What do you think of Bob Dylan?

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Me and my brother got in a fiery debate last night over one of his favorite songs, "Wagon Wheel" as covered by Tom Gabel (aka Laura Jane Grace) of Against Me! Well he didn't know that the song was originally sketched by Bob Dylan, and well we both new obviously that it was completed by Old Crow Medicine Show. Our original argument was over the lyrical content of the song, he seemed to think Dylan's version had the exact same lyrics as the OCMS cover but he was wrong and like the jack-ass that he is he tried to continually defend himself even in the face of a crushing defeat. He defended himself by saying 'well Bob Dylan sucks anyways!" Ok he didn't say those exact words that's just summing it up without having to go through ten lines of arguments. So our debate changed from lyrical content to performance talent, He argued against Dylan claiming he was untalented, a song thief, and lacked any kind of showmanship. I argued in Dylan's favor claiming he tried hard, he kept playing music in the face of everyone telling him he sucked, and he's an old man doesn't really have the energy for stage performance anymore. Now just to be clear I hate Bob Dylan, I actually agree with my brother on everything (except I think he is a very talented poet), but that doesn't mean the man doesn't deserve credit were credit is due! Anyways here is the original song that ignited the debate, plus the two covers I was talking about, I would like to know which one was your favorite to listen to and what you think personally of Bob Dylan?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNTsYfjBcuQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUtdoyPG0OY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBeivizzsPc[/youtube]

I'm old school so I go back many years with Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan. I've enjoyed many of his songs and albums ("Blood On The Tracks"). I didn't like him at first because of his raspy dry voice. Eventually, I got used to it. His songwriting genius couldn't be denied. If he was good enough for Jimi Hendrix, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel and countless others he was good enough for me.

Dylan is an incredible poet and songwriter whose influence resonated throughout the 60s, across all musical genres - everybody was influenced by Dylan and nearly everybody covered him at one point or another, from pop acts like the Byrds and the Turtles, to country artists like Jerry Reed. For listeners who didn't grow up with the folk artists of the 50s and 60s, he may be an acquired taste, but most things of genuinely high quality are. I felt the same way at one point about Jim Morrison and the Doors - Jim was okay, but I could take or leave him. But the more I listened, the deeper the layers revealed themselves to me, musically and lyrically, and now I'm a huge fan.

Bob Dylan was the person who introduced the Beatles to weed. To see how that influenced the evolution of pop music, listen to what the Beatles were doing prior to that (Love Me Do, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, She Loves You yeah yeah yeah) and what they started doing immediately after (I Feel Fine, Day Tripper, Yellow Submarine). The real demarcation line between the Western Culture of the post WWII 50s and the psychedelic 60s is the opening distorted guitar lick of 'I Feel Fine.' Thanks, Bob!

I've always been curious why Dylan didn't sue U2 for stealing the intro of 'Like a Rolling Stone' and using it in 'Angel of Harlem.' Every time I hear 'Angel' begin, I'm disappointed when I don't hear "Once upon a time you dressed so fine, threw the bums a dime in your prime - DIDUN' YEEEEW"

I'm still trying to figure out what all the lyrics to that song mean - I know it was Dylan ridiculing Brian Jones because he had turned down Bob's job offer, to stay with the Stones, then Brian got stuck in England because of his drug arrests and couldn't do the Stones tour, but there are plenty of references I guess you had to be there to understand.

I agree with RedRobin that Blood on the Tracks is one of my personal favorite Dylan albums, but I also love Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. They're all the kinds of albums you can put on and just track, beginning to end, with never a single false note.

That said, there comes a time in any Rock performer's career, when it's time to hang up the blown pipes and stop. Bob's voice now has the quality of that Cancer Lady on TV with the hole in her neck. It's time to retire, already, it hurts to listen to that - I expect it from Tom Waits, he always sounded that way, but Tom's a professional barfly. God love Paul McCartney, too, but he's ruining his own legacy going out there and singing all those classic tunes with that crackly old-woman voice. He and Mick Jagger need to stop trying to sing and learn to play golf. And I mean that with all love and respect.

My thoughts on Bob Dylan:

He's a black top waffle, don't drip when he slips.
Got tree line vision on Dostoevsky's hips.
If here aint there, we'll go down with the ship.

That's when you see it....
See it the way it used to beeeeee!

Even though I grew up in the 60s-70s I never thought Bob Dylan sounded so great. Obviously, he is a better songwriter than a singer or guitarist. Maybe I am missing something or because of my condition I just didn't think he was great enough to buy anything of his, but all the musicians say he is so great. But then, I don't understand jazz either, it seems boring to me.