Bob Dylan sells entire song catalog to Universal Music Publishing in ‘landmark agreement’

NY Daily News ^ | December 7, 2020 | Kate Feldman

[Clutch Martin]

McCartney should have purchased the catalog.

[yldstrk]

I grew up on it, so yeah, I do.

[Rebelbase]

Surely it was at least a gazillion dollars.

[KevinB]

Joni Mitchell was a far, FAR better songwriter and, after moving into pop/avant/jazz, began using far more complex chords than Dylan could ever imagine.

Can't have a Dylan thread around here without Newfreep telling us how much better Joni Mitchell is than Dylan. We get it, Newfreep, you like Joni. I don't particularly care for most of her stuff, but do like a bunch of Dylan's stuff. I will allow that her stuff is more musically sophisticated than Dylan's, but she can't touch him in terms of lyrics, influence or popularity. Oh, and Tom Waits sucks.

[Leep]

Most “folk music” is simple cords.
Most rock is basic.
At one time many of the “rock stars” had short hair...then all of a sudden most of them grew their hair long and sometimes wore women’s cloth.
Dylan who grew up in a middle class family took on the hobo persona?
Most of his “talent” was in his poetic lyrics.

[pepsi_junkie]

We’ll finally be able to hear Bob Dylan tunes in TV commercials now! The day has finally come!

[jdsteel]

I always like Dylan songs better when other musicians performed them.

If you want to see how (Democrats) can screw with people’s money learn about how the RETROACTIVE tax law change regarding limited partnership tax credits of the era were insisted on by Dems as part of the Reagan tax cuts.

It led to the “On the Road Again” tour.

[PGalt]

Thanks for brain jog/association Cherish?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD94tZgPuvc

and then Along Comes Mary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4

[Rebelbase]

This thread has similar tones to the typical, famous-musician obituaries discussed here.

[PGalt]

“Did you hear that Willey Nelson died? Yeah. He was caught playing on the road again.”

LOL! Great Tune.

Least he wasn’t in a band on the runway...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjlvdcBAKdg

Wailin’ and Big Willie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evtmVZFeooA

[ameribbean expat]

Exactly. This is estate planning.

[clintonh8r]

I’ll take the “Holy Trinity”......Gershwin, Porter, Berlin.

[newfreep]

Thanks for sharing your limited intellect with us...we're all so much better for your generosity. Your Tom Waits comment was especially "intellectual" in your own way.

[1Old Pro]

Last line in the article says the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Thanks for saving me time to read, that is the only thing of interest.

[1Old Pro]

Joni Mitchell was a far, FAR better songwriter and, after moving into pop/avant/jazz, began using far more complex chords than Dylan could ever imagine.

Agree, not even comparable.

[basalt]

heh....

[newfreep]

Yep.

Dylan has always been a simple folkie who later added electric...but still the same simple folkie writing.

Both Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits created far more complex songs - both musically and lyrically.

TW was once described as a mix of John Coltrane and Jack Kerouac. Dylan could never ascend to those heights.

[dead]

I'd guess the deal is worth in the upper hundreds of millions, not far from a billion.

His catalogue is filled with so many iconic American tunes.

[circlecity]

“Joni Mitchell was a far, FAR better songwriter and, after moving into pop/avant/jazz, began using far more complex chords than Dylan could ever imagine.”

Why would that make her a better song writer? More complex doesn’t necessarily mean better. It just means you prefer her and her style. Trying to quantify a purely aesthetic matter like this is just silly.