- What is your sense of Bob Dylan's voice? He was insecure about his voice. Is it a good voice? How do we judge it? What do you compare it to?
- What is your sense of the forward progression of the first side?
- Polizzotti spends two whole pages talking about the 1-beat snare opening of the album. Why does he spend so much time on it?
- Here are the lyrics to "Like a Rolling Stone": https://genius.com/Bob-dylan-like-a-rolling-stone-lyrics What is a rolling stone? Why were rolling stones so big in the 1960s? (One of the biggest British bands was called the Rolling Stones, a famous rock magazine was called Rolling Stone).
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Side 1 of Highway 61 Revisited
In Polizzotti's book, he analyzes the songs in order (even some songs that were cut from the final version of the album). Some questions I have about Side 1 (5 songs / 8 sections in book):
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I think the reason Polizzoti spends two whole page talking about the 1 beat snare opening of the album is that particular beat has given the song a significant turn, according to Polizzoti. He seems to be overwhelmed by the uniqueness of the use of the beat. He finds a connection with the beginning sound and the whole song and the connection is so important if that first beat is removed the song might lose it's beauty.
ReplyDeleteObviously his voice is very unique and that's what made him so special. The fact that the songs that he wrote were in way ahead of the time. I do believe it's a good voice for his style of music. He had a unique way of changing the tone of his voice for different songs.
ReplyDeleteTo me Bob Dylan's voice was fine , he had a manly and at the same time soft sound to it. I don't see why he would feel insecure about it. I judge him base on his voice as a goodhearted person, someone who has patience, also who will listen to my problems and give me a good advice.
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics to "Like a Rolling Stone" contradicts with the sound. Bob Dylan seems to be mocking her with a upbeat tempo. Asking her how she feels to be an outcast. The lyrics is a story about the fall of his ex girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteBob Dylan's voice is nothing compared to the singers we are used to listening to with the more high quality voice but it was still a very recognizable voice. To me it almost sounds like a dying cat. I personally have never heard of Bob Dylan before but after reading about him and listening to a few of his songs from this album, his voice would be one I could pick out easily. Now a rolling stone is like a stone that keeps on moving from place to place without ever settling anywhere. Doesn't stay in one place for to long. Which is why I Think the saying was so popular in the 60's because everything was always changing. The music, the clothes. Revolutionary in some sense. Which is also why I believe his opening song to the album is "like a rolling stone" to show the changes he was making in his music choices.
ReplyDeleteBob Dylan's voice is very authentic. His voice does not seem that attractive to me. But the reason he says that he doesn't like his own voice might be the reason of his drug addiction as we have seen in the movie. And to compare his voice to something would be a guy singing with his friends with no professional setting.
ReplyDeleteI think a rolling stone is someone with no care in the world, someone who is always doing something different. Someone who is lost. I think the rolling stones were so popular in the 60s because they were the rebels back then.
ReplyDeleteThe old proverbs say's a rolling stone gathers no mass . I don't know why the decided to call themselves rolling stone. However, I think in the sixty's there was a culture shift where pop singers were venturing into something different.
DeleteDylan is in a hoarse voice and it is not in high quality, especially when compared to other major singers at that generation, like Beatles. What is reported in the book by Polizzotti is that "Like a rolling stone" did not beat "Help" by Beatles in Billchart sales raking. Moreover, the length of the song (more than 6 min: Like a rolling stone) bothered the record company or radio narrators because it did not fit their record size or radio programs. However, it seemed that people had recognized the value of the song gradually and eventually the song became the second most sold record at that time. I think his voice matches only his music and his lyric and so majority of the people could not notice its value at the beginning but it deserves a great hit. In total, his voice works very well when it comes up together with the music and the lyric.
ReplyDeleteI believe a rolling stone represents hardship or facing reality. Rolling stones where big in the 6os because it represents taking creative risks. For example Sid Vicious' My Way
ReplyDeleteI think that Polozzotti spends so much time talking about the 1 beat snare opening because it was significant. Nobody else had the snare opening. When anybody herd the beginning of the song it was recognizable as Bobs Dylan's Rolling Stone. It was a big deal that he came up that beginning beat. It was his own which distinguished him from others. His creativity was acknowledged back then, he was going out there and being different and not afraid to try new things to see what the people may or may not like. He was not afraid to step out there and try something new.
