My First Time Hearing Bob Dylan Sing! Vocal ANALYSIS of "Like A Rolling Stone"

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Want to see that mocktail and my beautiful husband making it? kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3nPfpaQpp2ggJI

[@BozoBear1]

No thanks

[@ianrastall]

@@BozoBear1 Exactly.

[@lucky7-1-1]

Lol tell him to go for it !!! It will for sure sound way better I'm sure . Kirk go for it bro . Mocktail mocktail mocktail mocktail mocktail mocktail lol lol 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️

[@jmanj9379]

Carpet man. Make it lower. Check him out. Hes new only been out for a yearish now. Ukranian singer. He is very unique with his style of singing.

[@Paul-D-Hoff]

Listen to Lay Lady Lay.

[@Nikki-l5p9y]

You say you wouldn’t want to hear him sing a lullaby, but “Lay Lady Lay” would change your mind.

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

Absolutely. I listened to this song so many times lying next to my girlfriend in high school. Still gets me 53 years later.

[@ckorhonen72]

While Lay Lady Lay is one of the rare songs he sounds "in tune" while singing, that songs speed is altered in post production, so it's not a fair song to judge him on his singing, since its artificially changed and not his real voice. Call it an early version of autotune.

[@xxcelr8rs]

The subject matter of that one! Simple Twist of Fate is another wold one.

[@donallmon1338]

Very first thought I had too!

[@Arquibus]

Or "Mr. Tambourine Man"

[@joerichards2658]

Bob Dylan's voice is perfect for Bob Dylan's songs. The poet who sings, rather than the singer that writes lyrics. It sounds like the common man telling a story that needs to be heard in its raw form, rather than pitch-perfect and sterilized. The beauty is in the imperfections

[@thejoyofthemusicinmylife7897]

His phasing is amazing. As I once heard someone say about Dylan's singing, not much of a voice but boy what a singer he is.

[@williamstreet4304]

I'm glad I read your comment. I was just about to post almost the same. His voice can be a little grating - just like his lyrics. They fit together so well. So I ask, Is music about perfectly pitched soothing voice - Righteous Brothers 'Unchained Melody'? Or is it about rhythmic delivery of emotion?

[@thejoyofthemusicinmylife7897]

It can be about both. @@williamstreet4304

[@SH-th4wy]

I came here to write those very words! Bob Dylan's singing and his message are two parts of a single thing, and people who miss that miss the point of Dylan. I wasn't always a Dylan fan, but then I kept listening.

[@stevemcbain1816]

Well said!

[@marksegall9766]

You've done Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and B ob Dylan, three of the five Traveling Wilburys. Once you cover Roy Orbison and George Harrison you can cover this super group.

[@JonFromRhodeIsland]

Omg she absolutely needs to do Orbison!

[@arthurwohlwill3837]

Yeah, listen to "Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty and you can certainly hear Dylan in there.

[@jdscottphd]

We need a Roy Orbison reaction.

[@pamelawertz498]

When you do Roy Orbison, In Dreams is the vocal performance to listen to. When you hear it you'll understand why.

[@ceceliahopemcginnis2663]

Yeah and once she does Roy she can amend her list of greatest singers of all time. Roy was better than Pavarotti. I will die on that hill

[@Lexwell_Lavers]

Dylan's vocal delivery, candence and sound is one of the most imitated in Rock. For a guy who some people say "can't sing", that's pretty astounding.

[@commontater8630]

I don't have a lot of respect for the intelligence of those who say Dylan can't sing. They're letting on that they don't really know what singing is about.

[@rabidgoon]

From my experience, the kinds of people who say that Bob Dylan can’t sing are the kinds of people who get impressed by generic karaoke singers, and American Idol contestants.

[@bdpeters]

The best version of Like A Rolling Stone is live in Manchester (Free Trade Hall in May 1966) and starts after someone famously yells 'Judas!". Bob really throws it back with a "play loud!" and is the most impassioned vocal performance I've ever heard. Has to be heard.

[@ejgleske]

Perhaps my favorite Dylan performance of all is the acoustiv "Visions of Johanna" from that release.

[@ismaely7527]

He was so angry and tired! He knew that those nights were the last of the tour. He gave it all!

[@ismaely7527]

​@@ejgleskeyes!! After 10 min of tuning his gitar

[@dranet47]

I'd rather listen to Bob Dylan's voice than most of the overcorrected and manipulated voices out today.

[@LiveFreeOrDieDH]

100%

[@DaveF.]

I dunno - this performance, for sure. But his version of Song to Woody he did live in 1992? Not so much.

[@stefan_becker]

Agreed. But I also prefer great cover versions of his songs (like those by Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Melanie Safka, ...) to the originals.

[@bobkitten8150]

Autotuned vapid lyrics😬

[@SlitheringHearts]

That makes me want to run Dylan through an autotune app and see what happens. It wouldn't be good, hilarious, but not good.

[@jonm1114]

You are spot on in perceiving a Bob Dylan influence on Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix saw that the brilliance Dylan had was as a storyteller and that the way he pulled the audience with his story made up for what was not a classically beautiful voice. In a 1969 interview in Rolling Stone magazine, Hendrix himself said, “I was ashamed to sing, but after hearing Dylan, I thought, ‘This is fantastic. If he can do this, I can do this.’ He gave me confidence.“

[@VintageWanderer]

Glad you posted this. I was going to. cheers!

[@katieoberst490]

One of my favorite songs by Hendrix is Hey, Joe, and we can thank Bob Dylan for that.

[@MisterRlGHT]

At the 1967 Monterey Pop festival that marked the American debut of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the song Jimi chose to play first to introduce himself was Like a Rolling Stone. The entire set was filmed for a documentary about the festival and is a joy to behold.

[@karpen042]

Neil Young basically said the same thing after he went solo. God Bless Dylan for helping bring us Neil Young & Hendrix, and many others i'm sure, as well as himself.

[@dananderson3033]

You suggest that Dylan may or may not be a horrible singer. If you appreciate Dylan's art you get it, and if not that's fine.

[@lcassamas]

The thing about Dylan as a singer is that he sings different songs in different voices. In Lay Lady Lay, for example, he sings entirely in pitch. In fact, some years ago, there was a bar in Manhattan that annually would have a Bob Dylan soundalike contest that was divided into three categories: Before his motorcycle crash, after the motorcycle crash, and Lay Lady Lay.

[@webbergj]

The entire Nashville Skyline album just feels like it's from some alternate universe where Dylan was a more conventional singer.

[@martinwatson9615]

For those talking about Bob Dylan’s more conventional singing on Nashville Skyline it’s worth bearing in mind he wasn’t smoking cigarettes at that time and was more in control of his voice.

[@andymeakin4263]

Absolutely. Moonshiner on the Bootleg Series is a great vocal performance in its own right.

