Bob Dylan says modern music is worthless

Entertainment Weekly ^ | 8/22/06 | Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bob Dylan says modern recordings sound "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.

"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past twenty years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in that time, returns with his first recording in five years, "Modern Times," next Tuesday.

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.

"Even these songs probably sounded ten times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Exactly - "it's only Rock n' Roll".

[t_skoz]

Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." -Steve Earle

[the OlLine Rebel]

LOL - boy is that the pot calling the kettle black!

Dylan, YOU are atrocious.

Your lyrics are hippie-loving commie crap.

Your music arrangements were goonie-sounding.

Your voice SUCKS.

And you look and smell like !#$!#$!@.

I don't know how you ever made any money, much less are called a "god" of music.

[Mr. Blonde]

Johnny Cash's last albums were produced by Rick Rubin who is responsible in my mind for most of the best sounding music coming out. He has produced the last 3 RHCP albums (a band that is actually getting better with age) plus Blood Sugar Sex Magick. He doesn't add a whole lot to the process what the band can do live is what they can do on CD. Jack White is a fan of this method also, and takes it to even more of an extreme refusing to even use new recording technology.

[t_skoz]

Jack White is the worst excuse for a "musician" and a "songwriter" I've had the displeasure of seeing in a long time. I caught them at a free festival about 10 months before they got "big".

He can't even live in his hometown of Detroit, he is hated there so much.

Ugh just hearing that name makes me want to puke.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

when I first heard dylan, i thought that there was something wrong with him. i didn't get it, and I wondered how this guy got on tv. he had a squeaky voice and looked ill, and his hair was a mess. and for some reason, his dope-smoking buddies and chicks thought he was cool. I still don't get it. "Tiiiiiiiiiimes are a changin." Shut up your high-pitched loser. Go sound down your vocal chords some #10 paper, you love-child freak pig.

[TheBigB]

Jealousy does not become you, m'friend. :o)

[Constitution Day]

I cain't hep it.

[Mr. Blonde]

I didn't really care for Get Behind Me Satan (great cd title though), but I thought all of their other CDs were good. And The Raconteurs debut was very good as well. Different strokes I guess.

[TheBigB]

Don't feel down! I promise, whilst I am cavorting and frolicking (or is that frolicking and cavorting) with a plethora of nubile young beauties, I'll be sure to save a thought for you. ;-)

(That didn't sound right, did it? LOL) :-)

[Constitution Day]

(That didn't sound right, did it? LOL) :-)

Please don't think about me. I would have to disown ya. :)

[TheBigB]

I shall forget about you for the entire time; you have my word. ;-)

[Mr. Blonde]

Could you explain to me how the following is hippie loving commie crap?

Shadows are falling and I've been here all day
It's too hot to sleep time is running away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I've still got the scars that the sun didn't heal
There's not even room enough to be anywhere
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

Well my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there's been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writing what was in her mind
I just don't see why I should even care
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

Well, I've been to London and I've been to gay Paree
I've followed the river and I got to the sea
I've been down on the bottom of a world full of lies
I ain't looking for nothing in anyone's eyes
Sometimes my burden seems more than I can bear
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there

I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm moving, but I'm standing still
Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb
I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don't even hear a murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there.

Dylan himself has said that his music was co-opted by the hippies and anti-war activists more than he was a big believer in those movements.

[Constitution Day]

Very good. Hope you have a good time, seriously!

[TheBigB]

I'm kinda nervous, actually. I don't know why, really, but I am!

[nuconvert]

Thanks. Scott.
Where/when is that picture from?

[justshutupandtakeit]

Bringing it all back home.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Don't flaunt your ignorance. Dylan has written scores of songs covered by many artists. His output of fine songs is simply prodigious.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Frank Sinatra is not a great singer? Are you a professional comedian?

[theFIRMbss]

>Frank Sinatra is not a great singer? Are you a professional comedian?

Did Frank write his songs?
Did he express himself or
tin pan alley jive?