July 29, 2014

"What is Bob Dylan? Why is Bob Dylan?"

"After listening to him since I was a kid and seeing him live for—gulp—nearly 40 years, I think I’m beginning to figure it out."

I'm not sure if Bill Wyman (the music critic) figures it out or if there's an "it" that needs figuring out, and the article is kind of tl;dr but there's a picture a Bob Dylan riding a bike.

Bob Dylan riding a bike.

Has Bob Dylan ever mentioned a bicycle in a song? Yes. He rhymed "bike" with "like." I ain't no monkey but I know what I like. 

13 comments:

Mid-Life Lawyer said...

That's a long article but I read most of it. His review of Dylan's "Christian period" is not good. Some of those songs are classics. Wyman seems to overanalyze everything. My favorite line of Dylan's in an interview is "I'm just a song and dance man."

Today, I saw a black leather jacket Dylan wore in 1965, Archie Bunker's chair, and a pair of Muhammed Ali's boxing gloves displayed together at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Beldar said...

Bob Dylan is the single most overrated musician in American history.

FullMoon said...

Bob Dylan is the single greatest musician there is, was, or ever will be in world history.
No, in the entire galaxy.For infinity.

traditionalguy said...

Bobby was present and aware of everyone he was around, which made focusing nearly impossible for him.

He handled that disabling extra talent by backing off people and desperately holding on to the personality of his creative muse.

That resulted in Dylan becoming a spiritually creative man of intense personal connectivity to others who backed off from people. It is little wonder that such a man discovered in Christ's spirit what finally explains a life and purpose that man can focus on and be made whole.

cassandra lite said...

Swear to Him, I sometimes make myself laugh by picturing Dylan getting his prostate checked.

Gahrie said...

The best song about Bicycles is Bicycle Race by Queen.

http://youtu.be/xt0V0_1MS0Q

Gahrie said...

Bob Dylan is the single most overrated musician in American history.

I'd agree.

As a songwriter though......

Roy Lofquist said...

I've been listening to Dylan for 50 years. It is pointless to try to analyze him. I still listen to his earlier work quite frequently. As I have aged the meanings I glean from him keep changing. Every once in a while a light goes on and I think "so that's what he was saying". Funny thing is it keeps happening with the same songs.

Anonymous said...

Bob Dylan Sexbot says:

Ummm: there must be some mistake.

Babe, there ain't mistake, I'm Bob Dylan.

But I ordered the 1966 model --

Things have changed. I'm the modern model, babe. I've got years of experience under my belt, and it ain't dark yet.

But...

Listen, Baby Blue: it's either me or the 1979 born-again Christian model: there's plenty of those left in stock.

But you're old enough to be my--

--Babe, I'm forever young.

I'm not so sure about this. I had something... different in mind.

Now sweetie: I wanna be your lover, baby, I wanna be your man. My Reservoir Levels are at Full Capacity and I'm ready for you to 'go electric'...

I'm... I'm worried I might break you.

Don't think twice, it's alright: all modern Dylan models now come with reinforced hips to prevent breakage.

Good to know.

Now, shall I be the world-famous songwriter and you're my muse? Or I'm the reclusive painter, and you're my nude model wearing only boots of Spanish Leather? Or perhaps I've just come back from my annual prostate exam and you want to play nurse--

--You can stop there. No offense, but I think I'm going to return you to the manufacturer...

Babe, I've got a thirty-day like-it-or-return-it-free policy. Now how about I take one of my Sexual Function Supplements and I'll give you four hours of lay, lady lay...

I've bought a sexbot that needs to take Viagra? What the hell...?

Babe, stop with the idiot wind: I've got desire, and I'm ready to get down in the groove...

Well: are there any of the Cate Blanchett 'Dylan' models still available? I might consider one of those: it could be... interesting...

Now, now: wait till you see me in 'Mighty Quinn' mode, sugar: you won't be goin' nowhere...

I'm sorry, but I can't to do this -- wait: what are you doing?

I'm takin' off my pants, sad-eyed lady. Prepare to meet 'Big Pink'...

Please put those back on, put those back on.

Do you have a girlfriend? Maybe we could get her over here and have a little 'blonde-on-blonde' action to get us in the mood...

I don't think I'll ever be in the mood for this.

I don't believe you: it's me, Bob. You act like we never have met.

I think I need you to return to the shipping container.

You know what they do to us male returns, Cinderella? We get stacked up in the warehouse with all the Fat Elvises -- it's a real desolation row, and all the vandals steal the 'handles', if you get my drift...

You're leaking fluid, Bob.

It's alright ma, I'm only bleeding hydraulic pelvic fluid...

Back in the box, Bob.

Oh, mama, is this really the end?

Back in the box...

rhhardin said...

My favorite Dylan songs turn out to be Arlo Guthrie.

Lay lady lay was okay though I prefer Melanie's version.

rhhardin said...

Kate and Anna McGarrigle The Bike Song.

Amexpat said...

Bob Dylan is the single most overrated musician in American history.

There's some truth in that statement. But more truth in him being the most underrated musician/singer.

Anonymous said...


Came across this recently. No opinion. Just interesting:

“The interviewer was an asshole.” That’s a new quote from (Joni) Mitchell, who recently sat down with CBC to clear up the whole Dylan thing. In case you haven’t been keeping up, a 2010 article by The Los Angeles Times quoted Mitchell as saying some naughty things about her fellow folkie. “Bob is not authentic at all,” she supposedly stated. “He’s a plagiarist, and his name and voice are fake. Everything about Bob is a deception. We are like night and day, he and I.” Dylan never issued an official response, but his fans lashed out. Some of them pointed to the number of times Mitchell had joined Dylan onstage throughout her career. Others posted YouTube links to her live performances of old Dylan classics like “Girl From the North Country” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”

(In the same interview, Joni Mitchell also called out Grace Slick and Janis Joplin for “sleeping with their whole bands and falling down drunk.” She was on a roll that day! But we digress.)

In her recent sit-down with CBC, Mitchell didn’t exactly apologize for her remarks. Instead, she turned her anger toward L.A. Times author Matt Diehl, claiming the journalist had misconstrued her words. “I hate doing interviews with stupid people, and this guy’s a moron,” she said. As for Dylan, she added, ““I like a lot of Bob’s songs, though musically he’s not very gifted. He’s borrowed his voice from old hillbillies. He’s got a lot of borrowed things. He’s not a great guitar player. He’s invented a character to deliver his songs. Sometimes I wish that I could have that character — because you can do things with that character. It’s a mask of sorts.”