[@stefan_becker]

Have you heard Melanie Safka's version of Lay Lady Lay? Every time I hear that version, I get chills down my spine. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYDHaJmJeK-jbJo

[@devenscience8894]

@@stefan_becker the version of "Lay Lady Lay" I'm most familiar with is Ministry's cover. haha

[@SmileyMikey]

A listener's connection with a singing (or speaking) voice is on a frequency different from mere pitch and tone. We all know that. The delivery, the emotion, moves us. That's why super well-trained, pretty voices can hit us as banal. And your explanation of "inside out" for singing is so valuable. Thank you!

[@GrigoriCross]

My mother passed away on the 29th. Bob Dylan was the center of her musical world and it was through her I learned to appreciate what he did and became a fan in my own right. I am a whole-package kind of man, whereas she was very much a lyrics woman. In my explorations, I’ve found that Dylan’s voice is actually underrated; it may not be what you want, but it is a perfect system to deliver what he’s saying and he has noted himself that he doesn’t sing off-key. Through watching, I see you came to the same appreciation I have. I’m sure my mother would have loved this episode. Thanks for letting her speak to me from beyond one last time.

[@Nikki-l5p9y]

I agree. My mom also loves Bob Dylan, and I grew up listening to him. I’m sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. Losing a parent is…well, it is just horrible. I’m sorry to be so blunt. But coming up on 11 years of losing my dad, and it is still a large part of my heart that I am still trying to adjust to. I don’t really have any advice, nor do I have any right to give you any. I will say that for me, it was important to grieve however I needed to. For however long I needed to.

[@olaspaz3079]

@@GrigoriCross I felt every word of that. Awesome.

[@jake-hy2zb]

I was there, Newport, '64, '65, '66. To see him grow in that short time was a privilege. It was all there, the boos and the adulation and many like me, enjoying and understanding that we were watching history unfold. So many of the future greats and immortal souls playing. To analyze his voice I would suggest going back to his folk music. His very best album is Blood on the Tracks for many of us.

[@louiswestfall9622]

@@jake-hy2zb Blood on the Tracks brought me to full awareness of Dylan’s genius. The man sure knows how to paint a mental image. His voice is perfect in its imperfections.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Yeah, I think Blood on the Tracks & an album like Blonde on Blonde would be a pretty good introduction to Bob Dylan.

[@KH-ol6qz]

🙌🏻🙌🏻 wow …. Like being behind Martin Luther Kings on one of his marches

[@DanSmith-j8y]

I doubt you were there.

[@danieloliver20]

Tangled Up In Blues

[@Cadinho93]

This song literally kicked off a cultural revolution. GOAT status. People have studied this song since the day he released it. As a 6 minute single. From a guy who was acoustic folk man and then boom. Electric plugged in and the sound started everything. Also, no one has had more songs covered. No one influenced other musicians more and songwriters. He won the Nobel prize for literature for his lyrics.

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

I talk about this specific live performance, and what it's impact was. This was FASCINATING music history to witness!

[@yeahsure9759]

@@TheCharismaticVoice Jim Groce… mic drop

[@wildwillie5408]

I'll 2nd that Croce was great ​@yeahsure9759

[@alphasixty1316]

My favorite cover is "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" by Patti Smith at Dylan's Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

[@rustywater3219]

​. Jimmy buffett

[@norman_james455]

Even as a fan of yours and someone who is consistently impressed by your analyses, it is truly amazing how completely you nailed this analysis of Bob Dylan, Elizabeth. One bit of serendipity was your comparison of Dylan's performance here to Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt." Dylan and Cash were mutual admirers of each others work, and had a friendship that lasted for 40 years until Cash's death. It started through written letters, until they met in person in 1964... at the Newport Folk Festival... one year before this performance.

[@Nikki-l5p9y]

She really should analyze their duet “Girl From the North Country” from the album Nashville Skyline, not a live version. It is very interesting what they chose to leave on the album. I’d love to see what she thinks.

[@samzilla1281]

@@Nikki-l5p9y I agree. It's one of my favorite songs.

[@philipmay6003]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJaXdpptbL6GiaMsi=Fg5a49xXKtZI0N65

[@SumantSrivathsan]

​@@Nikki-l5p9y The Girl From the North Country is a fascinating song for many reasons, not least for its inspiration from English folk singers and traditional English folk music, specifically Martin Carthy's arrangement of Scarborough Fair, which Paul Simon also used, but without authorization from Carthy.

[@Nikki-l5p9y]

@@SumantSrivathsan I did not know about that. Now I have to go listen to it. My mom had both albums. Has Elizabeth ever analyzed and Simon and Garfunkel?

[@AdaedA1]

He’s 24 here. His voice is forever changing through the decades

[@bruceinoz8002]

Forever Young?

[@scottsnyder2726]

As a 7th grader that was told by the school choir director to just mouth the words and not vocalize (I have a lousy voice), Dylan allows me to belt out (with all his inflections) his transformative lyrics. To me, so many of his songs are just as powerful today as when they were released and I was growing up incorprating his lyrics into my psyche

[@joshuawoodbridge6267]

She should do 'Times They Are A-Changin'' next, it shows off the interesting qualities of Bob Dylan's voice better imo

[@aTofuJunkie]

As I Went Out One Morning, or Desolation Row, is also awesome.

[@robertivey3758]

Agreed

[@christopherrussell343]

Do you know Bob's little known follow-up to The Times They Are A-Changing? It's called Things Have Changed.

[@aTofuJunkie]

@@joshuawoodbridge6267 Bob Dylan's voice has a Tom Waits sound to it now.

[@modernmedeamedia]

Sinead O’Connor once said that you can tell the Grammys are a farce because they gave Bob Dylan a win for Best Male Rock Vocals, instead of giving it to him for being “Brilliant” He’s an artist and poet first and foremost. His lyrics and melodies revolutionized folk music and over the years his genius has branched out into many genres. Vocal abilities are not something I would ever measure him by. He’s an adequate vocalist but his songs transcend that.

[@troublenyc4092]

@@modernmedeamedia RIP Sinead O’Connor… such a beautiful yet troubled soul. Excellent voice 🩷

[@YerpDerp17]

Being a great ARTIST doesn't mean you have to be a great SINGER. There is a difference between the two. Some of my favorite bands are from artists who don't have what you deem the best or preferred singing voice. However, the emotion they emote to the listener goes beyond singing. And you can capture those same feelings with a great singing voice, but it isn't a must. If Bob Dylan wrote these songs and then had a professional singer perform them, they simply wouldn't hit nearly as hard. Singing is a beautiful part of music, but it's only a part of it. Honestly, when I think about it, a majority of my favorite artists wouldn't make it past round 1 of American Idol, or any of those singing talent shows. lol

[@creambob1]

Exactly

[@aTofuJunkie]

​@@YerpDerp17Yea...just look at Springsteen. 😂

[@apparition13]

I don't even think he's an adequate vocalist. He's a great songwriter and he writes for his voice, so his voice is fine for his songs. I have no interest in hearing him cover songs written for great singers. However, like with Springsteen*, his songs are eminently coverable, I think because they are written with limited voices in mind. Unlike Elton, who is really difficult to cover since they aren't songs written for a limited voice. And that's actually a question for Elizabeth, how much is the quality of a performance down to the composition and how much the singer? Why are some songs easier to sing by a wide variety of voices and others much more limited in the voices that can pull them off? *As a singer, Springsteen at his best is better than Dylan at his best. Springsteen at his worst is way better than Dylan at his worst.

