Would you want to listen to a Dylan album if there were no vocals?

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would you?

― frankE (frankE), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

only nashville skyline. would you listen to a dylan album with no fourth beats?

― matthew james (matthew james), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Hell no!

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd love a john wesley harding instrumental album

― Vital, Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Check out the "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid" soundtrack.

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 10 June 2004 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

would you rather listen to a "stack o trax" or a "stack o vocals" dylan album ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The first few albums are all about the vocals anyway. And they're amazing of course.

― de, Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

An intriguing question. Hardly anyone ever writes about Dylan's compositional skills, but he's written (or maybe "borrowed") lotsa great melodies over the years, usually rooted in Anglo folk ballads or blues.

And tho it pains me to say it, his voice has given me very little pleasure for going on 20 yrs now. So, yeah, in theory I'd enjoy a Dylan LP without vocals.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

well naturally the voice carries a melody and drive in dylan which would a bassline in some lightning space funk, so compositionally it'd be silly to go without dylan's voice.

― matthew james (matthew james), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I am suspicious of anyone who doesn't enjoy Dylan's voice
(I know, this does not reflect well on me, but it's the same thing
I've heard people say about Elvis and Frank Sinatra. My instinct applies it to Dylan because he's easily their equal)

― de, Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Desolation row without vocals should be an...interesting experience...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Thursday, 10 June 2004 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Hell no.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

If the music were interesting enough, sure. Otherwise, I really wouldn't listen to any.

― Ian Beverly (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Boy's been practicing his guitar-picking, as anyone who's seen him these past few years can attest. I'd listen to a Dylan instrumental album.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought that's what The Dylan Group was!

― peepee (peepee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd listen to the Rolling Thunder live album without vocals, any day of the week.

― antexit (antexit), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hardly anyone ever writes about Dylan's compositional skills"

Are you kidding me? The guy's the single most celebrated writer in post-WWII popular music.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Briana's OTM. Dylan's guitar work has been the shining focus of his recent concerts.

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I like reading this thread as if it's about Dylan from Da Band.

― Al (sitcom), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hardly anyone ever writes about Dylan's compositional skills"
Are you kidding me? The guy's the single most celebrated writer in post-WWII popular music.
-- Naive Teen Idol (matthewweine...), June 10th, 2004.

COMPOSTION

― David Allen (David Allen), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

You mean like the exact same album but without the vocal track? No - but that's but true of like 99% of country/folk/pop/rock music. On the other hand, I would certainly listen to an instrumental interpretation of Dylan songs if it was done in an interesting way: as for example, Michael Moore's album of instrumental Dylan covers of a few years back: Jewels and Binoculars.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 10 June 2004 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

COMPOSTION

Huh?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 10 June 2004 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Nope. But they would have been brilliant with Roger McGuinn singing.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 10 June 2004 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't wrap my head around this thread question, but i do like "all the tired horses."

― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 10 June 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

The vocals are brilliant on the first few albums. Maybe the motorcycle accident messed up his vocal chords.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 10 June 2004 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't wrap my head around this thread question

Last night I was listening to Highway 61 Revisited whilst watching CSPAN's ace coverage of the Reagan Funeral Week Celebration. "Desolation Row" came on and I was so struck by the lead guitar, I totally ignored the vocals.

This got me to thinking... hence the thread question.

― frankE (frankE), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I wld like an alb of solo harmonica improv pl

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"Desolation Row" came on and I was so struck by the lead guitar, I totally ignored the vocals.

You mean there's a chance I might like a Bob Dylan song??

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 10 June 2004 20:30 (twenty-two years ago)

The vocals are brilliant on the first few albums. Maybe the motorcycle accident messed up his vocal chords.

-- Barry Bruner (brune...) (webmail), June 10th, 2004 1:57 PM. (Barry Bruner) (later) (link)

my favorite dylan vocals are on "john wesley harding" and "nashville skyline," so, no.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 11 June 2004 03:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Hell, instrumental and vocal compositions are a bit different, I think. His happened to be with the latter. And in this case, for the better.

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 11 June 2004 04:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Briefly, the accident actually made his voice softer and cleaner rather than messed it up. He never had a cleaner voice than on "Nashville Skyline".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 11 June 2004 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

there is a bootleg cd (skeleton songs) that purports to be "unreleased versions" of mid 60s songs. it's actually the released versions with the vocals partly removed (and yes, desolation row is on there).

it's not something i've ever listened to all the way through... moderately intersting for ten minutes and that's it.

so it's not like the pet sounds sessions that sound amazing without the vocals.

― Officer Pupp, Friday, 11 June 2004 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

the accident prob had less to do with it than his temporarily quitting cigarettes

― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 11 June 2004 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

according to his latest biography dylan probably faked the accident to get out of his touring commitments anyway.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 11 June 2004 20:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The guitar playing on "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is awesome. Check the fingerpicking.

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Douglas OTM.

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Would I want to listen to any album if there were no vocals? As far as backing groups go, it would seem hard to beat The Band, and his current is one of the best around.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 11 June 2004 21:20 (twenty-two years ago)

well naturally the voice carries a melody and drive in dylan which would a bassline in some lightning space funk, so compositionally it'd be silly to go without dylan's voice.

Dylan instrumental = the "When Doves Cry" of folk?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 11 June 2004 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not as if Dylan hasn't done any instrumentals. As said above, check out the Pat Garrett etc. soundtrack, or "Suze" from the Bootleg Series box set.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 11 June 2004 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

wait, theres a Dylan in Da Band? jesus christ thats fantastic. i already thought it was funny that it was close enough to "the Band." my god. this is wondrous.

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Saturday, 12 June 2004 00:24 (twenty-two years ago)

and "wigwam" from self portrait is pretty close to what youre talkinga bout isnt it?

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Saturday, 12 June 2004 00:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The vocals are really what ruin "The Band" albums for me. And the instruments.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 12 June 2004 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

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