How much more popular would Dylan's music have been if he'd had Joan Baez sing many of the songs?

I can't stand Joan Baez's voice. I'd rather listen to Bob croak 'em out.

 

If you say so.
I have heard her numerous times since the early 60s and I have certainly never acquired it.

 

I kind of have a hard time imagining Bob any more popular than he already is...

 

With the ability to sing in several distinct "voices". He's a serious chameleon...

 

uncle

 

You mean "Bob's your uncle"?

 

Maybe he wouldn't be the answer to so many "Where is he now?" questions.

 

Bob is undeniably the best singer nobody can emote or enunciate like he can to get the lyric across.

 

Bob Dylan made his reputation as a singer/songwriter. Regardless of who else he chose to sing the songs he wrote, it would have damaged his career.

Those who want to hear Dylan's songs sung by someone else have a plethora of covers by excellent singers to choose from.

 

One of the biggest and most important recording artists? I really can't imagine that.
An important element to the rock era , particularly the 60s and an important songwriter, most definitely.
I really think he gets elevated far beyond his true contribution simply because he became the face of the 60s and had the perfect image for 1965.
Put in perspective I think he was a good songwriter that had the respect of his peers and the ear of the nations youth for an while.
Also, an interesting aspect of the guy is that he never seemed to chase stardom. I get the impression he just wanted to do his thing and make some easy cash and be left the hell alone. Which contributed to the image he had in the 60s. And he was the perfect smartass about it, he had the ability to say trite sardonic things during interviews without being thought of as crass or arrogant.
Songwriter and celebrity, yes. Recording artist... not so much.

 

Huh? It's clear you know nothing about him. "Easy cash"..."celebrity"??

 

I think it is obvious you don't.
The guy very much was a celebrity in the 60s ( although seemingly not by his choice) and obviously just wanted to make a living doing what he did best. He did indeed seem to avoid interviews and when he did consent to them seemed to be doing them grudgingly and was a bit of a smartass, although he did so in such an appealing manner it didn't turn people off.
Don't let the "legend" rhetoric blind you to reality.

 

You seemed to be obsessed with how he came off in his interviews...what does that have to do with his music? I think you've formed your opinions from a very shallow pool of "images and distorted facts."

 

Joan Baez? (shudders) I think there would be a steep dropoff in acceptance after you get to a certain age range; her vocals come across as stilted and precious today, not ulnlike a lot of that early 60's folk boom (but even more so). Say what you will about good ol' Bobby Zimmerman, at least he knew when to loosen it up and make a good racket when he needed to.

 

Listen to Joanie's version of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
Next question?

 

Right.

So Highway 61, Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks aren't almost universally regarded as some of the most important albums ever recorded?

And that every Bootleg series release doesn't get rock fans salivating at what's coming out? Like the Basement Tapes for instance?

 

I don't recall that Ms. Baez ever recorded a full version. Fairport Convention covered "Percy's Song" on their Unhalfbricking album with Sanny Denny singing lead.

 

Er, there's that bit in Masters of War. Also, the end of Girl from the North Country (with Johnny Cash) is pretty cringeworthy.

 

um. not at all. Nothing against Joanie. but she's hardly iconic in the same way. now Joni, that's another story (however, she had too many of her own songs to sing to bother with someone else's).

 

I'm not condoning it, but...Bob used her to help himself and then moved on. He was hungry, and it was her world.

 

A legend would know, I guess.

 

Dylan's phrasing, the sound of his voice and the emotion has always been very evocative to me -- right up to Jokerman. After that, well...

Baez' vibrato sounded like the underwater gargling of autotune.

 

There's also one about whether the Beatles lived up to their potential. Seriously, what does a musician have to do to satisfy these people? Cure cancer? Make balloon animals while tap dancing and playing chess?

Forget Joan Baez. Maybe Bob should have hired Ricky Nelson to do all his public appearances and interviews so as to be more palatable and American Idol-y for the public. Then he might have amounted to something.

 

I'm wondering how much more popular Dylan's '90s-ff work would have been if he'd had Britney Spears sing many of the songs...?

 

Britney, no, but I did like Adele's more-recent version of Make You Feel My Love.