[@glencurtis2761]

Bob Dylan has about 7 different voices. This is probably his most nasal, though he never fully escapes the nasality. Personally I like his voice, but even more so his phrasing which is simply remarkable over the years.

[@EverettJohnson-js2zw]

You’re spot on. It’s his phrasing.

[@andrewjost6714]

Agreed, at times when he sings this song you can smell the venom coming from him with this version of voice... always curious if there was a particular person on his mind when he wrote it.

[@Gabe7Gal]

I'm not the biggest Dylan fan in the world but I'd be skeptical to say he has more than 3 distinct vocal styles. There's the breathy, somewhat gravely tone of his early stuff, then you got this nasally sharp style, and then that distinctive pitch-bendy style he does like on Blonde on Blonde.

[@SteveBluescemi]

​@@Gabe7Galyou're missing his 'Nashville Skyline' country crooner voice, his shouty mid-70s voice, and the deep gravel of his later career. James Austin Johnson does a near perfect impression of four different Dylan voices.

[@user-cs4fg1rm5k]

Listening to younger Dylan, he was more nasal in sound than today's chestier voice. He is a master of how to sing with his unique phrasing and timing. Maybe only Willie Nelson comes close with the whole singer/songwriter/musician package.

[@siblakely]

Mark Knopfler was asked by Bob Dylan to play guitar on his "Slow Train Coming" album (1979). The guitar riffs are unmistakable.

[@muinarc0]

Mark also played on and produced the Infidels album.

[@garysmith9823]

Dylans run in the Eighties with and without Mark Knophler was excellent. Mark Knophler opened for Dylan at the last live concert I attended ten or twelve years ago.

[@christopherrussell343]

Knopfler's production of Bob singing "Blind Willie McTell" is the best thing ever.

[@terryhand]

Over the years one of Dylan's greatest strengths has been the choice of musicians he has worked with.

[@davidgrubbs4480]

I laugh when people say Bob Dylan couldn’t sing or that they like his songs but not his voice. As someone who’s a huge fan of Dylan, I will just say you can’t separate one from the other. The delivery is kind of the point and is a deliberate choice on his part. Can you imagine how much Like A Rolling Stone would have lost if it would have been technically perfect rendition? Just like going electric, using that style of singing was a form or rebellion to show that he didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. I really enjoyed E’s reaction and appreciation. To me, Dylan will also be a genius not only for his songwriting but for his vocal choices.

[@alanstrom2221]

Totally agree with your comments. I do a mean impersonation of Bob's vocals. Some of the most successful 'singers' of all time have a very distinctive vocal style that wouldn't get passed the first audition on IDOL or THE VOICE or any of those TV singing shows. Neil Young, Mick Jagger, Mark Knopfler, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Gordon Gano...... I'm sure everyone has more to add.

[@ologhai2]

He was very nasal but sang on pitch on his debut album, which featured versions of _Man Of Constant Sorrow_ (which is more famous on KZbin for Home Free’s version) and _In My Time Of Dying_ (more famous for Led Zeppelin’s version).

[@Wombatmetal]

A story comes to mind of a George Harrison about the Travelling Wilburys, and George said that he found recording with the Wilburys he felt for the first time like he didn't care what other people thought of the music they were making, "kind of like Bob had done his whole career."

[@jorgecolon2014]

Regardless of what people say about his voice, I have always been touched by his timbre (tambor). It has a sad melancholy tone which touches my heart strings, especially with this song.

[@olaspaz3079]

@@jorgecolon2014 Spanish Boots of Spanish Leather.

[@757optim]

No one would say Dylan's singing was a technical marvel, but our musical vista would have been so much less without it.

[@_ljcarlton]

I agree about the influence. Is Dylan's singing a technical marvel? I have no idea. This whole debate is framed around the idea that it really matters. A vocal coach can improve your voice for sure but greatness comes from somewhere else. Art has no fixed standard of quality or worth. It's like complaining that Picasso's figures are irregular or Coltrane's playing is discordant. Technique is a description, not a mark of value, just as beauty cannot be found on a map and blue is not a number. Music is not a science. That's all there is.

[@dragon-ed1hz]

Bob Dylan's voice is like your favorite old chair: It might wobble a little, and the stuffing might be coming out in places, and it' might be worn and grimy in spots, but it's broken in just right, and you've laughed and cried a million times in it, and you wouldn't swap it for a brand new one.

[@ptittannique5621]

I'm writing this before watching the video. I believe Dylan to be one of the greatest SINGERS currently out there. He doesn't have "the greatest" voice (however you might define that), but he has such an ability to emote, and I know of no one else to have so deliberately changed his voice throughout his career.

[@sharoncarlisle9453]

I love Bob Dylan. I don't mind his voice at all. He's so expressive with his voice, and his lyrics are amazing. He's a legend.

[@unfilthy]

I loved this analysis. I think Elizabeth is ready for Velvet Underground.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

Venus in Furs!!!

[@michaellaporte4951]

Oh dear!

[@troublenyc4092]

@@unfilthy I’d like her to cover a Nico solo tune, like “ These Days “. Nico is another artist that may be put in the Dylan/Waits/Cohen/Young side of music. I love her voice, the same way I love T-Boz of TLC’s voice. The deep female voice, alto or lower, is very sensual .

[@rdrrr]

@@unfilthy Much as I love VU Lou Reed isn't really a singer, more of a "vocal texturalist" if that makes sense

[@rdrrr]

@@troublenyc4092 The Godmother of Goth

[@pasnom4382]

I usually prefer Bob Dylan’s version of his songs to covers. He’s engaging with the lyrics and telling the story, and makes you believe it.

[@darryndifrancesco8346]

Amen. There’s a passion, a thrill and pathos that exists in the originals.

[@TechnicalBard]

Yes, with the exception of All Along the Watchtower...

[@jameshnolt3769]

@@TechnicalBard Yah, the "soft" covers of Dylan are usually less impressive, but Hendrix powerfully growls that song through the booming artillery of his guitar. That cover never fails to give me chills from the opening cords.

[@pasnom4382]

@@TechnicalBard valid. He doesn’t really bring out the dynamics of the debate happening in All Along the Watchtower as much as I’d like

[@marksaleski9890]

@@jameshnolt3769 With me it sort of depends. Recently I bought an album by Emma Swift called Blond On The Tracks and there’s some incredible stuff on that.

[@CharlyDS]

Glad you went for Dylan. He represents a lot of what Rock is about. One needs to listen to his different eras, the great ones, the not so great, know about his story, understand his effect on other music history, his lyrics, try to follow the traces of his elusive persona, every bit as strong as his massive legend. It took me a while to fully embrace him but, gee it was so worth it.

