Bob Dylan's Jewish Influence

[stvincentferrer]

I could never really enjoy Bob Dylan's music to any decent extent. I dislike his voice too much.

I only really like his voice on Nashville Skyline. I think he quit smoking before he recorded that album and his voice never sounded so good before or after. His voice was grating, but he had great vocal instincts, which is enough to overcome it for me.

[stvincentferrer]

Never got why this bablin bafoon who couldn't keep a note was big or considered somethin.
He's so silly. Never got it. I just couldn't get into his stuff. Not like I tried and maybe its because I'm not of that generation or nation but still its god awfull stuff.

I'm not of his generation. I grew up listening to hair bands. Some people don't like The Beach Boys either. This world is a mysterious place.

[stvincentferrer]

With Ed Bradley. That was a good interview. Bradley looked dumbfounded that Dylan was so dismissive of the "Voice of a Generation" label.

Do you remember the part where he hinted that he had sold his soul to the devil?

Hmm . . no, I'll have to check that out on YouTube. Probably just being cheeky.

[In nomine Patris]

I talked with a friend of mine who saw it also the next day and he caught it too. It was in answer to a Bradley ?  and Dylan's answer hinted at it, although he did not clarify it.

He looked pretty worn out in that interview too, as I recall.

[stvincentferrer]

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5LmD5KJy9E

I think people are reading too much into it.

[In nomine Patris]

I will watch it later tonight I cant spend that much time there now, but thanks for digging it up and I will listen to it later. The interview was almost an hour originally.

But remember that Jesus said "No man comes to the Father except through ME"

I dont think He issued any exceptions.

[Bonifacius]

In nomine Patris,

Yes, you can find that message in Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody."  And "Ring Them Bells." 

[henryt.]

I didn't re-watch the 60 minutes  interview- but I'm pretty sure that his statement was ambiguous at best-

If I recall, Bradley asked him something about his long career or being on the road for so many years and Dylan said something to the effect of "I made a deal with the master years ago- it sounded to me at the time that he was talking about God.

Last year when his Christmas album came out, he did one interview about it and the interviewer said "It sounds like you sing these songs as a true believer and Dylan said "I am a true believer". So, who knows... As recently as last year, he was still performing overtly "Christian" songs in his live shows.

Interesting article too...but to call Neighborhood Bully the centerpiece of Infidels is laughable. Also this terrain has indeed been tackled before- I have a book from 1975 called "Bob Dylan- The Jewish Poet in Search of God".

[In nomine Patris]

Well henryt I seem to remember it differently but I shall listen again later while I am doing other things, just listen to the sound and when that part come on I will watch and replay. Right now there was a 6.9 earthquake about 175-200 miles from here and I am making sure no leaks, etc.

[WhollyRoaminCatholic]

FWIW, Dylan claims bluesman Robert Johnson as an influence.  But I don't think it's very a worthwhile exercise to parse Dylan's religious views.  He seems to be confused, agnostic, pan-religious un-religious and areligious all at the same time.