How to Appreciate the Songs of Bob Dylan

It's a running joke in the music biz that Bob Dylan has written every popular song since 1963. How could the butt of that kind of joke not be a true player? The truth is that Bob Dylan is a significant link in our collective musical history. Here's why.

Instructions

1. Understand that if Cher has covered his songs, they must be pretty darn good.

2. Try to imagine a world without Bob Dylan. The Beatles never would've gone through their drug phrase, therefore no Sgt. Peppers. The Byrds and the Band wouldn't exist at all. Folk-rock would've never happened, meaning acid-rock and jam rock wouldn't exist, which means punk rock wouldn't exist because it would've had nothing to rebel against except disco, which probably wouldn't exist either, because it's a little-known fact (except among the Freemasons) that Bob Dylan has written every song anyone has ever heard since 1963.

3. If you don't like Dylan's performance style or singing voice, try approaching his songs from a different perspective. Think of your Top 5 favorite artists, then do an Internet search on each of them to see what songs they have recorded that were written by Bob Dylan. Chances are at least one or two of them have recorded some Dylan songs. If they haven't, then they must be older than Dylan--you know, like Sinatra--and can't stand this new-fangled crap the kids are into. Or maybe it's just another Indie Rock band.

4. Try writing a song yourself. It's like the popular folk singer Arlo Guthrie once said, "writing a song is like fishing in a river. You cast your line in and just hope Bob Dylan isn't fishing upstream from you."
   Maybe after trying to write some songs yourself you'll understand why Bob Dylan is God, much more so than Clapton.

Tips & Warnings

• Have good taste.

• Ignore people who say there is no accounting for taste.

• Beware curmudgeonly middle-aged music critics who also like Dylan. They will talk your ear off.

Resources

• Bob Dylan's website