[@davidlafferty781]

A great review. You captured how Bob uses great lyrics and melody combined with amazing story telling. He doesn’t need any tricks.

[@Mustangdriver10]

If you want to hear his voice sounding different, try "Lay, lady lay". His sound is still nasal, but much deeper. Had I not heard that it was him, I would never have guessed.

[@AnnoyingCritic-is7rp]

There's others as well, Days of 49 is really a bizarre song, but I think he nails the melody.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

That is much closer to his natural sound. Most of what we hear from him was "in character".

[@bessmorgan9044]

I have been an avid Bob Dylan fan since 1965. I taught my son the lyrics and what was happening when they were written. He, in turn, taught his friends to listen to them in the early 1990s. I remember those boos when he went electric. I was finally able to see him in concert about 8 years ago. I convinced my son to take me to an outdoor venue where Willy Nelson was opening for Dylan! What an opportunity to see two legends at the same time. There were still people unhappy because they were not willing to listen to how he and his music had grown. Great artists are not static. His voice is so familiar to me it almost seems comforting. Like an old friend talking to me.

[@marksegall9766]

It's great that you got to analyze the poems of Bob Dylan. The Nobel Committee for for Literature agrees that these are top notch.

[@Tonyblack261]

I personally love Bob's delivery. The rawness of his voice is the perfect accompaniment to his poetry.

[@davidtanner2645]

I was 16 when this song came out. Bought the album right away (Highway 61 Revisited). Wore it out! I'm thoroughly impressed with your review. I love the way you analyze and explain things. Nice job! I will be watching more of your stuff.

[@TheAnadrome]

There would be no Seattle in the nineties without Bob Dylan.

[@wildwillie5408]

Agreed. The were heavily influenced by what was their parents music. I know cause I'm the same age as the grungers and dad was a guitar playing hippie so I grew up on that music and when grunge came out i loved it.

[@troublenyc4092]

@@TheAnadrome Tell that to Kurt Cobain😇 Vedder loves Dylan, but many harder edged grunge players did not!

[@aTofuJunkie]

​@@troublenyc4092It's crazy to me that most aren't influenced by Bob Dylan. Without him we wouldn't have Electric Instruments this early in music history or All Along The Watchtower. 😂🤷‍♂️

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

@@troublenyc4092It doesn’t really matter if he liked him or not, he was still influenced by the era. I mean, it’s pretty clear Kurt was well versed in the Beatles.

[@troublenyc4092]

@aTofuJunkie two words: Chuck Berry. Dylan influenced folk singers to use electric, black artists were way ahead of them, ask Elvis, another notorious plagerizer🤬

[@flyingardilla143]

He and Willie Nelson were touring together last year. It is amazing they are both still performing.

[@troublenyc4092]

@@flyingardilla143 Willie Nelson is a person I’d love to hang with!

[@LovelyFish-wg1dq]

Gotta pay the tax man!

[@matthewzuckerman6267]

"Most music criticism is in the nineteenth century. It’s so far behind, say, the criticism of painting. It’s still based on nineteenth century art-cows beside a stream and trees and ‘I know what I like.’ There’s no concession to the fact that Dylan might be a more sophisticated singer than Whitney Houston, that he’s probably the most sophisticated singer we’ve had in a generation. Nobody is identifying out popular singers like a Matisse or Picasso. Dylan’s a Picasso - that exuberance, range, and assimilation of the whole history of music." Leonard Cohen 1992

[@geneween64]

Huge fan of both Cohen and Dylan, and never saw that quote before, thank you.

[@jayedwards4787]

What nonsense …Dylan was a terrible singer

[@matthewzuckerman6267]

@@jayedwards4787 You are welcome to your opinion, of course. And your analysis is persuasively presented 😉

[@katiecannon8186]

@@jayedwards4787 I like a few Dylan covers a whole lot. But I mostly like Dylan singing his own songs.

[@MrArgman]

​@@jayedwards4787was?

[@maxdisbrow977]

Bob Dylan was a true American troubadour. That is the best word to describe him, I think this is one of his best songs. While it's true his voice wasn't so great, his unique style and phrasing made it all work. On the side, you should listen to the studio version just for the heck of it. Also check out Don't Think Twice, It's alright. Also, it varies by era, but his live performances can be hit-and-miss. He was often intoxicated (no disrespect intended, it's a fact). Growing up, I didn't get the "Dylan thing", but now I recognize genius and his significance. I love your videos. I very much enjoy the excitement on your face and the light in your eyes when you are surprised or hear something truly great. Few of us allow ourselves to be amazed these days. The talent and artistry some humans possess will never cease to amaze me. Thank you both for your amazing videos!

[@JaniceBennett-k7i]

Still is

[@mannygee005]

wow, so many great comments here. I was going to note that part of the song was about authenticity... and maybe some in the crowd who listened would have got it... And then the lyric takes a turn about compromise. It almost seems it's about him and it's about the audience. It's at the same time about those who judge and those who are aware and towing the line, aware that they're being judged. But then the two sides become interchangeable and you may ask who is who? The audience is being inauthentic... but maybe they'll figure that out later. When they try to figure out who is the mystery tramp? Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse...! You are mesmerized and have lost control... how does it feel?

[@geneween64]

Sinatra once remarked that Dylan's voice was distinctive, though not conventionally "pretty," it carried a powerful sense of honesty and emotion. He was quoted as saying: "Bob Dylan is the only man who ever made me feel that I was just a singer." ((from Chat GTP)) I remember reading about Sinatra talking about how Dylan's phrasing was as good as he ever heard. Also you need to check out the studio version, lightning in a bottle, 1st take is the one they used, with Al Cooper tricking everyone into thinking he played the organ.

[@victorwilburn8588]

And the reason the organ part often has that little eighth-note rest before a chord change is because Cooper didn't know the chords and was just following by ear. But Dylan liked that little bit of syncopation and an iconic song was born.

[@jazluvr99]

High praise indeed... From one legend to another, from different generations and widely different genres. Remarkable.

[@xxcelr8rs]

The magic 4th take. They tried 11 more. Band was still learning it, little flubs all over but the energy was caught in the bottle.

[@blow-by-blowtrumpet]

I adore Dylan's voice and especially his delivery. People talk down his voice so much but it is just as crucial as the lyrics to the overall effect. I will die on this hill.

[@paulburton5150]

Agreed. Dylan's songs are a punch in the gut and his vocal delivery serves to deliver the message. I personally can't stand the bland pop cover versions by the likes of the Byrds, Manfred Mann etc. It's protest music, not supermarket muzak.

[@louiswestfall9622]

Amen brother. They just don’t get it.

[@davidbeyea9006]

I’ll be fighting on that hill with you.

[@gsomethingsomething2658]

*Y E S !!!*

[@wagstaff6135]

I'll die on that hill next to you.

[@moog67]

He recorded a hit song in 1969 called "Lay Lady Lay" in which he uses a completely different singing voice than his usual. It's so different that it doesn't even sound like the same person. I think you would find it pretty interesting.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

The funny thing is that that is his natural voice.

