Is it just me or has Bob Dylan completely lost his voice?

F5F5 Posts: 791
edited August 2008 in Other Music
I hate to even start a thread about this but i've been watching a lot of vids from the '08 tour and I can't even hear the slightest resemblance in his voice to any the the classics. I can't say I'm a huge Dylan fan but I definitely respect him alot and was thinking about going to see him live. But is it worth it?
Bridge - 10/25/03
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Comments

  • red mosred mos Posts: 4,953
    I hate to even start a thread about this but i've been watching a lot of vids from the '08 tour and I can't even hear the slightest resemblance in his voice to any the the classics. I can't say I'm a huge Dylan fan but I definitely respect him alot and was thinking about going to see him live. But is it worth it?


    I saw Dylan back in 2002.
    It was an ok show but not on my A list nor my worst list. The reason why is because I didn't have high expectations going in. The thing about Dylan is that he is there to only entertain himself. He is not one of those people to have crowd/ artist interaction like Pearl jam. I plan on seeing him again just because the first show was a rodeo and I want a full Dylan show. The man is the an icon in music and it is truly an honor and great memory to be able to say you saw the man play live. However, the songs are really rearranged in mostly blue grass/ brassy swing style as of the last few years. Just don't go in expecting the songs to sound like the record cause they won't and he does not play a hits setlist. It will be mostly "Modern Times" material with some oldies thrown in but no telling what he will play. If you want to pay respect to an icon and a huge fan than yeah I'd go. But the majority of people come back saying he is the worst they have ever seen.
    PJ: 10/14/00 06/09/03 10/4/09 11/15/13 11/16/13 10/08/14
    EV Solo: 7/11/11 11/12/12 11/13/12
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    He sounds like shit and should hang it up after all these years. Its been a great run but the quality of his music has really diminished. I havent really liked much of his music since his early-mid 70's stuff.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • I've never seen Dylan live, but something intriguing to me about this topic is that I recall as a child in the 80's overhearing a couple of guys discuss this very thing. Have people really been questioning and being disappointed in his voice for 20+ years? If so, how is the word not out on him?
    <a href="http://www.shawnsmithsinger.com">Shawn Smith</a> / <a href="http://www.thebandbrad.com">Brad</a&gt; / <a href="http://www.allhailthecrown.com">All Hail the Crown</a> / <a href="http://www.satchelpartnership.com">Satchel</a&gt;

    (Shawn Smith's official website, but not Thee Shawn Smith)
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    I've never seen Dylan live, but something intriguing to me about this topic is that I recall as a child in the 80's overhearing a couple of guys discuss this very thing. Have people really been questioning and being disappointed in his voice for 20+ years? If so, how is the word not out on him?

    It is out but people still go because he is a legend. I thought about seeing him when he was here just because of who he is.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    What voice? :p

    Jeez, there's a lot of really great things you could say about Bob Dylan and I admire the guy immensely but he was never a "singer". :)

    Do you mean he's lost his political voice? :D

    Or are you actually thinking his vocals chords were good and now he's lost it? ;):D

    Oh and I probably should add that OF COURSE you should go see him!!! I would!!!!!
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • Cropduster84Cropduster84 Posts: 1,283
    He seems very ropey on the old stuff, but his voice really suits the new stuff (Time Out Of Mind, Love and Theft, Modern Times).....

    I still would like to see him though.....
    'The more I studied religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.' - Sir Richard Francis Burton
  • I saw him at UMass a couple years ago, and I am by no means a huge fan but due respect him as an artist. It was pretty mediocre though to me, he didnt pick up his guitar all night, just played piano and the backing band bored me to death, but he did play Like a Rolling Stone but it was a jazzed out on piano version and stuff. All in all its cool to say I saw an icon like that, but I prefer listening to the cd's of old.
    5/24/06 Boston, 6/28/08 & 6/30/08 Mansfield
  • jasonwjasonw Posts: 424
    I saw him in 06, and as much as i hate to say anything bad about Dylan is probably the most uninspiring show i have ever seen in my life, i was very bored
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    He sounds like shit and should hang it up after all these years. Its been a great run but the quality of his music has really diminished. I havent really liked much of his music since his early-mid 70's stuff.
    Time Out Of Mind was his best album since 1975 and he had dodgy vocals on that. The songs were brilliant. Love & Theft was great too and Modern Times was solid. He's had a second run of good material. Why should he hang it up?
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    I hate to even start a thread about this but i've been watching a lot of vids from the '08 tour and I can't even hear the slightest resemblance in his voice to any the the classics. I can't say I'm a huge Dylan fan but I definitely respect him alot and was thinking about going to see him live. But is it worth it?
    yes. You have watched the vids and you know what to expect. You probably won't recognize the classics until mid song, however you go to see a legend perform and simply to be in the same building as the guy. His band is always top notch. To top it off, I find his ticket prices are always 'reasonable' considering.

