As we finish up, I invite you to make general and concluding comments about Bob Dylan as an artist, performer, and persona. How did carefully listening to some tracks off the album along w/ Polizzotti's book help you better appreciate and understand this artist? How did reading this book and the work we've been doing in class help (or not) you to write your own album analysis?
Re the reading this week: An interesting aspect of the Vulture articles has to do w/ age. We will listen to several songs tracing Dylan's career in class, but you can hear any singer aging if his or her career lasts more than a couple decades. Here is Paul McCartney singing "Blackbird"in 1968 at the age of 26:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo_DMGc2v5o
And here he is singing in 2004 at the age of 62:
It's clear that McCartney is still much beloved by his fans, Dylan too. However, I'm curious: How many of those fans do you think are young? (I think we all know that young people are by far the major consumer of music.) How much are McCartney and Dylan's large concert draws (and high-priced tickets) about nostalgia? If they were new performers coming on the scene today at their current ages, even if they were releasing their biggest hits--"Blackbird," "Like a Rolling Stone"--would people be likely to listen? Why is it that the majority of our best selling artists are late teens to late twenties and, besides for a few exceptions, most careers start to stall when they move into their thirties? What does this say about our culture? What connections can you make between pop music and youth?
To me there's something really cool about these old guys still living the rock life. They travel hard, stay up late, play for hours for their fans. I wonder, though, if I were young if I'd think that. I think when I was young there was something kind of embarrassing about rock stars who were "old" (over 30) singing about love and breakups, etc. I'm not exactly sure why rock is so tied to youth. Literature isn't, neither is visual art. But artists like Dylan and McCartney are almost completely tied to nostalgia. Most people don't care as much about their new output as their classics.
ReplyDeleteas a singer get older I don't feel like we go to see then perform to perform but to remember and support there greatness. I feel most of McCartneyand Dylans fans are not young but then again there might be some young old souls. Good music is times less so I doubt people will stop coming out for the shows . I feel like when it comes to music culture it is vey bais when it comes to age but that also depends on the content that is put out there . I don't think that if these two artist came out in this day and age they would be successful as they are now but I do think that they would be popular in some groups . the connection that I can make in pop culture and you is the younger you come out the long your career will be ex beyonce ,usher, and many more I feel like they will always have a strong fam base because we grew up with them.
ReplyDeleteBoth Dylan and McCartney are great artist but if I had to guess I don't think it's audience are as young as we would think. I think the crowd they are pulling in with their songs are the older people that would listen to them when they were younger and continue to be big fans. I think that younger artist draw a larger audience because they come out with "fresh" new music. Music with different sounds and rhythm. With today's youth I think what attracts us to pop music is the new music with many hits.
ReplyDeleteThe reason young people are drawn to young musician is they can connect to the young artist better than the aged one. And pop culture is changing so fast that people don't stay in one kind of style either in music or any other field in entertainment for long time. People like change. This change can be in the message of the music or in the style of the music. Whenever people feel the need to enjoy something different, someone among the artist comes out with a new idea and mostly that someone is a young artist. The people who still enjoy and listen to Dylan or McCartney are not common public. They must take music seriously. They might be musician or a group who are related to music in any way. They know who these artists are and what their contributions in music.
ReplyDeleteBefore Polizzotti's book, I could definitely appreciate Bob Dylan as an artist, but I never thought about him as a human. After reading side one, I realized what a tortured soul he was and maybe why he behaves the way he does.
ReplyDeletePolizzotti's book also helped me to do my own album analysis in a major way. I thought I knew the album that I analyzed inside and out-- however, I didn't know the half of it. I actually listen to a few of the songs in a completely different way now.
Paul McCartney's performance when he was 26 sounded like a twelve year old girl, to me. The 62 year old version sounded more rock and roll, kind of like Eric Clapton. However, Bob Dylan's voice, in my opinion, did not mature well.
I would say that ticket sales are mostly because of nostalgic reasons; I'm sure there are not many new fans of either McCartney or Dylan. Our culture definitely prizes young people and young voices. It's probably more about their appearance and sexiness and less about their singing voice. I mean, look at Selena Gomez...
music is something that is constantly changing so i doubt there's a lot of young fans in the crowd and if there is the number probably few in number. I say it would be almost completely based on the nostalgia factor that they get an audience. I dont think they would be anywhere as popular as they were from when they were young because they are old and the taste in music is not very popular compared to back then. It seems to be because they current gen can relate to them and for the most part the music they make is fresh and new.