[@kimquinn7728]

One of my favorite songs and his voice is the only one I want to hear sing it. Perfection, For me.

[@ckorhonen72]

Lay Lady Lay is not his "natural" voice. The speed of the song and his voice was altered in post-production, so its not his real singing voice.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

@@ckorhonen72 Everybody gets altered in post, even the Berlin Phil...this is as close to it as we can get.

[@kimquinn7728]

@@ckorhonen72 sigh....🫤sometimes ignorance is bliss...

[@LiannaBabeli]

Hey Elizabeth! Ren has been described as the next Bob Dylan and I still believe that is truth. There is just something they both share intimately: a passion for storytelling, authenticity, and an inclination to simply weave fables. You really need to check out more Ren, Elizabeth. His catalogue is so impressive and He's grown so much since your last analysis of him. Bob Dylan will forever be a genuinely masterful storyteller, no matter what happens in the future, but... I think Ren will supersede him as the next great storyteller. I love this song. Another fantastic one in the grand discography of a legend. Much peace and love to you and the family. ^^

[@GilfordMeeks]

I love your channel, Ms.Zharoff! I'm an old guy, and I'm so glad you have examined singers from my youth, particularly Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and John Fogerty. There is one other I would very much like to hear your reaction to and analysis of: Tom Waits. Waits' voice is perhaps the most unusual in the music industry. His song Get Behind the Mule is an accessible introduction, as is his cover of Big Joe and Phantom 309.

[@JeffSeale]

Would love to see Patti Smith on this channel. People Have the Power, Because the Night. Dancing Barefoot.

[@alphasixty1316]

I think early career Patti Smith videos might be a bit on the rough side for this channel. Maybe Hey Joe "Horses" from THE Old Gray Whistle Test

[@lauried6974]

Yes, and Courtney Love

[@modernmedeamedia]

Yes please. Dancing Barefoot, Gloria, or omg… Land. That would be epic

[@modernmedeamedia]

@@lauried6974she did Courtney - celebrity Skin not too long ago

[@edwardyazinski3858]

Frederick too!

[@Peeved100]

I love that he's singing THIS song to this particular crowd, though. The man has always marched to the beat of his own drum.

[@rdrrr]

Feels like a challenge to the stuck-up folkies. "How does it feel?!"

[@Peeved100]

@rdrrr Right?

[@MikeWalsh-f1g]

To be fair, this performance is far from the best example of the singing of Dylan. He taught us all that the words spoken or sung are so important to many great songs such as Like a Rolling Stone.

[@lokenecummings47]

And Lay Lady Lay.

[@debramulcahy9979]

Love Bob Dylan. I am a serious fan. There is a Bob Dylan museum in my hometown Tulsa, OK. He is a poet at heart, I deeply appreciate his style. I’m in my 70’s so I grew up with him and his voice … respect to the man and his courage.

[@ZacCostilla]

This song was so important, not only because it showed Dylan’s transition from acoustic to electric, but it was an emphatic statement that Bob was transitioning from folk to rock and roll. You mentioned Jimi Hendrix just as I was typing this. I think you should check out Jimi’s cover of “Like A Rolling Stone” at the 1966 Monterey Pop festival, even if just on your own. You’ll see how Jimi respected what Bob did while still adding his own flair to it.

[@davidculp6266]

Dylan was mainly influenced by depression-era folk singers who were not professional musicians and were singing about their lived experiences of joblessness, homelessness and helplessness. The message is everything.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

That was the basis of his "Turnpike Tom" character that he sang in for most of the early albums.

[@DanSmith-j8y]

It's a bit phony, then, I guess - he didn't start out a multimillionaire, but he is one now.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

@@DanSmith-j8y His manager was a legendary breadhead who delivered for his clients, not just off him but Joan Baez and PP+M (RIP Peter) and Janis Joplin as well.

[@jpotter2086]

@@DanSmith-j8y Had those singers been rewarded, value for value, by this culture's prevailing medium of exchange (money), for their impact of their cultural legacy, they would have all been millionaires, and for some, by now, billionaires. Certainly are large piles of money moving around in their names now, but in the pockets of others.

[@DanSmith-j8y]

@@jpotter2086 Long-winded, inane, and wrong. If they'd somehow become millionaires - or, even funnier, billionaires - they couldn't have continued singing songs about joblessness, homelessness and helplessness. B.B. King had to transition into singing about universals.

[@thesouthernwake]

Love how the urgency builds in this song. Another amazing story-song is tangled up in blue. The poetry is so authentic when he delivers it - you feel that character. Go listen to Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright - the subtleness of this song about being dumped is just heart wrenching

[@animistchannel]

A later Dylan track that has a fairly approachable sound & sensibility was "Tangled Up In Blue". It's still storyteller style, but he makes it a bit more melodic; and the imagery and arrangement are great.

[@LayneStephan]

Life long Dylan fan; he performed his songs live in many different ways/speeds/styles. All incredibly unique and interesting. He always made and performed his music the way he wanted to no matter what other people thought he should do. I so appreciate his music 😊.

[@ronaldjackson6333]

I totally LOVE how you grew as a commentator on voice, moving from pure analysis of vocal mechanics to more and more light shining on the entire package--storytelling voice, voice appropriate to the message, the emotion the voice conveys, all of those and more. I would add that his voice itself is a protest against all things unexamined, against haute couture, and all ideas of purity in anything. He is the original grunge, as you point out. This is not to say opera or high literature or classical music or any high culture is inherently bad. Just that, in Dylan's aesthetic, it often ignores the powerless or does not delve deeply enough into it. If he were a fiction writer, he'd be John Steinbeck, not Henry James or Edith Wharton.

[@WRCzATL]

Sixty years on now, Dylan's voice is beyond critique. He's influenced countless singers and songwriters since then, and this song, and this performance in particular was pivotal to all of it. He delivers his songs with conviction and pathos, and if all one hears is notes and tonality, you've missed the boat.

[@darryndifrancesco8346]

Yes!!!! This is a great comment.

[@luisnunes3863]

No one is beyond critique.

[@alphasixty1316]

At the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony for Dylan we got the treat of Patti Smith covering "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" Beautiful work here by the Charismatic Voice Patti Smith "Land + Gloria" Olympia 2015

[@nedludd7622]

Totally agree. That was a moving performance.

[@modernmedeamedia]

Yes please!

[@catherinelynnfraser2001]

I love Bob’s poetry and his songs. I think he is a brilliant singer. He makes you listen to his words and his tone.

[@MrBedZeppelin]

Back in the seventies, I never heard anyone critique Bob's vocals in particular. He was very popular on the radio, so his musical work was well known and distinctly "Bob Dylan". Don't get me wrong I enjoy this video but putting this in the timeline of the 90's may help younger listeners and I hope it does. I think of Bob Dylan as just plain "timeless". Thanks Elizabeth!! Hope all is going well with #2!!

[@heyitsdeb9389]

Wow, you just covered the whole spectrum, from Steve Perry to Bob Dylan in just a couple of days. Love them both. Great job!

