Bob Dylan Says Modern Music Is Worthless

[hillarythegreat]

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 22) - Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.

"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, returns with his first recording in five years, "Modern Times," next Tuesday.

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.

"Even these songs probably sounded ten times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."
_____________________________

The article lists some of the worthless albums of the last 20 years:

U2 the Joshua Tree
Metallica Master of Puppets
Guns and Roses Apetite for Destruction

http://news.aol.com/entertainment/music/articles/_a/bob-dylan-says-modern-music-is-worthless/20060822121509990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

There is a poll there also asking if people agreed with Bob and so far 81% did agree.

[turdfrgsn]

i'd agree with a few notable exceptions

[tattered]

The article lists some of the worthless albums of the last 20 years:

U2 the Joshua Tree


well he got one right.....but Nevermind, Master of Puppets, The Chronic, and the public enemy albums DO NOT belong on that list

[FAngel]

For Bob Dylan to criticize somebody else's vocals...what's that old line about the pot and the kettle? Dylan is a legendary songwriter, no doubt, but his singing voice is AWFUL. He sounds no different than when he's simply talking about "dreams, schemes and themes" in the XM promos.

No decent records in the past 20 years? Holy shit...if Johnny Cash were still alive, he might have something to say to that. What about, Christ, ANYONE? Wackbag is pretty diverse when it comes to musical tastes, but there are plenty of albums out there that most of us can agree are at least decent and listenable, even if it doesn't suit our personal tastes.

What he's saying is that Cash, Tom Petty, Metallica, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Godsmack, Bon Jovi, Eminem, The Stones, David Bowie, Queen, Van Halen, and a shitload of other staple music names I can't think of right now have not contributed jack shit over the past two decades.

[Puddle O AIDs]

Dylan should just play a few songs about clouds, do a few shows and shut the fuck up. What does he mean by worthless? that they have no value? Sir, i don't even like nevermind that much as a nirvana fan but it is still a historic album, along with MOP and the chronic. You sir, are an ass. If you wern't a friend of Hunter S Thompson, i would stab you

[Puddle O AIDs]

Ok, now i feel like an ass, i don't yhink Dylan even said any of those albums were worthless, just aol using his 20 years quote to confuse me. If he is talking sound wise, i really have no need to argue

[FMDoug]

I'll come to dylans defense around here. i only read the bit that was posted here... it sounds like he is talking about modern recording on cd and not the sound of the bands. That the studios do not pick up every vocal touch when it is printed on cd. That is what i gather from the article.

And dylan could sing. Just not anymore. listen to any of his first albums and especially live at carnegie hall. he has range and you can understand every word clearly. I'm not sure why his voice has gone to hell lately though.

[fred123]

I agree with him.He is talking about the quality of the sound not the content of the music.

[sknight]

Dylan sucks and is one of those people lucky enough to have a perpetually fucked up audience to hear his music when he broke.

[O&ARAWK]

i gotta agree with dylan on this one. it's one of the reasons i dont listen to alot of new music anymore.

[Coffee Diva]

This is all just part of their evil master cabal plan to cajole us to repurchase all our music again in SACD or DVD-Audio format. Fuck it. First I bought it on vinyl, then CD. No more. And no current music is worth spending $15 for, no matter how good the qudio quality is, so ... meh.

</sweeping generalization guy>

[PCLoadLetter]

well he got one right.....but Nevermind, Master of Puppets, The Chronic, and the public enemy albums DO NOT belong on that list
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

*wipes tears from eyes*

You're an even worse judge of music than Bob there.

[PCLoadLetter]

Ok, now i feel like an ass, i don't yhink Dylan even said any of those albums were worthless, just aol using his 20 years quote to confuse me. If he is talking sound wise, i really have no need to argue
You are right, he didn't single out anything specific, at least not in the provided quote(s). He generalized and said that nothing in the last 20 years SOUNDS DECENT... And that downloaded music "ain't worth nothing anyway". I guess he won't mind if I steal HIS music of the internet, huh? Oh, wait, there he is on iTunes, where he'll happily take money for his songs... Even those recorded in the last twenty years ("I've been making sub-par music for the last twenty years, hoo hoo, tell 'em Fred")

If you take him literally, he's slamming the quality of the recordings themselves, not necessarily the performances... And even then he's off his chump. A well-done modern recording sounds so much better than twenty years ago it's RIDICULOUS.

