Two Old Men react to Bob Dylan's, "Masters of War" (1963)

Corrin and Howard revisit Dylan's 1963 Classic Anti-War song, "Masters of War" and debate if we ever can or should get rid of them.
Note: This video was recorded on May 7, but held up for 30 days from posting to KZbin by a Copyright claim. Glad we can now publish it.
I have written a Substack article that can serve as a blueprint to this channel. It is an update of a column I wrote in 2017 about my Top 40 musical artists. I brought it up to date by adding 10 additional artists, most of whom were not around 7 years ago. In the article are links to over 50 of my reaction videos and I will keep it up to date as I make more videos.
The article is here:
open.substack....

[@rileypelzer5808]

As a young man (24) from Minnesota who grew up a Dylan fan, I’d like to thank you both for your perspective on the times when this piece of music was created

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

Well they times have changed a lot since then, but us Old Men remember how it used to be. Thanks for watching!

[@macpduff2119]

Let's remember that Bob Dylan was ridiculed and not accepted when he started. His voice was raw, and I attended a concert St Lawrence University Canton, NY 1964 when members of that collegiate audience were getting up and leaving. Dylan was not the smooth sound of entertainers like the Kingston trio etc. I also was a native New Yorker, so The scene on the cover is familiar to me

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

His voice has been ridiculed and put some people off for his entire career! Personally I think he is a great singer, but his voice does grate on some.

[@emintey]

@@oldmeninchairs3365 Actually it grates on me when he doesnt try, it's almost like he's sticking a finger up at the audience at times. I can go on and on about this subject but his songs speak for themselves. It's only now at the twilight of his life that his importance as a song writer is fully being appreciated.

[@kenennis6287]

The song is absolutely brutal and beautifully so. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam did a magnificent version of the anniversary celebration for Dylan

[@unseelie63]

He gave me chills.

[@adamr149]

Very insightful listening to you guys, thank you.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

Thank you for watching and the kind words!

[@warrenhughes911]

Great reaction..try.. Hurricane.. Hollis Brown.. Or the epic.. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Heatts

[@Maw5165]

Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of hearts would be really cool 😎

[@urgemore]

I think Elvis Costello's "Tramp the Dirt Down" approaches the articulate vitriol of this song. But yes, this is a perfect song.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

I am an Elvis fan, but I am not familiar with that one. I'll look it up. Thanks!

[@markcasserly3992]

Hi could you please react to Bob Dylan's song 'Murder Most Foul' from 2020 please. It would be great to hear your thoughts on a recent song of his, thanks!!!!

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

Thanks for the suggestion, but as a long-time student of the JFK assassination, I find that song too heart breaking to even listen to. The idea of reacting to it would be too emotional for me right now -maybe some day.

[@markcasserly3992]

@@oldmeninchairs3365 No problem I understand. Could you react to the song 'Goodbye Jimmy Reed' from Dylan's 2020 album 'Rough and Rowdy Ways'?

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

@@markcasserly3992 I love that album. I had it on repeat in my truck for about two months after it came out, but this channel is mainly about music with a social message. I'm not sure anything on there besides JFK qualifies. The problem is when we just react to music because we love it, we usually don't get many views. (See Flying Burrito Bros, Marvin Gaye and The Beach Boys) I am encouraged how well the old Dylan is doing, however, so we probably will do more, but the problem there is you have to give them 30 days to clear copyright!

[@MissAstorDancer]

@@oldmeninchairs3365- As a nearly 70-year-old Hippie Chick, I totally get you, Sir. It absolutely tore me up the first time I heard it. I couldn't even get THROUGH the whole songwithout stopping, the first time I heard it.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

@@markcasserly3992 By the way, we did do one song off the Rowdy Way album, "I've made up my mind to give myself to you." Also, the copyright situation has improved and we no longer have to o through the 30 day review process. Our Dylan videos can now be viewed instantly everywhere except Russia!

[@donehogua9713]

I know of no song or poem with more hatred voiced in it (maybe the Vietnam rag). Remember this was when Dylan said not to trust anyone over 30.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

I don't recall that Dylan ever said that. The first use was attributed to Jack Weinberg who was a political activist in the Berkeley Free Speech Movement in 1964. It certainly was a popular saying when I was coming up in the later 60s.

[@MissAstorDancer]

@@oldmeninchairs3365 Facts!

[@macpduff2119]

Yes I remember. Many of my flower generation truly believed that we would not live past 30. We thought the age of Aquarius was coming. Ironically - here we are on social security and Medicare

[@bollykecks]

Great reaction! Please do the 'Judas video' you mentioned. I would be very interested in that. Newport 1965 footage would fit nicely into such a work, for example.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

Thanks. We did include some Newport '65 clips in our video, "Was there any good music after 1968." Unfortunately that video had about 15 Copyright strikes so we can't put it on KZbin! It is available on our Rumble channel of the same name. We may do the "Judas" video some day, but all Dylan videos are immediately subject to a 30 day appeal process for Copyright.

[@ed.z.]

Today is a cold/hot war that screws with our peace of mind.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

Absolutely! I am surprised that this early reaction that we did over a year ago continues to be one of our most popular ones. I think we struck a chord by comparing the "Masters" of those days with the unknown people who are waging mostly psychological war against us today.

[@antonioverdugo5619]

that´s it boys the best reaction ever

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I really miss being able to debate Howard, but sadly he had to retire due to health reasons a few months after this video.

[@arrow5599]

let me die with my boots on heard that song some place

[@claycarpenter8625]

If you got a seizure watching the intro raise your hand🤚

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

I do get that complaint from some people. I wonder how old you are. I grew up watching flickering home movies, which is the effect I was trying to recreate. Sorry about the seizure!

[@arrow5599]

let me die in my footsteps before i go down under the ground

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

I did do a reaction to that early Dylan song which I had never heard of until Howard mentioned it in this video. All of other Dylan reactions can be found on our Dylan playlist.

[@emintey]

I’m too young to be considered an old man at 71, but I am a big Dylan fan. Masters of War however is one god awful song.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

I feel pretty young at 71 myself. Can still play tennis 3 times a week, but I don't bounce back like I used to. Unfortunately, it's not how we feel, but how others see us! I never had a strong opinion about the song before, but now I relate to the vitriol, because it's exactly how I feel about the current "Masters of Psychological War." Thanks for watching!

[@emintey]

@@oldmeninchairs3365 I was about 16 years old when I discovered Dylan which would be about 1966 or so. Among his early "protest" songs Blowin' in the Wind, The Times They are A'changin' and especially A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall are far, far better songs.

[@oldmeninchairs3365]

@@emintey We are looking for more Dylan political songs to react to. They are doing well on the channel. although we do have to wait out the 30-day copyright appeal, so don't expect anything any time soon! Hard rain might be a good one! Thanks!

[@macpduff2119]

Edwin - at 71 you are indeed an old man. Just as I am old at 78. I attended a live performance of Joan Baez Queens NY when she brought out Bob Dylan - surprise - who was not on the program. I also attended a live performance of Dylan St Lawrence University canton NY 1964 where the preppy types who were accustomed to smooth Kingston Trio sounds left during his performance - awful!

[@macpduff2119]

@@oldmeninchairs3365 You are spot on -" it's not how we feel but how others perceive us". I was a sophomore in college when this album was released - also when President Kennedy was murdered. I also don't feel old but others see me as such.

[@dougmcleod2372]

War is not the answer!!! Y’all are both strongly condoning and justify war in your comments! Why is psychological warfare worse? It’s the same machine!