[@davidpope2189]

His voice on "Lay, Lady, Lay" is almost like hearing someone else's voice singing it. Give it a listen after hearing a few of his other songs.

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

That is his natural voice. Or at least closer to it.

[@JFisher-kl5fx]

I think he recorded that after a few months' no-smoking recovery from his motorcycle accident (or so I've been told).

[@Spo-Dee-O-Dee]

@@JFisher-kl5fxFor most people it takes quitting for a year to make noticable changes.

[@louiswestfall9622]

Bob Dylan’s voice is perfect in its imperfections.

[@terrenceplunkett]

What are the imperfections in “Lay Lady Lay”?

[@williamfarr8807]

Yep, Bob Dylan’s voice is the ultimate and definitive voice for delivering Bob Dylan’s lyrics.

[@waycooldlr]

When I saw Bob Dylan in the late 70's he mumbled so much it you could understand 1 out of 6 words you were lucky. If Tom Petty's band with Mike Campbell on guitar were not the band he was playing with I would have walked out.

[@marcusd1796]

​@williamfarr8807 I've always imagined Dylan singing the Beach Boys Greatest Hits... Baa baba babarbra aaaann. Aand weee'll have funn funn funn ' til her daddy takes the T bird awaaaaay ...

[@williamfarr8807]

@@waycooldlr I saw Dylan touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in Houston, a great show. I always thought (and have heard other say as well) that Dylan performs his songs like a jazz musician, reinterpreting his songs, improvising in the moment with rhythms and melodies, and never singing them exactly the same way twice. He grew up in that generation of Bebop Jazz and Beat poetry (1945-65) and I think that influence is there in his approach to performance. It is not a shortcoming; it is a choice. And like any jazz musician, you’re taking a chance improvising a solo live in front of an audience, sometimes you flop, sometimes there’s magic, sometimes something in between.

[@buca505]

When Dylan was young, he was influenced a lot with music by Woody Guthrie, and since he was big lover of Dylan Thomas poetry, he changed his name from Robert Zimmerman, to Dylan Bob and started creating this unique blend of Folk music, only with guitar and harmonica and spoken word, that has become one of the greatest poetic expression of second half of 20's century. How big his influence, best example is Leonard Cohen, who was the most talented poet of Canada, who won all the literal awards you can, wrote several books of poetry, and then; he went to see this guy with harmonica and guitar, everyone was talking about, at concert at Montreal, and realized that only way that poetry can be popular and live again, is if it was singed, so he decided; he must learn to play guitar, and start singing his poetry. The myth of modern troubadour was born, a bard with the guitar. And this moment, you analyze; is just a another step in the evolution of great artist and his art. Great analysis btw as always Elizabeth, keep on good work! P.S. If I may suggest, band The Rolling Stones, has great cover of this song, and comparing Mick Jagger interpretation of this song, with Dylan, could be interesting.

[@Nikki-l5p9y]

Agree. I think Bob Dylan is a better singer than Leonard Cohen though.

[@DaveR-j5m]

I am so glad you "get" Bob Dylan! His voice does take you by surprise at first but, once you start listening, it's compelling. His voice is perfect for his songs . As you said, it's about the message. -His most Unique (and utterly brilliant) song: "Blind Willie McTell" - tribute to the Blues singer and certainly one of Dylan's best 'Blues' vocal performances. -Lullaby - Lay Lady Lay probably catches him in his best voice, but also "Don't Think Twice It's Allright." He also does some lovely finger-picking guitar in that, which he never did again, ever. -Comedy - No-one does a comic protest song like Dylan! Talking World War III Blues is hilarious, whilst delivering a message. He did many others too. -Rap - you said the lyric delivery here was almost like rap ... check out "Subterranean Homesick Blues" for his most rapid delivery of lyrics. -Protest Song - take your pick. With God on Our Side & A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall are my favourites. -Story song - "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll". Maybe a private listen rather than a vid as it's a long one and there's not a huge amount of vocal variation, but it tells the (true) story verse by verse, with a repeated line that changes right at the end and delivers the real message of the song. (There are literally dozens of other great ones too.) ... and that's not even scratching the surface. - Other "story song" artist - The Boss! Bruce Springsteen - The River. One of the most perfect story songs ever.

[@luckisalady1]

The imperfection is what makes it so beautiful and profound!

[@toddhisattva]

An essential moment in my Dylan education was to read Dylan's lyrics *as poetry* without recalling the music. The dude is *solid*!

[@jazluvr99]

Two words: Joni Mitchell. A Bob Dylan contemporary. Both great songwriters within the "folk rock" genre. But Joni's voice is far superior. I'm still holding out hope that - someday - Elizabeth will analyze just one Joni Mitchell song.

[@davidgrubbs4480]

She mentioned Joni in one of her reactions so I wonder if she already knows Joni. If I get a chance I will ask her. And maybe put Joni up as a suggestion for the Patron poll.

[@jazluvr99]

@davidgrubbs4480 That would be great... Thanks!

[@DowntownPowerAndSound]

Agreed, but which song would you choose for someone to hear JM for the first time?

[@they_9569]

​@@DowntownPowerAndSound River for just her voice and piano, Down to You for her overall songwriting, singing, musicianship, and arranging.

[@owenicus]

@@DowntownPowerAndSoundperhaps Edith and the kingpin.

[@Spacedancer747]

Bob didn’t have much of a range. He didn’t have any vocal technique in the traditional sense. Not a lot of breath control. But he was the Best Bob Dylan possible. His delivery was perfectly matched to his writing. He didn’t jam lyrics in. It was sung poetry. Bobs vocal mannerisms only served to bring out his lyrics, which were his genius. I can’t listen to more than 4 songs at a sitting because of the strident vocal tone, but that’s just my own personal sensibilities. I did however once listen to Mr. Tambourine Man & Like a Rolling Stone for 16 hrs straight. His lyrics sparked an entire generation of writers, along with Paul Simon who’s brilliant lyrics were contemporary to Dylan.

[@tjroelsma]

Yes, the voice just belongs with the songs. Every cover of a Dylan song just sounds off to me, because the singer is better than Dylan and that takes away from the song in my opinion. I have the same with Leonard Cohen.

[@Rubzor1]

dylan got a unique voice its cool in a weird way but maybe not so beautiful but still it works well with his songs somehow. not sure ive heard a voice like his before its rare.

[@tjroelsma]

@@Rubzor1 The voice fits when you take into account that he's a protest singer. The songs from the beginning of his career are complaints and accusations against the US society for the treatment of the weak, poor and needy. Dylan doesn't so much sing as that he screams out the outrage that's in the lyrics.

[@danholmesfilm]

You're HURT video was one of the first I watched, been with you since just after that upload. Still one of my favorites on here :)

[@Callsign_Kishin]

Hi Elizabeth! Love the channel. As someone starting out in music production and singing, I learn so much about vocal technique from your channel! Thank you for what you do! Also! I think many of us in The Warning ⚡️ Army are Waiting for more reactions to The Warning! And more of the new Linkin Park album!

