LOL!!!!!!
Complaints of the ignorant
1. Dylans singing .. He is not a crooner, so what. The emotion, phrasing and the inflection he brings to the songs greatly enhance his albums. Which is why it is rare to hear a cover version match the original, when it does it is usually by someone like Springsteen or Hendrix. When you first listen to Tom Waits his gravely voice puts you off, but the more you listen you realize it actually goes well with the content of the lyric.
If you doubt me, listen to the emotion in the original Masters of War or The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.
People who criticize his singing invariably have a superficial acquaintance with Dylan and the genre itself.
2. Dylans Christianity- Listen to the lyrics on Slow Trains Coming, they are incredibly powerful and prophetic. There is no lyricist in popular music who has so consistently weaved biblical themes and quotes into their work;
also, think of the courage it takes for a Jew with a large secular, and often left wing anti-religious fan base, to put out Gospel albums and tour singing gospel songs.
Three times in Dylans career he has made changes which alienated much of his fan base, and in each case influenced the direction of popular music.
3. Dylans legacy-
a. Simple challenge, next time you are in a book store peek at a copy of one of the books containing Dylan lyrics.(The large pink colored hardback for example); then name another 20th century poet who has written more powerful and accessible poems, not to mention rock lyricist.
b. Make a list of who you think the best song writers of the last 50 years or even your favorite songwriters, I can guarantee every one of them would acknowledge Dylan's influence.
c. Every time any music publication asks, music professionals who the most influential/greatest songwriter in the history of rock is, Dylan is the near unanimous choice.
4. Dylan is a leftie- I think it is important to note that he has given little if any support to the left since 1965. Writing a few anti-war civil rights songs in your early 20's is forgivable. In fact he was widely condemned by the left for abandoning the cause in the mid 60s.