After 60 proper legends of pop (OK, you may have thought that some were a bit iffy), it is now time for my Top 20 Leg Ends of pop. These are those groups or artists that have had hits and sold well, but by no means a favourite of mine.
I do know that some of you will really like these, as there is no accounting for taste.
Now, SB does not like the use of profanity in the articles (comments fine, not articles), therefore if I say, for example, “Clut” I mean that well known GP word which is a sign of endearment, and if I say the word “Fluff” it is a well know word beginning with F, four letters, last letter a K, 2nd letter a U and just in case there is doubt, the 3rd letter is a C. The use of the word “Sausage” means that four letter word for when evacuating the bowels.
H/T to Brett of this parish, who very kindly sent me his play list of dire, dreadful, suicidal and basically fluffing songs generally done by right Cluts which are all pretty Sausage.0
So, on we go with No 16 on my list: – Bob Dylan:
This will quite possibly be one of the most controversial choices, as I have put the legendary Dylan into my Leg Ends series and not the Legends series. I would like to make it clear that I think he is one of the very best song writers the world has ever seen. However, his dirge like voice puts met right off. I cannot think of a Bob Dylan cover that I do not like, as everyone sings his songs better than him.
Robert Dylan – (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” (1963) and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and antiwar movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defying pop music conventions and appealing to the burgeoning counterculture.
Following his self-titled debut album in 1962, which comprised mainly traditional Folk songs, Dylan made his breakthrough as a songwriter with the release of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan the following year. The album features “Blowin’ in the Wind” and the thematically complex “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall“. Many of his songs adapted the tunes and phraseology of older folk songs. He went on to release the politically charged The Times They Are a-Changin’ and the more lyrically abstract and introspective Another Side of Bob Dylan in 1964. In 1965 and 1966, Dylan drew controversy among folk purists when he adopted electrically amplified rock instrumentation, and in the space of 15 months recorded three of the most important and influential rock albums of the 1960s: Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited (both 1965) and Blonde on Blonde (1966). His six-minute single “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965) expanded commercial and creative boundaries in popular music.
In July 1966, a motorcycle accident led to Dylan’s withdrawal from touring. During this period, he recorded a large body of songs with members of the Band, who had previously backed him on tour. These recordings were released as the collaborative album The Basement Tapes in 1975. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dylan explored country music and rural themes in John Wesley Harding (1967), Nashville Skyline (1969), and New Morning (1970). In 1975, he released Blood on the Tracks, which many saw as a return to form. In the late 1970s, he became a born-again Christian and released a series of albums of contemporary gospel music before returning to his more familiar rock-based idiom in the early 1980s. Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out of Mind marked the beginning of a renaissance for his career. He has released five critically acclaimed albums of original material since then, the most recent being Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020). He also recorded a series of three albums in the 2010s comprising versions of traditional American standards, especially songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. Dylan has toured continuously since the late 1980s on what has become known as the Never Ending Tour.
Since 1994, Dylan has published eight books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. He has sold more than 125 million records, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, ten Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize Board in 2008 awarded him a special citation for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power”. In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
Very successful indeed, a mega star and deservedly so in my view.
Discography: Bob Dylan: Has to be Blowin in the wind. This TV recording is from 1963. I remember hearing it on the radio and even then (I was only about 8) thought it was very catchy but dreary, give me the Dave Clark Five band and “Glad all Over” anytime, even Tommy Steele with the Little White Bull song! (I have linked both songs, as they are great.
Back to Dylan though:
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Official Audio), bugger, I still know the words to this song!
Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone 18th Jan 1992 – Letterman show
Bob Dylan – Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Quite popular this at the time. I have linked the official audio version as the live versions were even more of a dirge.
Bob Dylan – Lay Lady Lay – Live Clearwater Florida 1976 Best Live Version. Another classic covered by so many others including Duran Duran and Cher, each one so much better than Dylan singing.
Bob Dylan –All Along The Watchtower (Live in Woodstock 1994) – Bet you thought Hendrix wrote it!
Bob Dylan – Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Official HD Video). How a man as talented as Dylan can sing his own classic song and turn it into a pile of sausage is amazing. As an antidote to this version, here is Guns N’ Roses – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door version, though I do like Eric Clapton’s version.
In my view the best song Dylan ever wrote was A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall. I cannot bring myself to link his version, instead, probably one of the best ever covers, which is by Roxy Music:
Bryan Ferry – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall [Official]
I think if you name a successful artist or group, they will have one or more Dylan covers and I guarantee better than the original!
Singalong, enjoy and be happy!
Links to previous Legend articles:
Featured image: “Bob Dylan, Santana, Joan Baez 3105840113” by Heinrich Klaffs is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
© Phil the ex test manager 2022
