The Worst Beatle

There are two different types of Dylan fans.

The first type has a deep appreciation for "Dylan in his prime." It starts January 1961 when Dylan moves from college in Minneapolis to New York, seeking fame and fortune, and ends in 1970 with the release of Self Portrait, an album which prompted Rolling Stone writer Greil Marcus to ask, "What is this shit?"

The startling burst of creative energy that defined Dylan's twenties may have no equal in popular music. But Dylan's career did not end there. He continued producing album after album, continued touring (he is now on what is called the 'Never Ending Tour'), and in 2009 released two albums, one of them (LOL) a Christmas album.

The second type of fan is a Dylan loyalist. They love, more or less, everything in the man's catalogue. They listen to live performances, B-sides, and rarities. They view the critically acclaimed Modern Times and Love and Theft as albums that rival his work in the '60s. And whenever Dylan is in town, they go.

Personally, I find Dylan's material after the 1960's -- with the exception of Blood on the Tracks -- to be at best only a glimmer of the genius of his youth, at worst an absolute joke.

Compare these two live performances of "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall".

The first is from 1964.





Now watch this performance, from 2003. Can you take this seriously? I can't.



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