[imabadboy99]

never cared for his stuff. Overrated in my opinion. To each their own.

[SamAdams76]

This came to the fore a matter of months later with the Freedom Summer of 1964 during which six murders, 29 shootings, 50 bombings and 60 beatings of Civil Rights workers occurred during a bloody 14-week period between mid-June and the end of September.

Sounds like a typical weekend night in Chicago.

[Inyo-Mono]

I was 13 when Peter Paul & Mary’s version of “Blowin’ in the Wind “ came out and loved it right away. I am one of those who recognize Dylan’s brilliance in song writing. I know his voice leaves many cold, but if you listen carefully to the lyrics, his vocal short comings become secondary.

[Captain Peter Blood]

If I didn’t have to hear him sing maybe i would like some of his stuff.

[BradyLS]

The reaction that Sam Cooke had was one that was mimicked by plenty of other artists. In some ways, part of its brilliance is that it was touched with obscurity. This meant that people had to ask the lowly folk artist about it, and his responses are as much a part of the legacy of the song as the track itself. As Dylan decreed: “I still say that some of the biggest criminals are those that turn their heads away when they see wrong and know it’s wrong. I’m only 21 years old and I know that there’s been too many wars … You people over 21, you’re older and smarter.”

This is Dylan's generation in a nutshell, IMO. They railed against a cynical, selfish, and corrupt establishment. Only to become themselves a variant of the monsters they slew.

[ifinnegan]

“Dylan’s record had a tragic prescience to it. Lines like, “How many times must the cannonballs fly, before they’re forever band?”

Or maybe banned?

Blowing in the Wind is good because it’s not only about the U.S. Civil
Rights issues of the mid 20th Century. It’s more universal.

I heard it as a little kid as the b side of Puff the Magic Dragon.

[CaptainK]

His voice is an assault to the ears. His songs are ponderous.

[Fiji Hill]

“Blowin’ in the Wind” was apparently inspired by Mao Tse-tung’s 1957 statement that “the east wind will prevail over the west wind”—or in other words, Communism is “the wind” in which “the answer” is blowing.

[abigkahuna]

I grew up, literally, with Bob Dylan playing in the background of this tapestry called life...SOme of his songs hit the mark, others maybe not so much...the worst concert I ever went to was a Dylan show...he raced through his songs at a speed freak pace, like he hated his own music.

But, when it all boils down, Bob Dylan is an American creation for good or ill. I am always fascinated how he uses circus and carnival imagery in his songs—like the Grateful Dead uses trains/locomotives....

At times, I think Dylan caught the wave and rode it to the crest—what was he really singing about? Who cares—if one likes the song—enjoy it—if not—move on...

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[Albion Wilde]

It’s kind of amazing to me how many freepers consider their tastes and talents superior to those of Bob Dylan.