I am almost 100% positive I'll get flamed for this...

[Archae]

Confession time...

Bob Dylan SUCKS!

Not a bad songwriter. In fact, pretty good.
But the guy can't sing to save his life! :eyes:

[RushIsRot]

1. Agreed. He shoulda written his stuff for others to sing. Where's

them asbestos pants?

[hibbing]

2. call me any name you like I will not deny it

Hi,
I am a huge Dylan fan and this criticism certainly isn't anything new. There are obscure and some not so obscure recordings out there where he does have a beautiful voice as shocking as that may sound. Just my two cents.

Masters of War- 1963


Peace

[BlueIris]

3. No flames here. I hate Dylan's voice.

I also don't think his lyrics were anything to write home about.

[JVS]

4. Go tell it on the mountain over the shore and EVERYWHERE!

:-)

[Radical Activist]

5. I can't imagine anyone else singing a lot of his songs any better.

He may not have a pretty voice but sometimes he has the right voice for the song.

[sandnsea]

6. A "pretty good" songwriter???

Well allrighty then.

A lot of people said Janis Joplin couldn't sing either. I guess you had to be there.

[billyskank]

7. I don't like him.

His singing was awful and playing the harmonica like that should be illegal.

[Orsino]

8. "A voice that came from you and me."

He never had a great voice, but he was a good singer. Important distinction!

[Perry Logan]

9. He's one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

[formerrepuke]

10. I agree 100%.... but Neil Young's voice is even worse...n/t

[graywarrior]

11. You are now all offically on IGNORE

[abq e streeter]

12. Your loss, in my opinion

Admittedly his voice is an acquired taste, and not a very good harmonica player, but as a songwriter, I agree with Clapton's assessment: (pretty close to an exact quote) " when you're talking about songwriters, there's two categories, Bob Dylan, and everyone else".

[ProfessorGAC]

13. No Flame From Me

I feel exactly the same way. I like a lot of his songs, but somehow other folks' covers are always better.

There is, however, a great skill to writing good songs. We gotta give him propers for that.
The Professor

[mulsh]

14. pick any dylan song, try singing it while playing the guitar.

then tell me dylan can't sing. even blowing in the wind isn't all that easy. if you can't do that then listen carefully to one of his more recent cd's. notice how his singing voice is different on every song. notice most singers tend to stick with one voice.

[SteppingRazor]

15. To quote the great poet-philosopher The Human Torch, "Flame On!"

OK, OK, not so much a flame as a polite disagreement. Bob Dylan has an amazing voice. It may not be technically proficient, I will grant you, but few singers put so much power and emotion behind their vocals. Listen to the version of "Like a Rolling Stone" from the royal Albert Hall show (Bootleg Series, Vol. 4) or "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" from the Philharmonic Hall show (Bootleg Series, Vol. 6) and there's no way you can deny the raw beauty of Bob Dylan's singing.

So there. :P

[ghostsofgiants]

16. But he has a vocal aesthetic that works for him and the songs he writes.

You don't need a five hundred octave range to be a "good" singer.

[Zuiderelle]

17. ...

[Ivan Sputnik]

18. It's true

He would not get past the first round on American Idol. But the songs (a lot of them) are good enough to make up for the voice.

[lost-in-nj]

19. No flames from me

I think he sucks to.....

never liked him....



lost

[NewJeffCT]

20. I respect his music, but I'm not a huge fan

I don't hate or dislike him, though.

[SoxFan]

21. "Not a bad songwriter"

Not a bad president...


Not a bad actor...


Not a bad quarterback...


Not a bad looking woman...

[Highway61]

22. Personally

I think you all have lost your minds! Someday he will get the Nobel prize for literature...mark my words. highway61

[abq e streeter]

23. Hi Highway... I don't think they've lost their minds, but they're missing

something so intellectually and spiritually intoxicating that I just figure its their loss. Dylan's songs, at their best, are a window into the mysteries of the ages, and I can still find myself in awe after listening to the same song for the 500th time.

[Iggo]

24. Great songs, lousy singing voice.

This is not news.

[Highway61]

27. ahh

Exactly. I used to think he was "way ahead of his time". Now that I am older I realize he was right where he was suppose to be. Amazing writing. Seeing him so many times, it freaks me out how he can change the arrangement of an enire song.

[abq e streeter]

28. You were right both times

ahead of his time WAS exactly where he was supposed to be. Only seen him three times(missed him last summer when my friend pooped out on me at the last minute and didn't feel like going alone (which sometimes doesn't bother me--saw Rancid--a great, great band if you're not familiar with them--- by myself a year ago and had a great time). First Dylan concert was Jan. '74 in Chicago, opening night of the "comeback tour', with the Band, who were, needless to say, incredible too---an absolutely electric evening .

[Arugula Latte]

25. Agree totally.

There are a few songs I like his voice on (Lay, Lady, Lay and Knockin' on Heaven's Door, e.g.), but his voice has become ever more unbearable as the years go on.

[CreekDog]

26. i saw him in concert a few years ago, didn't understand one word

great songwriter, incredible songwriter.

actually on second thought, his 70's stuff had better singing and fairly comprehendable lyrics.

[MrCoffee]

29. he's a good songwriter...i can't stand to listen to him sing.

[LynneSin]

30. My thoughts on Dylan's voice from someone who just saw Dylan last summer

I can't understand a thing that man was singing. But for some reason his voice got better later on in the concert