[lit-ideas] LISTENING TO DYLAN
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:35:36 -0500
Sitting here listening to Bob Dylan's "Modern Times". How the sound of his
voice comforts me, never mind the lyrics. They're just icing.
Funny how, zeitgeistly I'm guessing, a voice can become the voice of a
generation. I'm thinking of Sinatra, Elvis, Dylan -- the next signature voice
-- I don't know who that is or will be, but it'll be. "Every generation puts a
hero on the pop charts". Or so sings Paul Simon. Different ethnicities might
disagree with my very whiteish choices, but I am whiteish and I'll bet within
that within their groupings there's that one prominent voice to speaks
immediately to them. Is it that the voice captured the 'tenor' of a certain
coming-of-age group? Is that it? I'm guessing so. I'm guessing that the 15
to 20 year old years is the defining period for the meaning of life and the
musical artist who can capture the tempo and themes and sound of that group of
people becomes it's voice. But it's the sound I think that is most important,
or becomes most important -- Dylan doesn't sound pretty -- the times weren't
pretty -- in fact, it was, I think, because he sounded like a rasp that my
generation took him for "authentic" and then there are the lyrics which seem so
fittingly raspy. I'd go so far as to say that the "voice choice" defies
marketing. I'm sure McCreery is now apoplectic, but I think some things
achieve an authenticity as to be even beyond marketing. Call me delusional.
But, as you well know, I know whereof I speak.
Mike Geary
Memphis
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