Forty years ago today, Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival. Legend has it that the folk traditionalists, aghast at Dylan's plugged-in apostasy, booed the folkie-turned-rocker off the stage. Conventional wisdom has it that Dylan's forays into the rock world influenced The Beatles. Listen to "Norwegian Wood" or "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," and it's not hard to understand why observers come to that conclusion. But like the mythology surrounding Dylan's July 25, 1965 performance, there's a little more to the story than "Dylan influences Beatles"--such as, Beatles influence Dylan. Bob Dylan misplaced his acoustic guitar and adopted rock for several reasons. The four most important ones being John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The folk world's loss was the rest of the world's gain.
Nice interlude of a post.
The lyrics to "Idiot Wind" (from Blood on the Tracks) sum up my thoughts when I parted ways from the Left: "I've been double-crossed now for the very last time, and now I'm finally free..."
Doesn't deserve the Nobel Prize for Lit, though.
The picture of George is downright heresy. I think that the Dylan influence of the Beatles is far more apparent than Beatle influence of Dylan. Rubber Soul being the prime example and cannabis being the second example. Dylan going electric had less to do with artistic choices than ecconomic ones. After all, a sell out of Shea Stadium is far more enticing than a sell out of club passim or the que brada coffee house. Dylan never talked about blue meanies or dressed up like a officer from the planet strange. The Beatles did write a lot of songs that were influenced directly by Dylan, had the same type of stream of conciousness word play and John wore that silly Dylanesque hat for most of 1965.
Dan: I love your site but do you always have to invoke the paleocon side of things. I mean we all know why you diss Zimmerman in favor of the Beatles. It gets a bit tiring after a while. Can't you just say that even though the Beatles were supply siders (Taxman) and pro 5th amendment (Happiness is a warm Gun)that they were also a neo con Band too... Excuse me 1500 purple spiders just invaded my room at the Y. I need to get the super up here. Peace out. Neocons and Dylan rule.
Ok, this is off-topic, but....
Has anyone ever seen Gilbert Godfreidt doing his impersonation of Bob Dylan having a conversation with Floyd the Barber from Andy Griffith? I'm not a "stand up comedian" guy, but this is the funniest thing I've ever seen.
Nothing Neo about his Con. When a man is sent by God to deliver a message, he damn well better deliver it well, and, well, Bob delivers. Here's a guy born long after the birth of all original ideas (http://bobdylan.com/songs/brownsville.html) who didn't even realize the thesaurus existed until most of his chart toppers were awaiting re-invention; a man currently living in a bus on tour for 150 shows a year, many internationally, all, as he says, "to live up to my end of the bargain with the Man upstairs."
The Dear Landlord? http://bobdylan.com/songs/landlord.html
Bob Dylan was way before my time but I learned to appreciate his music when I was in high school. The idea that Dylan first went electric Newport Folk Festival is a myth and one that he complained about later. Dylan also told the Beatles that their lyrics didn't mean anything, which allegedly prompted Lennon to try and write more meaningful songs -- he also turned them on to marijuana.
Dylan is definitely one of the greatest musical talents ever and his recognition is well deserved. The Beatles on the other hand are the most over-rated group in music history and the song are atrocious.
P.S. Thanks, Dan, for the piece by Bruce Jackson. Renews slightly my faith in the generation that has for so long beared the burden of the ruinous rumor of having booed Dylan.
Distributist, I didn't post that. Someone just used "Ben L" as a name in a pitiful, borderline autistic attempt to mock me.
Proof: I would never, under any circumstances, say that Bob Dylan rules.