[PCLoadLetter]

This is all just part of their evil master cabal plan to cajole us to repurchase all our music again in SACD or DVD-Audio format.
*IRONY ALERT*

Guess which recording artist, whose entire catalog was being re-mastered and re-released, had a sampler of their music included on a disc with my SACD player?

[FMDoug]

Dylan sucks and is one of those people lucky enough to have a perpetually fucked up audience to hear his music when he broke.

Dylan basically founded the whole folk movement. There were others before him that played guitar and told stories. There were those silly country trios like peter paul and mary but they never hit it huge. Dylan made everyone after him think about the words in songs and their relevance to society. Plus he wrote it's alright ma. I dare anyone to find a song that matches the intensity and brilliance of that song.

Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn
From the fool's gold mouthpiece
The hollow horn plays wasted words
Proves to warn
That he not busy being born
Is busy dying.

it's alright he dylan isn't your thing but saying he is lucky to be famous is a bit of a reach

[sknight]

There are tons that match and better the intensity.

[tattered]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

*wipes tears from eyes*

You're an even worse judge of music than Bob there.

I’m talking about the sound quality not the quality of the music content. I think drowning your poor guitar playing in distortion, delay, reverb, and chorus is making poor sounding music not just in content but in quality also, thus worthless to Bob Dylan. You know he is talking about sound quality right? I’m sure you would if you bothered to actually read the fucking article or maybe had an ounce of reading comprehension.

[westben2002]

i agree....now artists are only good when they can put out hits that everyone can enjoy...the second they step out of what they originally do or they don't produce what their last hit was, then they are kicked out for the next 'flavor of the month'

[Garyisajoke]

If there's anybody in the music business who is above reproach, it's Bob Dylan. That said, I think it's ridiculous to say the past 20 years of music has been a waste. Sure, it's not the 60's with the Beatles and Stones or the 70's with Bowie and Zeppelin but there has been a lot of great music over the past 20 years.

If he said that it's bullshit that the pop scene has taken over and what garbage it is, that's fine. But to say there's nothing substantial from the past two decades is ridiculous. I'd rattle some off but I've wasted enough time as it is.

[Bunny™]

Nobody can understand a word this mushmouthed, ashamed-to-be-a-jew, legend has said since Jack Kennedy's Lincoln banged a left towards the Stemmons.
He was probably just trying to cut more liners for his Theme Time show, and it got misinterpreted.

"OK Bob, one more time....it's XM Satellite Radio"
"On the XM Network... <mumblemumble>..Satellite U2 are potatohead hacks<mumble>."

[PCLoadLetter]

I’m talking about the sound quality not the quality of the music content. I think drowning your poor guitar playing in distortion, delay, reverb, and chorus is making poor sounding music not just in content but in quality also, thus worthless to Bob Dylan. You know he is talking about sound quality right? I’m sure you would if you bothered to actually read the fucking article or maybe had an ounce of reading comprehension.
Maybe if I lent you half an ounce of that reading comprehension you could have read anything beyond that post... But you're still off your chump if you consider it to be "poor guitar playing", so that half an ounce is still wasted on you.

[Death Metal Moe]

Ya know what? FUCK BOB DYLAN.

There, I said it. He's a marble mouthed prick who never wrote a motherfucking thing I ever liked.

I got a Theme Time post here for ya. Eat me ass.

[pointblankJ9]

Ya know what? FUCK BOB DYLAN.

There, I said it. He's a marble mouthed prick who never wrote a motherfucking thing I ever liked.

I got a Theme Time post here for ya. Eat me ass.

