I am trying to compare Bob Dylan to anyone else. As a poet, he is not more memorably gifted than
Leonard Cohen, Yeats, John Berryman, or indeed
Dylan Thomas. As a singer, he is no match for
Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, or
Pavarotti. As a songwriter, he is equalled by, perhaps,
John Lennon,
Kurt Weill,
Kurt Cobain, Bob Marley, and
Elvis Costello. Why is it then that he is singled out as the paramount genius of popular music? The answer, my friends, is 50 years. Dylan, that enigmatic, sexy, sly trickster figure has been in constant transformation for fifty years of unequalled song composition and performance, or reperformance, his interpretations and variations creating Borgesian complications. His personal journey has had more make-overs than
Lady Gaga. He has been a Christian, a cowboy, a peacenik, a fierce Zionist, and a praiser of Scotland. He is, arguably, the
Shakespeare of song - an uncanny talent of unlimited potential. At 20, at 40, and at 70, he amazed and amazes. I do not think he is the presiding genius of our age - our age seems too multiple to have just one. But he is one of the greats. It is good to be able to wish him a happy 70th.
Dear Todd
ReplyDeleteI used to believe that Bob Dylan was amazingly profound. Then I grew up. As a songwriter I think that he is inferior to both Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen (all three Jewish - interestingly) but when the twentieth century popular music dust has finally settled he will undoubtedly be remembered.
Best wishes from Simon
My list of his songwriter equals would also include Tom Waits and Greg Brown, and maybe (but he's still young enough that we have to wait and see) Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes.
ReplyDeleteOf the other years, only Elvis Costello still has the chance to equal Dylan's longevity!