Bob Dylan says the quality of modern recordings is "atrocious," and even the songs on his new album sounded much better in the studio than on disc.

"I don't know anybody who's made a record that sounds decent in the past 20 years, really," the 65-year-old rocker said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan, who released eight studio albums in the past two decades, returns with his first recording in five years, "Modern Times," next Tuesday.

Noting the music industry's complaints that illegal downloading means people are getting their music for free, he said, "Well, why not? It ain't worth nothing anyway."

"You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Dylan said he does his best to fight technology, but it's a losing battle.

"Even these songs probably sounded ten times better in the studio when we recorded 'em. CDs are small. There's no stature to it."

What a strange collection of statements. After reading them I'm not even really sure what he is actually saying. I could pick apart each statement he makes ..... but I don't think I could really be bothered.

What a strange old man Bob is.

Bob !!!!!! The times they are a changing ....

Sounds like an old fart rambling on. Sorry, but I never did get the 'appeal' of Bob Dylan. Six chords, max., atrocious vocals, that about sums him up for me.

"the answer my friends, is blowing in the wind! the answer is blowing in the wind"

Hi

BD = Grumpy Old Man.
Just ignore GOM's.

J�rgen

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What I think he's saying is that newer recordings are "over processed" and certainly mastered too loud.

With the race to see who can be the loudest in most modern commercial releases, that leaves very little room for dynamics (amongst other things) and I think Bob is remembering a "gentler" time when music recordings were allowed to "breathe".

I actually have this Album (Modern Times) and it has only recently left our In-car CD player - it's a superb Album, which I'm tempted to give 5 stars....


(Oh and why is this quote only being posted now??? - this is from Last year!!!!!!!!!!!!)

No unkind words here �What Bob Dylan is saying is very clear � I hate the fact that you are taking the music I love, away. You are replacing something I love so dearly -- I�ve given my life to music.

If you can not understand his statement wait a while, if you truly love your music it will happen to you, the wheel must turn. My Sinatra is dead and so is my John Wayne, the guys replacing them are not the same.

Sorry I�m preaching here but it�s a subject I feel and understand, and many times saddens me � you see most of the music I love is now being played in elevators and even that�s changing.
Oh well, I guess I�m just venting.

IMHO, John C.

Although I was never a Bob Dylan fan and still aren't I share your opinion that more and more of the music I enjoy most is being played in elevators.


[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 05-16-2007).]

If your music is played in elevators it means that you've made it. Muzak is a multi-billion dollar business.

I find the following reply rather interesting especially since to me a record has that "something"special a digital recording doesn't have. Perhaps it's just nostalgia but, and I think I speak for others, just buying a record was an event.

""You listen to these modern records, they're atrocious, they have sound all over them," he added. "There's no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like ... static."

Maybe Dylan is over-stating his point, but there is some truth to what he says in my opinion.

I find with modern recordings, that the soundstage is so locked into a central window that you don't get the raw feel that used to come when stereo was in its infancy. Maybe a lot of members here don't recall that far back, but I sure do. Perhaps stereo recording was a novelty that the recording engineers were experimenting with, but it just sounded more real 'back in the day'. Offtimes they use to direct specific instruments to a left speaker and another to the right and leave it locked there for the whole song. Yeah, you could localize the speaker, but it just seemed more real than this "definition of nothing" that Dylan speaks of......

Any thoughts?

brucek"

In the case of John "the only good Indian is a dead Indian" Wayne, maybe that's not such a bad thing. Whatever his screen accomplishments, I can't admire a self-admitted, first rate bigot. Remember, this guy was NOT a hero, he just played one on the screen.

chas