MovieChat Forums > Bob Dylan Discussion > How Did He Choose Singer?

How Did He Choose Singer?

posted 5 years ago by FilmBuff (7354)
20 replies | jump to latest

He's a legend, I get it. He's beloved, I respect that. However. Who the hell heard this guy sing and told him "oh yeah, with that voice? You gotta become a professional singer?" I really, really would like to have overheard that conversation. Of all the vocations he could have selected, what made him think he'd succeed as a singer? More power to him for making it happen, and I think he's earned every bit of his success, but gosh, how did it all begin? Part of me believes it was a William Hung situation, where his friends all tricked him into a false sense of confidence so they could watch him fail, but if so, the joke's on them.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

i think he's the greatest rock vocalist of all time.

yes, his voice is ugly sometimes (not always - he could croon nicely too. there's lots of evidence of that), but he's a rocker, and rock music is often at its most powerful and exciting when it's at its ugliest.

his voice drags through my eardrums like sandpaper in the most satisfying way. most singers don't leave a mark. he scratches and claws in there. i like that.

[–] diezman (2179) 3 years ago

His voice is definitely an acquired taste. To me, at least, Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of my era. I've heard many covers of his songs and many of them are very good. Call it nostalgia. Call me a boomer and an old fart but hearing Bob sing these songs is tops with me.

[–] degray9 (1126) 3 years ago

I wouldn’t call Dylan a “singer.” He’s more of a vocalist out of necessity. Like any blues or folk player, it’s more about the emotion behind the playing than a pitch perfect delivery.

[–] Indiscipline (764) 3 years ago

I think he's great. Not much into the 80s stuff until now but he WAS great for his time.

Perhaps he had naysayers early on but he just ignored them and kept going, gained a following, got a record deal and now it's almost 60 years later.

[–] mtxmind (3296) 2 years ago

His voice is an acquired taste.......which try as I might have never been able to acquire. Definately one of the greatest song writers ever, but I've long thought that any Bob Dylan song can be done better by anybody but Bob himself.

Same thing can be said about Tom Waits as well. Once again, extremely talented song writer & musician, but that voice.....ugh! (Especially on his later albums. The early ones, however, he's actually not that bad, & way more tolerable to me than Dylan!) I know he wasn't very fond of The Eagles version of Ol' 55, but seriously, what the hell did he think THE EAGLES were going to do with the song anyway? And to be honest, he probably made more $$$ off of their version than his own, so there's that!!