ReplyDeleteThe first side of the album includes upbeat, blues, country punk/rock and goes back to slow. This side is very unique. Its kind of everything on one side of the album. A little taste of everything. The song flow together besides the last song that sticks out. Making you wonder why is it on that side of the album or on the album at all. It makes a statement.
I probably heard Bob Dylan for the first time when I was about fourteen and thought he was terrible. His music sounded like country which I thought was lame, and I thought his voice was awful. I knew that he was very well respected and I couldn't figure out why. It took a long time for his music to work on me and change my perspective. At first, it just seemed weird. It was like the first time I heard Tom Waits: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS747US747&q=singapore+tom+waits&oq=singapore+tom+waits&gs_l=psy-ab.3...15759.19259.0.19415.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0.SiZoT3JRXZc
ReplyDeleteI believe the reason Polizzoti spends two pages on the 1-beat snare is because it is very eye-opening/eye-popping. You instantly realize that you were going to get something different from Bob Dylan. Different but in very cool way. Also Polizzoti is such a fan that perhaps the beat inspired or spoke to him in such a way that he just felt the need to share with the reader so we can get a better understanding.
ReplyDeleteI do not think bob dylan has the a great singing voice, but i cannot say i dislike it. His voice is very rough and he uses his voice at a slow pace so a lot of people including me have to listen very hard to understand what hes saying. I think he understands this and dislikes it. His voice fits his style of music very well so i cannot say its bad because of that but his voice is very different from most popular singers. I would compare it to people inside his genre otherwise it would be unfair due to the styles like rock, pop, rap, etc to be very different.
ReplyDeleteBob Dylan's voice is not the greatest there ever was, he knew that better than anyone else but it's what made his music different. Not only that but for this genre of music his voice fits in perfectly. A raspy tone with folk and soul in every note. He also tells many stories within his music and for it to come from a "real" sounding person put into perspective what the song and album really meant.
ReplyDeleteI think that Bob Dylans voice is not the best but also not the worst voice i have every heard but then again i cant sing so i should not be a critic . I would compare his voice to a local bar singer that became famous for being that guy everyone knows with the awesome story or song that you can just get with not too much thought behind it . where you can just vibe to . What i think that make him stand out is his lyrics . His ability to keep the listener engaged by writing about life as a whole in its ups and downs .I feel that Polizzotti spent two whole pages talking about Dylans drum intro because it was so different but good it would be disrespectful not to acknowledge the genius behind it . Also the originality and the door that that one intro brought to the music community definitely deserved two pages.what i think a rolling stone is someone that lives day to day trying to adult and deal with the trails and tribulations of life and not letting that consume you . aslo not conforming to the norm or known. The sixty's the concept of a rolling stone is the acceptance of flaws and also the re birth of how people should live ex: living to your standards and not societies.taking one day at a time
ReplyDeleteTo expand on what a rolling stone is i feel like especially during this time it was almost a renaissance of culture and music. So a lot of experimentation creatively and morally was going on during this time . Living the day like there was no promise of tomorrow be came socially acceptable among certain communities. by doing this people didn't sent down roots they kind of drifted to where ever the wind took them .living in their self truth.
Delete"Rolling stone" is human life. we never know where we will end up in our life. We make plans, we try our best and something completely different happens. Bob Dylan's life took many different turn which might seem awkward but I think that's how almost all human feel about their life. Life never follows a straight path.
ReplyDeleteAs commonly said, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." This can also be applied to many things, especially in judging a singers voice. I don't believe it is a "good" voices by any classical means; however, it is distinctive and causes emotions. We can examine, instead of judge, his voice based on what Dylan brings to the music and how the music gives life to his voice. There are many other artists who have had distinctive voices that aren't "good." Icelandic vocalist Bjork comes to mind who is very much known for her off-kilter voice. This does not mean either artist are less talented as those who have classically trained voice. Moreover, it speaks to how these artists remain distinctive and unique.
ReplyDeletePolizzotti spends so much time on talking about the 1-beat snare since it is "iconic" and opens up the album. Since "Like A Rolling Stone" opens the album and is the most recognized and celebrated, it makes sense to examine it the most. Polizzotti often mentions how the 1-beat snare opens up something new. This is very telling of Bob Dylan as he often stood at the forefront for things that weren't conventional.
