Bob Dylan Vs Neil Young
 

Who do people prefer and why?

Personally its Neil Young. I feel as though Young doesn't get half the credit he should in comparison to Dylan.

I can take or leave both of them to be honest.

I`d look at them in the same way I see the Beatles & The Rolling Stones , I prefer the Stones myself but I can see why the Beatles are so popular & such a massive influence.
Just as I can see that Dylan is hugly popular & a massive influence but I prefer Young.

Music-wise I identify with Neil Young's Lyrics much much more, and he writes better songs, its just that Dylan writes the odd crazy popular song and everyone focuses on that. I recently read Young's biography and Dylan was a total tosser to him apparantly, they were to play on stage together and Dylan got really aggressive when Neil played even though he totally tried to take over his gig when it was the other way round. He never played with him again, to this day that I know of, and badmouthed him too. I think Dylan knew how big a threat Neil was to his career and tried his hardest to sabotage Neil's.

And Harvest Moon and Needle and the Damage Done are some of the best songs.

Have to agree - Neil Young everytime for me.

havent got into either of them.

Neil Perry


get into it

Uh well Neil can wail but Dylan has some really good songs that I didn't really know existed until I hit my 20's. Songs like "subterranian homesick blues" "Highway 66 revisited" and "its alright ma." If we identify with dylan on "blowin in the wind" and "don't think twice" its easy to see why you'd prefer Young. But both are in the top 5 american singer songwritters ever and dylans probably in top 5 over all.

Neil Young. He had much more of an influence on metal with his grungy sound and use of distortion.

They're both fantastic song writers and its waay too hard to choose...

Dylan. No contest for me.

Neil Young

1) He's Canadian
2) Very versatile artist
3) He plays with trains
4) He does great things for the disadvantaged
5) When he speaks you can somewhat understand him
6) Has conquered adversity so many times

I agree with Urban except I believe that's why Dylan is superior.

:laughing:

Neil Young, he's much less much less pretentious and obnoxious than Bob Dylan.

no contest for me

Dylan all the way though he's apparently a douche

This one is difficult for me. I grew up on Neil Young, I listened to him with my step-dad (RIP), so Neil has more an impact on me over all.... or atleast more memory attached to him for me.... so I have a devout love for Neil...

But Bob Dylan was more of an influence on me in my later years.

I think Bob may be a better songwriter, but Neil is the better musician in my mind...

If I had to choose one, I would probably go with Bob by a hair, I think he had a better output... forgetting the bulk of his material in the 80's... But the first few Dylan albums are untouchable to me, and I listen to them more than I do Neil Young.

But Neil Young has one of my favorite lyrics

"See the losers in the best bars, meet the winners in the dives.. where the people are the real stars, all the rest of their lives"

I connect to that line a lot, because all the best shows and coolest people I have met have been in scummy dive bars, and bars to me just seem like a lame popularity contest.

Neal Young easy.

I have never been somebody's Signature before, thanks, I am honored!.

Bob Dylan a great song writer, but listening to him bores me to tears or sends me to sleep, so no contest really, so Neil Young wins hands down.

Not a fair question. It's like saying, what's better sex or sex?

Dylan's never really grabbed me but I love several of Neil Young's albums.

I vote sex!

On a serious note, this is a real tough one for me. I put both in a very elite class. I listen to Neil Young more, but that's probably because I tend to listen to "rockier" stuff more often. Although, when I'm really feeling introspective, it's Bob Dylan who I turn to more. I would say that Dylan is the better songwriter, but Neil has written some gems himself. Neil is an amazing, underrated, guitar player as well. I agree with BastardofYoung that the first few Dylan albums were just amazing. The songs stand up well and the influence that they had on ALL of music (folk and rock in particular) is just incredible. Ultimately, I think I give the nod to Bob Dylan, but this one is harder for me than even the old Beatles vs. Stones debate (Stones for me, btw).

