Bob Dylan finally makes sense....

Nrchy,
Good comments. I've been collecting music since the late 1950's. I still purchase many of the newest releases including the stuff from Dylan, Gabriel, Young et.al. Much of the current music from older artists is excellent; some even exceeds, IMO, quality of their earlier work. However, that is not the case with all artists. I will single out The Who here for argument's sake. There, and in my opinion again, has been nothing substantial released from these guys in over 20 years and now they are going on tour with only 2 original members to rehash "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "See Me, Feel Me"? Sorry Rog and Pete, stay home. Unfortunately, The Who is not alone.
I'm not a critic but I know what I like. I've seen most major bands, except the Beatles, multiple times and as painful as it may seem, we can't go home. Although it might be nostalgic watching some of these folks perform, it is often painful watching fat old bald guys trying to recapture fled youth.
To address your question, we should not be turned away from our jobs because we are aging. However, I would expect to be turned away if the quality of my work was unacceptable.
I appreciate your clarification. Thank you.

The iPod and quality of recordings are completely seperate issues.
Many people have multi-thousand dollar systems are very interested in the quality of recordings but will use an iPod.
As for Dylan marketing iPods do you think the vast majority of younger folk even know who he is?
A high end system and iPod can live in tandem-they do for many folks. I love my iPod.
Dylan never made any comment about sound quality of MP3's etc.-he did make a very vague comment about how CD's sound in comparison to what he heard in the studio but as I've stated before it is so vague as to be almost irrelevant.
I rather suspect as a teenager listening to distant radio stations Bob wasn't questioning the mids, highs and bass quality.
Still a vague comment has got Audiophiles foaming about the mouth and his appearance in an Ad has them screaming "Judas".

Forty years on and things ain't changed much-people still screaming about their sets of values, their ideals and their perceptions at a man who simply couldn't function if he had to consider that type of crap.

If your upset because Dylan has promoted iPods then fine-it's not the end of the world, his music remains as it is.

Dylan was commenting on the plasticity and hollowness of alot of pop artists out there these days, that they lack substance and depth and that ultimately this music has nothing to offer. Most of it he feels is crap and therefore should be "free" cause it has no value!

Dylan is an intriguing figure. Complex and has a high regard for artists who have "something to say"

At one time i used to think that his songwriting was just a trick and that it didnt make sense at all but today i believe his lyrics especially on certain albums are rich in depth, insight and complexity and can be received and understood for people from different angles and perspectives, on different levels, and yet at the same time are understood universally. He's witty, sharp, sensitive, tough, wise, generous, irritated by the media machine,friendly.

When all is said and done, i think it really is fair to say that he is a musical genius, for sure a lyrical genius, a rare "accident" that happened in our time. It is his story, together with his discography that keeps me entertained forever! Of course, i think its true that you either get dylan or you dont.

So I guess he will donate all the money he has made from his music over the last 20 years to a good charity then?

The past 20 years has seen the onset of a cultural dark ages. Anyone disputing this simply has not been following the Whitney biennials of the past 20, maybe 40 years. It is obvious that pop/conventional tastes have deteriorated to the level of "digesting with the stars". Be that as it may, in the world of high art, particularly 'classical' or high culture music (which includes forms of improvised music such as some jazz, IMO), the case id quite different. There has been a tremendous amount of achievement in the past 20 years, despite its difficultly in being recorded, and recorded well. Dylan was speaking about his area of knowledge directly: rock/folk/pop AMERICAN music. He still speaks with authority about american culture, and knows it better than almost anyone. However do not think that this applies to the high culture of the world in a more general sense.

In the past 20 years art has fallen to the realm of the people, instead of being a tool to raise people up to the level of high art.