The real question, of course, is:

Who would win: Dylan and the Beatles-- or Ditka?

No contest.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Seaman, Dave" <seamand@upmc.edu>
To: <audities@smoe.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2003 12:41 PM
Subject: Bob Z vs Sgt P - the grudge match


> I said:
>
> >>  Well, I'd rather listen to Sgt Pepper than the first 7 Dylan albums.
> >> Butthat's just me...
>
> Then Bill said:
> >>Well let's see we are putting Sgt. Pepper alone against Dylan's first,
> Freewheelin, The Times They Are A Changin, Another Side Of, Bring It All
> Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde.  I agree that isn't
a
> contest; Dylan wins hands down.  OK I am one of those who rates Sgt.
Pepper
> at the bottom of the Beatles Albums but please compare the songs on those
> Dylan Albums with the ones on Pepper (overall except for a few great ones,
> not the best songs the Beatles ever wrote) and I think you'd have to agree
> that this one is really no contest with Dylan way out in front and only a
> few of the Sgt. Pepper songs reaching the heights of the best Dylan songs
> on those LPs.
>
>
> Now I say:
> I agree with you that there are GREAT Dylan songs on these albums; also, I
> put several (maybe even most?) of the Beatle's albums above Sgt Pepper.
> Nonetheless, I still listen to Sgt Pepper more than any Dylan.  My
statement
> is that I like  to LISTEN to Sgt Pepper more than Dylan - I said nothing
> about comparing the value of Sgt Pepper to Dylan.
>
> I very much respect Dylan's work, but I can only take him in small doses -
> like, in the middle of a mix tape or on the radio.   I guess it's mostly
his
> voice, and partially his chord progressions (and maybe a little bit the
> playing and production?.. er... well, I do think the playing and
production
> is pretty good, just not terribly interesting).   Dylan was a fabulous
> songwriter but I'd rather hear the Byrds do Dylan than Dylan do Dylan.
And
> please don't peg me as one of those who prefer ear candy to a solid meal
of
> good songwriting -- I'm one of the first to say that good songwriting is
the
> most important thing.  The songs have to be there, and if they're not,
great
> production can't save the day.    It's just that there is a point where
song
> presentation, particularly vocals, has to be at a certain level of quality
> for me to want to listen to it in any volume, and I guess Dylan hits me
> below that point.
>
> Same with Lou Reed, Randy Newman, Tom Waits -- great, great songwriters,
but
> I like them best a few songs at a time rather than 40 minutes at a time.
Of
> course, I can listen to Springsteen, Davies, and Petty in large doses -
> maybe my threshold falls somewhere between Bruce and Bob D?
>
> As for Sgt Pepper, I think there are some great songs on the album, some
> good songs, and some mediocre songs.  I can't think of any off the top of
my
> head that I think are truly horrendous songs.   But the whole elpee is
> sonically interesting to me, and even though much of it is not great
> Beatlesongs, it's still the Beatles, ferchrissakes!  Put John and Paul and
> the boys in a studio w George Martin for a few weeks, and I could probably
> listen to them sing the phone book.  Apart from their usually excellent
> songwriting, I just love how they sounded together.  Who doesn't?