I think you have it nailed pretty perfectly there, I don't think Neil ever quite hit some of the heights Bob did lyrically, but then again who has. Both are absolutely timeless musicians. I probably listen to Bob a tad more.

Has to be the Beatles by the way!

it's just a question of exposure

i have more Dylan albums than Neil albums

if i had the equal amount, i'd make a better judgment

Neil Young is great but Dylan is from another universe.

I think judging by his 80's output he has been on another universe for a while now. I have a theory that the real Bob Dylan died in 1976 and was replaced by a robot disquised as him.

Dylan is like a sleeping pill.

albeit a good one which gives you pleasant feelings

......enough to put you into a coma!

but you feel as if you're in Heaven as you're under

dylans songs changed a generation, they were at the figure head of new movement during the early to mid sixties, hell he even played after martin luther kings speech. at that monolith thing near whitehouse with all those people gathered there.
His songs are timeless and whilst he produced alot of crap songs he also produced some of the best songs ever written. The number of times blowin in the wind was covered is insane. I think its unfair to compare neil young to the most influencial musical artist of the last century. He is undoubtedly mroe refrenced as being an inspriation to musicsians and celebrities in general over the beatles and even elvis.

Well, I think saying Bob is THE most influential artist of the last century is pretty debatable. He is one of them, but I would not go as far as to say he is THE most influential.

It's not infeasible to me, Like a Rolling Stone was pretty revolutionary. I'm a little unsure of it, but I could definitely see it.

i think the difference between bob dylan and 99% of other artists is that he came at exactly the right time, people dont understand the times that he appeared on the scene of music. He was only 20, he couldnt really sing and he was singing folk music. Something that was never played on the main radio stations and never signed to major labels. Dylan was the first folk singer to sign onto a large label like Columbia records. He was also the first popular artist that would admit he couldnt sing, giving hope to those who couldnt also sing but could play instruments or had something to say.

His music at first was political, yet he was not a political person. During the early 60s few artists spoke out against the goverment and nobody had whilst signed to a major label until dylan came along. During those times racisim was a big problem in america and Dylan was one of the figure heads against it, many couldnt understand why a young white boy was singing for equal rights.

I think the main difference here is the world of music would be a very different place today without dylan. However if you take away neil young (a very talented artist) i doubt it would be all that different Regardless of what your individual tastes are theres no denying dylan is up there with both elvis and john lennon.
Its just a shame that alot of people who dont know about what dylan did during the 60s and 70s will only find out once he dies and hes all over the news once again
a sample of people i know were influenced by dylan during their careers..
Jimi hendrix, wyclef jean, syd barret, john lennon, paul mcartney, johnny cash, paul simon

Nice, informative post there. It'll be a very sad day when he dies.

Neil is great, but he just is not in the same league as Dylan.
To put his career into perspective, you have to realise that in 1965 or thereabouts, at the (then) peak of his career as a folk singer, he turned his back on his core audience.
Dylan didn`t "sell out"-work such as "Like a rolling stone" or "It`s alright Ma" were totally uncommercial.
It was like nothing else which had gone before-to this day, I consider lyrics like-

"Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their mark
Make everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It’s easy to see without looking too far
That not much is really sacred"
- to be both relevant and ground breaking.
(From the same song-"He not busy being born is busy dying"!)

It`s not a fair comparison-Neil is a brilliant singer/songwriter.
Dylan is a genius.

it would if it made any sense

Well, usually interpreted as an attack on commericalism, the insincerity of politicians and the corruption of religion, it`s generally acknowledged as reasonably sensible.
Can you name anything comparable?
Maybe you prefer Gary Glitter?

just like anything in the Bible, anybody can ascribe any kind of meaning to it

like when I was so into The Wall, I came up with a million explanations of the lyrics

at the end, i came to the conclusion it's just about Roger masturbating, and The Wall is the bathroom wall blocking him from his mother's view

Yup.Just like the Bible.