Dylan- The Immortal Three
I was originally planning on posting this back on December 10 when Dylan was scheduled to (not) pick up his Nobel Prize. Things got in the way and I pushed it off until now. No reason that I chose today other than it seemed like a good day- the day before Epiphany.
2016 Nobel Prize in LiteratureI had posted my favorites among Dylan's many songs. I skipped these three. I see these as his immortal songs. They defined the myth and music of Bob Dylan. Everything he has done since then is growth from these three.
The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2016 is awarded to Bob Dylan "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".
- Blowing In the Wind-1963
Protest and hope in the first two songs. Firmly in the folk tradition, but hints of new worlds of music, new standards of sound, hints of becoming Dylan.
- The Times They are A-Changin'-1964
A call to one generation from a so-called voice of the new. But he wasn't that. He was a voice of change, challenging all generations to get out of the way if you can't understand. Perhaps there is a message here for our day. This is a video from a performance at the White House remembering the music of the Civil Rights Movement. This is more than that.
- Like A Rolling Stone-1965
He was criticized when he did this song, electric, at the Newport Folk Festival. He opened new doors for music and some feel it is the greatest rock and roll song ever written. The song grows with Dylan. Poetry in motion.
Let's finish this off with the remarkable and emotional performance of Patti Smith at the Nobel Prize ceremony. She sang what may be Dylan's most powerful protest song, and fine poetry- A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.
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