[@elviskoutoufides7331]

You are never going to be blown away by his singing ability, but he is an incredible storyteller.

[@peter9910]

@@elviskoutoufides7331 Bob has an incredible voice, that’s extremely dynamic and unique. Try singing songs like Blind Wille McTell or New Danville Girl, sounds wrong with anyone else

[@stevenmeyer9674]

Lets not get carried away.

[@mcc-us]

THANK YOU so much for looking into Dylan. Love your Work! I have wanted to ask you to investigate him, but I felt guilty because his voice is tough to love. His lyrics and poetry are poignant and hard to ignore. I can't fault you for choosing the '65 Newport Folk Festival to start your analysis with, although I would have suggested some later songs, such as 'High Water' from 'Love and Theft,' to investigate. In this song, he is arranging the banjo to give a feeling of time and place (like southern decadence and squalor) while he is crafting story vignettes describing a real or biblical flood, "High water risin', six inches 'bove my head, coffins droppin' in the street like balloons made out of lead." Q. Are we going to survive the flood IF we "can't open your mind, boys, to every conceivable point of view." Beautiful, imho.

[@SubroutineLtd]

There was once a billboard that read, 'no one sings Bob Dylan like Bob Dylan'. It is better to think of him as a vocalist who is a vehicle for great songs rather than judging him as a 'singer'. Just as the crowd were judging him for going 'electric' ... they were wrong.

[@Arquibus]

I've always maintained that people who think Dylan can't sing or that his voice is bad are people that don't understand art. Art isn't just something to be pretty or make us feel good. It's about carrying a message, making a powerful statement about something in the world. It CAN be pretty and make us feel good, but that's not what defines it. That "pinching" you mentioned is a growl: it's more overt in the studio version, but when you know what it is here you can hear it too. Sneering and sarcasm and aggression are all parts of Dylan's act: he plays the role of a wandering troubadour, a philosopher, a warrior poet, a derisive jester. A lot of his songs are...well, actually pretty similar to operas, really. I laughed when you said you wouldn't want him to sing you a lullaby. And then a couple moments later you mentioned your dad singing "Mr. Tambourine Man". Now I need you to listen to that one even more. I think it'll change your mind.

[@jeffclinton9289]

Awesome anaylsis/review! I really enjoyed it and that moctail looks SO good! LIKE A ROLLING STONE regularly tops rolling stone's best rock songs of all time. I don't know if thst's true but it has to be right up there. It is SO iconic and the footage you used was the first ever performance of it. That was, as you said, a truly historic performance that permanently changed the course of popular music. I would like to also recommend IT'S ALRIGHT MA, I'M ONLY BLEEDING from the d.a. pennabaker documentary of Dylan's last solo acoustic tour which was only a few months before the newport folk festtival show that you used. His "singing" is somewhat more nuanced since he doesn't have to shout to be heard over amplifiers. That song is one of his greatest early songs, too. The perfomance is truly mesmerizing and it is proof that one does not have to have a gifted voice and training to be a truly great communicator.

[@Megan.eco-Instinct]

He was the sound of an era. This has happened many times I think - where someone's sound becomes iconic. I don't know that anyone ever (back then) really visited the _quality_ of Dylan's voice. On second thought, it might have been discussed but not among the devotees. We were too busy happily establishing Dylan as the folk sound of the era. He's extraordinary.

[@luisnunes3863]

What you are describing is a period piece. It's not a compliment.

[@RabbiSteve1]

Thank you for this deep analysis and reaction. Sometimes I like Bob Dylan‘s voice and sometimes I don’t. And what makes it even more complicated, is he has had many different voices throughout his career. The Voice he used on the album, NASHVILLE SKYLINE (and also on SELF-PORTRAIT, which is an album where he covers other songwriters’ songs), is a much sweeter tenor and much more in pitch. His 80’s year old voice now is very different, and even less “sonorous”. Or at least “sweet”, or in tune. But he has had other voices throughout his career. Check out either his duet with Johnny Cash on “Girl from The North Country” or “Lay Lady Lay” both from NASHVILLE SKYLINE. Or really anything from that album. In my opinion, you’re going down the Bob Dylan rabbit hole, will be a fascinating journey. I recommend going back to some of his earlier stuff, and then moving through his catalog, not necessarily in chronological order. I think your analysis and reactions will be priceless. And BTW, you nailed it with the Dire Straights comparison. Another singer who at least “borrows” a bit from Dylan’s delivery style is Tom Petty (may he rest in Shalom, may his memory and music always bless us). And they got to sing together in The Traveling Wilburys along with Jeff Lyne, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. Talk about a supergroup! And PS: good on you for choosing this historic performance. It is the climax of the new movie based on him and his music (and based on a book, DYLAN GOES ELECTRIC). And in the context of the movie, they really capture that drama of the moment: both in music history and in his life. Timothée Chalamet really nails the entire performance Learned guitar for the last four or five years just so he could play all the music and sing. It really is a a tour de force. The movie is a must-see, IMO. My second favorite movie of the year.

[@Ericslookbook]

What was your favorite?

[@RabbiSteve1]

@ well, I have two favorites, tied for top spot: THE BIKE RIDERS and REAGAN (regardless of how anyone feels about the historical figures and incidents it portrayed, as a good story, well told, as with A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, was for me a tour de force. And Dennis Quaid’s performance as Reagan, was in its own way, for me, as mind-blowing as Timothée Chalamet’s as Dylan.

[@RickSanchez78-d2v]

File under "much better lyricist than vocalist, and that's ok" along with Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, etc

[@RickSanchez78-d2v]

Along those lines, I'd love to hear a Tom Waits analysis. Maybe "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis" next December. "Downtown Train" or "House Where Nobody Lives" would be good too

[@edwardyazinski3858]

Hmm no. A great vocalist maybe not a great singer.

[@Gruncival]

@@RickSanchez78-d2v I'm partial to his down-tempo Telephone Call from Istanbul, I love his lyrical brilliance poured smoothly over a simple base of lonely plucking.

[@Grump-wm1tp]

OMG, she's finally done Dylan!! Well done! you had to do it eventually, even to confirm your worst fears. However, once you get past the initial "shock", there lies a huge inventory of classic performances that you can ease into, which I see many in the Comments will have already offered. For sheer emotional intensity, my pick is "Idiot Wind" from the live tv special in 1976. And for every song he's ever performed, there are countless versions as he re-interprets each song through his long career, both live and in studio sessions - through either changes to lyrics, chord arrangements, keys or tempos, or vocal style.....or indeed a combination of all of these dimensions: that's great for the dedicated fans who will argue until the cows come home which version is best LOL. Ok, Elizabeth, just one more I'm gunning for now - Greg Lake's amazing gum-chewing version of "Still You Turn Me On" from the 1974 "California Jam" concert (Emerson Lake & Palmer) - can you sing beautifully, play intricate 12-string guitar and chew gum while delivering an incredible song all at the same time in front of over half a million people???

[@IntellectuallyIvy]

Huge Dylan fan. Grateful to have found your channel because of this video.

