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As the world seems to have gone Bob Dylan mad just at the moment, I thought I'd canvass the XP crowd for your views on the man.

My opinion for what it's worth: I've always liked the idea of Dylan but, despite many attempts, I've never managed to like the music.

On record I love half of his material, like the majority of the rest. Live though he was one of the biggest disappointments I have musically encountered. I'm not sure I'd call either a god or a goon but I'd definately veer nearer god.

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Life is what happens when you are busy making plans - John Winston Lennon

I may have alzheimers but atleast I don't have alzheimers - ?

Never been a Dylan fan. I earnestly respect him, and I think he's written some of the finest songs in the modern musical canon, but he's dreadful singer and his recent overhyped mush-on-platter is nothing more than an old man's driveling tosh. I do enjoy other people playing his songs, though.

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Only actually tried listening to the records a couple of years ago and mmuch to my surprise found I really liked them (or at least the four or five I've got round to).

Thought the Arena doc was half-cocked and dull though (fell asleep during the first one) - some interesting general archive footage but flitted around and threw very little light.

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i enjoyed the first arena episode as it happens. although it wasn't particularly coherant or even interestingly put together. but the quality and novelty of the archive footage well worth staying awake for. i read chronicles when it came out and was fascinated to see and hear a lot of the characters from those early days as my experience of dylan is based mostly on the post-bringing it all back home albums. van ronk was pretty funny. plus he looks quite a lot like rolf harris, which is always a bonus.

the 1966 uk tour stuff was amazing. awesone live footage and it was cool to see a baby-faced robbie robertson, richard manuel and rick danko sitting bolt upright in the back of a car driving through the english countryside still looking shell-shocked from being booed off the stage in newcastle, while bob was passed out and slumped against the door and rainy day women... played on the car radio. he's such a mythical creature it almost seemed surreal to find out he's human.

tell you what was a shock though. THE STATE OF HIS FUCKING TEETH! oh my good LORD theye were disgusting! a rotten mouth full of receeding blackened stumps. no wonder he doesn't smile much.

i taped last night's installment and am super-looking forward to it.

basically yeah, i fukken love bob. i even love his voice. "TELLL ME MAAAAMAAAAA!!" anyone thats says he can't sing is a retard. you're allowed to not like his errr, unique voice though. saw him mumble and basically suck at the london arena a few years ago... although even THAT was pretty cool.

the last waltz is on bb4 on saturday i believe.

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Back off Warchild, seriously.

http://elvers.bandcamp.com/

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Back off Warchild, seriously.

http://elvers.bandcamp.com/

I thought the 1st part was amazing and the 2nd part of the Bobumentary was a bit lacking in Blonde On Blonde, drugs, Sara and an interview with a member of the Band who was actually in the Band and not Mickey Jones.

That bit backstage when someone had threatened to shoot him was unbelievable.

"Don't worry Mickey I'll protect you"

It makes me wish that they'd hurry up and release Eat The Document officially with all the live footage that Bob chopped up in it's entirety.

I can't speel.

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and remember, I am a Cuckoo

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Back off Warchild, seriously.

http://elvers.bandcamp.com/

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Jarvis Cocker or David Bowie or AVB or Johnny Borrell, she isn't picky

Cavey Cocker, Cup Cake Queen, Saint Thomas.

well i think he's the coolest man to have ever stalked the planet

your mileage may vary

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Back off Warchild, seriously.

http://elvers.bandcamp.com/

I only ever liked one Dylan album, that's 'Bringing It All Back Home'. The rest is selective, and like BoboDante, I like hearing people play his songs - whether it be Joan Baez or The White Stripes, or the band that covered Lay, Lady, Lay. Excellent song.

I always preferred Phil Ochs though.

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Looks like Elijah Wood. Supports Liverpool. Likes Coldplay.

Its well documented that pretty much anyone else can sing a Dylan song better than the man himself, and its something he’s is none too happy about..

There’s a story about a gig he played in the early 70s (I think) and he decided to play “All along the Watchtower” .. the crowd, raised on the immeasurably superior Hendrix version, just laughed in his face thinking it was some sort of piss-take and Dylan abandoned the gig in a huff..

He didn’t it play for years after that .. (the version on the unplugged album is pretty laughable too)

Personally, I like one or two songs on Blonde on Blonde (“Visions of Joanna” for one) and most of “Blood on the tracks” , but I can take or leave the rest … (some of his ill-judged albums during his god squad phase are particularly bad)

Ps: Hello, I’m a newbie *waves*

I'm just getting into Jesus Bob at the moment.

"Why do you sing?" was the best question he was asked at those press conferences.