One of the allures to music, especially music made by singer/songwriters, is this sense of wandering. With genres like folk and country there is an image of a long winding road that is seemingly never-ending conjured up through instrumentals, vocals, and lyrics. In "Like A Rolling Stone," that type of wandering imagery is most prevalent. In the chorus Dylan sings, "How does it feel? / How does it feel? / To be without a home?/ Like a complete unknown? / Like a rolling stone?" which gives off very nomadic imagery. We can see a wanderer, a person "without a home." A "rolling stone" is a visual representation of this nomadic lifestyle: constantly moving and spiraling, maybe even being shaved down from the rough patches of life. "Rolling stone" becomes important in popular culture to represent those wanders--those artists--that are off-kilter and constantly evolving through their journeys.
I think Bob Dylan's voice comes of weak to most but he's passionate and in tune with his music which makes you focus and listen to what he has to say. I think his voice isn't bad its just depends on the beat hes singing on, some beats make him sound weak and others make him sound more stern.
ReplyDeleteMy sense of Bob Dylan's voice is considered to be raspy, harsh. Something to me that is healing from a soar cold. Maybe his insecurity comes from the way the sound of his art is being delivered to his fans. The voice flows with his lyrics, it tells a story behind the song. The song is not just sung for us to hear it, but it sung to me to feel the passion, to feel the pain and feel the story he's delivered in his style of music. When I listen to Bob Dylan music I judge him for the message. This style of voice I compare it to Tin Turner. Well known and loved by many fans, her delivery and message to me is on point, and so is Mr. Dylan's. I'm not familiar with his music, but it makes a perfect blend even though he was insecure about his voice.
ReplyDeleteRolling stone, could it be to be free and be in the moment. Revolution, politics, civil rights, fighting for the better good. Equality, fairness etc. I believe they were so big in the 60's because of the era they were living in. Their style of music was in sorts some type of delivery, an answer to all that was going on at the time of protests between whites and blacks.
Something I found very interesting was the way the first side of the record progressed. There was a lot of change in instruments and tempo, such as "Like A Rolling Stone" sounding very folk/country and then "Ballad of a Thin Man" sounds very bluesy with a heavy piano. Every song seems to make a statement, especially the opening and closing tracks. When playing just the beginning of each track chronologically, it feels almost like a roller coaster since it seems to shift between upbeat and downbeats.
ReplyDeleteA rolling stone is someone who is always on the move; they don't stay in one place long enough to put any roots down. I think it was so big in the 60's because this was a time when everyone was trying to rebel and kind of "fight the power". People didn't want to live the Leave it to Beaver kind of lifestyle-- they would rather be nomads and experience different (maybe crazy) things.
ReplyDeleteDylan's voice is not really pleasing to my ears but maybe in his case is artistry is not so much in his voice but in his lyrics and the music that he produces with instruments. For artists like the late Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, their voices play a major part in how people view them as artists. Maybe that is not the case with Dylan or maybe his voice just takes a little getting used to. Perhaps, he also benefitted from the era that he started as an artist and there wasn't so much of an emphasis on having a "nice" voice. Today, we have artists that are not the greatest singers but they use technology to refine and enhance their voices on their albums.
ReplyDeleteaside from the band the rolling stones and the rolling stone magazine when I thought of the term "rolling stone", I thought it meant a womanizer. That has something to do with the Temptations'song "Papa was a rolling stone". Some of the lyrics go" papa was a rolling stone/wherever he laid his hat was his home/when he died all he left us was alone". those lyrics also go with some of what we talked about in class as far as what is a rolling stone
I first heard Bob Dylan when I was a teenager and I also thought his voice sounded a bit country and folky-- but in a great way. I grew up with my grandparents listening to country so it was easy for me to accept. I also think it might be easy to label his voice as whiny, which I suppose could be irritating.
ReplyDeleteIf you're hearing Bob Dylan's voice for the first time today and you're used to mainstream music, I'm sure you wouldn't like him.
Bob Dylans voice is not a usual singer voice. It's not something I would sit down and listening to. But after listening to him in this class I can say that his voice does not sound the best but the music he's putting out is good quality. It is not about his voice it's about the message that comes out through his music. To me his voice is just to calm and it feels like he's just speaking and not singing.
ReplyDelete