[@YeungSze]

Was it Jimi Hendrix when Elizabeth pondered Bob Dylan's singing reminded her someone she had reviewed in the channel? Dylan was more than an influence on Hendrix, in fact he thought he didn't have the voice to sing, but after he heard Dylan, he thought something like "If Dylan can make it, so can I"...😉

[@miznitic5574]

We need Nick Cave. I nominate Red Right Hand as her introduction.

[@arthurwohlwill3837]

Or The Ship Song

[@faketheo3432]

I second this. Bring It On and Abattoir Blues are also good ones

[@SRoney-xc6ko]

A live performance is a must......Jubilee Street would be perfect

[@arthurwohlwill3837]

@@SRoney-xc6ko And his live performance of Dylan's "Death is Not the End" with Kylie Minogue, Shane McGowan and others.

[@rdrrr]

@@miznitic5574 I love The Mercy Seat although maybe it's too noisy and deranged Incredible storytelling though, very strong "character voice"

[@thomasgriffiths6758]

What's fortunate enough to see Dylan in concert during his 50th anniversary tour and it was fantastic.

[@89smokey]

The fun thing about Dylan is that you never knew which one you would get. There were SO MANY versions, so many styles he could perform with, you just learned to sit back and accept them all. No judgement, no disrespect, just “Hey, it’s Bob Dylan. Deal with it.” We all love at least one of his versions. His Rolling Thunder version stands out for me. It’s sad now, for me, that he no longer plays guitar at all. The first song I ever learned to play was Don’t Think Twice. I pray that he will retire in good health.

[@GrinningDwarf]

Timely reaction. My wife and I just saw A Complete Unknown today. Thanks for using the Newport '65 video. I'd never seen it before, and it was cool to see it while the memory from the movie is only a few hours old. Great movie. The actors...who also did the singing...killed it. And as always, thank you for the thoughtful and knowledgeable analysis.

[@johndef5075]

Tangled Up in Blue is worth a listen too.

[@briangriffin5524]

JGB, the Jerry Garcia Band covered Tangled Up In Blue. What a great performance.

[@KevinMonoxide]

I used to live 2 houses away from the house on Montague he mentioned. He recorded a bunch of stuff there. And strangely enough, Tom Waits lived in his car across the street

[@wildwillie5408]

Good reaction material

[@they_9569]

Good call! And "Hurricane" for some more great storytelling!

[@jackprather81]

I would love to see you respond to one of my other favorite singer/songwriters with an "imperfect" voice, the genius Tom Waits. He's definitely giving a performance that relies on delivering a specific character and tone that supports the emotion and subject matter of his songs, consistently singing about the losers, drunks, hobos, and romantics populating the underground of American life. Waits has a few different vocal approaches, but they all mesh together seamlessly to tell the stories he's trying to tell. It's honestly surprising how long his career lasted (close to 40 years). All the better for us, though.

[@brianrettmann1518]

100% agree

[@modernmedeamedia]

Interesting choice! Agree would love to hear her assessment of waits

[@stevenfrederick3887]

And if she could listen to one of his early recordings and one of his later ones and tell us about what happened to his voice that would be interesting. (assuming the change in his voice wasn't a creative choice rather than an involuntary change due to age or damage/wear)

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

I don't think of Waits as a singer. Like the B52s, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, Lou Reed, and David Johansen/Buster Poindexter, he's more of a "Performance Artist" using music as a medium.

[@edwardyazinski3858]

Another Master!

[@ShannonKoch-j5d]

I would say his voice and delivery are above all else honest. His acoustic guitar skills are amazing. The changes come quickly and make my fingers trip.

[@Kristen_kiki]

Yup. I’d rather listen to the honesty and imperfection of a voice like his than the auto tune we get now.

[@modernmedeamedia]

He’s an amazing finger picker. Absolutely

[@kne0777]

Okay commenting before I watch and fingers crossed you appreciate hus uniqueness. You know Dylan when you hear him.

[@colinmitchell9212]

What I like about Bob Dylan is honesty. What you see is what you get. You get his fantasic storytelling, great muscianship, and Bobs delivery, which is uniquely Bob. No electronic pitch altering/ correction like much of todays modern stuff, but you do get honest music/ storytelling and poetry.

[@ericmanbeck6099]

Bob Dylan is a lyrical genius, no doubt-his songs are timeless poetry. But yeah, seeing him live can feel a bit… detached. It’s like he’s performing for himself more than the crowd. Ozzy, though? That guy’s a whole other vibe. He might forget half the lyrics, but he’s up there giving it his all, connecting with the audience, and making every show feel like a party

[@digibirder]

Thank you for pointing out the true value of Bob Dylan Elizabeth! It's not about the style of his voice, but the message. Bob knows how to get his message across and make you listen to what he is saying. His vocal style and songwriting made his songs timeless and influential. You can't ask for more. I would love to hear you react to The Tragically Hip for the same reason. "Bobcaygeon" would be a great choice for me, but there a many others!

[@hawaiianrenegade]

When are you going to do Robin Zander of Cheap Trick?

[@jonmaxwell7143]

Something off their Live at Budokan album would be awesome.

[@xxcelr8rs]

He is amazing.

[@ihill6533]

Yet here we are listening to him 60 years later. He is distinctive and music is still relevant today.

[@wilemstout5016]

I would much rather listen to Bob Dylan's voice than a lot of other singers with much prettier voices, His voice is genuine and it has a lot of character, and it fits his music perfectly.

[@DakotaBorn-111]

First album I owned was Highway 61 Revisited. Changed my life from then on.

[@bostatler]

Quick story about 'bad vocals'. Back in the day I remember hearing "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes for the first time and absolutely HATING it. I honestly thought the DJ was playing as joke for his listeners to laugh at. I really believed the singing was beyond awful. I was baffled when it became a huge hit. Today it's one of my favorite songs and I love Linda Perry's vocals. Sometimes you just need to grow up a bit to appreciate things.

[@billstevens3796]

@bostatler I had the opposite reaction. I first heard it on the radio on the way to work. I got to work late that day because I sat in the parking lot listening until it was over, and then sat there a while longer just going "wow" to myself. That is one of the few times I have a distinct memory of hearing a song for the first time.

[@tjava2338]

Singer ? Technically not. Prophet, insightful poet. Absolutely incredible. Guy was and is still visionary.

[@jdscottphd]

"Technically" he is ABSOLUTELY singing. You might not like the tone but yes, he is singing on all of his songs.

[@jcparker500]

@@jdscottphd I guess it's technically singing. Just nothing pleasing to the ear.

[@jdscottphd]

@jcparker500 ear of the beholder. His voice is perfect for his songs.

[@johnb7714]

Am I the only person to notice Hubby's ironic timing of producing the mocktail after the dialogue about the presenter's school and Bob singing: "Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely But you know you only used to get juiced in it" ? This made this video for me. And yes Bob over the years had has had many voices but I believe his voice was at his peak in the late 70s on the Slow Train album. Thanks for posting.