    No way should he hang it up.
  • AstroFanAstroFan Posts: 193
    I saw him once a year in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

    2005: Festival, outdoors. Very short set due to reasons that were beyond Dylan's control. I don't remember many specifics about the performance, except that I realized it was not that good, but I was just happy to have seen Dylan.

    2006: Dylan-headlined show, indoors. I thought it was a great performance, and I still listen to the bootleg every once in awhile(as I type this, actually) I'm not sure if his voice was helped by not having to be out in the Texas heat, or if it was just coincidence.

    2007: Festival, outdoors. I enjoyed the show because I was the equivalent of about 5th row and had a great view of Dylan and could see all his mannerisms, etc., but, objectively, the performance was not very good. I downloaded a few mp3s of the performance, but did not listen to them more than once. His voice was clearly worse than the previous two shows.

    The 2006 show was easily the best Dylan concert I saw. I could understand all the words, and his voice sounded very good by Dylan standards. If/when Dylan comes to Texas again, I'll try to catch another show.
  • StaffanStaffan Posts: 606
    Jeanie wrote:
    What voice? :p

    Jeez, there's a lot of really great things you could say about Bob Dylan and I admire the guy immensely but he was never a "singer". :)

    Do you mean he's lost his political voice? :D

    Or are you actually thinking his vocals chords were good and now he's lost it? ;):D

    Oh and I probably should add that OF COURSE you should go see him!!! I would!!!!!

    What she said
    Everyday................is Pearl Jam Day.

    Except Sundays, that's Ed day.

    The mind is like a parachute, it doesn't work unless it's open. FZ

  • theres a reason he features prominently behind the guitar and piano now. Go to recent shows and the songs are different. He will play the intro's to songs like Dont think twice or Blowin, or Times they are a changin, songs that anyone would know IMMEDIATELY, but he changes them so radically that no one knows what the song is until sometime into the song.

    The songs now are more jam based.

    there is a reason for all that.
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Jeanie wrote:
    What voice? :p

    Jeez, there's a lot of really great things you could say about Bob Dylan and I admire the guy immensely but he was never a "singer". : )

    Do you mean he's lost his political voice? :D

    Or are you actually thinking his vocals chords were good and now he's lost it? ;):D

    Oh and I probably should add that OF COURSE you should go see him!!! I would!!!!!
    Bob used to have a terrific voice.

    He rarely sang off-key (hear him harmonise with Joan Baez, an indisputably excellent singer, for proof) and his voice suited the songs PERFECTLY.

    There's a difference between someone having an unusual (and to some ears, unpleasant) voice and having a BAD one. Bobby could always sing. Like Caruso, if he wanted to, according to Dylan himself ;)
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • red mosred mos Posts: 4,953
    I really enjoyed Bob dylan from when Tom Petty and the heartbreakers were his backing band. The little bit I saw on the "running down a dream" dvd sounded really good. I also know that Dylan has never been about doing the same thing twice, which is why I think the songs are re arranged so much. But it sounded awesome having Petty and co as his backing band. They should release a dvd from that tour. I didn't even know Tom Petty and the heartbreakers were his backing band until I saw that dvd.
    PJ: 10/14/00 06/09/03 10/4/09 11/15/13 11/16/13 10/08/14
    EV Solo: 7/11/11 11/12/12 11/13/12
  • jamie ukjamie uk Posts: 3,812
    red mos wrote:
    I saw Dylan back in 2002.
    It was an ok show but not on my A list nor my worst list. The reason why is because I didn't have high expectations going in. The thing about Dylan is that he is there to only entertain himself. He is not one of those people to have crowd/ artist interaction like Pearl jam. I plan on seeing him again just because the first show was a rodeo and I want a full Dylan show. The man is the an icon in music and it is truly an honor and great memory to be able to say you saw the man play live. However, the songs are really rearranged in mostly blue grass/ brassy swing style as of the last few years. Just don't go in expecting the songs to sound like the record cause they won't and he does not play a hits setlist. It will be mostly "Modern Times" material with some oldies thrown in but no telling what he will play. If you want to pay respect to an icon and a huge fan than yeah I'd go. But the majority of people come back saying he is the worst they have ever seen.

