Bob Dylan lashes out at the current standard of music: “It just parodies real life”
In a rare new interview, Bob Dylan has gone to great lengths to share his less-than-enthusiastic thoughts on the current music scene – stating that streaming has made it “too easy” for artists. READ MORE: Pink Floyd Quietly Debut 18 Previously-Unreleased Concerts From Dark Side Of The Moon Era Speaking with The Wall Street Journal […]
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In a rare new interview, Bob Dylan has gone to great lengths to share his less-than-enthusiastic thoughts on the current music scene – stating that streaming has made it “too easy” for artists.
- READ MORE: Pink Floyd Quietly Debut 18 Previously-Unreleased Concerts From Dark Side Of The Moon Era
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal yesterday (19 December), the legendary folk musician went on nothing short of a rant to share his disdain for online music platforms. Insisting that the quality of music has declined since his heyday, he said:
“When you hear a great song: you get a gut reaction and an emotional one. It follows the logic of the heart and stays in your head long after you’ve heard it.”
He continues, “[But,] streaming has made music too smooth and painless. Just one stroke of the ring finger, middle finger, one little click, that’s all it takes … It’s all too easy, too democratic.”
The Hurricane singer, who first found fame over six decades ago, proceeded to blast technology as a whole, labelling it as “sorcery”, before directly criticising musicians from all genres as lowering the standard of music:
“Who is going to write standards today? A rap artist? A hip-hop or rock star? […] That’s music for the establishment. It’s easy listening. It just parodies real life,” he insisted.
“It’s a computer model. […] You need a solar X-ray detector just to find somebody’s heart, see if they still have one.”
Although the majority of the discussion became somewhat of a trivial jab at the changing times, the musician did ultimately share his fondness for some modern artists who remind him of himself.
“The Oasis Brothers, I like them both [and] I’ve seen Metallica twice. I’ve made special efforts to see Jack White and Alex Turner,” he recalled.
“I’m a fan of Royal Blood, Celeste, Rag and Bone Man, Wu-Tang, Eminem, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen… anybody with a feeling for words and language, anybody whose vision parallels mine.”
An uncut version of the interview can be found on the artist’s website.
