The way I see it. Before Dylan, artists like Elvis, Chuckleberry, early
Beatles etc aspired to successful show business careers. Dylan gave
rock a bohemian and political dimension that set it apart from show business
for a while. Before him the bitch and moan themes of pop were cars, the
boss, surf (or lack thereof), girls and boys etc. Dylan on the other
hand bitched at a level that suggested he was in possession of some kind of
supreme knowledge. I couldn't separate Dylan from Joni and say one is
better. They're both essential. And they have very similar history -
small town people who came to the big city, rockers who used the folk
idiom for their own purpose. They both did things with music that had
never been done before.
Philip
NP Metheny/Pastorious/Moses - Omaha Celebration