    What he said......apart from I did see a full Dylan show, 2 years ago, and don't feel the need to see another.
    Be warned, when I saw him he had no support and played from 7pm til 9pm.....how strange it was for everyone to be leaving in daylight.
    I came, I saw, I concurred.....
  • South of SeattleSouth of Seattle West Seattle Posts: 10,724
    I think he lost his mind first. Now he's realizes that your mouth don't work if you have no brain.
    NERDS!
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    StonEd67 wrote:
    What she said

    Thanks. :)

    He's great and all and I love his music but never considered him a singing voice. :)
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Bob used to have a terrific voice.

    He rarely sang off-key (hear him harmonise with Joan Baez, an indisputably excellent singer, for proof) and his voice suited the songs PERFECTLY.

    There's a difference between someone having an unusual (and to some ears, unpleasant) voice and having a BAD one. Bobby could always sing. Like Caruso, if he wanted to, according to Dylan himself ;)

    Yeah, I'm not buying it. I sound awesome when I sing along with Joan Baez and in key too but it doesn't mean I'm a great singer. :p:D

    I didn't say he had a bad voice or even that I don't like hearing him sing, just that of all the voices out there, in terms of technical excellence I don't and have never considered him a singer but that's ok, I do think that what he does, what he has done is amazing. :) I just would never expect to go and see him and hear a technically brilliant singer or someone with an extraordinary voice. Unique not extraordinary. :)
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Jeanie wrote:
    Yeah, I'm not buying it. I sound awesome when I sing along with Joan Baez and in key too but it doesn't mean I'm a great singer. :p:D

    I didn't say he had a bad voice or even that I don't like hearing him sing, just that of all the voices out there, in terms of technical excellence I don't and have never considered him a singer but that's ok, I do think that what he does, what he has done is amazing. :) I just would never expect to go and see him and hear a technically brilliant singer or someone with an extraordinary voice. Unique not extraordinary. :)
    Technical excellence =/= great singer, unless you're into music as a mechanical display of virtuosity. Celine Dion is a technically excellent singer but I'd rather listen to Dylan (or cats drowning) anyday. Listen to his voice on the live version of Like a Rolling Stone from the infamous "Judas" concert. If that's not a vocal performance of immense power, I don't know what is.

    There's a reason why, when they were releasing a million pop bands' cover versions of Bob's songs in the 60s, Columbia ran an ad compaign that read "No one sings Dylan like Dylan" :)
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Technical excellence =/= great singer, unless you're into music as a mechanical display of virtuosity. Celine Dion is a technically excellent singer but I'd rather listen to Dylan (or cats drowning) anyday. Listen to his voice on the live version of Like a Rolling Stone from the infamous "Judas" concert. If that's not a vocal performance of immense power, I don't know what is.

    There's a reason why, when they were releasing a million pop bands' cover versions of Bob's songs in the 60s, Columbia ran an ad compaign that read "No one sings Dylan like Dylan" :)

    I'd rather stick a knife in my ear than listen to Celine but she's a brilliant singer when she's not whining, which is never. :D

    You won't convince me about Bob, J and holding up a record company's advertising campaign won't convince me either. :D We all know how that works!
    It's cool you think he is, I do not. :)
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • I just read this thread while I'm sitting at the bob Dylan concert waiting for him to take the stage lol
  • F5F5 Posts: 791
    I just read this thread while I'm sitting at the bob Dylan concert waiting for him to take the stage lol[/quote
    This is classic haha how was it?
    Bridge - 10/25/03
    Mansfield I - 6/28/08
    Eddie NYC - 8/4/08
    Seattle - 9/21/09, 9/22/09
    Salt Lake City 9/28/09
    LA 9/30/09, 10/07/09
    San Diego 10/9/09
    Alpine Valley 9/03/11, 9/04/11
    Ashbury Park 9/18/21
    LA 5/06/21, 5/07/21
    Phoenix 05/09/22
    NYC 9/11/22
    Denver 9/22/22
  • quote
    This is classic haha how was it?



    well, I could not understand a word he was saying and most of his songs were unreconizable. he would not face the crowd, he was looking at the side of the stage the whole time. and he just sang, he did not talk to the crowd one. but other than that it was good lol
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