Bob Dylan - best songwriter ever?

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One of my alltime favs. I was just listening to Positively 4th Street yesterday. He breaks all the rules and always gets away with it.
 
My 2 cents: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Billy Joel, John Lennon, Cat Stevens, Gordon Lightfoot, Robert Plant

in no particular order...
 
In my states largest newspaper one of their reporters who I have followed that writes for entertainment section commented about a recent release of Dylan covers by current artists. Overall my impression was that He was not impressed and even though He thought anyone could pick up a guitar and perform a Dylan cover they would probably not do Dylan's songs justice. Having said that whether or not He is the best song writer of our time is something I think you could say that if you were talking about a specific period of time and compared to the work that was being produced by other song writers. I have always been a fan of Bob Dylan and have and still perform some of His work. Also if you consider the how much work He has written and had published He would have to be seriously considered. Most of the songwriters that others have suggested I agree that their work has to be considered and I perform many of their songs as well. But if you were to ask me which artist performed the best cover of Dylan's work I would say that Jimmy Hendrix's version of "All along the Watch Tower" would have to considered. I am a little surprised (and hope this suggestion does not invite any criticism) but Brian Wilson who wrote most if not all of the Beach Boys songs hasn't been mentioned. I don't think that He maybe the greatest song writer ever but from keeping up with His career His gift of creativity and orchestration is certainly worth consideration and I can not keep from wondering what He might have done had His life had not had the problems He suffered with. I personally have a hard time saying He is the greatest, but if you consider the amount of work He has had published, albums sold, and how many songs have been covered, and how many people have included His work in their gig list, whether you like it or not He probably would be the best but not the greatest songwriter of our generation. JMHO Ozlee :yawn:
 
Dylan himself said he was just a song and dance man. He had no pretensions to be a sage or a musical genius. He was a good wordsmith and an adequate musician, no more. And nice to listen to at the end of a hard day.
 
In my opinion yes he's a genius, I would post one of my favourite links of youtube but i cannot :/ . He's just Amazing.
 
For me Bert Bacharach is one of the greatest songwriters, not for his lyrics, but for his pretty tunes and his interesting harmonies. Also great are Brian wilson and Paul McCartney. Dylan was uninteresting musicaly, but good with words, and very much of his time, such that he captured the "mood of a generation"
 
That question is hard to answer, only because of varying musical tastes. I'm gonna have to say no that he isn't. He was an innovator for sure though, and a pioneer as well. I do respect his talents, but folk music is where you have to put him. Folk doesn't do it for me, sorry.....
 
cnynhiker said:
That question is hard to answer, only because of varying musical tastes. I'm gonna have to say no that he isn't. He was an innovator for sure though, and a pioneer as well. I do respect his talents, but folk music is where you have to put him. Folk doesn't do it for me, sorry.....
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I'd have to say more of a folk-rocker. After all, he was nearly thrown off the stage of the Newport folk festival for being the first person to ever play an electric guitar at it. Can you imagine being torn apart by tree-huggers?
 
of war and peace the truth just twists, it's curfew gull it glides
 
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