I love you Moe!:clap:

[spyderman]

Dylan is an old out of touch ass-clown that is pulling the "things were so much better when I was your age" rant. Stop it you irrelevant fuck. Music is an ever-evolving art form, and his time has past. He is just saying the same shit that the generation before him said, and what we will say when it is our turn. We get the bit Dylan, so stop.

[hillarythegreat]

Please re-read the article again people, he is not saying the music is worthless. I should have made it clear in my post up there that he is saying the sound quality is bad. It's recorded on CDs and the sound is lacking.

[hangoverbuffet]

Dreams Schemes and themes

that should tell you everything about how shitty bob dylan is now and was then

[NoSurviivors]

There are tons that match and better the intensity.

yeah.. death metal.

'C is for cookie. Good enough for me. C is for cookie...'

[BusyChild04]

If he's talking about the quality of sound you get of a cd, I agree. I love how vinyl sounds. The warmth of it. If he's talking about the music itself. I agree with him on his view some 50%, including some of his picks. But saying that ALL of today's music is worthless is wrong.

[PCLoadLetter]

If he's talking about the quality of sound you get of a cd, I agree. I love how vinyl sounds. The warmth of it.
Y'ever heard the HD-audio stuff? SACD or DVD-Audio? I really don't think there's any way you could tell vinyl from those formats... Except the discs don't have any clicks or pops. :icon_mrgr

[al885]

Bob Dylan sounds like the blowhard from r&f

[The Stormrider]

I don't mind Bob Dylan, but he's been the 'Back in my day' old guy for a long time.

[Dirt Anchor]

HOLY SHIT! READ the fucking article! He is talking about the quality of sound recordings...not the fucking music or the artists themselves! I think some people here would rather just start some fucking controversy rather than stopping to read and think before posting.

And for Christ's sake, even if you don't like Dylan, the son of a bitch is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. I have a feeling alot of the metal bands out there now(which it seems is the only type of music anyone wants to talk about here) would say the guy is a fucking legend.

[Legend of Snuka]

I pretty much agree with Dylan (not that I'm old enough really to remember vinyl)....I think their is definetly warmth missing from todays recordings...And I don't really think it's a pure CD vs Tape vs Vinyl thing.... I think alot of stuff these days are over produced...too many effects on the guitar and vocals...too much compression on the whole thing. It sounds too digital.

[Death Metal Moe]

I read the article. And I still say fuck Bob Dylan in his mumbling asshole.

[XMScott]

FYI

You can hear Dylans new album "Modern Times" at 12am EST tonight.
XM 40

[spyderman]

HOLY SHIT! READ the fucking article! He is talking about the quality of sound recordings...not the fucking music or the artists themselves! I think some people here would rather just start some fucking controversy rather than stopping to read and think before posting.

And for Christ's sake, even if you don't like Dylan, the son of a bitch is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. I have a feeling alot of the metal bands out there now(which it seems is the only type of music anyone wants to talk about here) would say the guy is a fucking legend.


I read the article too. And when I said music was an ever-evolving art form, I was including how it was recorded as well. (sarcasm)Man I tell you what, I fucking love the ambient white noise fucking bleed-over that kills the quality of the music. I love it, that's why I always buy vinyl records.(end the sarcasm) I want to hear clarity when I listen to music. I like modern day recording methods. But here is something to think about: maybe the artists wanted their respective albums to sound the way they do because it was part of their artistic vision? I'm thinking of it that way. My prior comments about Dylan still stand. Except I'll add this, Stop bitching about the "good old days" and go smoke a lucky, you mush-mouth hippie faggot.

[tourettesguy]

Dylan is an old out of touch ass-clown that is pulling the "things were so much better when I was your age" rant. Stop it you irrelevant fuck. Music is an ever-evolving art form, and his time has past. He is just saying the same shit that the generation before him said, and what we will say when it is our turn. We get the bit Dylan, so stop.

That about sums it up for me.

[Waka Jawaka]

Bob Dylan gets more senile as each year passes, but no one should be surprised by that.

The recording qualities from the old days and the new age both have their pros & cons.