio 4 last night. I like me a bit of Dylan, but this was completely bonkers.
 
Uncle Ants said:
Daniel O'Connell can sing - he'd probably have made a better fist of this Christmas album as well ... in that sense. Or maybe Harry Secombe.
Click to expand...

A slight objection to the latter suggestion is that Harry Secombe is dead. So, of course, is Daniel O'Connell, who has a rather striking statue at the southern end of Dublin's principal thoroughfare, now renamed in his honour. I didn't know the Liberator could sing, though. You live and learn. :)
 
G4IFU said:
A slight objection to the latter suggestion is that Harry Secombe is dead. So, of course, is Daniel O'Connell, who has a rather striking statue at the southern end of Dublin's principal thoroughfare, now renamed in his honour. I didn't know the Liberator could sing, though. You live and learn. :)
Click to expand...

My apologies ... though apparently he could - wrong fella ... what's his name with the jumper ... he can sing though ... ah yes Daniel O'Donnell - only one letter out :)
 
Van Morrison can and could sing really well, Dylan never could sing and now he is 186 years old he really can't sing. This is no judgment on the quality of his songs.
 
garyi said:
Van Morrison can and could sing really well, Dylan never could sing and now he is 186 years old he really can't sing. This is no judgment on the quality of his songs.
Click to expand...

Leaving what he sound like now aside ( what I've heard of the Xmas record is shocking bad), I don't think anyone's arguing Dylan was a great singer technically. However there is a strong case to argue that he was a really interesting singer as opposed to a technically great but dull as ditchwater singer. I didn't think there was ANY argument about the qualty of his songs.
 
I think Dylan's voice has deteriorated a bit over the years but for me at times he had an utterly fantastic voice. Yes for lots of people Dylan can sing!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top