ReplyDeleteI think that Bob Dylan is a great artist and know how to draw his listeners in no matter if its folk or rock. He is good at what he does. Over the years I think that is voice has gotten crisp and grasp. You can here the vibration when he hold notes out and in the higher notes you can hear the crack. I think that the grasp and crisp of his voice at this is okay. It goes with they way in which he sings his song. I believe that Polizzioti book has helped me better understand Bob Dylan and his music better. If it wasn't for this class or Polizzioti I wouldn't have probably listened to Bob Dylan, but now after learning about Dylan I like his music and applaud him. From Poliizzioti book it help me better be able to analyze my album and helped me bring out key points in my artist music and its importance and something my artist brings to the table. Just like Bob Dylan my artist doesn't speak much on the album she produced. I believe that youth listening to what there parents play for them when the are a child from there are they gone to branch to listen to what they think is good. I think that's why you plays a big roll in pop music, because they have the biggest say and ability to pick and choice music they like.
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ReplyDeletePop culture music is youth. It's adventurous, moody, innovation, creative, wild and free. When most artists move into their late thirties they are unable to embrace and/or blend into a new movement. Our culture drives on youth. The Youth motivates creativity and productivity.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading Highway 61 Revisited, I knew very little about Bob Dylan and his legacy. I only knew his role as an icon in the lives of people who I considered to be icons. In reading about this pinnacle album in his career, and in music, I have a better understanding of his importance to modern music and the legacy he leaves. As for Bob Dylan as a person, I'm Not There and Don't Look Back helped connect Bob Dylan the artist to Bob Dylan the person. The dissatisfaction and annoyance that Bob Dylan feels in his everyday life bleeds into his music and performances. Usually, artists put on a persona to better connect with audiences and elevate themselves; however, this is not the case for Bob Dylan. I believe that raw emotion and "telling it like it is" attitude inspires artists nowadays to present themselves and not a caricature. After listening to Highway 61, I was able to notice musical similarities to artists that I listen to now and I could trace the inspiration back to the original (Bob Dylan). With reading Polizzotti's book I got a better understanding of how to remain objective in talking about an album you adore so much. There is more to an album analysis than just expressing love for a specific record, and there is more detail to be picked at.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to ageism in the music industry, it doesn't take a detective to note the youth's power over what becomes popular music. I believe it speaks to youth culture and how there is more time and money to be spent towards artists. Music, like any other art form, boils down to connection. Therefore, if young consumers can identify with younger artists then those young consumers will help generate the revenue of said artist.
Obviously as an artist, especially singers, progress through life their voices aren't the same but there are other attributes to music than just the sound. For example, the point being presented whether it be positive or negative, still resides with that person. Music represents more than just a sound, its a culture that the listeners are attracted to as well as the sound. Also, for the young audiences, a lot of their preference comes from their parents who are role models and the singers can be as well.
ReplyDeleteI learned about Bob Dylan in this class and to me he is a great singer. I feel like he really connects with hid fans thru his music, learning about him made me appreciated him as an artist. I feel like a lot of his fans are young because his music still around and is unique and different.
ReplyDeleteEverybody and every part of our body have an aging issue. This is called degradation, which means unavoidable phenotype in the nature. Voice and vocal cord have life time and so singers also have their life time and must have peak era in their career. This is exactly like how athletes work. Therefore, most singers have their peak at their 20s. This is singer's (provider) side physical issue. Also, consumers have some reasons why teens to 20s are more sensitive to musics rather than old generation people. One reason is their affordability. Musics are relatively cheap culture and are easily accessible materials compared to other high cultures (arts displayed in museums, operas, etc). Also, adolescents are likely to be sensitive to simple arts, like musics and drawings. These are consumer's side reasons. Culture is always established by two-way connections between providers (artists) and consumers (listeners). Therefore, it is reasonably to say that most popular musics are the culture for young people. If artists want to deal with this aging issue, those artists may need to change the music style dependent on their aging and the culture surrounding his/her era, like Bob Dylan has done.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about Bob Dylan before I read the book. I heard about Paul McCartney. However reading the book help me to understand about his personality, music and also help .e with my paper. He was a good artist. To me some of his songs sound like country and western. Even though it seems like he was uncomfortable with his voice when be was younger;the songs match with his voice. I think the older folks would gravitate to his music and there might be some younger ones too. My husband plays a lot of oldies example The Drifters,Benny king, Marvin Gay and Bob Marley and my children sing and dance to these songs. However they also love the songs and music of today.
ReplyDeleteI think know that Paul McCartney attracts more of a younger audience than Bob Dylan. I think now if bob Dylan would try to attract a younger audience people would be taken back & wouldn't appreciate his work. his voice has changed, and it wouldnt be a good look for him now.
ReplyDeleteNot a Popular fan of Bob Dylan, but do feel that as you age the maturity of songs is better and attracts the audience that enjoys that style of music.
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