A SUGGESTION FOR BOB

[Vic Jefferies]

Just heard that the hand written lyrics (not the song) of Bob Dylan's song Like A Rolling Stone sold for $2.045 million dollars! Probably amongst the worst most inane set of lyrics composed by Bob!

A SUGGESTION FOR BOB.
(Vic Jefferies)

About forty years ago when
I was young and more than willin’
I remember hearing on the radio
a bloke they called Bob Dylan.

He sang a song about a bell,
it was something the D.J. chose
and I remember very well -
Bob sang it through his nose.

Now, I know lots of you
think Bob is rather grand,
I would probably think so too -
if his voice I could understand.

For many years it worried me;
I feared of taste I was devoid
until I discovered gratefully -
Bob was known as ‘Mister Adenoid.’

It seems even his most ardent fans
right across the USA
have trouble understanding ‘The Man’
when he sings in his peculiar way.

Although they are devoted to Bob
and on his every word they hang,
still they say it would be a bloody good job
if he opened his mouth when he sang!

Vic Jefferies

[LongMan]

G'day Vic,

Hmmm, Yes a very nasally singer, but so is Barbara and Celine. However, being too young to remember Bob Dylan in his day, I watched a documentary about the man here in the US on TV. Seems he had the political tone/voice with the acoustic guitar which suited the foke era, current in the US at the time. Then he switched to the electric guitar.....many thought he was a turncoat and disowned him. He is an American icon like the man in black....Mr Cash. I agree the song is not the best of his …...what drives people to pay that amount of money is beyond me.....yet it is a piece of music history. There is a heck of a lot of money in the US music industry who are very generous. Someone may have given him a big thank you Mr. Bob.......

Thanks Vic...I did enjoy reading your poem....

Phil.

[Vic Jefferies]

Thank you Phil...Mr Dylan's singing is truly regrettable, though I do appreciate he did write some good songs and songs very appropriate for the times.
He was known as Mr Adenoids in his earlier days and it is reported that he cleared many venues with his attempts at singing.
Johnny Cash on the other hand is, in my opinion, legendary!

[Ron]

Good one Vic,
Yeah his lyrics were always great, (don't know about being worth that much though). I have found it surprising though that he has quite a following of all generations (not only our era). One of whom is my son, who has been to see him a few times live, and he explains it as, "that he is one of those that you either like or you don't". Yeah that voice though, it certainly has a rough passage out!!

Cheers Ron

[keats]

Johnny Cash himself asked to record with Dylan and the result was Nashville Skyline. Dylan has written some of histories most recorded songs e.g. Blowin' In The Wind. Whether someone likes him or not is irrelevant. I can't stand Willie Nelson or Johnny Farnham but I will pay them their dues, whilst choosing to not listen to them.

signed

Hugh Dylan Fan

[Vic Jefferies]

Seems to me that the world is divided into those who say Bob can sing and those who say he can't.
He certainly wrote some great songs but I distinctly remember being unable to understand what he was saying when he sang some of them.

[Bob Pacey]

But But But I don't even sing


BOB

[warooa]

I think Bob's voice complemented his songs when it was just him and his guitar Woody Guthrie style, but as LongMan said, when he went electric his voice had to compete with the amplification which probably didn't suit.

The Basement Tapes by Dylan and The Band is one of my favourites, recoreded on a home tape recorder you can hear the comraderie in the music and vocals of 6 blokes jamming in a room.

I think he wrote the songs, and others sang more life into them. Listen to Dylan sing When I Paint My Masterpiece then listen to Levon Helm sing it. Likewise listen to Bob sing Tangled Up In Blue then for the best version (in my opinion) you'll hear listen to The Whitlams version.

Marty