Bob Dylan: New records 'have sound all over them'

he's right based on or at least in part because cd's are mastered louder and louder. Cd's come across as having terrible dynamics and furthermore cd recording itself the way it has been standardized (at 16 bits res *me thinks)is considered medicore at best. blah-blah but a solution would be nice, Bobbie, if you're listening
 

So has Bob listened to EVERY single record out there then? No mean feat that.
 

the tin-foil keeps the sound from leaking out
 

Funny, Dylan's quote reminds me of another quote:

"During the media circus that surrounded OK Computer (documented in Grant Gee’s fascinating documentary Meeting People Is Easy), Yorke’s sentiments towards popular music shifted from slight embarrassment for his own buzz bin hit "Creep," to full-on hate – the radios played only "fridge buzz," and modern rock was not only in peril, but should be "bludgeoned to death."

I get what they're both saying, but I like Thom's quote better.
 

I'm a huge Dylan fan. However, I compeltely ignore him when he starts talking about current music. The guy dismisses everything new. Unless, of course, Robbie Robertson or some other contemporary of his records a new album. Then he's praising it everywhere.

David Bowie and David Byrne are two older rockers who stay very current with new music trends. They are in the clubs watching bands and experimenting with new sounds. So, I listen to them much more than I do Dylan when it comes to the modern music scene.

Dylan is a genius songwriter but a crappy music fan.
 

I know what Bob Dylan is talking about here. Just listen to any ultra-compressed FM pop/rock/rap station. It's loud, the space is filled up, and all the subtleness has been wrung out, pitch-shifted, and EQ'd to death.
 

I believe that is a lap steel guitar on a stand not a synth btw. To say that no one has made a decent sounding record since 1986...gimme a break.
 

I would say something new here about Dylan, but there hasn't been anything new said about Dylan in ages -- probably since the 70's.

:)
 

Wow. I wonder if Bob thinks anyone cares about his opinion on aesthetics.

Sure, new recordings sound quite different than they did 20 years ago (20 Bob? I suspect the "good" recordings you are thinking of are more like 30+ years ago.... you've been blowing in the wind for over 40!).

Personally, Dylan's music and singing bores me to tears. Sure, he was Socially very important....40 years ago, maybe 30 years ago, too. Since then - I can't see any reason to take him very seriously.
 

Yeah, the new album sounds crappy because of the MEDIUM, Bob, I'm sure it sounded great when it was in your head.. ha ha...

That said, the man's a genius and can do no wrong. And is probably mental anyway, what is he, 73?
 

"Kids today growing up listening to Radiohead and Death Cab for Cutie on their iPods are not going to think that that "warm" sound is better."

Of all of the modern bands you could have said that about, I don't think those two are appropriate.

Both of those bands use lots of vintage gear to get warmer sounds. Although, they both dabble with electronic instruments, the heart of both of those bands is electric guitars played through tube amps.

Their albums are also much more dynamic than just about anything else that passes for popular modern rock of whatever you want to call it.
 

David Byrne is about 100x as talented as Bob Dylan

therefore he doesnt need to blame modern music for his own inability to adapt
 

Bob Dylan - the music critic that famously slated Sgt Peppers, he's old and he's crap and he always has been.
 

When Dylan plugged in and pissed off the folkies back in the day, he was taking music forward. Now he's asking us to make records like they did 30 years ago...Irony indeed.
 

...30 years from now, say 'Death Cab for Cutie' to someone and watch the dumbfounded blank stare you get...
...they'll still know who Bob Dylan is, though.
 

he's an old man,and he's clueless.and by listening to his records,you can tell he's been clueless about quality of sound recordings all along his carreer.
 

when Dylan was coming out 40 years ago, there werent 1/10th the amount of bands that there are now

its much easier to stand out when you have no competition, and when the general population are still basically clueless

now if you said this about Jimi Hendrix, it wouldnt be the same thing - there havent really been many master players like him

but there have been a zillion folky singer/songwriters
 

The analog/digital debate always tires me out. I'd like to give a shout-out to the 80s kids nostalgic for 8-bit music! YES!

I remember when mp3 technology was new, and hearing the high end on songs was complete crap. Cymbal sounds were ruined. But, it got better. Still, I've never really had a tape or vinyl record hurt my ears the same way an mp3 or CD can.

BTW, best recording of an electric guitar/amp ever: "We Will Rock You" from Queen. That guitar sound is so warm and and inviting it makes me weep! YES!
 

Comment on the image: He's playin' an electric piano (as he's been doin' on stage the last couple of years). The yellow one in front of the piano is a steel guitar.
 

bob dylan is my musical nightmare.
 

Hmm, I sort of see what he's getting at. Whilst I don't agree *every* album sucks, I do beleive that there is too much emphasis on 'polish' and 'production' .
If you like, compare it to the obsession with clean, digital synths in late 80s. Everything had to be 'perfect' which cost the instruments a lot of 'soul'.
I think he's trying to say the same about modern music. A lot of it is too 'busy' and most of it is over produced.
Personally, I've been going to see morelive music over the last 6 months, and enjoyed it far more than listening to a CD/Mp3.

