Yeah

Though my experience was quite different: when I was little I've always been listening to the music (because I couldn't understand English well enough to appreciate his lyrics), then I got drawn to his lyrics much more (because when I started learning guitar and bass I just thought it's to simple, so there must be this other part of his art that is what people crave for), and now I'm back at appreciating his music (even more than his lyrics).

It's simple, but pure, timeless and extremely personal

That's an interesting look behind the scenes at what was going on during those controvertial "Bob's gone electric!" concerts.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that both the words and the music have been important: that there can be more than just one thing about Dylan.

With his often scornful attitude at press conferences, especially in his early days, he gave the impression that he was a casual joker of an artist. But on the clip from Dianna, I notice that he was focused and working hard at his craft all the while. There's a similar revelation (different era) in his book Chronicles in which he lets slip a bit about the time, seclusion and effort he put into getting his Blood On The Tracks songs written.

I don't understand though what happened to him lately

I mean, Tempest is fine and nice
But from there on out it just seems so...uninspired?

What has happened to his Voice... The way he sang was often raspy, and that over time would damage vocals chords...
Age, he is 80 years old and most older peoples voices will really deteriorated and change the tones...
He smoked he live wild at times, so all will contribute to his voice being pretty bad now.
When he was in a car accident that affected his vocals also...
So all in all maybe he should go in for Poetry now....

That was an interesting comment, Mucha. It made me think of 2 things:-

1. Let me introduce you to something you may have heard of, but not experienced yet: old age !
Bob is no longer the angry, energetic powerhouse of ideas that he used to be. At age 80, that kind of intensity has probably disappeared for good - and with such a career behind him, it's not like he has to prove himself to anybody anymore.

2. Is it me or is it Bob? Someone sent me Tempest when it came out and I thought, "This is good!" and yet I haven't played it since. Same with Rough and Rowdy Ways. That's a total contrast to how I used to feel about his albums coming out. So yeah, either Dylan or me have lost some of that excitement.

Ok I've given my opinions on Bob Dylan often enough but I can't resist if you take the 1966 live recordings as an example, some of them are among my favourite music. Like hearing it for the first time was a revelation. To me both the lyrics and music are important, but the music more so, and i think the whole Poet pedestal Dylan is put on overrates him (and is also unfair to him; he can't compete with a great poet but there are other things he has to offer)

Yes, I haven't experienced "old age", I'm 21 as of now.
Still, there are things (music/movies/literature), that I find "inspired", that were not made by people of my age.
Look, just to make an example:

Keith Richards newest album ("Crosseyed Heart"), made me often feel like...I could understand what's it like to be old(?). I know who Keith is when he's my age, I know who he is, when he's my parents age. And then, thanks to "Keith evolving" I know what's it like to be him – still having the ideas, the verve, or whatever – when he's old.
Keith didn't age to my ears. He ad grown up (or "aged up"). He had understood who he is now, and what he was before, and now he's making music that is serene (in the sense that he knows he's old, but also he has the spirit to do things – I'm not sure if this is clear. It's kind of central to what I'm talking about).

With Dylan, I can't feel this. I just know he's old. But I don't feel it. I know he's eighty: and that should be the strong point of the albums.
Not the weak one.
But it is.
The weak spot is that he's 80 (like with McCartney – especially "McCarney III").
While it should be the strong spot.

And here with Dylan's albums, all I can hear is him being "weaker at making music".
I'm not one of those purists, who'd say that Dylan's only good when he's 19-21 and acoustic.

Far from it.

It's that his albums/songs have (in my personal opinion) less vigor, less internal energy. They are more like "trying to play that one song, that was to hard for you until now".
And I just don't find joy in it.

And don't get me wrong: I really like the track "I contain multitudes". But that's the thing: I really love the track the was one of the main singles. And no the other way around.

It just doesn't feel to me like "The Dylan" I'm accustomed to.
Or something.

You know what...I've known many albums that came to me "right away", and also many of those that "came in time".
But I don't think there as a Dylan album after Oh Mercy, that actually managed to "come afer some time". It's truly just like he'd had burned out himself.


I can always be proved wrong on this field, though.
[If you have something, that you think could change my mind – then send it right away; I'm truly open here]

Final Video...for now
Quite the most beautiful Bob Dylan song in my view......