Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits
Sep 5, 2009 at 8:43 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15

Gartikker

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I post this topic more to be an observer than a main contributor. For some reason, logical or not, I kind of link these three together as the three beasts, as far as male singer/songwriters go.

I'm just curious to see who you'd pick if you could only choose to have one of them. Or, who would you consider least necessary to have of the three. Or, whatever other thoughts you have about them.

Is anyone a fan of one or two of them, and really doesn't care for the other one or two? Or does pretty much everyone who likes one like them all?

Time to sit back and read some interesting discussion (I hope).
 
Sep 5, 2009 at 3:08 PM Post #2 of 15
Maybe you link them because of songwriting and off-the-beaten-path voices?

I love Tom Waits. I have everything he's ever done. Seen him a couple of times in concerts. His music to me is either raw and primal or heartbreaking; he's so good at getting to the core of each emotion.

Dylan . . . well, I'm only now getting into Dylan. I like the Dylan of the last two albums; old and weathered. Before 1990, the only song I've liked until recently was Positively 4th Street because it's just so -- again -- raw, especially against that cheerful background. But I always wonder if Dylan is just playing Dylan; faking it. Especially on his radio show, I think he's just playing a larger version of himself, like DeNiro in Analyze whatever. I realize that some people might say the same thing about Tom Waits -- I mean, the guy was trying to be old when he was 22 -- but he just seems real to me anyway.

As for Neil Young. . . in a word, "no." His voice is grating (yeah, I know, Tom Waits), like a cat in heat to me. I don't like the few songs that I know; they seem unimaginative, but maybe I'm prejudiced because of the voice. I heard Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek) do a Neil Young cover and I thought hmmm that ain't bad. If anybody has other Neil Young cover recommendations, I'm game. But for right now . . . with apologies to those of you who are fans, a Southern man don't need him around anyhow.
 
Sep 5, 2009 at 3:15 PM Post #3 of 15
It is interesting that you single out these three as the "three beasts" of male singer/songwriters. To me there would be several others that would line up right beside them, including Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, maybe Paul Simon and probably quite a few others if I were to think about it a bit more.
I happen to like all three, but not to the ponit of blindly loving all their work. They are all very different IMO (they all have unique voices) and I think they are similar only in the fact that they are male and they are very good song writers. I don't really like the if you could only have games, but for the sake of the thread-
Least necessary for me would be Neil Young (I simply listen to Mr Young least and I think he has less volume of great work)
I listen mostly to Tom Waits (of the three)
Dylan's best work is right up there
Tom's worst isn't great
Harvest is a great album and Hey Hey My My = rocks.
 
Sep 5, 2009 at 3:49 PM Post #4 of 15
Neil Young is the odd man out to me, I like his 60s and 70s work alot, but I don't see his best work as being at the same level as Bob Dylan or Tom Waits at their best. Tom Waits has definitely been most consistent of these three, and I see him as the closest to Bob Dylan as a songwriter, especially when paired with Kathleen Brennan. And actually, in terms of constructing studio work, I'd take Tom Waits over Bob Dylan, though Dylan's mid-60s albums are still better than any of Tom's albums, in great part because of the brilliance of the songs.
 
Sep 5, 2009 at 4:13 PM Post #5 of 15
Love Dylan and Young. Really like Waits (which means I have more than a half dozen of his albums, but less than all). I think that rather than Tom Waits, or maybe in addition to him, I would include Lou Reed.
 
Sep 5, 2009 at 4:27 PM Post #7 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by Gartikker /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm just curious to see who you'd pick if you could only choose to have one of them. Or, who would you consider least necessary to have of the three. Or, whatever other thoughts you have about them.


I'd choose Dylan, no question about it. Young and Waits are of similar importance to me, both very influential singer-songwriters, but Dylan is one of the few true masterminds of this whole moment in time. In the year 2500 people will still be quoting Dylan.
 
Sep 6, 2009 at 5:24 PM Post #8 of 15
I would definately take Neil Young of the three. While some people don't like his voice, or think he can't sing, I disagree. While his voice is not exactly melodic, I find that he has some of the best control over his dynamics making his voice extremely expressive. Combined with this is of course unique style of guitar playing and his songwriting, and you get an incredible talent IMHO.
 
Sep 6, 2009 at 6:44 PM Post #10 of 15
Neil for me. Of the voices, Dylan will run me from a room. Too bad because his music is the best of the bunch. I've got more Neil than any but Bob holds several slots in the CD rack.
 
Sep 6, 2009 at 7:44 PM Post #11 of 15
Neil Young of course.

Those who do not think he knows his stuff, are immature in their musical minds. Poor souls
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Sep 7, 2009 at 1:08 AM Post #14 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif
All great and unique and all worthy of your time.


I would agree with Pangaea's comment. I love them all. I could not choose one over the other, or even two out of the three. I have been a Neil Young fan since I became aware of his existence. (which was somewhere around the time of the release of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's, "Deja Vu") I have seen Neil Young in concert both solo and with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I think that his musical style presents the greatest range of the three. His music varies from hard rock through country. I began to pay attention to Bob Dylan about the time of the release of "Blood On The Tracks." I have never seen Bob Dylan live. I have had a love/hate relationship with his voice since the beginning. I have a half-dozen of his albums, mostly from "Blood On The Tracks to present. His folk, country, rock and roll sound IMHO is somewhat varied, but leans more toward folk/country then I generally prefer. He is a poet there is no doubt about that. I have been a Tom Waits fan for only about the last two years. In that time I have acquired fifteen of his albums and can't get enough of his music. I would love to see him live if the opportunity presented itself. Somewhat like Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Tom Waits' voice is an acquired taste. IMHO his music is the least varied stylistically. He has his own style; the "Tom Wait's style." He is, to me, the most interesting of the three. You are obviously curious about all three so ask for recommendations about one or two albums by each and draw your own conclusions. You can't really go wrong by exploring these iconic artists...
 
Sep 7, 2009 at 3:17 AM Post #15 of 15
Neil Young. Out of the three he's the only artist I have albums of. He was/is the only one out of the three that was open to 'artistic experimentation' covering a few musical genres in his career.
 

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