So if CDs bore you, go find a local live venue, and 'feel' the music.
 

this argument over recordings is about as old as dylans music career already

hes not making some kind of innovative brand new statement here - people have been saying this kind of shit forever

when people started using electric guitars, people said "no!! it sounds like shit! its not nearly as good as it was"

same shit different day
 

Musicians have to "overload" songs today for three main reasons: attention span, the "it's been done before" syndrome, and this controversial "warmth" issue. Back then with vinyl and tape, producers were amazed that they got all the parts of the song to be audible, let alone "crystal clear." Nowadays, we take that for granted, and since the noise and warmth that existed in the past doesn't exist today, people feel the need to fill up that "empty space."
 

Look what I came across:
http://cgi.ebay.de/Apple-Think-Different-Poster-BOB-DYLAN_W0QQitemZ110026665641QQihZ001QQcategoryZ47707QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Can't say he doesn't, can you?
;)
 

Five years ago, when my college roommate was digging up stuff on Napster, I said "No way..keep me away from that shit"- God, those 64 kbs MP3's were HORRIBLE..the worst thing I had ever heard. Now everybody's up to 320 kbs and I hope that, ultimately, methods of audio transmission that involve destruction of crucial frequencies will fade away forever.
 

I think he's just saying that a lot of today's music doesn't have a lot of dynamics so the music can "breathe." So much of it is just a non-stop wall of noise.

I'm not a huge Dylan fan or anything, but I love this new iPod ad w/ Bob...

http://www.apple.com/ipod/ads/dylan/
 

he's talking about repetition, he's talking about filters, he's talking about record companies pushing albums that nobody will hate, but inevitably noone will have a valid reason to love, either. he's talking about all those layers of sound that can get pushed onto one track today unlike the the standards between 2-16 back in the day. he's talking about the lack of interaction between musicians in tracks, because they aren't even playing together.

you are all talking about shit. cd's aren't the problem, bit rates aren't the problem. Musicians, producers, and record companies are the problem. The biggest problem is that you buy the shit they sell today, otherwise they would have to make it better.
 

I am Dylan's biggest fan but I agree with some of the comments. It is ironic how he could criticize music when you consider he broke most of the rule as he came up. I don't consider much of his music relevant after John Wesley Harding (realizing most fans would not go past Blonde on Blonde) except for Blood on the tracks and Infidels. Even though it is not relevant, I personally enjoy most of his 70s stuff when I need a change from the classics of the 60s. I have seen him live numerous times but, I think he is missing the mark with his shows where he plays the keyboards. I prefer the 60s approach to half the show acoustic, take a break while half the audience leaves, then come on with electric stuff. I love it all.
 

I keep reading about dylan's recent statements.... jeez, get over it. I think once you write "blowin' in the wind" you can pretty much mumble gibberish for the rest of your life and you're still an f'ing genius....

and also, replace "blowin' in the wind" with the title of any other song he ever wrote, or sang, and that statement still holds up.
 

also, if you know anything about the guy, you'll know he doesn't give a fuck about what anybody really thinks anyways. he never wanted to be what everyone made him into... he's a poet genius and he gave the world so much. if he doesn't agree with the music that came after him, so be it... let the man be with his opinion, it's the least he deserves.
 

Bob's right man! Most of todays recordings totally suck. The sound quality is shit and the over production is to the point of silly. There are some good bands out there and some good songs too, it's just that the gear being used by some musicians and the gear being used in most studios are lame. Digital and all this "pretend" sample noises and artificial tones and crap is for video game soundtracks and not live music and musicians. Listen to the new guitar and bass amps today and compare them to the same brands from the 50's, 60's and 70's. WOW what a total difference. I have been playing guitar and bass in bands live and in the studio for about 20 years and it's no secret that todays gear is made for profit and to take shortcuts on stage and in the studio. Right on Bob. Right on!
 

Bob Dylan is a genius and he is 100% right about todays studio recordings! Most are crap. Listen to Dylans best work, DESIRE, BLOND ON BLOND, HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, JOHN WESLY HARDING, NASHVILLE SKYLINE, also see the DVD called DON'T LOOK BACK. Amazing stuff and an amazing writer/musician. His new album is actually very good considering his age and not releasing anything for 5 years. Get it.
 

It's true nobody cares about the sound quality of music anymore. Everybody has their damn ipods and little in ear headphones which sound like crap. Nobody sits and listens to the dynamics, timber, depth etc. And yes modern CD's do not sound as good as the older ones because they try to max the output potential because most modern players are so anemic they can't cope with huge dynamics. Just take a listen on a pre 80's amp vs one of today. The old one will win every time.
 

he obviously hasn't listened to john mayer